1996 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews

You could find a better car, Period!

Written by: jack on 12/04/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 4 Dr EX Sedan

Review

I have owned my car for about ten years. It has been from New england to Florida a few times. It's been so reliable that I would recommend this car to anyone who wants very little headaches and does not obsess over transportation. In ten years of ownership It's been in the shop for CV joints, for an electrical malfunction in gas tank and for power window regulators, all 3+ years apart! What more can you say about that? Oh yes, tires and brakes are inexpensive. The car is so simple to work on that you can 80% of the repairs yourself, if handy. Car has 163K on it, bought it with 30K. I've waxed the car, so rust is just now starting on fender.

Favorite Features

The car is easy to park and easy on fuel-15 bucks to fill at 1.80. I love the split folding seats and excellent fit and finish. Auto tranny is smooth. It's unbelievable in the snow, get good tires.

Suggested Improvements

Car is bit small for me, 6 feet tall, but doable. The engine on this year model is not very powerful, so you really have to step on it to merge with traffic. That's all been fixed in newer models. It needs fog lights.

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I might be a Honda man now, for life

Written by: fronteeer on 10/14/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 4 Dr EX Sedan

Review

I recently bought a '96 Civic EX for commuting back and forth to and from work. For a 13-year-old car, I was surprised to find that all of the little extras (power windows, A/C, remote trunk/gas door releases, cruise, etc.) still worked great. I took the car to a friend's place (he's a mechanic by trade) and put it up on his hoist, and for a car that's been subjected to Canadian winters all its life, there's surprisingly little rust. I had a few things to change, such as the gas tank, fuel lines, a shifter assembly bushing and a CV boot, but these are all fairly common things for a car this age in Canada to need. It has no guts whatsoever, but it's comfortable, cheap on gas and looks great

Favorite Features

Everything you need is comfortably within reach; gas tank is on driver's side; trunk is surprisingly roomy; 60/40 rear seat; separate radio/cassette allows you to upgrade the cassette to CD/MP3 without removing factory head unit, illuminated Honda logo on trunk lid (might be aftermarket).

Suggested Improvements

Cruise control fluctuates as much as 20 Km/h, and you have to let it drop your speed by ~10 Km/h before it takes over and brings it back up to where you set it. Really, that's it.

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I Love This CAR!

Written by: dalaeaka on 09/20/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 2 Dr DX Coupe

Review

I bought this from a friend with 80,000 miles on it in 2004, before gas prices went up. Since then, all I've done is do the recommended timing belt/water pump change @ 110,000 mi (they looked brand new. Otherwise, I just drive it (about 20,000 miles per year. In the summer, with the air off, I can get up to 42 mpg. With the air on, I get 36 mpg! I carry two kayaks on top and get 34 mpg! I change the oil every 3,000 miles, that's it. Not the most comfortable car for a long drive, but at 40mpg, I can out up with it. The only problem I've had is with the driver side window falling off the track, which I can fix in about 15 minutes. I love the DX, as has no power anything to break!

Favorite Features

Gas Mileage, ease of parking, fun to drive the little stick.

Suggested Improvements

Better sound proofing, but I think the newer ones took care of that.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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284,200 miles of civic HX quality

Written by: ron on 08/03/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 2 Dr HX Coupe

Review

It averages out to 23,683 mi/yr. crazy, huh? went through 1 month of self troubleshooting w/ egr and related systems, spent near $500 total incl getting the engines cooling channels (in the block) cleaned, 3 yrs ago. AVERAGED 43 mpg first 3-4 yrs,'dropped' to 40/41 next several yrs, the egr killed to 30-32, the fix brought it back to 35-37 mpg. The CVT tranny has been going out for, no b.s., the last 34k miles! I am STILL getting 35-37 mpg! The NEW Civics barely get this let alone any other domestic name out there. I wish I could of had the veh before or after this one from the production line and stored to drive it when this veh finally finds the big garage in the sky.

Favorite Features

This is the HX model...MPG, noiseless and 'shift' free tranny. Original stereo sys almost awesome. MPG. Bucket seats excellent. Easy to work under hood. MPG. 60/40 seats in back. MPG. Veh exceptionally reliable.

Suggested Improvements

Battery under rated. Wiper motor should be stronger. Muffler/tailpipe improvements though I got a legitimate lifetime warranty from Monroe mufflers on the muffler. 3 rplcmts cost only for hardware-cheap) A/C could be improved.

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Another Civic mistake

Written by: Elizabeth on 07/20/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 4 Dr LX Sedan

Review

This is my 2nd Civic both bought from private sellers. First one: 2000 EX coupe, had a mechanic look at it and it just wound up being a piece of crap, not well cared for like I thought and was told. Sold it. This one was 1 owner, always maintained from day 1, all paperwork so I thought it was okay. Stupid me! Costly repairs on things and I still have costly repairs to do. This $3300 is now almost a $5K car! Civics are notorious for window issues, A/C not great, and I find it uncomfortable to get in/out of and sit for a long time in those thin seats. I bought it w/138K miles and I now have 140K. Can't afford to get rid of it now. Hondas are so overpriced and overrated!

Favorite Features

Like the looks

Suggested Improvements

I don't know what a new or new one is like but I bet it's greatly improved from the old models.

0 out 2 people found this review helpful

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2nd Owner

Written by: Austen on 07/07/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 2 Dr EX Coupe

Review

Bought this car as my go-getter in Feb 08. The previous owner had neglected this car so I got it at a steal knowing that I would have some work to be done. Whew, $2000 mechanical bill and a $1200 paint job later this thing is awesome. I added some new wheels, projector headlights, LED taillights, and a window tint and now I get endless comments on how good it looks. The stock engine is peppy and seems reliable now that maintenance is up to par. No matter how you drive, this thing never gets less than 30 mpg either.

Favorite Features

Great MPG even when the wheels are switched to 17" hoops. Very economical, parts easy to come by and relatively cheap. Comfortable interior. High fun-to-drive quotient. Handles better than the car's stature implies.

Suggested Improvements

Noisy at highway speeds (even with stock wheels/tires). Slider-type climate controls gotta go (they did on later models). Body seams need more sealer, found water leaks to the trunk on my car (I understand many 96s had this problem but were later corrected).

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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review

Written by: chad on 05/12/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 2 Dr EX Coupe

Review

This car so far has just been amazing. Simply amazing. I will give anyone a ride just to have the enjoyment of driving it.

Favorite Features

beautiful car. runs great. cheap. good insurance. amazing all around.

Suggested Improvements

nothing that personal add ons cant help.

0 out 1 people found this review helpful

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96 civic

Written by: nick on 05/07/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 4 Dr LX Sedan

Review

I bought this car as a 2nd owner at 67,000 miles in 1999. As of 2008, It's at 161,000. It's only not started once because of a dead battery. I have changed oil 3500 - 4000 miles, timing belt/water pump at 90k. The power windows have been on and off because of a corroded connection between the drivers door and the body of car. Radio sometimes gets loud probably because of dirty volume knob assembly. I have an exhaust leak that I smell when I start the car. In summary, 9 years excellence service with constant 30+ mpg at a reasonable price.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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12 years and still going strong

Written by: mark machula on 03/31/2008

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 4 Dr LX Sedan

Review

I had this car given to me as a gift it had 28,000 kms at the time I have had it 3 years and 50,000 kms later and all I have done is change the oil every 5,000 kms new front brakes and tires. I am impressed it never breaks down. It is fun to drive and it has a lot of pep for an engine and car of it's size I am also impressed with its safety. I was in an accident last year with it. I hit another car head on driving 80 kmh and did not even suffer any injuries and my car was fixable. After that experience I feel very safe in my car. Over all I think Honda has built a great quality vehicle with this car.

Favorite Features

Fuel economy, decent factory stereo, quick acceleration, short grippy brakes, Nice handling.

Suggested Improvements

it could be more quiet on the highway,and a few more base options,tachometer would be nice

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Great Reliable Car

Written by: John on 08/08/2007

Vehicle

1996 Honda Civic 4 Dr EX Sedan

Review

I'm the second owner of this car. It has 180K miles on it and is running perfectly. Great gas milage with 30/35 city/highway and a very comfortable commuter vehicle. It is easy to maintain (oil changes, filters, fluids, plugs, etc.) and is very reliable.

Favorite Features

Reliability, great fuel economy, comfortable seating, and just plain fun to drive.

Suggested Improvements

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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