Used 2002 Honda Civic Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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2002 Civic SI review
Stonefield0920, 06/03/2003
2002 Honda Civic Si 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
I have owned this vehicle for just over 6 months now and I simply find it a pleasure to drive everyday. I use the car for commuting (approx. 50 miles per day) and it is wonderfully spacious for a hatchback when I go shopping on the weekends. The interior is very simple yet tastefully appointed (the bucket seats may take a little time to get used to) and all major options (power windows/locks, CD player, power moonroof, etc.) are standard. I usually average between 29- 31 miles per gallon (combination of city and highway driving), on regular octane gasoline.
Such a good time
Blakslee, 10/08/2015
updated 10/10/2017
2002 Honda Civic Si 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
2 years update: car is still great. Too much play in the shifter, likely fix with a short shifter and bushings. With good snow tires, car tackles new England just fine. Moved to Maryland in September of '17 and there are tons of back roads and farm roads to exploit. However where I live has long steep hills with 50mph speed limits and the car does not have enough power. I frequently find myself in 4th or third to maintain 50+mph. Ride quality improved greatly by increasing the tire sidewall on my summer 17s Before I got this car I had a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 which I love(d). But once I started grad school and began driving close to 400 miles per week, I needed something more economical but because I'm a car nut and feel that my car is a strong reflection of myself the list of cars I could afford, actually wanted and would save me enough money was veeeeery small. I was about to get a Mini cooper when the owners bailed and then I came across a gold 2002 Civic Si on craigslist. Owner was asking $5000 which I felt was a bit high but because it was so clean and very stock I really didn't want to pass it up so I shelled out the money. Being my first stick shift, it took me a few days to be able to drive the car proficiently and really enjoy what an awesome machine it is. Coming from my Jeep which was basically a 4wd muscle car (big engine, crude suspension and really only good in a straight line) to this car was like going from a hovercraft to a go-cart. This thing handles phenomenally well. (My car has lower, stiffer springs on it mind you). The seats hold you in tight and so far the car has only asked me to push it harder. Where my jeep was happiest at 1/3 to 3/4 throttle, the Civic Si is happiest when you're revving the nuts off of it. The car is a bit sluggish from a stop and 1st gear is really short but from then on it is just a blast. I would highly recommend a cold air intake on this car if nothing else just for the induction noise. At about 3k rpm you get the start of a great engine growl what just gets bigger an louder. But (on the stock exhaust) it's quiet enough for me to finally enjoy some classical music on the highway (when you aren't driving like Paul Walker of course). The clutch is nice and light but very squeeky and bites in the upper half/upper third of the travel. The shifter could be notchier and have less play but the car does have 92000 miles on it. It isn't the fastest thing in the world, in fact my old jeep is probably faster, but that is not at all why I bought the civic. I'd already had a car that was fast but I found that I rarely ever got to use all the power and because it was an automatic, the only time I really ever enjoyed the car was when I was flooring it (which was almost never). The 2002 civic si is fast enough where giving it the full berries is just as much fun as it was in the jeep but I'm not breaking the speed limit...as much. This is going to sound really odd but because the civic si is a bit slower, I can savor the sensation of acceleration and that wonderful induction noise for longer before I need to stamp on the brakes. Not to mention that every time you turn the wheel it's like carving a hole in the laws of physics. The trade off of course is ride quality. I would not say it is uncomfortable but you are going to know exactly where the town didn't do such a good job paving the roads. If you value getting to 60 in under 6 seconds, going on road trips with 3 of your friends or being whisked to your destination surrounded by Egyptian cotton and duck down don't buy this car. But if you are someone who says "I GET to drive an hour each way to...", who wants a car that will reward you when you push it and encourage you to push it harder while doing 30 mpg highway and being as reliable as a sun dial on a clear summer day then you really need look no further. If you can find one that hasn't been modded up the yin yang and thrashed by...well me.
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4 years and 75K of pleasure
Zeke B, 09/07/2016
2002 Honda Civic Si 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
This car is a gem. I've driven it from 55K to 130K in 4 years, and I've had only minor repairs (O2 sensor, lock actuators), plus 4 new struts. The front seats are so good that even a long drive on the stiff suspension feels fine, and the car handles smoothly and well on windy roads, in rain, in wind, even pretty well in snow. The engine has a terrific balance of torque and smooth operation up 75MPH, without having to downshift all the time -- but they should have included a 6th gear; at 80MPH, its revving high and loud at about 4000RPM, which gets tiresome and wastes gas if you're keeping up with fast traffic (e.g., Atlanta). I've fit a mid-sized armchair in the hatch, and had 2 adults ride in the back for an hour (it was cramped, but doable).
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Si', Honda Si
hondavet, 06/07/2002
2002 Honda Civic Si 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Purchased after test driving rsx base, protege5 and matrix. far and away above last two; rsx appearance more appealing but interior too plastic and austere (also availability limited and dealers wouldn't.) Made Honda an offer I couldn't refuse (17,800 with tint, mats, mudgards)after pointing out that none of their stock had sold in over a month. Love the car; looks grow on you and it really moves. Not sure what the complaints are about the new suspension; corners and handles as well as any of the other 6 Honda's I have owned.
Still fun and practical
lrxst, 12/13/2014
updated 06/15/2018
2002 Honda Civic Si 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
7 of 9 people found this review helpful
2016 update: I've had this car longer than any other by far, over 10 years now and the odometer shows 115,000 miles. It handles predictably, and has held up pretty well. It's not a common model, so people look at it and kind of scratch their heads. Parts are not difficult to find, but you have to make sure that the car is being identified by the engine size, as only the Si had a 2.0 engine. The clutch lasted 90,000 miles, and was a little over a $1,000 to replace at an independent shop. Other items I've had to replace in the last few years: front struts, two brake calipers, serpentine belt, oxygen sensor, and both electric door lock actuators. Other than that, it's been routine maintenance. Tuners might disagree, but the 2.0 K-series (K20A3) engine is a high-point of this car. This iteration of the Civic (EP3) made its debut in the European market in 2001, along with the K-series engine. Unlike earlier Civics it has a timing chain, so there is no expensive timing belt to replace. The Bosch electronic ignition also helps to make the engine low-maintenance. Besides the serpentine belt, the only other thing that has been touched on the engine was new spark plugs at 100,000 miles. The K20 stayed in production through 2011, and there are other engines in the K-series still in production as of 2016. I do wish this car had a 6th gear for driving on the interstate. The shifter is different than most cars, but I'm not sure why other cars don't have it there in the center. Typical Honda, carefully laid out, and you can make it live a long time with a little upkeep. I live in a wintry area. For a nearly 15 year old car, it has held up better than most. There are the beginnings of rust under the driver's door and rear wheel well. Having briefly driven a number of newer cars recently, this car does feel basic now. This car did not receive Takata airbags. The only recall to date was for headlight switch wiring. My local Honda dealer took care of that. My car also had a worn sensor in the driver seat belt, so the belt receiver was also replaced at no cost.
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