1996-1999 Civic HX VS: 2001-2003 Civic HX MPG

[Eric Walls]

Hey guys I have the rare opportunity to Pick between 3 different Civic HX models all for basically the same price>

My question is which of these 3 Civic Hx's will achieve the best REAL WORLD MPG. when driven strictly 100% city driving??? I deliver food an average of 200 miles per day nothing but stop an go all day.

Car #1. Silver 1998 civic hx 5-speed 200K miles, check engine light is on. price $1800 bucks

Car #2. Black 1998 civic hx 5-speed 166k. miles, check engine light is on. but this car is crazy, ridiculously clean inside an out. Price $2,000 bucks

Car #3. Silver 2003 civic hx 5-speed 225k. miles, car has front $ rear bumper body damage along with a busted taillight. NO check engine light. Price $1,800 bucks

Do the 2001--2005 Civic HX's get better, higher Mpg or do the older 1996--1999 Civic hx's beat the newer civics hands down in the MPG war.

Any info is HIGHLY appreciate I'm buying one of them in 48 hours.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Eric Walls

Hey guys I have the rare opportunity to Pick between 3 different Civic HX models all for basically the same price>

My question is which of these 3 Civic Hx's will achieve the best REAL WORLD MPG. when driven strictly 100% city driving??? I deliver food an average of 200 miles per day nothing but stop an go all day.

Car #1. Silver 1998 civic hx 5-speed 200K miles, check engine light is on. price $1800 bucks

Car #2. Black 1998 civic hx 5-speed 166k. miles, check engine light is on. but this car is crazy, ridiculously clean inside an out. Price $2,000 bucks

Car #3. Silver 2003 civic hx 5-speed 225k. miles, car has front $ rear bumper body damage along with a busted taillight. NO check engine light. Price $1,800 bucks

Do the 2001--2005 Civic HX's get better, higher Mpg or do the older 1996--1999 Civic hx's beat the newer civics hands down in the MPG war.

Any info is HIGHLY appreciate I'm buying one of them in 48 hours.

Get car #2.

Bring a code scanner. If it's nothing major, get it. Realistically, the mpg differences between a 6th and 7th will be marginal. More important is overall condition (especially rust where you are), maintenance, and how many miles. From your brief description, #2 is the clear winner.

7th gens have some quirks and known problems, although most were worked out by '03. Tranny problems are common (mine had a failed input shaft bearing) so watch for that if you go after the '03.

[Eric Walls]

Originally Posted by darcane

Get car #2.

Bring a code scanner. If it's nothing major, get it. Realistically, the mpg differences between a 6th and 7th will be marginal. More important is overall condition (especially rust where you are), maintenance, and how many miles. From your brief description, #2 is the clear winner.

7th gens have some quirks and known problems, although most were worked out by '03. Tranny problems are common (mine had a failed input shaft bearing) so watch for that if you go after the '03.

Thanks for the reply. On the 7th gen's I've also heard the a/c compressor's fail an lock up a lot. The 7th. Gen Im going to look at is from Michigan an does have a rust spot on the passenger side quarter panel. That's a major concern of mine with the car being from Michigan.
Thanks for the advice.

[sarguy01]

Bring a scanner if you can to read the codes. If it something easy, fine, but that CEL could be letting you that there is something major wrong.

Do you have a budget worked out for replacement parts on these cars? With that many miles, be prepared to fix a few things.

I haven't heard about AC compressors locking up on the 7th gens, but they sometimes have auto trans issues and head gasket issues. Sometimes...

[user removed]

The difference in EPA ratings is 1 MPG less (city) for the 1998 Black car, assuming both cars are manuals. The CVTs (auto) are trouble prone and very expensive to fix, but 200 miles a day stop and go is tiring (for me at least). I like the lower mileage and the fact that the car is real clean, which indicates better care and a more careful driver, but I would have to know what that code inidcated. Don't the auto parts stores in your area read codes for free.

1998@EPA 30 city 39 highway
2001@EPA 31 city 39 highway
08 modified EPA figures.

Get the code, bargain for lower price if repair is simple and you ahave lot more 1000 mile weeks before you get 200k.
Proof of service records would be a big plus and a possible decision changer. if the more expensive (read timing belt) type repairs did not need to be done immediatly.

regards
Mech

[user removed]

Have the owner meet you at the local parts store where you can get the codes read and price out the replacement part, probably an 02 sensor.

regards Mech

[Eric Walls]

Thanks for the fast reply's everyone..............Keep them coming


The clean black 1998 hx. has a cracked windshield along the bottom where the wiper's lay. Windshield is cracked from one side to the other but in Ohio it will cause no problem an still pass inspection just fine.
Also check engine light is on because of the expensive 5-wire wideband 02 sensor is completely broken off at the exhaust manifold. I mean it's not even plugged in the wire as well as the entire top half of the 02 sensor is snapped off an missing completely so that's 100% the cause of the check engine light.
Also this car A/C has a rather large Freon leak causing the A/C compressor to not engage when all the Freon leaks out. If you add Freon the A/C will work for a short amount of time.
Lastly this car is missing it's in dash radio, no radio at all. speakers are still there though.

The silver 1998 200k. mile HX civic, has a check engine light on for "unknown" reasons I need to scan it to pull the codes because nothing is visually wrong with the motor that I can see. Perhaps Clogged EGR ports could cause the check engine light I don't know, need a scanner. This car's A/C does not work either for "unknown" reason's. It does have a nice aftermarket cd player installed.

The 2003 Civic HX 225k. miles Has working A/C, No check engine light but does have a "Maintence required" light blinking I have never seen that before on a civic. This car has keyless entry/locks factory CD player as well as factory cruise control which is very odd being that it's an HX model.
The front bumper is trashed, along with 1 busted out taillight and the rear bumper needs repair or just replaced entirely if your picky which I am. Owner claims Timing belt an Water Pump were both changed 20k. miles ago but cannot prove it to me. Owner has no idea when the clutch was last changed or if it has ever been changed. Car has palm size surface rust on passenger rear quarter panel. driver's side panel is rust free

What the heck should I do,
Im so indecisive when it comes to spending cash

[Eric Walls]

Pic's

[vskid3]

Originally Posted by Eric Walls

My question is which of these 3 Civic Hx's will achieve the best REAL WORLD MPG. when driven strictly 100% city driving??? I deliver food an average of 200 miles per day nothing but stop an go all day.

With that kind of driving, would an HX be that much better than a DX? Seems to me like the HX really shines in highway/steady speed driving. Probably isn't much of a price difference between the two at those prices, though, but it does seem like you're scraping the bottom of the barrel with the issues these HX's have.

[Xist]

It sounds like you know much more about cars than I do, but I took my HX to a mechanic before I bought it, and another HX that I saw, and walked away from another HX because I couldn't.

Someone mentioned that if you replace the stereo, the dome light does not work, but I have an aftermarket CD player and a functional dome light. Honestly, I do not think the stereo is important, I doubt that a decent one would cost that much, and you could always charge your iPod and have it play and not suffer through commercials.

However, does it look like the stereo was stolen? The tape deck in my first car died and I replaced it with a CD player that was so cheap that it was unusable. One night I must have left my car door unlocked because the stereo was stolen, damaging the area.

These unknowns worry me.