1996 Honda Civic consumer reviews

I bought Old Reliable (1996 Civic CX Hatchback, 5-speed) back in 2002 with 60,000 miles. Now has 259,000 miles and runs great. Most of the miles are highway. Had a 91 Civic HB before and distributor went out at about 200K, so I replaced that on my 1996 at about 180K for routine maintenance. No other major repairs except usual muffler replacement, etc. It still passes the smog test. I have spent a lot on maintenance at the local shops. Now it needs new shocks (they are original - ha ha), new CV axles (boots torn), and new tie rods, etc. I've had the CV boots and joints replaced before several times, not sure about the tie rods. I have had the rear trailing arm bushings replaced a couple of times, as well as a couple of engine mounts, etc. I get about 40 mpg on the highway - maybe 30 in town. Paint clearcoat is mostly gone on the top, but sides are good. It has been a great car and will keep driving it as long as I can. Mine does not have AC and now that I'm getting older and the world is getting warmer, I wish it had that, but I'll survive. One less thing to go wrong, but driving across Nevada on HWY 50 when the interior is reading 120 F is rough; That's why I only gave it 3 stars for comfort - in winter it's awesome - heater will drive you out when it's 0 degrees F outside. :) If I take the front tire off my mountain bike, it will fit behind the front seats. Put chains on the front tires and it will go on solid ice up to your favorite winter mountain recreation spot. I wish Honda would reproduce it exactly, except put better bearings in the distributor so it would go 400K before replacement, AND bring back the flip -out rear windows for ventilation that my 1991 had - those helped in the heat!

Bought for daughter's first car for school transportation was just right for the purpose small but comfortable ride, noisy though fuel economy: good large trunk

Great gas mileage (30mpg city/38mpg hwy), affordable repairs, fun to drive a manual, and fits a surprising amount of gear with the hatchback style. I had a bike rack mounted on top and could get most places I wanted to go. I put a set of snow tires on it for the winter in Colorado and it was the safest vehicle I've driven in the snow (used to have a 2000 Jeep Cherokee). I would absolutely recommend the Honda Civic Hatchback (especially the older models, because they are easy to work on, simple, and extremely reliable).

I truly love this car... Super fun I hate that i have to sale it But i need a truck its a great car for college or going to work or if your in to JDM love hondas like i do this car is for you... I wanna buy the car back in the future that how much it means to me

It's the best car I've ever owned always starts and gets me where I need to be nefra disappointment never really had to fix anything

1996 DX Coupe. MT. My first new car out of college. Tired of being left stranded by old, used cars. Had to park old 1973 Mazda RX-3 on hill due to needing starter couldn?t afford as college student. Occasionally had to push. This car was great.

A green 1996 Civic EX was my first car. I was 18 yrs old. I bought it with 181k miles for around 500 bucks , now it has around 221k. With nothing but 3 oil changes. One tranny fluid renewal. I'm a terrible owner because I realize it requires more maintenance. Spark plugs, air filter, wires, dist. cap and rotor. A tune up. Didn't do any of that. Everyone should though. Unless you're poor like me. Lastly, I realized the PCV Valve is super important to this model and its older brother, the CRV. The car leaked tiny amounts of oil from all around the engine for around 6 months before I replaced this tiny valve. It's a super hidden valve but now it runs like a CHAMP. It's a miracle fix. Runs when you want it to, got me like 300 miles on a full tank once. NOTE TO ALL POTENTIAL BUYERS: People who left bad reviews should take into account previous owners' driving habits. EVERY car requires maintenance sooner or later. Something WILL go bad at least once no matter how amazing your car is. If your civic failed, either you got really, really unlucky, or the previous owner is a dirtbag. I crashed it once. Popped the hood back into place like butter. Looks 60% better at least. Im alright. Car runs fine. This is japanese engineering at its finest. I plan to mile this car until it reaches zero again. Another engine costs like a buck fifty, maybe five hundred for a semi new one straight from japan. Super comfortable. Only complaint is, things are smallish under the engine bay, very cozy. Would recommend asking for help if youre inexperienced. Pros: ?Everything ?Gas efficient ?Comfortable ?Good traction Cons: ?Clutch is super low on a manual. ?Engine bay is small and a tight fit. ?Ceiling liner prone to sagging ?PCV valve ridiculously hidden ?Gas lid latch and Hood latch prone to breaking. ?Ceiling liner prone to sagging. I love this thing, despite that. In my opinion, this is the car of my generation .

This car will take you from point a to point b without a problem. My car has 246,000 miles even though the timing belt has be replaced this car is still kicking while other cars out there are stranded.

The 96 Civic hatchback is the definition of a compact car but she runs like a dream compared to my last low-cost used car. Small things in the vehicle are fussy - buttons and latches - and sometimes when the engine shifts, it's a little rough. It's also not a car for tall people - I'm 5 feet tall and I still need to duck sometimes to get into the car. Great for zooming around to run errands or take road trips, although I definitely have to stick to bare-bones needs when packing for a longer haul due to low storage space.

Loved that car! Once I had grandchildren I needed a four-door car. Otherwise I would have not traded it in on a Honda Accord.