Used 2004 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews
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Not as good
I expected to much after reading all the good reviews on the Civic. Compaired to my 93 Nissan Sentra the Civic is a pain to drive and park.
Extremely reliable. Smooth quiet ride.
Well made car, mechanically sound.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Honda Civic
As a New York City native and one keenly aware of our over-dependence on Mideast oil, I turned my attention away from the Accord the dealership was showing me, to the sporty little Civic Hybrid that supposedly got 50 miles per gallon. I was one of the first in New Hampshire to purchase one, and I've been delighted with it. I'm 6 foot 2, and there's maybe 4 or 5 inches of extra headroom. It's a roomy, fast little car, and I get between 43 mpg and 52 mpg depending on the season and whether my snow tires are on or not. Pick-up is great, I love its looks, and it's fun to drive. And I feel good that less of my money is going to Mideast oil sheiks.
Better MPG
Purchased in April 04. Am only getting 36 mpg and have been running AC on Econ. I keep hearing a whizzing sound when I brake. The window on the front passenger side rattles during some turns. The ABS engages on the streets of Dallas (numerous potholes). Stereo weak.
Stage 1 Modified 04 Civic EX 5SP
I purchased my Civic with it's small 127HP 1.7L for my excessive commuting and the need for a gas economy car. After installing a cold-air intake, strut tower brace, stage 1 clutch, lightweight racing flywheel, iridium plugs, and gator belts it flies like a rocket and has an improved gas economy of 30CTY/43HWY. Although the cabin noise is very loud, it is well worth the 400-500 miles per $24 tank of gas. Plus, besides the mods I have only had to change fluids in this car and the periodic check over under the hood. The only exception was an O2 sensor. It is extremely LOW maintenance. Overall, it's modern styling and economy are the best I have experienced between Honda/Acura over the years.
Civic 3rd one and happy
I love the reliability of the engine, and the ride. Fuel consumption is good to great. Plenty of leg room, and stereo is nice. At this time I have 60000 miles on this Civic and hope to catch the other one I had at 210000 miles which did not burn one drop of oil. It was an older model and the timing belt broke on it, or it would still be running. The newer civics don't have that trouble because of clearance in the valves. Keep it up Honda. You're the best.
Civic lover
I've owned my civic for about 2 months and overall I think its a great car. Its very fuel efficient, performs great on the highway and comfortable.
A/C problems
This car would be great for a climate that never reaches over 100 degrees! Anything over that the a/c is terrible. Everytime you accelerate no matter if you mash the throttle or have an egg between your foot this vehicle blows hot air at you, which translate to the fact that in stop and go traffic the car never even comes close to getting comfortable inside the vehicle. According to my selling dealership this is a normal condition and nothing can be done about it. My recomendation is not to purchase this vehicle at all untill they have a fix for thier "normal" problem. Also the dealership also told me that all of the honda vehicles do this so beware!!
The 2004 Civic EX Sedan ROCKS!!!
I have had nothing but good experiences driving this car. It accelerates well, and the breaking system is excellent. Both the exterior and interior designs are very aesthetically pleasing. The interior is very comfortable as well as roomier than expected. The gas mileage is wonderful also, i get about 30 mpg in the city.
great car
great commute car, fun to drive and priced very well for such a reliable car.
nice little car
excellent handing. NO mechanical problems. comfortable ride (seating). roomy back seat. good vision (except when it rains, water tends to stay on rear window). Seats are very low, 6way power-seating would be great. NO place for handbag. Beige color I chose is very hard for others to see, daytime running lights are necessary. So nice to get a $2000 tax rebate.
Dope Ride
I love my new Civic ex . I love how it drives and its responce time is great too. The only thing that bothers me is it is a little loud when its running. I also wish Hinda would come out with its new bug shield and vent visors to match the color. I also wish the sun roof popped up and opened like the neon does.
Hybird reality
The Honda civic hybrid fule fact for my civic is city and highway combined 37mpg. I have driven the car less than 200 miles and probably very close to 50- 50 city vrs. highway miles. It takes a bit of getting use to the hybird technology as the car shuts down at most stops. The Civic is remarkably quiet. also it has a great standard packsage, A.C., cruse control, CD am fm sterio. Some folks may like the lighted dash information stystem that includes a tac, odomitor, battery status and other things. I find it a bit distracting with all the flashing and moving lights. It is a great car for those that have concerned about consumption and enviormental issues.
reliable
I find the honda civic is reliable, but the noise is terrible while driving, I don't get the gas mileage, the visualble is horrible. meaning that the beam between the back and front seat you can't see.
Not as good as they say!!!
Car has nice behaviour in hard breaking but i find it noisy at Hway speeds. I felt confortable but did not felt much feedback from road when cornering.
Follow-up to "Spunky Little Car"
I mentioned my AC had no freon in my prior review, my car is now 3 months old and has visited the dealer one too many times. Turns out after 2 trips to service and a nasty letter to Customer Service, my car was kept at the dealers for an AC investigation (3 times). Turns out there was a leak. They say they fixed it, lets hope so. I would hate to associate "Lemon with Honda".
Would have bought sooner
In October, best quote was $20.4K. In March same guy said $500 BELOW invoice. I didn't trust him, kept shopping. Paid $19.7K plus tax & title. For best mpg, hammer the assist and get to speed quick! USE THE CRUISE! Keep econ turned on. DON'T creep up after stop, the engine WON'T auto stop again, and you'll be sitting there wasting gas. - Down sides: a: Construction pot holes trigger ABS. ABS kills re-generative braking (expected). Requires more braking effort. And re-gen won't re-engage until you accelerate. Releasing the brake and re-applying doesn't reset. b: CVT really lets engine scream on expressway merge (scary scream).
Spring for the EX it is worth it
So far so good, I just purchased my vehicle on the 25th of Sep 03. I have driven it loaded down from Illinois to Denver and will continue on to San Diego. Even though I had three people in the car and tons of clothing etc the civic performed admirably. The seats are extrememly comfortable on long rides.
I. LOVE. THIS. CAR.
Prior to my Civic Coupe EX, I owned two Accords and two CR-V's. I got a little tired of all the money I was putting out in gas and on a whim I purchased my current 2004 Civic Coupe EX and began my journey. This is an excellent car! I was really scared when I was faced with driving it in the snow after being in a CR-V for 11 years...but the car is amazing. She plows through anything and climbs hills that have left other cars in the ditch. I've owned this car for just shy of 2 years now and I love it more and more each day. I get an average of 36-38 mpg--no matter the driving conditions. I can't praise this car enough. Get yourself one and begin your own inexpensively reliable journey!
Third Civic
I really enjoy my third civic, bought the 2004 ex sedan w/ manual and love it. Not the fastest, sportiest, or nicest car on the streets, however it es everything I could ask for. Great gas mileage, interior space, build quality(minus the paint), and low cost to operate the vehicle. I could have bought a $30000.00 vehicle, but for vacations, backa dn forth to work and running around town with friends. I would rather have my money in my bank account than depreciating in my garage!!! Compound interest is the worlds best invention.
Surprized by the quality
I purchased my Honda Civic in February. At first it was great. Then it began shifting from 5th gear into neutral while driving on the highway at 65 mph!! The dealership was able to find nothing wrong with the car.
lemon
My 2002 honda civic sir is the worst vehicle I ever owned. Gas guage never worked, parking brake never worked, cruise control quit, rain cutter mouldings came out, rear window washer motor and assembley had to be replaced. Gas mileage was poor. The engine ran rough cold and would cough and sputter when hot. The longer I drove it the rougher the clutch and shifting became. I put 31000 km on this car in 11 months. I dealt the car for a four door civic after a 11 months of trouble with the sir hatchback.
Honda Civic EX
The design wasn't quite up to the early models, but the reliability is still the best of coupes and hatchbacks.
Can't beat it
Bought the car used, only 16k...Had the gas tank filled up twice, and both times I averaged 49.6 mpg. It probably would have worse gas mileage if driven harder, but I cannot complain about what I get (is a 5 speed one). It would be nice if would have a little more oomph, but...then no mileage. Nice piece of machinery and technology, I enjoy getting almost 600 miles per tank, happy with the residual value down the road...
Planet saver with a Big price tag
Legendary Honda built and quality for engine, chassis, suspension. Questionable reliability of battery & electric motor. Ride quality is firm, handling is acceptable and price is slightly on the high side. Acceleration is fair.
A 10
You get what you pay for. One suggestion to people making negative comments is to "TEST DRIVE" the car first. It seems like people never even sat in the car once before buying it. Many people comment about lack of power... want more power, buy a car with a V6 or V8 not a 4-banger. I have owned this car for over 2 years now and have not had a single problem with it. I take it in for scheduled tune ups (based on the book not the dealer recommendations). I would not buy a 1000 sq ft house made of cardboard and then complain about it being made of cheap material and too small. Again "You Get What You Pay For". If you want a more powerful Honda, get an Accord.
mpg problem
car has 5500 miles and is yielding 17 mpg. rating is 30-38.dealer can't find reason.situation is dragging.
excellent!!!!
is the best economy car that i ever own
Always Fun, Especially Passing Gas Pumps
I am getting better mileage than what it is rated at. I am at 49MPG combined 90% Highway 10% City. I drive 45 miles each way to work on all on highway in Denver. Today though the best 550 miles with 1/4 tank still left and 90 degrees all week long. I only spent $1500 in gas for 2006 and that is 35000 miles and 3 trips to Oklahoma, 1 Nebraska. In 2005 I had a 1997 Saturn and spent $2900 and no trips, just work and around town and only went 26000 miles and gas was much cheaper then. Everyone who tried to talk me out of the Hybrid now wants one. But if you buy a Hybrid a Civic or Prius is the only way to go.
honda hybrid in florida
Does over 42 mpg in mostly city driving consistently since purchase, by my own calculations - the gas consumption gauge overstates reality by 2-3 mpg. Battery does not charge well in hot weather here in Florida, gas mileage is noticeably better in cool weather.
Honda Civic EX
I love the car. It is my first five speed and it is so fun to drive.
my 2004
The 2004 Honda Civic is suppose to be a really great buy but I have had so many problems with mine. The front strut went out on my car, the rear defroster and my cv boots are now popping. This is all within a four month period and Honda sites everything as my fault eventhough it sits all the time. I am afraid that is will just fall apart on me. The car does have decent pickup but it doesnt have a traction control system which it really needs. I think they should put an ESP program on it similar to VW's and Toyota's have. My 14 year saab is more realible than this new civic.
Very practical car
The only reason why its not rated high on the 'Fun to Drive' is coz I am moving to a civic from a jetta turbo and compared to Jetta 1.8T the Civic is quite torqueless. But I didnt buy it for its sportiness. I bought it for its realiablity, fuel economy and overall functionality. Its a very practical car...far more practical than out Jetta, far more reliable than the Jetta and far more fuel efficient too.
2004 Civic LX 4 door
This is my 6th Honda and I have not been disappointed in any of them. I traded a CRV for the 2004 Civic and don't regret it. The ride and drive is great. The mileage looks great, can't seem to empty the tank. If you can do without the sun roof and alloy wheels this seems the best buy. Very solid and a huge amount of room compared to the previous version. Nice car.
young of heart senior
EXCELLENT handling,EXCELLENT steering, excellent seating, very good all around quality
Fully Satisfied
I'm very satisfied with my 04 coupe.. I havn't seen another one on the road yet. I used Edmunds to locate a good dealer. Once there, we spent only five minutes on the price. I've been enjoying my Civic ever since.. It's had absoulutly no problems. I love it and would recommend it to anyone!
Good
Excellent
Not that good!
Started out at 44-45 mpg; after 5,000 gets avg.of 34.I'm disappointed. I do even mix of city & hiway. Flat out on open hiway gets 45. Low profile body is a disaster. Constant scrapes. Fenders pop out if bumped. Dealer has checked many times and tells me its my driving, and that it "has to be babied". I wish I had bought a Toyota!
Who would have thought!
I never would have thought that a Honda Civic could be so cool and so sporty! I bought my Hoda Pilot in May of 2003, and absolutely love it. When my husbands 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse hit 60K miles last month, it was time to trade it in! So my amazing Honda dealer JEREMY BRAUN @ DCH Kay Honda in Eatontown NJ, hooked me up with with a beautiful Fiji Blue Pearl Civiv EX, totally loaded and he helped me pick out awesome accessories for it! We added leather interior, a rear spoiler, front spoiler and complete underbody kit. It handles better than any car I have ever owned, and I have owned a LOT of cars.
First small car
I love this car. It is fun to drive and the mileage is better the futher you drive it. Excellent manufacture's assistance and concern. Dealer satifaction is high. Very nice people. I bought the car for gas mileage around town and it has satisfied me.
Good ol car
I bought a civc lx with 120,000 miles on the clock in early 2011. Before recently selling it, it had 155,000 miles on her. Never had a mechanical issues. kept up with the oil changes and brakes and a new set of tires and that was it. I drove it in heavy city traffic and got 31-33 mpg consistently. 5 or 6 mpg more than epa says. Overall, a great commuter car. This car is not comfortable for long 2 1/2 hr. drives, but going 400+ miles on less than 3/4 of a tank of fuel with speeds adveraging between 75-90 mph i couldnt complain!
Just Got It...
All in all, its a car. Nothing more and nothin less. I had a Monte Carlo SS and totalled it. So a Civic was kind of spare of the moment. It really wasnt what I wanted. No one can complain on the gas milage of the car (BTW I just picked it up this morning). I did notice that once I break it in, I will be able to haul butt in this car, it sits at 3,000 RPM and its doing 75 MPH! Redlines about 6600 RPM. On the plus side you can drive a Honda in the ground for years and it will still run great. Two people I know own Hondas with over 300,000 miles and they still run great.
honda
I bought my honday in jan. 04,. runs good better body style then last year..good on gas and is sporty.
Mixed Blessing
HCH is peppy & responsive. CVT is much smoother than regular auto transm. Handles well on curves & highway. Brakes are right there. Actual mileage lower than expected (37-40 mpg, mixed suburban driving). Bumps on steering wheel (@10 & 2 o'clock), plus its thickness & wide ribbing, interfere with hand placement for small-to-average woman's hand. Even with seat cranked up, rear visibility is poor (I'm 5'-5"). Seat is uncomfortable on long trips. Passenger wiper's sweep into driver's visual field has effect of narrowing view & is disturbing; transm. stick's chrome plate reflects sun glare into driver's eyes- a driving hazard. Exterior finish scratches easily.
I hate this car
I am extremely disappointed in this car. We had our last Honda (1989 Prelude) for 15 years and it was nearly bulletproof. I had to replace the head gasket after 3 years on this Civic (at about 65,000 miles) and have the head machined very expensive repair. Ive spent more money fixing this car since I bought it than I have on an 11- year old Chrysler product with over 215,000 miles on it. The car lacks the power to get out of it's own way. I don't know if I just happened to get a lemon - or if there is a problem with this year model, but it's not an "automatic" choice for me to go buy another Honda.
A little disappointed
I love the car, the design, comfort and reliability, but am only getting between 38 - 43 MPG. Not bad, but was expecting a lot better. I have tried to drive conservatively, but still got less than 43 in city driving. Highway seems to do better, but most of my driving is in traffic. So a little disappointed in the fuel efficiency, but overall I am enjoying the car.
Spunky Little Car!
Perfect commuter car, a great first month with my Civic EX, its sporty and stylish. Make sure that you test everything in your car before purchasing it. Mine had no freon for the AC. How could they miss that? Nevertheless, they were able to add it right away. My prior car was a Corolla so there was a bit of a learning curve with little things like the placement of the radio buttons and AC buttons, cup holders and such. Overall, get the EX with the extra horsepower and all the little extras...its worth it.
The perfect car?
This is not a Porsche nor is it a Cadillac. But my Civic thinks it's both. For under $17K this is by far the best vehicle for your money. From smooth styling to great handling and power my civic covers all the bases. Honda reliability is second to none in this class and the gas milage is awesome especially in today's economy. I looked at all the cars in this class, the Jetta, Corrola, Sentra and Elantra and every time I found myself comparing them to the Civic EX. Do yourself a favor and give it a spin, you will not be disapointed.
Great Car
What a great driving experience. This Honda has good mechanics, and good styling also. Fun to drive. Owned a Toyota Celica previously with poor results. Would recommend to all for quality and Totally reliable transportation.
Honda Hassle
One thing that no one mentions about this car is that you cannot roll the back window down because you get this tunneling effect. By this I mean, the wind is going through the car and you feel like you are going through a tunnel, your ears seem stopped up, the noise is really bad. Now that I have taken it to the dealership, they tell me that if you roll down another window - it eases the noise. That is not true because I tried that already. The cup holder does not come out so it is a pain to wash. The car runs great and I love the savings on the gas - especially now that prices have gone up.