Used 2008 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews
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Very dissapointed
I trade my excellent and reliable Honda Civic VP 2005 for a Honda 2008. It was the worst decision I made on my life. I am regretting it since day one. Cheap plastic, noisy (I feel every street bump). I cannot get used to the over designed dashboard. Overall very cheap built and overpriced. I cannot afford to trade it but I will do it as soon as I can. Will never buy Honda again. Honda is sleeping on its laurels.
Teach me oh MPG gurus
I loved my Mazda 3, 5-door w/ leather, but I wanted better gas mileage than the 20 mpg I was getting. I was on waiting lists for the Prius and the Civic. The Civic was available first. I like (do not love) its styling. I am disappointed in my mpg, however. My first two tanks were 40 and 38 mpg. My current tank reads 33.5 mpg. I need fuel economy lessons. My friend hates to ride with me because I drive so slowly. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. The only time the gauge has me getting good gas mileage is when my foot is off the gas pedal. My mpg is better than in my Mazda 3, but I'm not sure if it was worth the switch.
- EX-L SedanMSRP: $7,99810 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $6,99921 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $9,49921 mi away
Great Fun Car, Excellent Quality
This car is so much fun to drive. I want to drive it even when I have no place to go. The style is great, performance is great from a 2.0L. Above 6K RPM the engine really comes alive. Right after I bought it, I drove from Texas to California, and I got almost 32 MPG driving an average of 85 MPH. The interior is very nice, seats are comfortable even on a 2K trip. Quick throw 6 spd shifter is a blast. I wanted a car that had good looks, good performance, and good quality. This car has it all. I will be driving this car for many years to come
Good car for the money
I bought my car with 24 miles on it. It's been a good car. You're not going to blow anyone away off the line with the 1.8L engine, but you will get great gas mileage. I average around 39 mpg year round. Higher in the summer, lower in the winter. Nothing has broken yet, but it shouldn't on a three year old car. I do my own tires, own oil changes, and own repairs. The car is well designed and seems to be well built. I do have some issues with the paint. Honda did a poor job painting the car and I noticed several areas where there's some blob under the clear coat. Like dirt or dust got on the car.
All Around Winner!
I've had this car now for 1 month and 1300 miles, and I'm loving it. You won't find a better combination of acceleration, handling, looks, reliability, and practicality at the 20k price point. I always look forward to driving it. For a 2.0 L 4cyl with only a rated 139 lb-ft of torque, the pull even from low rpm in any of the first 4 gears is surprisingly strong. Wind it out to 7-8k rpm and you feel like your driving a F1 race car! This car is every bit as quick and much more nimble than the V6 '02 Maxima it replaced. I've experienced 28-29 mpg thus far, which I feel is plenty decent given the performance this car delivers. I'd recommend it to anyone!
Si forever
The sound of that v-tec when you hit 6000 rpm, puts a smile on my face every time. This was my first brand new car and I absolutely love it. Would have liked to get the vehicle in white but settled for silver, I still get compliments on its style, people always think its an Acura. Premium fuel only adds about $2-3 per fill up. so stop reading this review and go get one today, they're awesome! Also, go for navigation, mine is std. and I regret not upgrading.
Honda does it again!
I wanted an '08 Accord but in light of current fuel prices, decided on the Civic. I wanted the EX, but after driving the EX and LX, decided there wasn't enough difference between 'em to justify the price variance. This is my 3rd Honda and I am very pleased with the quality that goes into them. My '91 Accord had 326k original miles on the clock when I sold it to a co- worker for $1,800!! Looked great, ran like new. I will agree with prior comments re: the road noise, it is a bit much on rough pavement. On freshly paved roads, though, it's quiet as a tomb. This has a lot to do with the Goodyear Eagle RSA tires. When they wear out, I'll install comparable Michelins, which are quieter.
Easy Manual Car
The manual transmission on this is easy and fun to drive. Great gas mileage, and comes with a lot of features for an LX. The only thing I'm not used to having from the accord is the remote trunk release and volume controls. Other than that, I'm pleased with the 08 civic coupe. Rides smooth, and has a nice dash design.
Disappointed
This is my 5th Honda. Noticed with the last Honda that quality isn't what it used to be. I have had my current Honda Civic 08 car in the shop 3 times, and I only have 6000 miles on it right now, and they still can't figure out why the car doesn't start sometimes-same thing happened on the last Honda. Ride is very noisy and there's a tick at times that dealer says in the fuel injection-it's too loud and distracting. Seats aren't comfortable. Switch to adjust driver side window is poorly placed. Hondas used to be great cars; unfortunately, I think quality and dependability has gone down. I'm also disappointed in the fuel economy for a small car.
Problem starting
This is a brand-new 2008 Civic, only 4 months old, 10k-km (6k miles) yet it has more problems starting than my 15 year old Chrysler. As soon as the cool weather hit - bam, ran into trouble. You have to crank and crank and crank it before it finally starts and then it runs roughly before finally idling. Sometimes I crank it and just stop and wait before trying again. Today it was -15C (5F) and the engine would not even turn over. I turned the key all the way to "start" - nothing. Engine would not even respond. I am very disappointed in this car. If I can't depend on it to start in the cold weather, what else can go wrong?
The perfect small car
This little car is a gem. My first criteria was MPG, but I got way more than I expected. It was hard to find one with a manual, but I am old school (52 yrs) and prefer it by far. After over 7000 Alaska miles I have averaged 33.7 MPG. On the highway in summer I have reached over 46. With a set of General Altimax Arctic studded tires my Civic sticks to the gnarly Alaska winter roads like glue. Snow tires cost 5 MPG. Handling is precise, sporty, and steering balanced and neutral, leaning slightly toward oversteer. With over 6 months of ice and snow, I have been amazed with the sure-footed habits of the Civic. My wife also loves driving it.
Awesome Vehicle
I drove a Maxima SE until it was totaled in a crash. I went smaller due to gas mileage. Looked at & considered Scion tC & Subaru Impreza & Accord Coupe. The Civic won on looks, trim level & handling. I definitely made the right decision. I fill up once every other week & absolutely love driving it. There's a couple of blind spots, but once you get used to them, they are not a problem. Stereo system is awesome. This car has exceeded my expectations, especially going from a V6 to a small 4 cyl. I plain old have "fun" driving it. I added the auto-dimming mirror w/compass (dealer installed).
Best car driven to date
Bought this car for my wife and haven't stopped driving it. It is definitely a step up from the Ex model civic with lots of extra power. The seats hug your back with comfort while it handles with ease. Feels faster than the Mazda 3 and accelerates harder also. For the price you cant beat it. This car seats my family of 4 comfortably and is excellent on gas. One day I'll let my wife drive it.
Saving a Ton on Gas
I purchased my civic a few months ago in order to find a reliable replacement for my truck, which was on its last leg. Over time, I've come to appreciate the civic more and more. With only 2000 miles on the odometer, I'm averaging around 28 mpg in the city and nearly 38 on the highway. I purchased the EXL model in dark red with tan leather. The car feels solid and looks beautiful. Our family previously owned a 2002 civic and this model is a great improvement! The car was tuned for fuel economy and not performance, so it tends to buck a bit if I accelerate hard from a dead stop. However, I'm saving nearly $30 a week in gas, so I have no complaints.
Wonderful car
I've had my civic sedan ex for a month and still look for excuses to go take a ride. It's comfortable and fun to drive. I use the cruise control a lot to maintain speed at economy limits but today when driving got preoccupied and when I looked at that great digital speedometer realized I was over 80 and the car felt as solid as it does at 25. Only complaint is that the radio seems weak, otherwise an all around great ride.
Very nice car
Before buying my civic (Jun 6,08) I drove the Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla. The Corolla was a good and I would have bought one but having two other Hondas (97 Odyssey & 97 Civic, both still going strong) it was hard to leave a good thing. My compromise was I couldn't get stability control but buying it with the Corolla would have meant having other options I didn't want. I went with the LX over the EX because I didn't want the sunroof or 5-spoke alloy wheels (just didn't like the look). However, Honda has a 15', 7-spoke wheel that is nice. I bought them and a trunk liner from College Hills Honda (on-line) for about one-half the cost my local dealer wanted.
Best Car in America
45-48 mpg in all driving, consistently. Plenty of room for normal people, and quick handling. The best car available in America, hands down. No more necessary.
Forget the LX/EX, get the Si!
Let me start by saying I currently also own an '07 civic coupe ex. Also owned an '07 civic hybrid. Traded in the hybrid for the Si after 9 months of driving boredom. Had a modified 350hp awd car prior, and thought I was over the performance bug. Well, the Si is quick enough to satisfy your desires for speed, without giving you much more than that. It's now the cheapest of the viable sport compact offerings, yet yields the best MPG, and lowest sticker price. Handling is also great and significantly better than the ex. The ex was just as much better than the civic hybrid. I put on lightweight wheels and tires and got noticeable improvement in acceleration. City/Hwy MPG has been around 25/30.
Great car for today's high gas prices
Already have 3200 miles on the odometer. While I haven't gotten the 40+mpg results, I have been averaging 38 mpg driving the speed limit. With my commute of 80 miles round trip five days a week, I'd be saving over $4000 over five years (in today's $4.50 per gallon gas price) compared to the 2007 Accord V6 it replaced that gets 27 mpg in conservative driving.
Who needs a Porshe for FUN!
I have driven mostly luxury cars (BMW 325, IS250) and after 3 months still can't believe how great this car is. I have to remind myself I am in a economy car. Well-mannered, fast, comfortable. I get more looks than I did in my lux cars. Yes, I opted for the loaded SI/NAV and added blk leather, tinted windows. Civic SI is bringing sexy back! And valet guys fight to park it.
A good car !
So far a good car (6k miles already), engine is powerful for a small car! Noise on highways better than earlier models. However shifting in lower gears is kinda rough, more of an annoyance than anything!
Best Civic Yet!
For all you folks who are searching for the 'Ideal' all around vehicle, this is it. This is my second review of this 2008 Civic LX and after 3000 miles since my last I can report that this is the best choice for a compact car I've ever made. Quiet, comfortable and economical. Most of my driving is on the interstate with consistent speed (68mph). I have seen an average of 41+ mpg on my 168 mile round trip per day. Comfort is excellent for a vehicle of this size. Noise levels are low and you can't even hear the engine at high speed. It also runs considerable slower than my previous 2001 Civic EX (2200 rpm at 70 mph). Workmanship is superb. I have to fight my wife to drive this Civic.
08 Civic EX-L
Great car. Went from a 97 Crown Vic P71 to this and love the gas mileage. Rides nice and is sporty looking. I am 6'2 and thought I would lose headroom with the sunroof but I did not. I fit very nice in it.
So far, so good
First year with leather in a Civic and I jumped at it. Actually, I wanted an inexpensive car with good mileage, but nice enough that I would be satisfied with driving it 85 miles daily. I've only had it a week, but it has been fun and comfortable to drive and my first tank of gas got 34mpg!
2008 Honda Civic EX
All future Honda buyers, BEWARE! I bought my car merely a year ago and since about 6 months ago, it has been making sounds like there is a horse under the hood. Last week, it LOST most of what little power it had (could only go 25mph) and the dealer said that nothing was wrong with it. Then, 5 days later, the damn thing stalled in the middle of an intersection. I had to get out and push then have it towed! And when I take it in for repair, the car doesn't act up so they say that everything checks out fine. I can't sell it because the economy is so bad and plus it WILL give trouble to it's new owner.
2008 Honda Civic Sedan
1st time I drove this car, I was impressed but not sold. After I test drove the Mazda3(base model, manual trans.) 3 days later, I was leaning towards it. I collected my tribe later that day and since we'd be driving past the Honda dealer on the way, I decided to give the Civic another look. Boy I'm glad I did! We were all fairly impressed with the Civic, particularly the backseat leg room. After the 2nd test drive of the Mazda3 (auto trans this time) we made a unanimous family decision. The styling, particularly the ugly taillight design, tight legroom and general ho-hum design, led us back to the Civic. I couldn't be happier after buying a Civic. Great value, in my opinion the best in class!
One of the best in class
I love this car. I love it when the engine hits the 6000- 8200 rpm. It makes me want to Pound it everywhere I go, and I still get 24 mpg. The transmission is smooth. Some people complain about third gear but I haven't had any problems. I would like to have more power, but who doesn't. The one thing about this car you have to be in the right gear to get the most out of the engine. Not a perfect car but very fun to drive.
I Love My Honda
I bought my Honda In July 08 And fell in love with it right away, from the way it drives to the style of the interior, exterior. Drove from New England to North Carolina and after 12 hrs of driving I still wanted to be in my car driving. I love my Honda Civic
Great Economy Car
My 2008 Civic is the 4th Honda I've owned. It seems to continue Honda's fine tradition of stylish, economical, reliable transportation.
49+ MPG almost daily
I drive 70 miles round trip each day to and from work. If I am not rushed, I can get over 49 MPG. I can hardly believe what an investment I have made.
Bang for your buck
My ratings are based on comparing the Civic to other vehicles in its price range and this car really has the competition beat. Voice nav, play any digital media through aux, plenty of torque to get around LA traffic, no parking spot is too small and I get 28 mpg even though I'm always punching the gas. My previous car was a '98 BMW 540i with lots of power and surprisingly this car speeds up well considering its engine size. Combine all that with low maintenance costs ($40 for oil change, no prob) and a great warranty and this car leaves Nissan, Toyota and Mini in the dust.
If MPG Is What You Want ...
Purchased on 12/31/07 in time to still get the $2,300 tax credit. I drive a lot of miles (25,000 a year), so gas mileage was my #1 concern. I have 11,579 miles on the car now and it has been fabulous. My gas mileage was in the 40-43 range for the first two to three months due in large part to breaking in the car as well as the Illinois winter I was driving in. Since then my gas mileage has gotten better and better as the weather warmed up and the car began to get broken in. My last 7 tanks of gas have gotten me 51, 50, 51, 50, 53, 52 and 51 MPG! I drive on the interstates with the cruise set at 65 mph and I neither accelerate nor brake hard in the city in an effort to maximize my MPG.
Should have kept my 93 Accord
If Honda made a 90-93 Accord again I would buy in a second. My 93 with nearly 300K miles ran like the day I bought it. It got better mileage than my 08 civic with same driving routine. Best I've gotten is 27.5 mpg. Civics air conditioner varies temp abut 20 degrees. Barely keeps car cool in So. CA summers. Nearly impossible to clean inside of front and rear windows which haze over from all the plastics out gassing in summer heat. Lots of road noise. Very disappointed overall. Dealer can't find anything wrong. Surprise, surprise. This is my 5th and probably my last Honda. I also have an 03 Odyssey with which I get 22 to 24.5 mpg cruising at 80.
Awesome Car
This car is simply FANTASTIC. I love every feature of it, its sexy, sporty, handles terrific, has great gas mileage and the price is fair for all the feature you get especially the EX model. It has a very strong chassis too. Once I slammed a Cadillac CTS on the back at a full 30 mph without hitting the breaks, I thought I had totaled the car, but only the bumper got scratched. INCREDIBLE. I was totally surprised by that. I think this car is definitely the best one there is out there in its category. Anyone one considering buying one, don't hesitate. I've only done oil changes to it and its been great to me..
Nice car but eats rear tires.
I like the new Civic. It is comfortable and gets great milage. The only time I drive this car is to go to work, "87 miles each way". I keep close track of mileage and I see 37.4 to 38.25 MPG highway. I only have 2 issues with the car. The left rear tire cups or wears unevenly. Dealer said its not the cars fault. Had to replace it at 15,500 miles. I thought Honda fixed this problem already. The 2006 and 2007 civics including hybrids had rear suspension control arms that built wrong. No recall but they will replace them if you take it back. The only other issue is the LX radio sounds kind of tinny.
Step up from a porsche
I purchased this car as a run around car and as a car my son can learn to drive in a few years. It surprised me by how nice it is. I get 32 MPG driving the mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountains and 35.5 on longer trips. I like the navigation system and the stereo. For $22,000 this is an amazing car. It corners and steers almost as well as my 2005 Porsche. In fact, had I driven a Civic before I bought my Porsche ( I picked the Porsche up in Germany), I might have saved a lot of money.
A must buy.
I have the car for just over 2 weeks and with only a minor change in driving habits (Going speed limit) I had 46.5 mpg on 90%s city driving and 47.9 mpg for 90% highway driving. Better than the EPA ratings on mph and the car is just breaking in. I have a driving range of approximately 500 miles per tank. Not bad at all. My weekly cost for gas has gone from $150 plus per week to approximately $38 per week. The difference between a mini-van and a hybrid is amazing. Great comfort, style, performance and mph. Much more stylish than a Prius. This car is fantastic so try one and you will be a believer.
Why all of the bad press?
I have traded-in my 2004 Honda S2000 because I needed more space. This car gives up very little in terms of handling and performance. I love the way the car looks and the exclusivity of owning one. I guess I am a little too old (31) for the Fast and Furious look, but everything thing added to the car has a purpose and has been engineered as such. I imagine that this car is marketed to a select few, but I hope Honda keeps the Mugen cars coming stateside. I also love the color. This is the first car I have owned that is not white, silver or black.
Best purchase made in 2008
My Civic has great pick up for getting on the highway. I commute to work about 26 miles a day, and my gas mileage is outstanding.
Honda Civic EX-L Auto w/ Navi
This is a great car. I am 17 and bought my first car. The two tier dashboard is convenient and the navigation is relatively good. The trunk size is generous given its coupe body structure. Of course the main point is the mpg rating. Even before having broken it in I get a combined 41 mpg (with A/C on the entire time), even though I do a little more highway than city. In addition the seats are comfortable in the back and in the front, even for me (I'm 5'11"). I love the styling, and the air conditioning is good. I even got cold in like 91 degree weather. I shall also admit the windshield wipers to be cool. I haven't found anything bad about this car yet so if anyone does I would like to know.
Fun car with economical personality
I love this car...I bought it brand new off of the lot and have loved it since! I have the manual and love it...only negative feedback would be it needs a stereo with more output for when you really want to rock out. Everything you could want in a car, great price, great gas mileage, roomy truck and big enough to fit four...awesome!
Gas milage
The car is well built and fit and finish is very good. The figure I provided for miles driven is from past experience. This Honda has 800 miles on the odometer. I am not pleased with the gas mileage. I did not check the first fill up, but I got 31 MPG on the second and 26 MPG on the third. The little booklet that is provided for fast reference indicates I can check average fuel mileage, but this feature is not available on my car. I am a retiree who drives very reasonably.
Better than expected
We bought the hybrid civic new in 12/07. After 6500 miles I am more impressed than the day I bought it. My best MPG is to date is 58.5! That's 600.7 miles when I filled up I could only fit 10.26 gallons in the tank. I have twice averaged 56 MPG and easily can do 50-53 MPG. It is all in how you drive these cars, I spend a lot of time keeping momentum and if you are at speeds less than 45 mph you can very lightly press the throttle pedal and run only on the electric motor. I love this car! Great fuel mileage and Honda build quality.
Bang for the buck!
I've been having nothing but fun driving this car. Moved from a civic EX to the Si. No regrets whatsoever...so far. Of course, I'm taking a hit on MPG, but not nearly as bad as I thought. On the road, my scan gauge is averaging 35 mpg each day. That's mostly highway. But is this fun to drive. Makes my daily commute much more enjoyable. Bought it new for $18,129. Excellent price!! And it's great looking. Really happy with the deal.
Reliable Sedan
I just bought recently my 2008 Honda Civic LXi 1.8 just one week. The best qualities that I like on this car is fuel cunsumption, space, comfort, and the power of the engine is like 2.0 liter.
Black Beauty
Had every intention of keeping my 2001 Civic EX another 5 years - it was totaled in an accident in June. While shopping for used Civics I discovered high prices due to extraordinary resale value (and current price of gas)! So I now own this incredible black, 2008 EX! Just turned 1000 miles and it is my opinion that this just might be the best car ever sold in the U.S.!
Excellent summer car
Overall we love our Honda Civic. It has been a good durable car that is good on gas mileage. However, for those of you who live in frigid areas... buyer beware. From groggy starts to a slowly warming engine to poor traction on ice and snow... winter will be a bit of a challenge.
Going Green
Entering 3rd month of ownership and this car is delivering the mileage I hoped for. I commute 75 miles round trip and vs. the small SUV I traded in for this I am saving $30 plus weekly. It rides well, is plenty roomy and my worst tank was the first tank at 38.5 mpg. Best tankful 47 mpg. Love passing the gas stations.
Won't buy anything else
I love this car - from the large digital speedometer that is easily in view, to the voice-activated navigation system, to the PC card input that allows me to play MP3s saved to the card on my computer... it is just awesome. I get excellent gas mileage, which I track very specifically (because I drive the car for work and am reimbursed for gas). I frequently get better MPG than advertised (29 hwy).
Best working car
This car is one of a kind I got mine when I turned 16 and I'm still loving it. I have not once had a problem with it whatsoever. It's real quiet too when you're driving unlike other loud cars. The gas by the way is amazing - I cut a lot of money off spending for gas because this car does a good job on it. Also if you like to work on cars for shows this civic is the ultimate car to do it to. I installed subs, neons, lambo doors, suicide seats, interior neon, and put things on the motor for speed. It is a great car to work on.