2002 Honda Civic LX 2 door Coupe

Quick History:

I purchased my 2002 Civic LX in Edmonton, Alberta at Millwoods Honda in May 2002. Since then, I have put on 30,000 kms (18,750miles) without a problem. The car still looks just as it did the day I drove it off the lot. All that has been done to the car is regular, scheduled maintenence.

Interior:

In Canada, the LX model is equipped with the following:

Air Conditioning: I have found the air conditioning to work very well. In August, I drove my car from Edmonton to Las Vegas and the car did an excellent job keeping myself and 2 other large adults comfortable. However, I have two complaints: The air conditioning is forced on when the defrost setting is chosen. This does help remove fog from the windows, but I would like the ability to turn off the AC when I just want the air movement to go through the top vents. My other complaint is a noticable power loss when the air conditioning is on. The car does not respond as quickly and lags a little with the air conditioning on. This may be a result of trying to make a little motor do so much work.

Intermittent Wipers: The intermittent wipers are basically three speed, you can choose "Int" which wipes about once every 3-4 seconds, or Low (constant slow wiping) or High (constant fast wiping) It would be nice to choose the intermittent speed, however i find the three speeds adequate.

Cruise control: This works great, the controls are situated on the steering wheel, which makes driving on the highway easy, even when you have to slow down and speed up from time to time.

Power steering/brakes: These work much like any other car, but I do notice the steering is very smooth and effortless in the civic.

CD player with 6 speaker sound system: This system is awesome! The LX comes with a CD player and 6 speakers. The 6 speakers and head unit are made by Pioneer, and are very good for a stock stereo. Added note: I added two 12" subwoofers to my system, and the factory charging system had no problems producing the extra power.

Exterior:

I simply love the styling of the 2001-2003 civics. They are great for ergonomics and have an agressive yet stylish curb appeal. The new headlight system (triangular) is excellent for lighting up the road ahead. I have noticed many younger drivers pulling up next to me and wanting to race. I believe this could be attributed to the movie "fast and the furious" but I could be wrong.

Wheels: The LX coupe comes with 15" steel wheels and wheel covers. For wheel covers, they look quite good, as honda lined up the steel wheel holes with the holes on the wheel covers, making them looks almost like mags from a distance.
My biggest complaint with the civic comes in this category however. The stock tires on the Civic LX in canada are firestone, and while they are fine on dry roads, i find in snow and slippery conditions, their traction is only barely adequate. In heavy rain at high speeds, the car tends to hydroplane. The situation with the tires was so bad I invested $400CDN in new snow tires. This solved the problem, and now the car handles excellent in adverse weather conditions. If you live in a area that recieves alot of snow, you may want to look into aftermarket tires.

Transmission: The Civic comes with a 5 speed gearbox and hydrolic clutch. The transmission is easy to shift, and very smooth, however if you aim to shift very quickly, you will find the gear ratio between 1st and 2nd to be a little too far spaced, resulting in an engine speed drop that is a little too drastic. However, this does allow for very easy shifting. An automatic 4 speed transmission is a $1000 option in canada.

Maintenence:

All that has been done to the vehicle is the scheduled services done by my Dealer, Millwoods Honda. They are as follows:

6000kms: Oil change (this was free from millwoods honda)
12000kms: Oil change, tire rotation, check all belts ($70)
18000kms: Oil change ($40)
24000kms: Major service (oil change, adjust brakes, check all belts, check CV joints, rotate tires, adjust clutch, service AC and more) ($180)
30000kms: Oil Change ($40)

This is as far as I have gone, but I know the next service (36,000kms) is the same as the 12,000kms @ $70

Reliability:

The car has been excellent to me, never causing any problems, always starts immediately, and still runs like brand new. I am very happy with the reliability of this car.

Driving:

This car handles like a sports car, but lacks the sports car acceleration. The acceleration is more than adequate, especially considering the car gets 37MPG. Cornering is excellent, and the car is more than peppy enough to pass other vehicles on the highway and climb hills. Driving this car up the oregon coast (Highway 101) was a riot as the car is very spirited and fun to drive. The LX comes equipped with a 1.7Liter, 117HP SOHC motor. This sounds like a small amount but since torque is high and the car is lightweight, this proves to be more than adequate for the size of the car. The Si model in canada (Ex in US) gets the same motor but with VTEC technology, boosting horsepower to 127. I find the civic to be an excellent balance of performance and economy.

Overall, I would recommend the civic to anyone looking for an economical vehicle without giving up the luxuries of larger cars. Another big plus with honda is their excellent resale value, making your purchase a little more secure.