First post. Considering a '13 or '14 Civic.

C

CivicDave

Active Member
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14
From my screen name, it should be easy to see that I am on the fence with buying a new Civic.

Currently, I own an old 1997 Hyundai Sonata. It's been a fine car, but is getting near to the point where I will want to incur the dreaded car payment for 5-6 years. Therefore [and because I'm fairly practical], I have been back and forth on the Civic . . . as well as other manufacturers. Not sure which way to go at this point, . . . but I tend to keep my cars for a LONG time, so I want to be happy with that future purchase.

My sister purchased a Dodge Dart. Not long after, my brother purchased a Dart. He is REALLY wanting me to get one too. I test drove one and it was. . . . . Meh. Okay, but the auto stick was backwards for me [I like to push forward to go up through the gears]. One of the possible cars I could get is the Hyundai Elantra GT. 5 door, 6 speed auto [with auto stick + in the right direction], and if I got one, because I would be trading in a Hyundai, I would get an extra $500 off. Right now, they have had lack luster acceleration, but for '14, there is supposed to be a new optional engine that will take care of that.

Toyota is coming out with an all new Corolla for '14 and will have a pretty nice design [inside and out], and updated their old school transmission to a new CVT with 7 shift points, AND an auto stick. That is pretty tempting in just that. LED headlights? I'm on the fence about those. Expensive to replace, . . . no doubt.

Then, there is the Civic. I really like the civic. Always have. Not quite so the '12, but because Honda did the unthinkable [redoing a new generation the next year] and improved the '13, and because those improvements make it much better than the '12, . . . I'm back on with a possible Civic. I just wish they offered some sort of manual mode for the auto trans. At this point, is it the only thing keeping me from giving it "1st place" in my decision. I'm glad they did all those upgrades for '13. I just wish they would do an auto stick. . . . even if it were just paddle shifters.

Anyway, . . . that's my first post here. I hope to have some good conversations.
 
Have you considered an Accord? Might be on the high side of what you are willing to spend, though.

BL_exlv6_34FRONT.jpg
EX-L V-6
Adding to or replacing features on the EX-L
  • 278-hp (SAE Net), 3.5-Liter, 24-Valve, SOHC i-VTEC® V-6 Engine
  • Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®)
  • 6-Speed Automatic Transmission with Sport Mode and Paddle Shifters (available)
  • 18-Inch Alloy Wheels
  • LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
  • Driver's Seat with 10-Way Power Adjustment, Including Power Lumbar Support and Two-Position Memory
  • Chrome Exhaust Finishers
  • HomeLink® Remote System[14]
 
Yes, I have considered an Accord, but due to pricing, I limited it down to only the 4 cylinder LX model. I may be able to live with the CVT, but would have to give it a fair test drive first.
 
How about an Acura ILX 5-speed automatic with Sequential SportShift paddle shifters?
 
So the main thing... is wanting an auto stick with paddle shifters?
 
Welcome to the site. Any reason why manual transmission isn't an option?
 
MaybeCivicMaybeNot said:
From my screen name, it should be easy to see that I am on the fence with buying a new Civic.

Currently, I own an old 1997 Hyundai Sonata. It's been a fine car, but is getting near to the point where I will want to incur the dreaded car payment for 5-6 years. Therefore [and because I'm fairly practical], I have been back and forth on the Civic . . . as well as other manufacturers. Not sure which way to go at this point, . . . but I tend to keep my cars for a LONG time, so I want to be happy with that future purchase.

My sister purchased a Dodge Dart. Not long after, my brother purchased a Dart. He is REALLY wanting me to get one too. I test drove one and it was. . . . . Meh. Okay, but the auto stick was backwards for me [I like to push forward to go up through the gears]. One of the possible cars I could get is the Hyundai Elantra GT. 5 door, 6 speed auto [with auto stick + in the right direction], and if I got one, because I would be trading in a Hyundai, I would get an extra $500 off. Right now, they have had lack luster acceleration, but for '14, there is supposed to be a new optional engine that will take care of that.

Toyota is coming out with an all new Corolla for '14 and will have a pretty nice design [inside and out], and updated their old school transmission to a new CVT with 7 shift points, AND an auto stick. That is pretty tempting in just that. LED headlights? I'm on the fence about those. Expensive to replace, . . . no doubt.

Then, there is the Civic. I really like the civic. Always have. Not quite so the '12, but because Honda did the unthinkable [redoing a new generation the next year] and improved the '13, and because those improvements make it much better than the '12, . . . I'm back on with a possible Civic. I just wish they offered some sort of manual mode for the auto trans. At this point, is it the only thing keeping me from giving it "1st place" in my decision. I'm glad they did all those upgrades for '13. I just wish they would do an auto stick. . . . even if it were just paddle shifters.

Anyway, . . . that's my first post here. I hope to have some good conversations.
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In regards to the +/- on the tiptronics, the pull back for + shift is technically the correct orientation. The idea was originally derived from sequential manual gearboxes found in racing applications, where the strong accelerative force pushing you pack into the seat makes it easier to pull back than push forward. During braking, the opposite is true, and it's easier to push forward to downshift than pull back.
 
I like being able to select the gear I'm in, . . . but not really wanting a long term manual shifting [with clutch and all] setup. Years ago, I had a 1989 Accord LXi with a 5 speed that I really liked, but I do like being able to just let a transmission shift when I'm feeling a bit lazy. Now, it COULD be that my current car NEEDS to have help and a Civic wouldn't. My Sonata will shift too soon, so I shift into second gear at each light. If I'm turning left onto a street, if I don't do that, it will shift into third before I even clear the intersection, if cars are slowing me down. So, as I said, this may not even be an issue. I have yet to test drive the Civic so it may surprise me on how well it keeps up with me.

Mikey, I see your point about the racing applications. I was going by my own shifting where I would manually shift up from 2nd to 3rd [by pushing forward].

As for the cars I have already mentioned, . . . is there anything you would like to offer on them? Comments? I can only afford that ~21K mark, if you wanted to offer another suggestion.
 
The civic's auto shift logic is programmed for fuel economy, so at part throttle, it quickly finds the highest gear possible without lugging the motor. If that's shifting too soon for you, the transmission does allow you to shift from 1->2->D3->D5 and it will hold the gears even if you hit the rev limiter, but it's not the same as having a tiptronic. At full throttle, it will hold gears right up to redline before shifting. Modern automatics are very good in their own right, and even without a manual mode, most are programmed to be more aggressive when the driver's behavior with the go pedal calls for it. I recommend driving it and seeing what you think.

As for the accord, I went with the 13 sport sedan with the cvt and paddle shifters. While I still miss driving a manual, the cvt is very good, and at less than $23k, it wasn't that much higher than what your budget is (~$40/mo. Payment difference for a $2k difference in cost)
 
MaybeCivicMaybeNot said:
As for the cars I have already mentioned, . . . is there anything you would like to offer on them? Comments? I can only afford that ~21K mark, if you wanted to offer another suggestion.
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I think you are right on track with your choices at that price point. From the sounds of it, you would probably most benefit from a manual, though.
 
I'm gonna go against the grain here, but Hyundai has really made a big resurgence. They've got a 100k mile warranty on all their cars (a couple dealers in GA DOUBLE that). If you plan ok keeping your car for a while, Id go with a new Elantra
 
I work at a Hyundai dealer and I'm not impressed with the Electra as far as performance, they do look pretty nice though. Have you looked at the sonata? I believe even the non turbo models have auto stick mode. Then you have the sonata turbo, they are pretty quick for what they are but I'm not sure how interested in performance you are.


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To combat the Hyundai and Kia warranties, all the Honda dealers in this area offer a lifetime powertrain warranty free with purchase. Non-transferable of course, but you're covered for as long as you own the car. I know every place is different, but it's something to look into
 
hey_mikey said:
To combat the Hyundai and Kia warranties, all the Honda dealers in this area offer a lifetime powertrain warranty free with purchase. Non-transferable of course, but you're covered for as long as you own the car. I know every place is different, but it's something to look into
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Mine came with a lifetime warranty as well
 
Wow you guys came up with some good stuff already!

I think the one big thing that the Civic has going for it is the aftermarket support. If you're the kind of guy who can leave stuff alone and just wants a car to drive you from A to B it won't make much difference. But, if you like to mess with your stuff and change things all around, the massive aftermarket of parts for any civic is hard to beat.

I have also found my Civic to be one of the easiest cars to work on myself so I don't have to pay huge dealer/shop fees.

Ex: Changing the transmission fluid is easier on my Civic than changing the oil on any GM we ever owned. Oh and the oil change is a breeze too!
 
Great comments so far guys. As I said, I will definitely test drive the Civic to see how the transmission shifts. My brother's Dart [and my sister's too] seems to shift into 3rd and 4th way too soon for my taste. Low RPMs on a small motor is not a good thing, unless you're on the highway traveling on a flat road. If the Honda engine/transmission keeps the RPMs at a better [power] level, then I will be fine letting it shift for me. In the city, . . . I MAY still use the selector for 1-3.

The '14 Elantra's power situation should be taken care of with the new optional engine, . . . but depending on how much extra it adds to the cost, . . . I may not be able to go that way anyway. Interior on the Elantra is nice. Civic has that more "futuristic" look, though. I would have to sit down for a while to get a good understanding of the imid screens.
 
Thank you so much for the video on the i-mid. That was very helpful! Many nice functions and abilities that it has, . . . .and even can think of a few wallpapers to use. It would be cool if you could use animated gif files, but regardless, that seems like a nice feature. I know that with the '13, it also becomes the reverse camera screen. Civic. . . .picking up a few places. :-D
 
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