2004 Honda Civic Review and Specs

Summary

What Edmunds.com says

Still a class leader, the 2004 Honda Civic is the most refined, solidly built economy car on the market.

Pros

Fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly engines, roomy interior, reputation for durability and quality, impressive crash test scores.

Cons

Top-of-the-line models are pricey, antilock brakes not available on DX or LX.

What's New for 2004

In typical Honda fashion, the Civic receives a number of minor changes this year in order to keep it fresh. For the coupe and sedan, there's new exterior styling, including restyling for the front and rear bumpers, hood, headlights and grille. Inside, the audio speakers have been upgraded, extra sound deadening material has been added and floor mats are now standard in the LX and EX. The LX trim has slightly bigger wheels this year (15 inches) and standard keyless entry. A new value package contains air conditioning, a CD player and a new center console. For the Si hatchback, there are new headlight and taillight designs, larger 16-inch wheels and flashier interior trim. Like the regular sedan, the Civic Hybrid has updated styling, standard floor mats and improved speakers. It also has a new interior console with an armrest, adjustable rear headrests and a manual driver-seat height adjuster. Finally, all 2004 Honda Civic sedans and coupes have a new seatbelt reminder system.

Consumer Ratings & Reviews

Good Civic

Written by: Big Al on 07/06/2008

Detailed Ratings

Overall Rating


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	9	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	9
Fuel Economy:	7	Exterior Design:	8

Vehicle

2004 Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Great ride and fun to drive! Only complaint is that the gas tank filler cover won't open! You are supposed to open it by pushing down on the lever (or button) but it doesn't open. We'll have to have that checked out.

Favorite Features

Moon roof, 5-speed tranny, large trunk.

Suggested Improvements

Easier operating, more reliable means of opening the gas tank filler cover!

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Honda All the Way

Written by: Wally on 06/14/2008


Performance:	8	Fun-to-Drive:	9	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	8	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	8

2004 Honda Civic EX 4dr Sedan (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

I have owned my 04 EX 4 door for four years now and I can't say enough about the kind of car Honda builds. All I have done is regular maintenance and tires. Averaging 32 mpg and the car is still worth $10K on trade. What a car, my wife has a C-RV and my next car will be an Accord. HONDA ALL THE WAY!!!

Handling and ride are exceptional for a compact

NONE

'04 Civic EX Coupe 58K

Written by: Shawn on 06/03/2008


Performance:	8	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	9
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	8

This is overall a pretty solid car. The trick with this generation Civic is to avoid the 1st two model years, and ideally the 04-05 iterations seem to be the most reliable. Interior is the typical attractive/conservative Honda mix, ditto with the outside. Performance, it's not a performance car, but for 1700 cc's and getting the gas mileage it does, it performs admirably. Fun to drive, Honda always hones in driving responses (gearbox, steering etc) which make them fun to drive, not a chore. For the enthusiast, these aren't cheap to make "fast", but they're awesome cars for suspension modification. This hugely improves the fun to drive element (at the cost of ride quality, of course).

The ability to tilt AND retract the moonroof glass is a welcome feature and is often overlooked.

Trunk pop button on the keyless fob, it's truly maddening not having one. And something else to tack to the MSRP, EX trim on ANY model in the lineup should have steering wheel mounted audio controls, IMO.

The IMA Battery

Written by: Pete on 06/03/2008


Performance:	8	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	6
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	7	Reliability:	8
Fuel Economy:	7	Exterior Design:	6

2004 Honda Civic Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.3L 4cyl 5M)

The IMA light came on, so I took it to the Dealer to check. The IMA system was not charging, so they had to order a new one for me. The cost of replacement was $5000, which I did not have to pay, as they are warrantied for 10 years. I wanted to know if this is a common problem with The Honda Hybrid, as mine is less than 4 years old.

What a car!?!

Written by: James O. on 05/22/2008


Performance:	10	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	10	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	10	Exterior Design:	10

My 2004 Accord EX is without question the best car I have ever owned (am will likely own). In four years I have not had a single issue with it, both interior and exterior. Routine maintenance and a little TLC leave her running and looking great. An added bonus is the fantastic fuel efficiency now that gas is through the roof. On average, she gets close to 30 mpg. If you are considering buying a Honda, this particular model will serve you very, very well.

Sporty look (I think I have the sports package with the steel rims, etc.); good acceleration for a 4 cylinder; fold down seats with trunk access have enabled me to move many large items with ease; of course, great gas mileage.

Honestly, I can't really think of any!

2004 Honda Civic Consumer Ratings & Reviews