Honda Civic Coupe (2000 - 2004) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

performance is great. the handling is tops and brakes keep for a long time... acceleration is good, stock power not so great, but the aftermarket modifications available seem endless. build quality is awesome. appearance is nice, not the sleekest car out there, but it has a cool look to it. interior is exactly what it is supposed to be: the interior of a car. cost of ownership could not be more economical! very fuel efficent, low cost to maintain, low cost manufacturers parts as well as aftermarket parts, great insurance rates, great financing rates (from what i remember, mine is paid off!) this was my first car and i still have it (it is on loan to my sister while her car gets repaired) in addition to my other car... HECK YES THIS CAR IS FUN TO DRIVE! until the cops arrive ;PApr 06, 2012

Second vehicle. Performance: in isolation, excellent. Contextual, not so good. It's not a 'hot hatch' in the conventional sense, but is certainly fast enough to provoke serious license-losing territory- this is a genuine 140mph car with a few choice mods. The engine, despite being fairly highly-strung at 80bhp/litre, has a low compression ratio and has a fairly lazy power delivery, along with a disappointingly low redline- 6,800rpm. It's strong through the gears, and is never short of a bit of torque. Build quality- it's indestructible. This car has taken a lot of punishment, from off-road jaunts to high-speed runs, with haulage for gigs and frequent friendly taxi uses. It's survived, and still looks great. The only issue- weirdly- is some slight pilling on the doorcards. That is truly churlish to bring it up on, though! Appearance... it's a subtle car. Most people don't figure that it has a reasonable amount of power, and as such it can surprise a lot of the morons in all-mouth-no-trousers cars. Inside, it's actually a really nice place to be. Cruise control, automatic air conditioning, half-leather seats and blackout dials ensure it's relaxed, comfortable and classy. It's a huge improvement over the pre-facelift models. Soft-touch plastics and a comfortable, open atmosphere all add to a distinctly modern feel. It's not the cheapest car to run, but it performs similarly to my old 206 1.1 for petrol use... which, considering it has 100bhp more, is a serious achievement. It utilises VTEC-e, which runs the engine on 12 valves below a certain amount of throttle input. If you really, really feather the car, 45mpg is entirely possible. Typically, I get 33-35mpg. Average motorway cruise is 37mpg. Town is significantly worse. Servicing costs are pretty normal, which is great considering it uses Nissin brakes. Tyres are easy to find. The car has done 90,000 miles and still has the original clutch & exhaust system. Tax is a fairly stiff £220 per year, but it's not as bad as some. CO2 output is something like 178g/km. Fun factor- yes, this car IS fun! It's not razor-sharp like a Type R. It's more a cosseting Gentleman's Express that can turn its hand to a backroad if you want it to. It pulls cornering speeds that I would deem suicidal in other cars. The traction control only cuts in if you really, really overcook things, which is nice. ABS isn't intrusive either. The handling is also fairly neutral, it's difficult to provoke understeer and lift-off oversteer is rare. According to friends, they've seen it cock a wheel under hard cornering- 8 inches off the ground! Always the test of a good, fun hatch! Overall, it's a great car. It's practical, you can take the family in it, the rear is astoundingly large (bigger than the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class of the same era), it's fairly quick, it's fun to drive, it's good on fuel, it feels well screwed together and you get the sense it was made by people who genuinely like cars. The suspension is surprisingly forgiving, seeing as it handles well. A lot better than a lot of 'posh' hatches, i.e. Audi A3 & BMW 1-Series. On that basis, what's not to like? I only give it 4 stars because it's a decent all-rounder. It's not exceptional in any one area, except spacious qualities, and I know there are cars that drive better, or get better economy, or are faster. However, finding all these qualities in one car is very difficult. This is a fantastic compromise.Oct 18, 2011

I'm 6'4", and this is such a roomy vehicle for me. I fit very comfortably in this smaller make. Another thing I notice when I'm in any other vehicle is the limited range of vision out the wind shield. Very often it's a very compressed range, but the Civic has always maintained a very wide vertical range of view. The car is incredibly fun to drive, very responsive on speed and tighter around curves than my nerves can handle. The hatch also has endless cargo space. On a couple of occasions I've had 50+ bags of top soil in the hatch with seats folded down of course. And for as much as I push it inside and out, it cleans up amazingly every time I detail it, and every time my mechanic looks it over, there's never been any surprises, Just routing maintenance for the past 104,000 miles. I've been looking into new vehicles because I just love cars, but at every dealership, when I get back in my car, it beats everything I've just driven new on the lot. I love this car!Feb 20, 2011

Pros; Great gas mileage, low running cost, very reliable mine has never broken down, excellent build quality, comfortable for lots of driving, sunroof, very usable trunk space. Cons: Relatively slow responding acceleration, no feed back from steering wheel, low stance make entering and exiting extra work for persons over six feet tall, low amount of head room in rear is inconvenient for adult passengers.Sep 22, 2010

I love my car!!! It's great fun, I've only had to do regular maintenance on it, it's great on gas, and for a little car it's really good in the snow. Last time I picked it up from the mechanics's, after a tune-up, he said "Man that car just purrs!" That's always and great thing to hear from someone who works on cars for a living. Only thing I'm concerned with, I hear they have issues with rusting around the wheel wells as they get older. Just have to keep it clean and wash the salt off regularly.Jan 25, 2010

Preformance: Pretty peppy, decent stop and go acceleration. step on it to its 8700RPM redline and you'll be smiling all the way home. Its sporty breaks with 4 wheel disk's were ahead of its time for the price. and its got front and rear sway bars, giving it go-kart like attributes. Build quality: mines nine years old with only one little squeak. i have done only maintnance repairs to this car. Appearance: for a nine year old car. i think it still looks great, with optional front and rear lips. Cost of ownership: very cheap on gas, i average 33MPG, as well as belts that i replaced, in total about 400 dollars.Allthough insurance is a little up top. Fun factor: the car is VERY fun to drive, its very spirited and quick, allthough refined and comfortable.Nov 10, 2009

Acceleration is slow, but perfectly peppy for a 1.6, handling is beautiful and tight. Build quality? Never brought it to the shop. Appearance- my favorite. I decked mine out a little, but it's a beautiful car, inside and out. Great on gas, basically no maintnance required, only the needed oil change. Absolutely fun to drive, especially standard. More pick up in mods and it would be terrific.Oct 05, 2009

This car see's daily action. When the car first came out it never really attracted me I always thought the RSX-S was a better version of this chassis, still think that. But for the price I got on this car with the low mileage and no modifications it was well worth it. Handling is great with a stiff suspension that reminds you of all the bumps but doesnt destroy your insides, the braking continues to amaze me leaving me looking in my rearview mirror to make sure the car behind me will stop. The acceleration leaves more to be desired but Im sure could be solved with a more high flow intake and exhaust. The interior is very user friendly and comfortable, with tall soft seats, and plenty of storage nooks and cranny's for everything from cell phones and GPS devices to wallets and tire pressure guages. And the cup holders (all 4) can hold Sonic Route 44 cups. The stereo is adequate and impressive for a civic. THe hatchback design allows plenty of room for transporting large things like band equipment. This car was a great upgrade from my CRX, more room, faster, A/C, and a back seat.Sep 06, 2009

The next person I hear say that their civic is underpowered will get punched in the face. Civics are great all around. Good power, great handling, and better gas mileage than pretty much anyone else. The best generation civic for looks (96-2000), totally reliable, and all around good. Not sports car and not a family sedan but does what it needs to do very well. Jul 01, 2009

My car is a black 2004 honda civic ex. It has the d17a 1.7L engine in it. Its the SOHC (single overhead cam) Vtec engine. 127 hp. Vtec hits around 5k rpm. It is very fun drive. Very Aggressive look to it. The wheels are 15 inch alloy wheels. The sound system is amazing and keeps it thumping now batter the speed. The pick up on the acceleration is pretty good for only a 1.7 liter engine. It has the sun roof which can be tilted or pulled all the way back. It goes inside the car not on top which i feel has a better air flow. The trunk space is very surprising it can fit many things. I have all my surf and skateboarding equipment in the trunk and still have room to fit a board through the whole car. The cost of ownership is pretty good. Gas mileage is about 30ish to the gallon. And maintenance is very cheap and the mechanics at honda do an amazing job. I would tell people that are looking for a sleek looking two door car that is good on gas to go for the honda civic. Dec 29, 2008

Honda is one of the most economical brands in the global market. In accordance with rising gas prices, my car does a stellar job of turning my hard earned income into miles upon miles of destinations and journeys. The car handles beautifully, almost way too sporty for an economy car. The steering is taut and firm, but there isn't too sharp of a corner for me. On the flip side, I've had some issues with the build quality. Being an economy car, I've forgiven the synthetic plastics of the interior and exterior. The seating is superb, however. I would recommend this car as an excellent starter or even for those who like to pinch their pennies as much as I do.Oct 12, 2008

Great economical and sporty car. Only 500 built in Canada which makes it a rare car.The looks of the car is one of my favorite things about it, especially the interior. The dash is all black with carbon fiber around the air vents and center controls, the shifter is on the dash. The fronts seats are sporty and covered with a black suede material. Lots of leg and head room for passengers in the back seat and lots of storage space in the hatch with a 70/30 split folding seats. Not a very good winter car. I got stuck a few times in the deeper snow, but if you get a good set of winter tires you'll be fine.Sep 29, 2008

It took me a very long time and a lot of hassle to finally purchase this car, but it was definitely worth it in the end. The transmission shifts smoother than butter, the engine roars to life if you want it to, and it handles twisties like no other car out there. The lowered stance, de-badged grill, and JDM fogs make this Si one one of a kind. I get an average of 32 MPG, and the maintenance factor on this car is almost non-existent. Best investment I have ever made. Aug 14, 2008

From the electron blue pearl to the reliable and gorgeous b16a2 there isn't much to complain about with this ek. Torque wasn't there, but what do you expect with a 1.6l high revving engine. The braking in it was spot on in comparison to the drums used on other civics at the time. Handling was okay, nothing to jump around about though. But what really caught me was when you hit 5600 rpms that beatiful crossover into vtec. Overall no complaints can be had from me about this car. The suspension can be beefed simply and it handles like a dream and you can do a few things to make it get out of its own way for a decent price. Jan 10, 2008