to commute to work. The truck with 35'' tires is not too economical and was looking for an everyday driver. Friend has an 06 I took for a spin. It was a fun little car and I'd probably start modding it just like the truck and mustang (weekend car).

I have no clue what so ever about Honda's as this is my first. What's a decent price to pay for an 04-06? $9K is my limit. Any years, models to stay away from? What's the service interval on timing chains and more importantly, how long are they lasting? thanks, j

 

mines a 05 civic 2dr lx...i got it for 13,200 with 10k on it

 

Did you purchase recently? The 4 I have looked at - 2, 2dr lx's (both 05), 4dr dx (06), 4 dr ?, all ranged from 8400-11000. They all had quite a few miles on them though. I wouldn't mind paying extra for low miles.

 

I picked up my 05 VP for only 6500. The car is really clean and it was priced well, but not to worried about mileage.

 

That's a good price, but what's a VP?

 

Guidelines: https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-2001-2005-78/faqs-guidelines-read-before-posting-2101211/ (tells you to read the FAQ's)

FAQ's: https://honda-tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2247386 (has the maintenance schedule in it) (among other things)

Search: https://honda-tech.com/search.php (self explanatory)

Prices: http://www.kbb.com/ or http://www.nadaguides.com/

Stay away from 01 - 03 automatics. The rest is pretty standard when looking at used cars.


VP is the bottom of the Civic totem pole.

 

my 01 lx coupe was 6500 with 50k miles its an auto and the only problem i had so far with it was when it hit 80k the motor went out so i replaced it and now it runs perfectly fine great on gas milage tho

 

No answers in the FAQ's. About the timing belt, I wanted to know how long on average they last. On interference motors I've always changed it according to maintenance schedule but for non-interference 'most' people go longer.

I appreciate the tip to stay away from 01-03 autos. I don't care if it's a manual or auto, I'm just going to buy the best vehicle available in my price range, minus the 01-03 auto.

 

What happened to the motor - previous owner neglect, you run it hard, spraying 150 shot? I hope it didn't just take a **** on you - from what I've heard I thought these cars were pretty reliabe

 

My 01 has 160k on it lol. I bought it with 120 or 130 a couple years ago for like 6000.

 

The timing belt service interval is 105K, I believe. Somewhere thereabouts. It's an interference motor, so most people don't try to push it.

I've got an 01 with a 5-sp and it's in great shape. No major problems, and it's got over 112K miles on it, still getting 37mpg and making 180psi +/- 2 psi on all cylinders.

 

ut oh mustang guy in a civic community. lol j.k I think your looking at something with over 80k mile son it if your looking 04 05 models. if your only going to spend 9k for like 11 or 12k you cna get one with 40k or so miles

 

make sure you get one that's "certified used."

got my '02 LX 5 speed back in '06 for 11K. Had 73K miles on it when i got it, and it currently has 125K and hasn't given me a SINGLE problem. 33 mpg with constant city/highway mix shifting from 2.5K to 4K, and i trust the car to last atleast to 200K before anything major happens. Even then, a used low miles motor is what, 500$? drop that sucker in and call it good for another xxx,000 miles

 

I drive mine like I hate it, but since I take care of it, it takes care of me.

 

I drive like an old lady.

 

i believe the previous owner never really did maintenance on it, when i first got it it was driving fine then the valves started ticking i ignored it and after a while it got worse and started making knocking noises then the mechanic told me somethin about a spun bearing? it was really bad but since then with the new engine its been good i told the dealer that i got it from that i had to swap out the engine and he didnt really look suprise he was like oh really? and that was it but oh well

 

Good points. The local dealer here has a few used civics. They give a 30 day cash back if you're not satisfied and what I really liked is a 12 month free mechanical labor deal. Anything goes in 12 months and they'll fix it (labor) free.

 

Don't worry the stang shouldn't be that much faster because I know the mod bug will hit just like everything else brah.
Like I said I don't mind an extra 2K for something with low miles.

 

i got mine like 2 years ago.. an old man had it i did a carfax ya mine was like 13,200 and it had 10k on it .. completely stock when i got it now its not lol..i put a couple miles on it since i aint sayin how much its insane! my ex lived 25 mins away for 1 year u do the math FTW!

 

FAQ's / Misc / Common interest items / Maintenance Schedules https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-2001-2005-78/faq-maintenance-schedules-2389234/

It says to change it at 110k miles, but most people change their timing belt at 90k. (belts, water pump, tensioner, etc)

I think I remember a someone saying they had something like 132k on their stock timing belt. Although it's possible, I don't recommend waiting that long.

 

Someone said earlier it's an interference motor so I'm going to change it at 110K along with water pump.

 

You're going to want to change it at 90,000 miles.

Our shop recommends changing all '90+ Honda timing belts and water pumps at 105,000 except for the '01-05 Civic. We've seen a number of '01-05 Civic timing belts breaking early (well before 105,000), so we recommend changing those at 90,000.

In your price range, I'd look for a clean newer car with higher miles and a solid service history. '04-05 is most preferable. Don't get into the business of buying odometers like some people do; focusing on miles only can often land you in a beat up car.

Be careful with Honda Certified cars too. Some shady dealerships are certifying cars that don't meet the requirements, just so they can charge you more for the "Honda Certified" designation.

 

Thanks. I found 2 DX sedans, both 05. 1 has 37K (manual) and the other 45K (auto). I'd go for the manual but it was an out of state car and they can't find a service history. The auto was from that dealer and was serviced according to the service manual. I'm gonna go haggle on the auto.

 

got my 04 for 14,100 wit just over 50,000 miles with full 2 yearwarranty and 2 years worth of free oil changes. I have 55,200 miles on it and now and have gotten the oil changed 3 times, woot for free oil changes

 

Why change the oil so often, just becuase it was free?