2003 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews Page 10

Best car for the money

Written by: VFRBEE on 08/19/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Currently I have 20,000 miles on the car with one problem with the power outlet. I'm impressed with the fuel economy which is better than I expected. Best is 36 mpg in spring & fall when AC not in use. Worst is 33mpg in winter and when AC in use. Driving is rural country roads with stop sign every 1~4 miles. Power train is refined and smooth compared to other cars I've had in this class. I was not happy with the handling, a little too much body roll. I've heard they've dialed in a little more softness into the suspension of this iteration of the Civic.

Favorite Features

Fuel economy, low maintenance costs, holds it's value well.

Suggested Improvements

Make the Civic handle like it used to. ABS should be standard on the LX.

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New may not be better

Written by: rae on 06/29/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Interior seats should be wider. Judging front and back for parking is terrible. I always find I am either too close or too far away. My 1992 was terrific, unfortunately I sold it - still with no problems in 2003 with 198,200 miles. It was also great on gas. I don't get as good gas mileage as I expected.

Favorite Features

cup holder/alarm door closing

Suggested Improvements

Make the seats wider, the dashboard is too low. The hood/trunk should be redesigned.

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Sweet EX Sedan

Written by: steve v on 05/11/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic EX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I bought the EX Sedan in July of 2003. The Car has been a fantastic buy. I put zero down and could sell it for more than I owe. The only complaints would be: more headroom, sunroof eats up a bit, bigger trunk, my '89 Mazda 323 had WAY more, put better tires on it from the factory, the Firestones only lasted 31,000 miles and were VERY noisy, Goodyear Assurance's fixed ALL tire concerns. The great things are: great build quality, great mileage (38.5 highway), resale value, longevity, etc. I will run it 'til it has 200 to 300k on it and still get a good price for it. Great commuter and traveler car. Obviously not for 5 people, but have done 3 adults, 2 dog crates, luggage & got 38 mpg.

Favorite Features

Economy, style, quality, resale value, sound system, sunroof, low maintenance requirements.

Suggested Improvements

More trunk space, headroom improvement w/ sunroof, steering wheel mounted radio controls, better sound system ergonomics, outside temp guage and compass on EX, the price is a little steep for that model, should have more features, better factory tires on EX model

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Decent car, but not worth extra $

Written by: Erik on 04/12/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.3L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Not a bad little car. My major problem with the Civic Hybrid is that I seldom come close to the 48/47 mpg I'm supposed to be getting. It's usually around 43mpg on the dash and 40 mpg actual at the pump (the dash display is always off by 2-4 mpg). Still not bad, but this is the selling point so it should be considered a big problem being that the car cost a good $4000 more than other civics. Other than that, the brakes are sub-par, and leads to the occasional minor loss of steering control over bumps in the road. This can be a little scary when it first happens. I've had no real problems other than the car stalling once. Other than these things, it drives like any other Civic.

Favorite Features

Decent fuel economy (do your research). Side airbags standard.

Suggested Improvements

Ashtray (for random junk) should be standard. Back seats (where batteries are stored) should fold down. Finally, fuel economy needs to be stated truthfully. This last problem may be an EPA hybrid testing problem.

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Excellent commuter vehicle

Written by: tespoonful on 03/23/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic EX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Owned it for last 2 years - no problems. Easy comfy ride for a commuter car. Very fuel-efficient.

Favorite Features

Reliable performance. Gummy smooth buttons and controls - quite refined for an 'economy compact'.

Suggested Improvements

Better and more durable quality parts. Stock tires (Firestones) are good on dry roads but quite bad in wet and snowy conditions, offering little traction if at all.

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A Solid Compact Car

Written by: Brioski on 03/11/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic DX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Leased it brand new a year and a half ago. I put on quite a bit of highway mileage the first year. It handled nicely on the 25-30 Mile commute to and from work. On much longer drives (>100 miles) the seats become uncomfortable and lower back support is poor. Performance is good for zipping around town by yourself. Get 2-3 people in the car and your enjoyment decreases greatly. Drive up an incline with passengers and get ready to give it the gas. Transmission is amazing, ultra smooth even under hard acceleration. Engine noise acceptable, but buzzy at higher RPM which you will notice because to get decent acceleration the car must gear down and rev up a lot. No real complaints

Favorite Features

Gas mileage and Eco-friendly engine. High quality interior and ergonomics. Worry free driving for all!

Suggested Improvements

Engine Engine Engine. I realize that its geared towards fuel savings and emissions.... but the power is just not keeping up with the competition. The suspension for 2003 is rough, Macpherson struts just don't cut it.

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Excellent commuter car!

Written by: Edmunster on 03/06/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic EX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I own/have owned various cars and this is the best commuter car in my experience. Very nice, comfy and easy ride for an 'economy' car. The EX has great head room and the seats are adequate - typical in Hondas. The ergonomic controls are excellent. And you can't beat the gas mileage.

Favorite Features

Every interior knob, switch or dial has a soft, gummy rather than a clicky feel.

Suggested Improvements

Better quality and durability in materials and workmanship. The airvents lost their frictional 'up/down' adjustment within a year. So did the warning signal for the headlights. Maybe this is what you'd expect to get in an 'economy'car...

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economy car

Written by: ria on 03/04/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

We wanted an affordable car that would last and be reliable. This car has been. I personally prefer toyotas, my corolla got better gas mileage and was funner to drive. I don't like the heavy feel that hondas have but some people do. I am tall and don't have a lot of leg room and the seats aren't comfortable for me. I was content with it until we had our second child, with two car seats in the back and a stroller in the trunk theres no extra room. I'd recommend this car to somebody who just wants a reliable commuter car.

Favorite Features

good air conditioning, reasonable gas mileage, sleek design, good quality car.

Suggested Improvements

automatic locks on passenger side. A little more comfort and visibility

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Truly a fun drive!

Written by: Terry on 03/01/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.3L 4cyl 5M)

Review

This car is more than all about fuel economy. It's well built, comfortable, and fun to drive. The car literally teaches you how to be a better, more fuel efficient driver. My oldest son drove it to a college campus 40 miles from home and challenged himself to get better mileage every time he drove it. He consistently pushed 50 MPG. I do a lot shorter trips, and like my a/c on high, so I was more consistently around 44 MPG. Not bad even at that! My high school twins can't wait to "inherit" this car next year. The only drawback has been that realistically, it only holds four adults comfortably, and the back seat can be a tight squeeze even then. Also, the sound system is good - but not great.

Favorite Features

Great fuel efficiency. The instantantaneous fuel use guage and the tank fuel use gauge do help improve driving performance. SOlidly built.

Suggested Improvements

Increase the comfort factor - seats can be a bit stiff and don't have many adjustment features.

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Honda Si's forever!

Written by: Dave on 01/24/2005

Vehicle

2003 Honda Civic Si 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

This is the third Civic Si and the 16th Honda (not including my Honda motorcycles) that I have owned. It may be viewed by some as a kid's car, but I am not a kid. To others, the exterior design may seem a little "funky" but I love it. Best of all, I really like the performance for the price in combination with decent fuel economy and the complete relability of a Honda. My last Si had 180,000 miles on it when it was "retired" by a careless driver. Otherwise, I would still be driving it! Dollar for dollar, you can't beat them!

Favorite Features

The performance & relability!

Suggested Improvements

Make the R-type engine w/6 speed trans. (200 HP vs. the standard 160 Hp) available as an option, as they do in Europe. Add more upgrade choices like leather, etc.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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