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Honda Civic Coupe / Civic Si 2006+

1028 messages,  Last post on Jul 09, 2008 at 5:07 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Coupe, Hatchback


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#1023 of 1028
Re: Couldn't stand it for even a whole month [shipo] by cz75
Jul 08, 2008 (11:44 am)
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Replying to: shipo (Jul 07, 2008 12:51 pm)

That doesn't seem like enough time to get a feel for long-term reliability on the VWs, which have a bad reputation to live down. Honda has a good reputation to blow.
#1024 of 1028
Re: Couldn't stand it for even a whole month [cz75] by shipo
Jul 08, 2008 (12:57 pm)
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Replying to: cz75 (Jul 08, 2008 11:44 am)

"Honda has a good reputation to blow."
 
Get on a couple of dedicated Honda Civic boards. It seems that the reputation is well on it's way to being blown.
 
Typical complaints include (but are not limited to) the following items:
 
 - Numerous engine failures due to bad block casting
 - Cheaper interior than the Honda Fit
 - Rear suspension geometry causing squirrely handling and premature tire wear. FWIW, the 2006 model year has a TSB on this issue, however, the problem seems to persist to this day, and dealers are very reticent to swap out the rear suspension.
 - Numerous transmission related issues, especially 3rd gear on the Si tranny.
 - Annoying rev-hang when lifting off the throttle.
 - Lots of squeaks and rattles
 - Intermittent A/C effectiveness on really hot days
 
After driving both back-to-back (along with an Mazda3), my favorite is the Rabbit/GTI, and it wasn't even close.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo
#1025 of 1028
Re: Couldn't stand it for even a whole month [shipo] by mocivic
Jul 08, 2008 (1:59 pm)
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Replying to: shipo (Jul 08, 2008 12:57 pm)

I think what matters is the current quality of product that is being turned out, not if one is going down or up in quality. The boards are both a blessing and a curse: If one never reads them, you'd almost never hear of all the problems that are combined and concentrated on the boards. I'm guessing that almost every board where the focus is on problems with a particular vehicle would be enough to cause one to give up cars for bicycles. But then we'd just find all the flaws on the bicycle boards. I don't mean to be overly simplistic, and I'm certainly happy to hear about problems that need to be addressed. I guess it's the wholesale "this brand sucks" attitude that gets to me. When you find the "trouble-free manufacturer" of your dreams, keep dreaming.
#1026 of 1028
Re: Couldn't stand it for even a whole month [shipo] by cz75
Jul 09, 2008 (11:27 am)
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Replying to: shipo (Jul 08, 2008 12:57 pm)

Which engines have the bad casting, the K or the R-series?
 
I find the Si interior is better than any previous Acura I've owned and as good as my folks' last gen TL-S, except that the metallic-look trim pieces don't, which equals "cheap." Honda should take a lesson from Audi and use real aluminum (but avoid taking lessons on designing A/C, radio, wiper and cruise control controls from Audi).
 
My rear suspension has a little too much negative camber, but it isn't squirrely and I can buy new UCAs, either the non-adjustable OEM from '08 on, or SPC adjustible to correct.
 
My transmission would jump out of third, but I replaced the fluid with synchromesh and it hasn't been an issue since. I had grinding issues with my last 5-speed Acura transmission that a fluid change also fixed.
 
The rev hang is a pain, but it is also mandated by stricter emissions requirements. I know many other cars are also DBW and don't have the issue, but each engine design has unique characteristics that may exacerbate or mitigate.
 
Again, the squeaks and rattles are fewer than any other Honda/Acura product I've driven.
 
My A/C cooled me down within ten minutes from 106 last summer with high humidity. A Mazda3 wouldn't do it in 20 minutes of test-driving from under 90, twice.
 
VWs always do seem to have thoughtful features and drive well, but no one in my family has owned one since the early '80s and won't until they get a consistent reliability record.
#1027 of 1028
Re: Couldn't stand it for even a whole month [cz75] by shipo
Jul 09, 2008 (11:46 am)
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Replying to: cz75 (Jul 09, 2008 11:27 am)

It's been a while since I frequented any Honda boards, but I'm about 90% sure that the bad casting issues were isolated to the R18.
 
Regarding the interiors of the 8th Gen Civics, while I personally don't have a huge issue with them, I do find them to have a look that is several cuts below both the Honda fit as well as say a GTI. Most of the complaints that I've heard in this regard is that the plastic surfaces are easy to scar with regular day-to-day usage.
 
Regarding the rear suspension, I don't think I've ever heard of a suspension issue with Si models, that said, the DX, LX and EX owners are having significant issues with tire wear.
 
Regarding your transmission, you seem to be one of the lucky ones. I've heard from plenty of Si owners that have used Synchromesh (or any of the other alternative synthetic tranny oils) where the problem disappeared following the oil change, only to return some weeks or months later. FWIW, I’ve also heard from an unlucky few who switched to Synchromesh and then had their dealer void the warranty on the transmission due to the non-standard fill of oil. I’m thinking that sucketh much.
 
The A/C issues seem to be hit and miss. Last summer I watched (on a different board) a debate rage between a guy from Houston and a guy from Dallas. The Houston guy claimed his A/C was perfect, the Dallas guy said his would only blow "cool" air after a half of an hour and his dealer told him it was "normal". Who's right? Don't know, however, I've heard enough complaints about the A/C to warrant caution.
 
Now, with all that said, please don't misunderstand me, I like the 8th Gen Civic, in fact, I like it enough to consider actually buying one, however, after driving both a Rabbit 5-Speed and a GTI 6-Speed, I honestly have to say that I like driving the VWs more than the Hondas, and in the end, that's what will probably sway me most when purchase time comes.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo
#1028 of 1028
Re: Couldn't stand it for even a whole month [shipo] by cz75
Jul 09, 2008 (5:07 pm)
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Replying to: shipo (Jul 09, 2008 11:46 am)

The transmission issue appears to be fixed with current production, but there is a TSB out that authorizes replacement of 3rd gear for afflicted owners. In any case, a fluid change is not enough to void a warranty under Magnusson-Moss unless the manufacturer is willing to supply the necessary fluid without charge to maintain the warranty. A dealer can say what they like, but they aren't the final arbiter of what is voided in the warranty.
 
A/C depends on where the car is parked and what color it is as much as anything, though it may be possible some vehicles weren't fully charged with refrigerant. Domestics still have the best A/C.

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