I’m looking for a daily driver, something with < 100,000 miles, 4cyl, 5-speed, great gas mileage, good reputation for quality. I came to the conclusion that I want to buy a Civic hatchback. I like the hatchback better than the other model Civics.
This will be my first Honda. I have no clue what all the different engines codes are or anything like that. I won’t be modding it, I just plan on keeping it stock for a reliable daily driver. From doing a little research I know that the EK hatch came in either the CX or DX. I’d most likely get a DX. I’d like to find one with cruise control but that might be a stretch. Looking for a 1996-2000 model, I noticed some small differences like the HVAC controls and tail lights, but thats it really.
Is there any other differences between these years? Any reason why one year is better than the other? Any known problems with these cars? Things to look out for when going to look at one?
not much different between the 2 except the obd versions (96-98 obd2a, 99-00 obd2b) and the front ends for the same years (headlights front bumper etc). if youre set on a hatch thats cool but if youre not gonna mod it the coupes are the best looking. plus u can find the coupes in an hx model that gets close to 40 mpg on a lean burn motor. but i can tell you that my civ has been mostly problem free except the 2 door models have window problems. maybe if u get the hatch w/o the power windows youll be straight but i know a lot of people including myself have had problems like my regulator is bent on the driver side and then the passenger side glass came unglued from the feet of the regulator. thats a pain in the ass but mechanically theyre all great.
I have a 96 dx. Love it. When it was stock, it was getting 35 mpg. Not a problem in the world. The HVAC controls on the 96-98 are manual, and the 99-00 are vacuum. The part of the dash with the radio is different - the 99-00 has a double din opening, and the 96-98 is single din (makes a difference if you are looking to install a nav system or such, and swapping between is a major PITA). The front end is different, so the fenders, hood, headlights, and bumper are not the same, but you can swap all of them at once. It’s not like there is anything specifically to look for on them. Like any Honda, watch for rust on the rear quarter panels. And if it is going to be a stock daily driver, I would suggest finding one that doesn’t have a cold air intake, bomb muffler or any such minor mod - you just never know what a person that installs those things will do to the car - like beat the piss out of it. The good news, though, is that a stock d16 swap on those would run you about $300.
I highly recommend it. It makes a great daily driver. And $5K should get you a mint one.