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Is it true that post 2014 there was a revision to the suspension, to fine tune it to UK roads?
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I am running a 2012 1.8 civic, had it for 5 years. Yes it is using a bit of oil, hard to tell exactly but it is approximately 1 litre in a few thousand miles. It is not bothering me at the moment on 50000 miles but according to forums it will increase. It was resolved in 2013 onwards. Otherwise as catsdad describes. Front discs coming up for renewal now, rear pads changed at 47000. Economy high 40s, low 50s on a run. Performance is good but lacks mid range and needs revving to exploit it. Very smooth and flexible engine. Visibility is a weak point. The 1.4 is fine for running around I've heard.they are good cars but not perfect, very well made and comfortable, ground clearance can sometimes be a bit on the low side when fully laden.
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The 1.4 is fine for running around I've heard.they are good cars but not perfect,
I have the 1.3 i-dsi in the 8th gen 2008, which is 82 bhp the 1.4 is iirc 102bhp VTEC, so must be better than mine, that does around 48mpg around town and 60 on a run (not long come back from Somerset) and had according to fill ups it did 60 mpg.
as said it isnt fast but does the job, just need to keep servicing up and should last years without a problem and they do like the revs as most Hondas do, even the diesel.
If you do get the diesel 1.6 Idtec check if the software update has been installed as there was a problem with all dash lights coming on at once due to fast driving, ie changing gear and revving faster than normal, it caused an ecu software conflict and caused all lights to come on and pulsate.....
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Hi guys, thanks for the replies and advice sorry for not responding sooner. I think I will hold out for a 1.8 and increase budget a bit to get a 2013 on (need to save for a bit longer). Just to clarify if I look for a 13 plate onwards I should avoid the faulty piston ring affected vehicles?
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Hi guys, thanks for the replies and advice sorry for not responding sooner. I think I will hold out for a 1.8 and increase budget a bit to get a 2013 on (need to save for a bit longer). Just to clarify if I look for a 13 plate onwards I should avoid the faulty piston ring affected vehicles?
Your not going to know until after you buy it as it doesn`t always show up on test drives unless your very lucky to see it.
usually the smoke goes through the PCV valve back in through the inlet manifold and burnt in the cylinder, if it was that easy to spot most people who buy them would find out on first drive as you would see a plume of blue smoke out the exhaust pipe, in most cases this doesn`t happen and catches people out after they buy the car, I know it happened to me on a 2013 plate 1.8 Civic, only Honda I ever bought with that problem, no others have been like it
IMO, some that had a recall over the rings didn`t have the job done, leaving those who buy the car to fix or resell
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I haven't researched thoroughly but it is possible to identify the affected engines through the vin code I believe . There is plenty of info on the civic forums. Burning a small amount of oil won't be visible, on the tailpipe, the last car I could see oil burning on was a 1.3 astra with worn valve seals, about a pint every 200 miles, a different order of magnitude. Anyway, avoid 2012 and 2013 to be certain!
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I think 2014 on is going to be pushing it as 6k is about as far as I can go at the moment.
I've read on the civic forums its mainly 2012 models and some.2013 models although someone claimed they had a 2014 with same issue.
To be honest I'm now thinking of going for a backup plan of a focus 1.6 petrol, we already have one in the family thanks to advice on here. I really liked the civic due to the magic seats and big load area with passenger seat pushed forward and it being chain driven. Any other alternatives that have reliable chain driven engines from last 10 years or so worth a look?
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I think 2014 on is going to be pushing it as 6k is about as far as I can go at the moment.
I've read on the civic forums its mainly 2012 models and some.2013 models although someone claimed they had a 2014 with same issue.
To be honest I'm now thinking of going for a backup plan of a focus 1.6 petrol, we already have one in the family thanks to advice on here. I really liked the civic due to the magic seats and big load area with passenger seat pushed forward and it being chain driven. Any other alternatives that have reliable chain driven engines from last 10 years or so worth a look?
If you want a car with a manual transmission, then the VAG alternatives are fine, with Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI (later belt cam models, not the earlier chain driven ones) are good value with the former being better on handling, the latter for space. Best of the TSI engines of that era in my view. The Golf and A3 are similar but cost more for the same spec.
The 3rd gen Mazda3 2L Skyactiv-G in SE-L (Nav) form (best value of the range) would also be a decent alternative with similar performance from a naturally-aspirated chain cam engine. Not quite as perky as the 1.4TSI from VAG or the 1.8 from Honda, but decent enough for most people and reliable/decent real world economy and excellent handling. Boot not as big as the Civic and no spare wheel;/tyre as standard, opt extra (£400) raises the boot floor and reduces space.
The 2nd gen Mazda3 (c/w spare wheel tyre except perhaps Sport version with boot ICE) with its 1.6 petrol engine (if your budget doesn't stretch to these),is fine, very similar (including performance) to the Ford Focus as they shared a platform (but not the engine even though they are the same capacity). Also reliable (my gen-1 car has an earlier version of the same engine and is still going well after 16 years loyal service).
I personally prefer the gen 2.5 Focus for styling over the earlier and later cars (didn't like the gen3).
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A few years ago I was looking into buying a 1.8 civic but the oil burning problem made me a bit wary. If I remember right there is a lot of info on the civicinfo forum, this gives you the engine code of the engines ( all 1.8) which are affected. The numbers on the block are apparently easy to identify if you have the information.
I must admit to having just quickly searched for the information but couldn't find it, although I'm sure it will still be there.
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Any other alternatives that have reliable chain driven engines from last 10 years or so worth a look?
Don't fixate on a chain drive engine, they can also give problems if not looked after. just focus on reliable cars with service history. If that car happens to have a belt, make sure it has been changed when it was supposed to. Also, if the car does have a belt and is due a change in the near future, use that as a haggling tool (assuming the cost of a belt change is not prohibitive, if so, don't buy it!).
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Any other alternatives that have reliable chain driven engines from last 10 years or so worth a look?
Don't fixate on a chain drive engine, they can also give problems if not looked after. just focus on reliable cars with service history. If that car happens to have a belt, make sure it has been changed when it was supposed to. Also, if the car does have a belt and is due a change in the near future, use that as a haggling tool (assuming the cost of a belt change is not prohibitive, if so, don't buy it!).
That's true, as long as it's naturally aspirated and reliable and we'll looked after I'm not too fussed if it's chain or belt.
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A few years ago I was looking into buying a 1.8 civic but the oil burning problem made me a bit wary. If I remember right there is a lot of info on the civicinfo forum, this gives you the engine code of the engines ( all 1.8) which are affected. The numbers on the block are apparently easy to identify if you have the information.
I must admit to having just quickly searched for the information but couldn't find it, although I'm sure it will still be there.
Thank you, I will take a look over there and see if I can find something.
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I think 2014 on is going to be pushing it as 6k is about as far as I can go at the moment.
I've read on the civic forums its mainly 2012 models and some.2013 models although someone claimed they had a 2014 with same issue.
To be honest I'm now thinking of going for a backup plan of a focus 1.6 petrol, we already have one in the family thanks to advice on here. I really liked the civic due to the magic seats and big load area with passenger seat pushed forward and it being chain driven. Any other alternatives that have reliable chain driven engines from last 10 years or so worth a look?
If you want a car with a manual transmission, then the VAG alternatives are fine, with Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI (later belt cam models, not the earlier chain driven ones) are good value with the former being better on handling, the latter for space. Best of the TSI engines of that era in my view. The Golf and A3 are similar but cost more for the same spec.
The 3rd gen Mazda3 2L Skyactiv-G in SE-L (Nav) form (best value of the range) would also be a decent alternative with similar performance from a naturally-aspirated chain cam engine. Not quite as perky as the 1.4TSI from VAG or the 1.8 from Honda, but decent enough for most people and reliable/decent real world economy and excellent handling. Boot not as big as the Civic and no spare wheel;/tyre as standard, opt extra (£400) raises the boot floor and reduces space.
The 2nd gen Mazda3 (c/w spare wheel tyre except perhaps Sport version with boot ICE) with its 1.6 petrol engine (if your budget doesn't stretch to these),is fine, very similar (including performance) to the Ford Focus as they shared a platform (but not the engine even though they are the same capacity). Also reliable (my gen-1 car has an earlier version of the same engine and is still going well after 16 years loyal service).
I personally prefer the gen 2.5 Focus for styling over the earlier and later cars (didn't like the gen3).
Thanks for that, it's is good to know. I'd prefer a naturally aspirated engine so I will take a look at the Mazda 3. Most likely be a gen2 1.6 petrol with my budget, but I quite like the look of those.
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www.civinfo.com/threads/oil-2012-uk-honda-civic-ex.../
This is the info about piston types on the civinfo forum. The info is found in 9th generation engines and transmissions, where near the bottom of the first page there is a thread on oil consumption.
On page 7 of that thread there is a a picture showing how to find a number on the block which tells of the type of pistons fitted. R1A is the good type and R3A is the type that can have problems with oil consumption as the oil control rings can jam in their groove.
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Re the Mazda 3. We have one now as our second car and, as stated previously, I used to have a 1.8 Civic. Both are 2012 models and gave us good service, Civic oil excepted.
The main points of difference include performance and economy. The 1.8 Civic is considerably quicker and will tackle hills with power to spare that see you changing down on the Mazda. Despite the extra power the Civic was more economical than the Mazda, Mid 40’s against high 30’s overall. On long motorway trips the Mazda will get low 40’s while the Civic would get 50 plus.
On the other hand the Mazda is a better handing car and the gearbox is slicker.
Based on my limited sample of 2, the Civic felt better in quality and was like a three year old car when I traded it in at seven years old. The Mazda has some rust in seams and on the surface and ours has had a harder life so is showing wear in carpets and the cabin is not as nice as the Civic.
The final main differences are in their interior space. The Civic has a big boot for the class and the magic seats. The Mazda is average for space.
You can see I favour the Civic but my wife prefers the Mazda. Tastes differ so proper test drives would be a good idea.
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Indeed - most is personal preference.
I actually prefer the styling (especially of the interior) of my gen-1 Mazda3 over the gen-2's (too many [small] buttons and that small display on the centre console), plus they de-rated the engine to get a lower VED band/5-10% better mpg than the gen-1 car (on paper), which essentially means the gen-2 1.6 is around the same performance wise as the Focus rather than a bit peppier.
I've managed to get 40mpg average (mid 40s on long motorway runs) -helped a bit by it being a saloon over the hatch - for my older Mazda3 throughout its life, so getting within 10% of the Civic is achievable.
I prefer the styling (inside and out) of the gen-2.5 (updated gen-2 model) Focus, which seems to fair a bit better on the (wheel arches) rust front as well.
I agree that the Civic wins out on the performance, mpg and space front, but have never been keen on the styling. I would note that both the Mazda3 and Focus are also available in (better looking for the Mazda) saloon form which comes with a ~50L bigger boot than the hatch (though still smaller than the huge one in the 2012-17 Civic) but at the expense of boot access due to the smallish aperture.
They probably cost more to buy for the similar spec/age, but keep their value more. I suppose for the A to B driver and when buying second hand older cars, practicailty and reliability/hardiness are often more important because they contribute more to lower lifetime ownership costs.
Plus with Honda you stand a better chance in getting a high quality main dealer should you want to have it maintained at one, albeit you may find servicing costs higher per item than the other two, balanced by the (at least until 5 years ago or so) better engineering quality.
Still, not much to choose between them if well-cared-for examples are sourced.
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I haven't researched thoroughly but it is possible to identify the affected engines through the vin code I believe . There is plenty of info on the civic forums. Burning a small amount of oil won't be visible, on the tailpipe, the last car I could see oil burning on was a 1.3 astra with worn valve seals, about a pint every 200 miles, a different order of magnitude. Anyway, avoid 2012 and 2013 to be certain!
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I have a 1.4 Civic also VTEC SE, what is BHP on this? Surely more than regular? I’m currently gapping audi A4’s & A5’s etc in this with no indication of mods on this car when I bought it. Year 2015. Let me know thoughts!
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I have a 1.4 Civic also VTEC SE, what is BHP on this? Surely more than regular? I’m currently gapping audi A4’s & A5’s etc in this with no indication of mods on this car when I bought it. Year 2015. Let me know thoughts!
Your 1.4 Civic has 100bhp @ 6000rpm and 127nm of torque @ 4800rpm. VTEC and SE have no relevance because all 1.4 Civics of that age used exactly the same engine.
As for 'gapping' A4's and A5's, has it occurred to you they may not be interested in racing you and are not using full throttle?
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