"3 owners in 8 years would make me cautious."
Could've been pre registered initially so it could mean 2 owners over 8yrs which would be fine so long as the last one had it 2yrs or more.
Never buy a car that's only been owned by its current or last owner for a short period unless there's a good and verifiable reason. Salesman will tell you anything so disregard their explanation, it'll be bull.
Edited by SLO76 on 29/06/2017 at 13:34
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Looking at the ad I don't see any mention of service history here, only that it was last serviced at 63k.'
So it saw a garage 14k miles ago as it has currently done 77k miles, that's all I can see from the description.
I'd want evidence of the service history before I even investigated this car any further.
Usually if it has a main dealer SH this is stated in the ad, so this is conspicious by its' absence.
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Civic is a good car. They rarely give problems to be honest.
Number of owners wouldn't bother me - the average time is about 2 years nowdays. People change cars a lot, lot more often than they used to.
They're not a rare car, however, so if you're not sure about one example you will find another.
I'm not really sure I'd bother wihth the AA inspection. Having seem them done "from the other side" I think they're poor value for money with a lot of the check very much what a MOT would cover. They don't do them themselves either but sub them out to inspection companies or local mobile mechanics.
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Forgot to add: £4000 is about right, if you could get it for £3750 assuming it is a nice example it would be good value.
Civics never go cheap as they have a good reputation.
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The car is about 25 miles away from where I am so not too far.
Thanks for the suggestions SLO ( auris and mazda ) but what appeals with the civic is the economy , size and the ability to fold the seats perfectly flat .
I am going on Saturday to view but will give them a call tommorow to see if they can answer the questions before I go .
Still looking but there is not many 1.4s in my budget and area , I am getting a bit stressed as I need a car within the next 3 weeks .
thanks
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As an ex-civic owner of the 8th generation which is the age of the one you are looking at:-
Go and look at it - take it for a test drive - you can listen to opinions all day - but what matters is your opinion on the day - ask yourself the question "Does this car sound, feel and look ok?"
Does everything work? Has it got decent tyres on it?
Ignore what the salesman is telling you - what are your senses telling you?
And remember "it's a Honda" -often imitated - seldom replicated.
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"I am going on Saturday to view but will give them a call tommorow to see if they can answer the questions before I go ."
Ask them to dig out the V5 and check how long the last owner had it. If it was short term ownership I'd be wary.
Ask them about the service history. Has it been serviced every year? If there's a big gap or it's mostly blank then forget it. Don't listen to any rubbish about the last owner forgetting to have it stamped, if there's no proof then it hasn't been done. Too many buy Japanese cars for their reputation then totally neglect them.
Ask where they sourced it. Unlikely they'll tell you the truth if it's bad news though . If it came from auction then someone else didn't want it for some reason. Most dealers would retail a tidy petrol Civic trade in of this vintage without fear unless it needed a lot of paint.
Dodgy small dealers snap em up at auction and fix them cheaply to a poor standard then flog em on. You're more likely to get a genuine wee trade in vehicle with a larger dealer. Though some small traders have deals in place with larger local garages as I used to until one shut and the other was bought over. Anything that needed more paint than just a minor scuff or scrape or had been neglected was sent through the ring. These sort of traders are few in number now as major dealers either retail themselves or go direct to auction.
Finally if you choose to view it then tell them you want to hear it start from cold. When you arrive first thing you do is take the keys (to stop them starting it themselves) and lift the bonnet then put your hand on top of the engine to feel if there's any heat. If there is then they've started it to cover for a problem. Might just be a flat battery but could be a rattling timing chain (rare on these) or they've moved it to free off sticking brakes which could signify sticky callippers which isn't unheard of on these. If it's stone cold then they've been confident it would start no bother.
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If it came from auction then someone else didn't want it for some reason. Most dealers would retail a tidy petrol Civic trade in of this vintage without fear unless it needed a lot of paint. Dodgy small dealers snap em up at auction and fix them cheaply to a poor standard then flog em on. You're more likely to get a genuine wee trade in vehicle with a larger dealer
That isn't necessarily the case. The reality is a lot of the larger groups now have a 100% to auction policy to stop the kick backs so some of the best cars (and the worst) end up being remarketed via that route. Unless they have their own seperate used car business I can't see many franchises these days retailing a 8 year old Civic so if it was a genuine px at a large dealer group the odds are to auction it will go.
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"That isn't necessarily the case. The reality is a lot of the larger groups now have a 100% to auction policy to stop the kick backs so some of the best cars (and the worst) end up being remarketed via that route. Unless they have their own seperate used car business I can't see many franchises these days retailing a 8 year old Civic so if it was a genuine px at a large dealer group the odds are to auction it will go."
It isn't always the case but stand at auction for a few sales and you'll see what I mean, the bulk of metal passing through is junk. Certainly up here in sunny Scotland the majority of dealers including Arnold Clark are now hanging on to any decent older stock going down to a minimum of £1,500. I used to buy direct from several of them before they started retailing them themselves, or closed down. Though some small traders do still buy trade ins direct from a larger local dealer, these guys are rare now.
Our large Mitsubishi franchise would only auction cars which had major issues that meant prep costs were going to be too high and before it was sent to auction everything of value to us was pinched out of it, stereo, jack, spare wheel and any other bits we needed for stock cars.
The best stock we had was always a trade in against new or nearly new motors so I'd tend to look at dealers who sell stock like this but who don't buy in older stuff via auction which does more often than not require major refurb. Remember, excluding ex fleet stock, if it's at auction nine times out of ten it's there for a reason.
Edited by SLO76 on 30/06/2017 at 09:41
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Remember my Seat Leon 1.4 TSi. When I traded it to the Skoda dealer he said they would move it strait on since they only had Skoda's on the site. When I picked up the Superb he said that since it was low miles, perfect nick, still had Seat warranty for 15 months and mechanically was identical to an Octavia which they were familiar with they were going to put it on the forcourt. They priced it at a very reasonable £8600, some identical cars on Autotrader were up for £10000. 3 weeks after I picked up the Superb I called in to collect some mats. Icommented that the leon appeared to be missing and they said they had had no interest so had moved it on..
So its the 1st of July tomorrow, 4 months since I collected the Superb. Just checked the DVLA site and the Leon currently has no tax and no MOT (presumably its missed the 4th service so the warranty will be null and void) so I can only assume its still on a forcourt somewhere.
Beggars belief why no one has snapped it up. Good cars do sometimes end up on unfranchised lots.
STOP PRESS
Found it at a local VAG specialist. £8995, thats more than the Skoda dealer was asking 4 months ago. Usual mistakes in the spec, says its got 17" alloys (had 16" and they are the wheels in the photo) and it also says its got parking sensors (which it hadn't). No mention of tow bar.
Edited by skidpan on 30/06/2017 at 14:33
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. Certainly up here in sunny Scotland the majority of dealers including Arnold Clark are now hanging on to any decent older stock going down to a minimum of £1,500. I used to buy direct from several of them before they started retailing them themselves, or closed down. Though some small traders do still buy trade ins direct from a larger local dealer, these guys are rare now. Our large Mitsubishi franchise would only auction cars which had major issues that meant prep costs were going to be too high and before it was sent to auction everything of value to us was pinched out of it, stereo, jack, spare wheel and any other bits we needed for stock cars. The best stock we had was always a trade in against new or nearly new motors so I'd tend to look at dealers who sell stock like this but who don't buy in older stuff via auction which does more often than not require major refurb. Remember, excluding ex fleet stock, if it's at auction nine times out of ten it's there for a reason.
Most of the larger dealer groups around here (South/east) have auction only policies - even if you work there and want the car yourself you can't buy them but have to buy from the auction. Most of the groups use the large houses (BCA, Manheim, Aston Barclay etc,) and the contracts with them stipulate they can't pick and choose. Some smaller garages will still sell direct but even they are using onlne platforms like DealerAuction (owned by Manheim btw).
Most of it came about to stop bungs. As you probably know the tradition is that if you want a call about a nice bargain minter px which has just come in a couple of hundred in a back pocket in cash was required. They also, usually, get more money this way.
The trick is that you need to know which franchised dealers have a 100% auction disposal policy and which ones send the cars with faults.
Evem most shiny "approved used" BMWs, Audis etc, are all sourced from BCA or Manheim these days as that is how BMW etc, distribute them.
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"Evem most shiny "approved used" BMWs, Audis etc, are all sourced from BCA or Manheim these days as that is how BMW etc, distribute them."
Approved used stock mostly comes direct from the manufacturer or importer via closed auctions where only franchised dealer buyers are permitted to bid or via a fixed price stocking system where the dealer simply buys it at a set price. The rest that end up in general fleet disposal sales either didn't meet the standard of approved used or came from a lease fleet which doesn't deal direct with that particular manufacturer. I've never seen any main dealers buying approved used stock at general sales and I've stood at many. This of course may differ in bigger sales down south where competition for stock is greater.
All of our approved used Mitsubishi's and Protons had to come in via the importer or as a quality trade in. We did buy in normal used stock from auction but 90% of it required paintwork (no problem for us as we had an insurance approved bodyshop to do it properly) or mechanical repairs, often it was returned to the auction house to be sold on once the scale of work was realised. Smaller dealers who buy at auction routinely scrimp on these repairs. You'd be horrified at the state most auction bought stock beyond say 5yrs of age is in. An afternoon spent at a sale would open your eyes.
Though some do I agree offload overage stock via general sales such as skidpan's Leon, which seems daft to me instead of reducing it in price, maybe they just didn't have the space to let it sit? But again the vast bulk of metal sent to auction from another dealer had a costly fault lurking, required paintwork or was an unpopular colour or spec. The latter, if you're happy with it can land you a good auction buy. But always beware, the majority of cars are at auction for a reason.
The best stock is with approved used via a manufacturer backed stock scheme or genuine trade ins at a franchised dealer. Dodgy Joes backstreet garage is normally full of other dealers rejects.
Edited by SLO76 on 30/06/2017 at 18:51
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"Evem most shiny "approved used" BMWs, Audis etc, are all sourced from BCA or Manheim these days as that is how BMW etc, distribute them." Approved used stock mostly comes direct from the manufacturer or importer via closed auctions where only franchised dealer buyers are permitted to bid or via a fixed price stocking system where the dealer simply buys it at a set price. The rest that end up in general fleet disposal sales either didn't meet the standard of approved used or came from a lease fleet which doesn't deal direct with that particular manufacturer. I've never seen any main dealers buying approved used stock at general sales and I've stood at many. .
All of the BMW, Mercedes, VWFS, PSA etc. sales are open at the large auction houses. There are a few, such as Ford, which are sometimes closed. Nearly all the buyers are main dealers. Most of the cars are valeted to go straight on a forecourt. The franchised dealers often get extra discounts (usually a rebate from manufacturer) so bid strongly - usually outbidding any independents apart from on the rubbish. Go to, say a BMW sale at Manheim Colchester and they'll all be main dealers. They'll do 700-1000 BMWs on one of the early year sales on one day.
As I said, these days some of the large dealer groups sell absoluetly every single px to auction. If it is not a brand they sell or over 3 or so years old off it goes, good or bad, and if you want it that is where you have to buy it. Only the small independents will usually sell direct these days - and you can count those left on about one hand in the South East - the rest either send all to one of the major auction houses, use online auction systems or have a trade disposal platorm of their own.
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"Most of the larger dealer groups around here (South/east) have auction only policies - even if you work there and want the car yourself you can't buy them but have to buy from the auction. "
Tell me about it. Most of the dealers on my area retain anything decent to sell on themselves up to ten years of age and beyond in some cases but even those who don't have the space or desire to stock older stuff now refuse to deal with traders directly, they'll point you to the nearest big auction hall which up here is often full of Northern Irish and dodgy Glasga traders who bid fortunes for it. It often then appears shortly after on Autotrader with a mysterious "FSH" when it had none before. I could write a book on the dodgy practices I've seen in this trade over the years but the faked full service history is probably the most common at the moment and is largely the reason why so many manufacturers have done away with service books and switched to an online service history which can't be faked.
Edited by SLO76 on 30/06/2017 at 18:54
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"Most of the larger dealer groups around here (South/east) have auction only policies - even if you work there and want the car yourself you can't buy them but have to buy from the auction. " Tell me about it. Most of the dealers on my area retain anything decent to sell on themselves up to ten years of age and beyond in some cases but even those who don't have the space or desire to stock older stuff now refuse to deal with traders directly,
That's maybe a difference between low population areas and the South East. Virtually no franchised dealer here consideres anything over 3 years and about 20k as fit to grace their premises. Some have off-site used car sites but a lot of those seem to have given them up. A local "prestige" or even VW dealer would want a 10 year old car shifted off their site withing the hour as they would arrogantly consider it bringing down the tone of the place. Just the way it is.
I'm in Essex and on average I probably sell 1-2 cars a month to customers from Scotland and often not expensive stuff either. I've had people fly down for a £1k banger in the past. I can only assume it is a lot more cuthroat on prices here and there are simply more cars knocking about.
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" I probably sell 1-2 cars a month to customers from Scotland and often not expensive stuff either. I've had people fly down for a £1k banger in the past. I can only assume it is a lot more cuthroat on prices here and there are simply more cars knocking about."
I've been selling from home for around 15yrs with a focus on sub £3k stock but there's less in the way of good quality cheap sub £2k motors up here. The colder winters and salt on the roads kills them. But prices are reasonably keen, mostly because the cars are bodily not as sound.
I flogged an old Ford Cougar I bought from an old fella who'd bought it in Nottingham earlier in the year and it was almost perfect underneath while any old Ford of the same vintage up here is usually a disaster zone under there. It went back down the road a bit with a very happy fella from Newcastle.
Edited by SLO76 on 30/06/2017 at 23:29
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Just an update I phoned about the Civic today but the price on the car has gone up from £4000 to £4395 so is now out of my price range .
I guess I will have to keep looking but the 1.4 Civics are quite thin on the ground where I am and I only have a 3 weeks to find another car ..
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Try googling the garage name and adding the word "reviews".
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Sidney, looking at some of the reviews you may have had a lucky escape. If time is tight you are making life more difficult for yourself by fixing on one model. You might be best searching by price and expanding your options. This is where SLOs earler suggestions were taking you: good advice from him as ever.
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Thanks again for the advice .
The reason I singled out the Civic due to its size , seat which fold flat and economy as
there is not much else in the market that can match it in my price range .
I owned a focus and it would not do more than 35mpg .
I do around 13k - 15K a year as a selfemployed soletrader so looking for something frugal - cheap to insure which is I went for the 1.4.
There is not many 1.4s around where I am ( birmingham ) but quite a few 1.8s and it
seems you get a bit more for the money .
I there much differenc in the MPG between the 1.4 and the 1.8 ? I do 80% city driving .
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"I there much differenc in the MPG between the 1.4 and the 1.8 ? I do 80% city driving ."
Marginal. It's carrying the same weight and is essentially the same engine only smaller. It's also taller geared than the 1.4 so on distance it'll actually use less fuel in real life. The 1.8 is very efficient, easily breaks 40mpg and is far more popular for good reason. It's much stronger and more relaxed while there's really no real life penalty at the petrol pump. The insurance should be similar too unless you're 17.
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I just bought a 59 plate 1.8 Civic with 51k on the clock 2 weeks ago for £4000 so there is deals out there. I'd advise to check autotrader daily to see what pops up because the well priced models don't last long!
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Just a comment to make on the difference between cars from the high north eg Scotland and those that have spent their life further south.
Where possible i avoid Scottish and border area cars purely due to the corrosion problems associated with higher road salt usage, so best to know where the previous owner lived and the service book which can tell it's own story if its more than one owner.
SLO will probably know the answer to this, at one time lots of car transporters that travelled to Scotland with new cars would return with full loads of used from auctions and simply drop them at dealers in the south or at southern auctions, even Arnold Clark's transporters are not as visible in the numbers they once were, and i don't see other Scottish transporter operators on the M6 that i would have seen at one time. Has that north to south shifting of metal died a death?
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Just a comment to make on the difference between cars from the high north eg Scotland and those that have spent their life further south.
Where possible i avoid Scottish and border area cars purely due to the corrosion problems associated with higher road salt usage, so best to know where the previous owner lived and the service book which can tell it's own story if its more than one owner.
SLO will probably know the answer to this, at one time lots of car transporters that travelled to Scotland with new cars would return with full loads of used from auctions and simply drop them at dealers in the south or at southern auctions, even Arnold Clark's transporters are not as visible in the numbers they once were, and i don't see other Scottish transporter operators on the M6 that i would have seen at one time. Has that north to south shifting of metal died a death?
Cars do rot up here far earlier thanks to the volume of salt used on our roads in winter so yes it's best if you source a car from dawn sawf.
I travel up and down the M6 regularly and often see transporters full of used metal of all ages heading down the road. Prices are notably lower at auction up here and it does pay to transport stock south to find better returns. Though the Northern Irish are very prominent at sales up here recently and will pay way over the odds for almost anything with 4 wheels which may be distorting this.
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Thanks for that, wasn't sure if there was still a living to be made sending them down.
I no longer drive a transporter so probably not paying as much attention to those i do see.
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Going to view another Honda Civic tommorow .
It's a 2009 Honda VTEC 1.4 60k on the clock with full service history for £3700 .
The seller said he bought the car for his daughter two months ago but
she was given a company car so is nolonger needed .
I asked where he bought the car and he said privately it could be a genuine sale but is it best to walk away.
thanks
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Going to view another Honda Civic tommorow .
It's a 2009 Honda VTEC 1.4 60k on the clock with full service history for £3700 .
The seller said he bought the car for his daughter two months ago but
she was given a company car so is nolonger needed .
I asked where he bought the car and he said privately it could be a genuine sale but is it best to walk away.
thanks
90% chance he's spinning you a line. There's almost no chance of his story being true. More likely it'll be one of two truths.
1/ He's a trader who's pretending to be a private seller to avoid his legal obligations. You'll spot this from looking at the V5. The address must match his and you'll usually see the yellow trade section missing as the vehicle was sold to him or bought at auction... walk away, he's a rogue.
2/ He's bought it and realised the car's not right and wants out of it... walk away, he's a rogue and should be offloading at auction.
Before going to view ask if the car is registered to him at his address. If it's genuinely registered to his daughter then you need to view it at that address, I'll bet this isn't possible though.
I know of a home trader near me who does this all the time. Usually it's his 'grandads or grans' motor He's selling for them but it's very commonplace and 99% of the time the car's riddled with issues or it's a write off they're not declaring to you.
I'd advise buying privately only if they've owned it for a minimum of two years and the V5 details MUST match their own.
Edited by SLO76 on 10/07/2017 at 21:45
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Thanks again SLO , guess I will keep looking .
If I know little about cars would it be worth paying the extra to a dealer so I have some come back if the car has issues .
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"If I know little about cars would it be worth paying the extra to a dealer so I have some come back if the car has issues ."
Yes and no...
Larger dealers who sell new or nearly new stock do take in some nice genuine older stock like this in part exchange and this is often the best way to buy. You won't get it particularly cheap and there'll be only a short warranty as standard but you'll have certain rights should it go badly wrong within the first few months.
However the majority of smaller dealers and sole traders who source at auction are buying cars with faults then repairing or bothching them on the cheap to make a buck. I'm not saying they're all bad (just 75% of them) but if a car like a very sellable 09 Civic ends up going to auction instead of being retailed then something's been wrong with it.
The two best sources for cheaper cars is part ex stock from larger dealers and private sales. You need to make sure it is a genuine private sale however and that the increased risk is factored in via a lower price compared to a dealer, too often private sellers overprice their cars.
First thing you need to find out is that the car is registered to the seller at their current address, if it isn't then walk away, it's almost certain a fly trader.
Next you need to ask how long they've owned it. Less than two years and it's likely it's been trouble.
I'd only take the time to view If they've owned it for over two years and it's genuinely registered to them. Almost everything I've looked at for people over the years that doesn't meet these two requisites has turned out to be junk and a total waste of time.
I'd enquire also why they're selling it, you don't always get an honest answer but if they're selling a Civic to buy another it bodes well that the old one had been good to them. There's nothing I like better when going to view a motor than seeing its replacement (a newer model of the same car) sat on the drive.
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Hi just a quick message to say thanks to everyone for their
advice on this post .
I was able to pickup by private sale a one owner 55k 2008/2009 Civic 1.8 ES for £3400 ( fair price?).
Its a bit more than I wanted to spend taking into account it was a private sale but vastly different
car to the ones I have viewed at dealers .
It has a full service history and only selling as he had just bought a new car on order .
The seller told me he would not budge on the price on the phone so I did not haggle and was adament the car would not go to a dealer as
he wanted it to go to a good home .
Thanks again
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The seller told me he would not budge on the price on the phone so I did not haggle and was adament the car would not go to a dealer as
he wanted it to go to a good home .
Private sales should always be substantially cheaper than dealer sales.
If you want to sell privately you have to be realistic on price, its only worth what a buyer will pay.
Looks like you are the buyer all sellers are looking for.
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It's a fair price but around £900 more than he was likely offered as a trade in so an offer of £3k would most likely have been accepted had you played hardball but that's not important in the big picture. A one owner 55,000 mile Civic 1.8 manual with full history should give years of reliable service (I recently flogged a perfectly serviceable example with 147,000 miles) plus the fact that he wasn't desperate to offload at low money shows he knew it was a good car. Without clapping eyes on it myself I think you've landed a good one here and your perseverance has paid off. A good car well bought and I hope/know it will give many good years of running to you.
All the best!
Andy S
Edited by SLO76 on 19/07/2017 at 10:13
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Good choice. I got a 1.8 2007 Civic with 30K some 3 years ago, and it's been generally fautless since then. I once went over the service interval and the oli warning light came on, but I just topped it up with oil and then arranged a service. I keep some oil in the boot just in case.
The hands free blue tooth kit failed earlier this year, after the warranty failed. Judging from the forums the electrics often fail after 8+ years. I replaced it with a £30 visor blue tooth kit rather than spend £800 with a dealer for a repair. The replacement was a lot better - could connect to two phones.
I've put on 40K miles in 3 years. I'm getting 45+ regularlty driving on the motorway.
I put a tow bar on the back for a bike carrier. It's coped with the three of us, holiday luggage and with 3 bikes on the back with no problems (apart from needing to use the revs a bit more).
My CD player takes MP3's so a single disk can take 13 albums which is useful for long journeys. If you've got the built in Sat Nav you can buy a replacment up to date disk for £25 off the internet (eBay I think) rather than spend £150 from the dealer.
I get mine serviced at a good independent for major and local tyre place for minor; have not seen a Honda garage since my warranty expired.
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Sidney, sounds like a good buy. Putting the criteria into Autotrader there are only a couple in the whole country at that low price and ES spec. I know people might not get what the price they are asking but I doubt you overpaid much if anything - especially as.its the right car for you and you were tight for time.
Good luck with it.
As a new Honda owner, Just a tip if you want genuine parts then Cox's offer a very good online service, well below what my local dealer wants. You can even order service packs with all you need if you want to do it yourself or if you use an indie who is happy for you to provide parts and just charge labour.
Edited by catsdad on 19/07/2017 at 16:56
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Hi , just a quick update on of the 58 plate Honda civic 1.8 I purchased around 2 months ago .
Generally pleased with the car after a serious bout of buyers remorse which lasted around a month
- paid too much
- should I have got something bigger / smaller
- should have bought a diesel
all thoughts which I would have had whatever car I had bought to be honest .
Still getting used to driving a petrol after 15 years of diesel driving , I cannot get use to reving the engine .
The first question the next door neighbour asked when I pulled onto my driveway was " is it petrol or diesel " ?
I said petrol he shook his head whilst sucking his teeth and pointed over to his wife's car ( 2012 Ford Kuga Diesel) he just bought .
" 120k on the clock all motorway miles got it for £ 5500 and does 60mpg on a run " he boasted , when I asked was he concerned about DPF issues , " light was on when I bought it , which is why I got it cheap" .
"Guy down town removed it for £350 " bish bosh job done " in a mockney accent and them just walked off .
In all the years I have known him its the longest conversation I ever had with him , anyway lets get back to the car .
Positives :
Starts every time and settles fine
Over the last 3000 miles it is averaging around 44mpg with a mix of60/40 local and motorway driving.
The highest reading has been 62mpg over 50 miles from Birmingham Hopwood services to warwick (and back ) but not too sure accurate it is .
Very versatile due to the magic seats which allow me to carry 8 guitars still have access to the boot .
Negatives :
Quite a bumpy / harsh drive
" Notchy " mechanical feeling gear box
Quite low to the ground compared to my previous Ford Fusion .
---
I requested advice on a reliable ( so far ) , economical and versatile car which the Civic seems to be , just got to get my head around the extra I pay on Petrol /road tax is offset against the risk of Diesel car .
Thanks again to everyone's help as I would not have known where / what to look for if it was not fo this forum .
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There was a post on here a few days ago regarding dpf filters being removed!.
Glad you are liking the civic though, good cars.
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Great to get an update.
I get pretty much the same mid 40's Mpg out of my petrol 1.8 as I did out of my last three company diesels (Accord, Mondeo and Avensis). OK these are bigger cars but the CIvic is very economical for a 1.8 petrol which will nip along smartly when required.
If its a keeper it might be worth doing a gearbox oil change?
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Did the transmission oil change with a service but no real improvement , it seems worse in the morning improving as it warms up .
Getting into the 2nd gear from 3rd can be quite a struggle at times , having never owned a Civic I have nothing to compare the gearbox to but it does feel quite " clumpy" .
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I've got an mk8 civic.
Gearbox should be smooth, it's one of the best features IMO.
After spending years on a dedicated civic forum I reckon your problems either your gear linkage (rare) or the system hasn't been bled properly as its a notoriously tricky car to bleed correctly.
You will likely encounter one of 2 issues in your ownership. The first one is your AC stops working.....it's a dodgy relay prone to water ingress...20 quid part
The second one is with your radio/CD display occasionally displaying all the characters, with is down to a cheap diode fitted by Panasonic in the head unit. If/when this happens you will notice your radio reception will be poor and it will stop playing CD's as the head unit overheats and shuts itself off.
The other quirks are poor sound insulation, dipped beams as bright as candles and a bumpy ride.
I've had mine for almost 3 years now (although mines a diesel) and despite a few minor issues it's been reliable. Enjoy
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