HardHitter

So I just signed up to the forum and I was going to post this in the General section but it won't allow me.

Anyway, I am looking for a daily driver which will be #1 reliable, #2 get high MPG and #3 cheap to maintain.

All I hear about is how the Civic is the most reliable/good mileage car for a daily driver and was wondering what you guys think is the best car for what I need.

I am looking to spend no more than $6000. I don't need a "highly modded" car as it will just be a daily driver, but a cleanly done car is also wanted.

Car can not be a hatchback, would like coupe more than anything.

What would be the best make/car/year for what I'm looking for?

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

A 95 civic cx gets the best mileage. But I don't know if it comes in a coupe. Why not a hatch. Then you can mod it, if you want to later, and have a tight little hatch. I personally like the eg hatch the best of the hatches ever made. Just my two cents.

JShull

Any EX model civic sounds like it would be right up your alley.

Decent motor.
Good MPG.
Power windows/locks/sunroof.

I got mid 30's in the mpg with my 96 ex and haven't had any major problems with it.

Most everything can be had on the cheap and for the things that are a little more exspensive can be found in abundance in the junkyards.

CX's only came in hatchback form and had NO power.

You could also take a look at a 96-00 Civic HX.

98civdx

my vote would be a 96-00 civic ex or dx. 5spd.
stick a intake on it and you should be fine.

if you look a hx make sure its a 5spd. the auto hx trannys suck donkie ***** and you cant just throw a ex or something in it.

Ruben19

any japanese car will get the job done.

HardHitter

Looking at EX and DX's and wondering how much they should run around and should there be any worries about picking up high mileage Civics? Seems the ones I find have 100k+ on them.

I've found two 1998 EX's one with 152k and their asking price is $3840, the other has 140k on the engine and is asking $2600.

Benny-coupe

No complaints with my Civic coupe so far ,easy to drive ,maintain and quite cheap for parts ,plus it has the power for a fun weekend ,the b16 is a very good engine ,
any honda with one will be a great base

gearhead16

ex or si my ex with a b16a swap still gets 34mpg

98civdx

op ive got 199k on my oem stock dx engine, runs great, and still shifts good. (its a auto)

lee97ex

I have a 97 ex with the GSR and I got 42 mpg on the interstate several times!! it is consistently in the mid 30's around town...my buddy has a 92 si hatch with 230k miles on it and is killing the gas milage, and he still has the original clutch!!!

ALLxMOTOR EG

Get a stock 96-00 civic coupe.

Saves gas and reliable because its still a Honda.

p nut

If you drive a lot like me, the best coupe is the HX 5 speed (do NOT get the auto. The CVT transmission sucks). I am getting over 50 mpg with room for improvement. Or a DX would be great, too. Both 96-00 models.

@ vtechjunkie - the HX and VX both beat the CX in MPG.

Korean99EK

High 90's model civic coupe would be ur best for 6k. Easy to work on, great on gas and they last for ever

hushypushy

I'll throw another vote towards either a fifth gen (92-95) or sixth gen (96-00) EX coupe, whichever one you like the styling/interior of better. Neither one is really "better" in any objective way and they have very similar engines and optional equipment, so just go for the one which gives you a better driving experience.

The EX is nice because you get VTEC and a nicer (shorter geared) tranny, so it has a little bit of pep when you want it but you can still get 40+ MPG. My EJ1 (95 EX coupe) got about 32-34MPG and I revved the **** out of it all day, and my buddy gets 42+ in his 00 EX with gentler driving.

bsmith100

Get a brand new Ridgeline truck!

Seriously, I don't know Any late model Honda sedan or coupe you can get for that price would fit your needs.

thi3v3z

Well if you want all the power options, look at EX, they come stock with pw, pl, pm, and ps and a sunroof. If your only concern is getting from A-B for as cheap as possible, look at the 92-95 dx coupe 5spd. They are all over the place and you should find a good price.

BlackDeuceCoupe

Gotta agree!

I've owned 2 of them - '00 HX (D16Y5) - and a '98 HX (B16A2).

I love HX Coupes...

bsmith100

If you want the best fuel mileage then think about maybe an older Insight if you can get one for that price.

MHDesigns

I'm gettin 38 in my ls-V. Any civic will do fine. But around here you can get an ek SI for under 6 grand. So get the SI if you can You will be very happy about it.

Jibin

I'm pretty sure you could find a better deal than that?

ferngsr

you will want an 99 civic ex cuz ull have a lil power a/c n get 35mpg a 96-98 not that much power n waist more gas when a c is on cuz engine isnt that strong get a single cam vtec that lil engine is great GAS SAVERR

HardHitter

So get a sixth gen Civic EX? Like I said, it'll be my daily driver of getting to and from work which I will be stuck in traffic for usually an hour. I don't know if I should get a manual with all the traffic I will be stuck in.

thumper64

Any 5th gen Civic. Mileage doesn't matter, replacements are still cheap and swaps are stupid easy.
I only wouldn't get a 6th gen because of the poor oiling system in their SOHC engines and their being more prone to spinning bearings and throwing rods, plus emissions junk.

Get an auto, driving stick in traffic blows and auto trannys are cheaper than manuals if you buy used. Really, check it out.

hushypushy

What are you talking about?? From 96-00 the EX had the same engine, a D16Y8. A 96-98 has just as much power as a 99-00.

I didn't see the OP say anything like "I'm a lazy douchebag with a broken left foot and an empty wallet", he has a decent sized budget for a car and one of his biggest goals is to get good mileage. Automatic Honda transmissions are cheap for a reason...they suck. They're slow shifting, they eat themselves alive, and the gear ratios are horrible. A manual transmission will last longer, you'll get better gas mileage along with better acceleration, and a more involved driving experience at all times. Being stuck in traffic sucks no matter what...and I think I'd take my 6 puck clutch in a traffic jam over a shitty Honda autotragic any day of the week.

In other words, if you're looking for a reduction in power and fuel efficiency in addition to the least involved driving experience possible, then sure, pick up an automatic tranny. They're so worthless I bet you could get yourself a pair on Craigslist for free; one to use in the meantime, and one to swap in when the first one self destructs.

100k is actually pretty low mileage for an American Civic. Just with the typical regular maintenance (changing fluids on time, and replacing the timing belt, water pump, etc at reasonable intervals), Honda engines are known to last 200-300k easily.

If you can find one with less than 100k, jump on it, that baby is like brand new...

Also, there's a big difference in the EX and DX. Different engine, and a lot of different features. A DX will be cheaper, but I think you'll appreciate the extra features of an EX as you own the car longer, like cruise control, a tachometer, a sunroof, extra HP, that sort of thing.

Oh yeah, and if you didn't read the beginning of the post, I strongly recommend you pick up a 5speed. Automatic transmissions simply destroy themselves and waste gas...and being that your first two points are reliability and MPG, an automatic would be a way wrong choice. And if you don't know how to drive stick...now is a fantastic time to learn

p nut

I've driven my S2000 in traffic plenty of times. At first, you might have a little bit of a sore calf/leg, but you get used to it. Not a big deal at all.

Also, here is the difference of engine performance between the EX, DX and HX:

-----DX coupe-----------HX coupe---------EX coupe
HP---106 @ 6200 RPM -- 115 @ 6000 RPM -- 127 @ 6600 RPM
TQ---103 @ 4600 RPM -- 110 @ 4500 RPM -- 107 @ 5500 RPM
MPG--32/37--------------35/43-------------29-35
(C/H)

If having a sunroof and cruise control is important to you, get the EX. My HX has power windows/mirrors/door locks. No sunroof gives me extra head room (never saw the point of sunroofs, anyway. Fries the crap out of me on sunny days). They're all pretty reliable.

Power wise, I hardly notice any difference between my old EX and this HX. They're not power-houses by ANY means, no matter what trim. IMO, they all have sufficient power for the daily commutes.

Why stick an intake on it? So it will sound obnoxiously loud with no power gains? Also, auto transmission suck PERIOD. Reliability, ease of maintenance, cost of ownership all point towards manuals.