96nyXJ

Hello I am new here and am looking at picking up a Civic as my second car because of the rising gas prices. I am a college student so MPG right now is what matters. I just have a few questions before i start shopping for one.

I would prefer a 2dr but i am looking only for a manual. Not interested in SI as right now $ is a factor.

-Is there any differences between these years that i should look for? Such as are 98's better then 99's or is one year more desired for any particular reason?

-Is any model better then the other besides the obvious luxury aspects? Such as EX, DX etc. Does one come with a better/more desired motor/tranny?

-How do they hold up to rust? I am in upstate NY and it is unfortunately an issue. Most common places to look for rust when buying?

-Finally, how many miles are just to many miles to buy one. I know the motors last but with miles comes fatigue and they get slower.

Thanks a lot to anyone who answers this plethora of questions!

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Gas sipper? HX/CX/VX
Rust? Usually around the wheel wells.
Mileage? Never too high if the car is maintained meticulously.

Never buy a heavily modified car-internals, boosted or swapped unless you can verify the cars history. If you buy a boosted car you better know something about turbo Civics.

Don't buy a car that has questionable wiring. Hell ANYthing questionable for that matter. Dirty engine bays and interiors are a sure sign of neglect.

Bring someone with you that knows Civics. And I'm not talking about some wannabe Paul Walker either.

Check to make sure EVERYTHING actually works.

hyperblu

rust is like cancer to civics... Good luck finding one! There are differences between 98-99 interior wise, but if gas consumption is your concern, than a hatchback cx is probably your best bet. Hope you don't like a/c or power steering!

eksands

Just picked up a 96 hatchback dx. Make sure you check out the rear control arms and rust around the wheel wells. The water likes to puddle up under the lip and start rusting out rather quickly.

Deetz

All years are good, just some trim differences for the redesign for the 99-00 model, different but not really any better

As far as rust goes, hatches seem most prone to rust, coupes are the least likely to have rust issues, i speak from experience

B serious

iTrader: (1)

I find that 96-00 civics don't rust nearly as bad as the earlier ones. The wheel wells is where the rust will most commonly be if there is any, however.

The 99-00 has a facelifted front and rear end. So it looks more "modern". The interior is also updated...and IMO is definitely nicer. I do miss the little cubby hole that the 96-98s have...but besides that, the 99-00 dash controls are a lot nicer. The electric ***** vs. manual cable operated controls are a nice step up.

The 99-00 EX has the adjustable ***** on the seat, IIRC. The seats all suck in 96-00 civics (including the Si). So...that makes absolutely no difference.

The window regulators and/or tracks are sometimes bad due to lack or maintenance (lube) on the window tracks. They window might sometimes jump off track, get stuck, or the regulator might be bent, etc. The 99-00 civic window motor/regulators are cheaper to buy.

Besides that, they're all pretty much the same. The EX is the most well equipped model (besides the Si). 4dr. EXes came with ABS as an option. The LX is the mid model. The HX, CX, DX are the lower equipped models. The HX has power windows/locks, but no paint matched mouldings or cruise control.

The HX has the best gas mileage. It has the VTEC-E engine. So...that's the model you want if you want 40MPG+.

The EX, DX, CX, LX all get around the same MPG. The EX makes the most power (127hp) out of the non-Si models. The EX has VTEC. My 98 EX is awesome. It has AC, PS, Sunroof, Power everything, and gets like 30-32MPG just around town and around 35-38MPG on 75MPH cruise controlled road trips.

The EX also has larger front brakes. They're the same size as Si/GSR brakes.

They all take regular gas. So you can save a bit of $ there.

When looking at one, make sure everything works. Try the power windows (they tend to stick or come off track). Try the A/C, make sure the compressor turns on. Make sure it's not burning an excess amount of oil. SOHC motors really shouldn't burn much oil unless there's something wrong. Look at the oil condition, and try to smell any burning oil.

96nyXJ

Thank you all for the help. You have cleared things up for me greatly. It looks like i am going to be looking for a 2dr 5spd EX model. 30MPG is double that of what i get now. I cannot wait to be in a civic, and i will for sure be active on the forums here.