This is how the Honda Civic comes out of the 100,000 kilometer test of AutoBild

During the endurance test and the disassembly of the Honda Civic 1.5 VTEC, these things stood out:

The front axle is technically sound and does not cause any chattering noises, and no cracks have been found in the rubber bearings. But the men from Dekra and AutoBild see the beginnings of corrosion on the edges and in the folds.

The condenser of the air conditioning separates with it in the middle of summer, with a mileage of 81,927 and a temperature above 30 degrees Celsius. It has been replaced in the workshop by a new one.

Apart from a slight fold in the leather, the chairs do not show excessive wear and tear, they also offer a firm seat and a lot of comfort after the endurance test.

The transmission has practically not suffered from wear, even while driving there are no indications. The gearbox still shifts just as well as when we received the keys.

Beginning corrosion can be found in the sills. It is not yet a cause for concern, but of course it is also not a pretty sight. It would definitely have helped if the wax had been applied a little more evenly.

There is no measurable wear on the engine, it is still in top shape. Some oil residues have burned in at the inlet valves, that was the only thing that stood out when disassembling the power source.

The engine of the Honda Civic has also been taken apart.

It soon becomes clear that this idiosyncratic Japanese has not earned a place in the lower regions of the sales ranking. He only makes a few small stitches.

The Honda Civic is an exotic today. In 2021 only 64 Civics in the Netherlands found a new owner, this year there were 20 until June.

Short suspension travel

On November 6, 2018, AutoBild received the keys to a Civic, more precisely a 1.5 VTEC with 182 hp and CVT transmission. At that time, the model had a price of €35,820, without options that is. That’s a lot of money, but our test car is further decorated with, among other things, leather upholstery and the beautiful color ‘Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic’, which in combination with the black alloy wheels really makes a difference. If we leaf through the AutoBild test notes, there is, among other things, criticism of the chassis. ‘Far too short suspension travel, lousy suspension comfort’, says a colleague. “Although you can adjust the damping at the push of a button, but only from hard to very hard.”

Civic suitable for families

The Civic is therefore a car that values ​​dynamics more than comfort, but it is of course also a brother of the Type R with 320 hp, which makes its competitors gasp on the track. There is also another side to it, for example the range of space is very suitable for families. With a length of 4.52 meters, the Civic is no less than 24 centimeters longer than the VW Golf; especially the occupants in the back seat benefit from this.

The Honda Civic offers the space of a D-segmenter.

Well ahead of the segment

A wheelbase of 2.70 meters is quite the size in the C-segment. This also applies to the luggage space, which you can count on to the top in the segment with 478 liters. Due to the body shape, the maximum load space of 1,245 liters is less spacious. The Civic has a sloping rear and a rearward rising window line, which limits the space. Just like the rear view. It is true that there is a reversing camera on board, but ‘it can sometimes go to the optician’, as we read in the test notes. Meaning: the image is very blurry.

Tall people are also good

Both tall and short people sit comfortably in the front seats. One of our colleagues is approaching 2 meters, but he is enthusiastic about the Honda. ‘A nice low seating position, wonderful! And the interior is quite spacious.’ Even smaller editors will find a pleasant seating position behind the wheel.
We have no complaints about the maintenance needs of the Civic. The model is equipped with a maintenance indicator that indicates when it is time for a service, which in the case of AutoBild was roughly every 15,000 kilometers.

Prices maintenance

For minor maintenance with an oil change, amounts between €207.67 and €308.60 were calculated. At 32,789 and 62,698 odometer readings, the mechanics also had to replace the transmission oil, resulting in a higher bill of €453.15 and €500.23, respectively. When the fourth service was carried out with an oil change and new brake pads for an amount of €399.17, nothing stood in the way of AutoBild: they were going to complete the 100,000 km.

Air conditioning gave up the ghost

A neat achievement for this solid Japanese. Unfortunately, just before the end of the endurance test, the air conditioning gave up the ghost, precisely in the two hottest weeks of the year.
A balmy tropical wind blew through the interior. The workshop quickly discovered the cause: a small hole in the condenser of the air conditioning. At 81,927 mileage, this led to a bill of €760.15 and three penalty points for an unplanned workshop visit. That’s a shame, because such a hole has an external cause. For example, a splashing stone.

Poor all-round visibility

After 104,264 kilometers, the Civic broke up completely so we could take stock. Let’s start with the things that could be done better. For example, there is the disappointing suspension comfort as a result of the tight chassis adjustment. But there are also the poor all-round visibility and the cumbersome operation of the multimedia system, which makes it better to connect your smartphone to navigate using Google Maps. But there are also plenty of positive things to report. For example, the stepless automatic transmission in traffic jams is a blessing, it picks up smoothly and even at higher speeds, the speed can continue.

The Honda Civic drove 100,000 kilometers in 2.5 years.

Rust

In the intro to this story, we mentioned that the Civic was a bit of a let-down, and it’s time to take a closer look. When the experts inspect everything with their endoscope after dismantling the Honda, they find something they would rather not encounter: rust. It is all not serious, not yet in any case, but after 2.5 years there should simply be no corrosion in the cavities. It is a small blemish on the blazon of the unjustly unloved Japanese. The Honda has beaten it perfectly! But we didn’t expect anything else from a Civic. A good range of space and a fine engine/transmission combination are the main advantages, the sturdy chassis and the poor visibility all around throw a spanner in the works. We can live with the not too fine multimedia system, but not with the rust.