Honda Civic GX Safety Issues

4 messages, Last post on Apr 29, 2005 at 11:00 AM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Car Safety, Alternative Fuels, Hybrid Cars, Hatchback

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#3 of 4 Re: Safety? Pick-up? [jsteinf] by nostrom0 Apr 28, 2005 (11:09 pm)
Replying to: jsteinf (Apr 25, 2005 12:21 pm) The pickup is equivalent to a 4 cylinder gas engine with CVT. It doesn't have great acceleration, but it will get you up to 80 mph without a problem. Safety is definitely a priority for Honda. It comes standard with front and side-curtain airbags. Natural gas is lighter-than-air and will therefore dissipate in the unlikely event of a leak (even with the eventuality of an accident). CNG is much less combustible than gasoline. Replies to this message: gx222 (Apr 29, 2005 11:00 am)
#4 of 4 Re: Safety? Pick-up? [nostrom0] by gx222 Apr 29, 2005 (11:00 am)
Replying to: nostrom0 (Jun 04, 2006 4:58 pm) The GX has less horsepower and torque than the Civic DX, even though it has the same size 1.7 L engine. The car is definitely slow, it only has 100hp and 98 ft-lb of torque (the DX has 15% more HP and the EX 27% more). You have to be careful merging into the carpool lane, especially if your lane is stopped and the carpool lane is going full speed, I don't know what the 0-60 times are, more than 10 secs I'm sure. The GX has had side air bags as an option until I think this year when they are now standard on the GX. Unfortunately the side air bags are not the side curtains but the cheaper kind that only cover the front seats, not the back seats. Also, the side air bags only cover the mid section of the body, not the body and head area like other manufacturers side air bags. I found out about this cost saving shortcut after I bought the car, unfortunately. They are better than nothing, but they won't protect your head in a side impact. As for safety, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety gives all '03-'05 Civics a Poor rating in Rear Crash Protection, Good in front crashes and it hasn't been rated for side impact yet. So overall, Honda seems to have taken some short cuts with some of the safety items, and the dealers may misrepresent or not know the type of side air bags it has.

#3 of 4: Re: Safety? Pick-up? [jsteinf] by nostrom0; Apr 28, 2005 (11:09 pm)

Replying to: jsteinf (Apr 25, 2005 12:21 pm)

The pickup is equivalent to a 4 cylinder gas engine with CVT. It doesn't have great acceleration, but it will get you up to 80 mph without a problem. Safety is definitely a priority for Honda. It comes standard with front and side-curtain airbags.

Natural gas is lighter-than-air and will therefore dissipate in the unlikely event of a leak (even with the eventuality of an accident). CNG is much less combustible than gasoline.

gx222 (Apr 29, 2005 11:00 am)

#4 of 4: Re: Safety? Pick-up? [nostrom0] by gx222; Apr 29, 2005 (11:00 am)

Replying to: nostrom0 (Jun 04, 2006 4:58 pm)

The GX has less horsepower and torque than the Civic DX, even though it has the same size 1.7 L engine. The car is definitely slow, it only has 100hp and 98 ft-lb of torque (the DX has 15% more HP and the EX 27% more). You have to be careful merging into the carpool lane, especially if your lane is stopped and the carpool lane is going full speed, I don't know what the 0-60 times are, more than 10 secs I'm sure.

The GX has had side air bags as an option until I think this year when they are now standard on the GX.

Unfortunately the side air bags are not the side curtains but the cheaper kind that only cover the front seats, not the back seats. Also, the side air bags only cover the mid section of the body, not the body and head area like other manufacturers side air bags. I found out about this cost saving shortcut after I bought the car, unfortunately. They are better than nothing, but they won't protect your head in a side impact.

As for safety, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety gives all '03-'05 Civics a Poor rating in Rear Crash Protection, Good in front crashes and it hasn't been rated for side impact yet.

So overall, Honda seems to have taken some short cuts with some of the safety items, and the dealers may misrepresent or not know the type of side air bags it has.