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Buying an Older Civic

58 messages,  Last post on Oct 28, 2011 at 8:21 PM

You are in the Honda Civic Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Car Buying, Coupe, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 6

#9 of 58 Re: 90 Civic DX - beeping!!!! [ariesanne] by civicex05

Jun 26, 2006 (9:36 am)

Replying to: ariesanne (Jun 24, 2006 9:22 am)
It's driving me crazy, what the heck do the BEEPS MEAN??????
 
Do you have your seat belt buckled?

#10 of 58 Re: 90 Civic DX - beeping!!!! [civicex05] by ariesanne

Jun 26, 2006 (2:14 pm)

Replying to: civicex05 (Jun 26, 2006 9:36 am)
Hello, thank you for the reply. Yes, it seems to be a seat belt issue.... With no passenger, I just ride with the belt buckled, no beeping then.
 
Such a great car! 41mpg!!! No darn seat belt is gonna ruin this little piece of heaven for me ....
 
Thanks again

#11 of 58 The value of my Civic by tintigel

Aug 01, 2006 (12:07 pm)

A teenager recently hit the bumper of my 1994 Civic EX Hatchback, and am currently fighting with the insurance agencies to get reimbursed for the damage. They say it's totalled because the cost of repairs is comperable to the cost of the car. I still want to keep the car obviously so they're only offering the difference of the worth and cost of repairs. (The respect for automobiles is drastically low for what cars mean to us)
So I ask the experts (this is where you come in...) what do you think my car is really worth? Only 86,000 miles, interior is in good condition, and routine maintainace from the beginning.
This car is very much part of the family, the last thing we can afford is another car, and the kid's pleading not-guilty. Even sending me to somewhere other than KBB would help. I need some perspective of the situation. Thank you-CA

#12 of 58 Re: The value of my Civic [tintigel] by pat

Aug 01, 2006 (2:18 pm)

Replying to: tintigel (Aug 01, 2006 12:07 pm)
Have you checked out the Edmunds Used Car Appraiser? Besides that tool, there are a couple of discussions over on the Smart Shopper board which I think you'll find helpful.
 
Have a look at Real-World Trade-in Values and maybe you'd be interested in Questions About Auto Insurance & Accidents. (Helpful hint: do not make the same post in both discussions!! ) (Helpful hint #2: if you post in the RWTV discussion, be sure to provide all of the information requestion in the list right above the post box.)
 
Hope this helps - you can come back here and let us know what happens.

#13 of 58 Re: The value of my Civic [pat] by goofycat

Aug 07, 2006 (11:19 am)

Replying to: pat (Aug 01, 2006 2:18 pm)
If it were my car and the damage is not more than a few hundred dollars, I would bite the bullet and have the car repaired, regardless of what the insurance company decides. 86k miles is low, and if you sell this one, you will have to buy a new(er) one, costing you more in registration and insurance...plus suffer the depreciation. Yours has already depreciated. So...think of short term repair vs. long-term costs. If the ins company "totals" the car, you will be faced with getting far less money than it would cost to replace the car. Remember that you may well find it difficult to find a similar car for a price similar to what the insurance company would give you. Fix the bumper and keep the car.

#14 of 58 Thanks for the input by tintigel

Aug 07, 2006 (1:09 pm)

I did look at what Edmunds valued it at: around $2400. Which is the price of the repairs, yes to pop out the space near the back light and have the light replaced, that's what it's going to cost. But were keeping the car, and with the numbers I've found confirming the value, we were able to get closer to what the car is worth from the insurance. (As a side note, the kid's been called to court for his hit and run)
Thanks for the reassurance that I've made the right decision to keep the car.

#15 of 58 thinking to buy a '95 Civic by bialy

Aug 25, 2006 (9:19 pm)

Someone in my neighborhood (don't know him but met him) is selling a 95 Civic. The body is so-so, pretty good paint job, original paint with a little rust on the edge of the trunk. The back fender is chipped due to an evident scraping and there is a dent nearby. He is asking $2750 for the car (an LX 4 door w/114,000 miles but new engine). My main concern isn't the price, tho, since I'm taking it to my mechanic for him to look over. My main concern is the gas mileage. The owner says it gets about 22 mpg but he's never really taken notice altho he says he goes about 250 miles on a full tank. Is this reasonable? I would have hoped this car would have gotten more. He said it got about the same gas mileage before he replaced the engine due to an oil leak. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

#16 of 58 Re: thinking to buy a '95 Civic [bialy] by dewaltdakota

Aug 26, 2006 (9:04 am)

Replying to: bialy (Aug 25, 2006 9:19 pm)
22mpg is very low for a Civic. You don't say whether it's a stick or auto tranny, but you should easily be getting at least 30mpg in a 1995 LX Sedan. Given the condition of the body, and the fact they've already had to replace the engine, it sounds like your neighbor has been pounding this car pretty hard. I'd wonder what else is on the edge of failure.

#17 of 58 Re: thinking to buy a '95 Civic [dewaltdakota] by bialy

Aug 26, 2006 (4:42 pm)

Replying to: dewaltdakota (Aug 26, 2006 9:04 am)
Dewalt, it's an automatic. That's what I was thinking -- 22mpg is very low. And after reading these boards I was telling my hubby that some of you are getting 30 so it's difficult to understand why this one is only getting 22. Fortunately, however, I did speak to our mechanic who said he would look over the car. He made it seem like the car isn't worth $2750, he said that's what it should get if it's in top shape. He suggested a price of $1500, but at 22 mpg I'm not sure I want to spend even that much. And he also said he wanted to see documentation about the motor, etc. and any other work the owner had done to the car. Then a friend mentioned that I should find out where the owner got the motor and how much mileage it had on it when he put it in the car. The mechanic confirmed that 22 mpg is what the 95 Civic should get. And my friend, who owns an 88 Civic said that hers is getting about that right now. But hers is about ready to fall apart she thinks. Yet you and others say it should get more. When I added up the difference of dollars between 22 and 30 mpg each year running maybe 12,000 miles, it comes to hundreds of dollars. I am so confused and don't know how to look for an older Civic that might be reasonably priced. Thanks for your answer.

#18 of 58 Re: thinking to buy a '95 Civic [bialy] by dewaltdakota

Aug 26, 2006 (8:59 pm)

Replying to: bialy (Aug 26, 2006 4:42 pm)
I had a '92 Civic Si hatchback 5spd stick that would get 32-33 around town and 39-41 on the highway. I then had a '94 Civic EX sedan that was 33-35 around town, and 41-42 highway. My 2001 Civic EX Sedan ran about the same numbers as my '94. Even Edmunds reports the EPA numbers for the 1995 auto at 29 and 36mpg (and I've always gotten higher than EPA estimates on my Hondas). I just don't see 22 coming from any place good. The automatic would only drop you 2-3mpg at most, if you want to compare an auto to my (stick) numbers.
 
As a side note: there's a big difference between the 1988 Civic and a 1995 Civic, and not just the obvious 7+ years.
 
A couple of things to keep in mind: a) Just because an engine was swapped out, doesn't mean that the replacement engine was remanufactured to the OEM specs. It could have been one that someone yanked from another car, without rebuilding. b) The engine may have been replaced, but how much more useful life does the transmission have? Honda engines are pretty bulletproof. It's usually the rest of the car that falls apart around it (after a long, fruitful life, mind you).
 
Having the mechanic go over the maintenance records for the car, as well as any info that can be provided, regarding the source of the replacement engine, would be a wise move. To me though, it appears you're looking for confirmation from someone else, to say it's okay to walk away from this one. If you're not feeling right about it, I say go with your gut feeling. There are other cars out there.

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