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Used 2008 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
601 reviews

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Great!

N.A., 10/10/2007
2008 Honda Civic EX 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

After extensive research (a must being an engineer) and looking and test driving multiple cars, I settled on this model. It gives you all the extras you want with a reasonable price. The design is amazing, and fun to drive. I owned a 99 Honda EX Coupe and it was noisy on the highway. This one, however, it was really quiet. Inside is very spacious and comfortable. Would definitely recommend.

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4.63 out of 5 stars

This is a Great Car

msturg29, 07/06/2010
2008 Honda Civic Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.3L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I purchased this car specifically for my 80 mile a day commute. It has yet to let me down. I average about 41 mpg year round with the mileage increasing in the summer and decreasing in the cold Minnesota winters. As for performance, I knew this wasn’t a speed racer and didn’t expect it to be. It speeds up well for a very small 4 cylinder and keeps me going just fine. The interior has a great design for the speedometer, easily readable in all lighting conditions. The arm rest slides forward for short people like me. The car is small, but I manage to get a car seat and a 100 lb dog to fit comfortably. With the reliability of Honda, overall I love this car.

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2 out of 5 stars

Long-term review based on 9 years of ownership

stlpilot, 06/26/2017
updated 12/28/2018
2008 Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

We purchased our 2008 Civic EX brand new about 9 years ago. We are big fans of Honda cars and would like to pass along our ownership experience to the rest of you concerning this car. Unfortunately, owning this car hasn't been without headaches. We experienced the same re-occurring maintenance issues mentioned in most of the other reviews. The big ones were paint defects and defective engine mounts. Our car is black, and my understanding is the 2008 and the 2009 Civics and Accords had many paint issues. Our Civic was repainted three times (three different sections), due to paint defect. All this was covered by Honda, but only after many hours on the phone with Honda. This was a major headache and if Honda did not cover the costs, this would have been very expensive for us. The second big issue is the faulty engine mounts. We replaced our engine mounts about 12,000 miles ago and the problem seems to be coming back. If you are considering purchasing this car, please keep in mind the costs associated with replacing the engine mounts. Regarding everyday driving, this car is perfect for your short distance drives to the store and back, returning great fuel economy. However, you will regret driving it on long multi-hour drives. It is loud and the seats aren't comfortable. We are in our 30s and very fit, however after a single road trip in the Civic, we will never take it out for another road trip. We will keep this car until it has 180 or 200k miles on it before selling it. This could be a great car for a college kid, but I think you could buy a slightly newer Civic and avoid all the above mentioned problems. This is an update to our original review. We sold the car after owning it for 10 years. We purchased a Mazda CX-5 and we could not be happier.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
1 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Interior
2 out of 5 stars
Comfort
1 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
3 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Great Vehicle

JS, 04/14/2008
2008 Honda Civic Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.3L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fun to drive and surprisingly comfortable for a small car. Great quality and nice features. Very appealing exterior design by Honda. Excellent investment during these tough times of rising gas prices. Tough decision after test driving both the Prius and Honda and ended up purchasing the Honda.

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4.38 out of 5 stars

Beware of the automatic transmission

cartmaniskool, 02/28/2008
2008 Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I wanted to let others know that I love everything about this car except for the automatic transmission. It shifts too harshly while in D. When driving above 25-30 mph and then slowing down or braking under 20 mph, then quickly stepping on the gas, the transmission will jerk or buck forward and you'll hear a very loud clunk sound. It is not a normal jerk at all, it is a very violent jerk and the transmission will clunk. It's pretty bad and I've learned that it's common in all 2008 civics with automatic transmissions. There was a problem with the civic si 3rd gear and there is a problem with the 2008 civic automatic transmission as well. Honda needs to issue a recall ASAP!

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