UPDATED 04/04/2011; O/T; now looking at mondeo
Turbo Mini Forums

looking for any guidance here; I'm looking to buy a car for my brother's other half as a new family car for them. It doesn't have to be all singing and dancing, just something practical for getting the baby in and out the back and a big boot for all the crap that seems to come with a family these days.

I've narrowed down a few options and have come across a civic aerodeck, 99'T. Its a 1.6 v-tec with a few extras and the size insn't too bad for Jo using it about town but big enough for any motorway journeys up north. mileage is around 100k. Now I know the engines in these are pretty bullet proof but i've no idea what the rest of the car can be like. Anyone got any hints or guidance on what to look out for?

Either that or any other suggestions? my brother has the mechanical sympathy of a 17yr old maxpower reader so it has to be strong. Budget around £1k

We've already considered the focus but when I called round last week all 9 I phoned about were already sold at the asking price! Would also consider any of the VAG group stuff

cheers

Rob

Edited by Rob Gavin on 4th Apr, 2011.

Wifey has an 04 plate civic, apart from the battery it's been bullet proof.

Her's is the 1.6 vtec, not exactly a rocket ship but it's OK. Mid 30's to the gallon round town and more on the motorway. More rear leg room than my A4 and the boot gets enough in it (plenty that the A4 won't).

never pick them up on recovery if that helps

Only issues I ever heard with the older b16 is piston rings going and that was one count so the reliability is echoed there!
The older ones have a bit more poke then the newer iVTEC mainly I think to do with weight
But they have the usual jap reliability
Failing that what about a late 90s polo?

cheers guys- helpful as always.

Polo would probably be too small unless it is an estate

I had an even older crx which I miss after only 2 weeks. It did not put a foot wrong in 2 years, and apart from a battery not in 4 years for the previous owner. Regarding the piston ring comment I don't think using a litre of oil per 6000 mile change for an engine that revs up to 8500rpm on 139k is bad going!

I think the 1.6 aerodecks had a single cam vtec engine, the vti's had the 1800 DOHC one. I don't know about gearboxes on the later civics but check it does not crunch when in vtec, as on the early ones the sycros can get tired. At 100k I wouldn't think there would be a problem, as a fair few years of development would have taken place since the first generation vtec gearbox.

Edited by minimole23 on 28th Mar, 2011.

Check for rot in the rear arches and front corners for the front wheel arches.

dont worry too much about the engine, played about with them for a while with a mate, it took him fooking ages to kill his.
it eventually threw a rod on a 5-3 down shift on the motorway trying to catch me lol

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

had an accord with the 2.0 d-series, on 180kmiles i kicked its hole in every day for 2 years and it never missed a beat, even when i smashed it, totalling the radiator she still drove to the scrappys without incident. great cars, though the newer shape 4-doors are probably a bit out of budget, they dont rot like civics do.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

Sounds daft...I think alot of Hyundai's are basically Honda running gear.....cheap to buy A friend bought a Kia C'd diesel....have to say, really can't fault it.

Edited by Jason G on 28th Mar, 2011.

Tbf my mates was getting through a litre a week lol but come to think of it that was a non VTec anyway don't think I ever heard of one going wrong without being pushed hard!
Biggest check when buying a civic is who your buying it off if he's a young lad who tells you its rapid because he dicks bud all day long leave its been abused lol

cheers guys, the civic looked good on paper but my wife, the one that isn't paying for it or driving it, has decided its too old a design and doesn't like the look of it.

As my brother lives in Essex, the land of the ford lover, we're now considering a focus - i've seen a 1.8 zetec estate in the right price bracket. I see from recent posts I need to check springs but anything else to consider?

Also seen a nice Golf V5 but just a little more money

I've had a 51 plate 2.0 Zetec Focus from new. Now done 130K. Very few problems except the usual plus, batteries, alternator, power steering pump and the broken rear spring.

Even towed a caravan down to the Auvergne with it in the early days.

In use daily since Axel wrote off the 30.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Paul

out of interest, what is the 2.0 like on fuel?

Rob

Drive really steady, then nearly 40mpg is possible.

Drive normal and reasonable journey distnace then 35mpg is usual.

I you drive it hard and do short journeys then you will get less then 30mpg.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

I drive mine 10 miles each way to and from work, not the most economic driving style and get nearly 300 miles out of a tank which is around £65 vmax, never brimmed it and accurately worked out mpg

I had a 1.8 zetec focus, lovely car to drive but I got a bad apple which had electrical problems making it a but dangerous at times, especially at night on motorways, apart from that it was a decent car. If it was 3 door and didn't have the electrical problems I would have kept it no doubt.

Edited by Rick.SPI on 29th Mar, 2011.

OK - looks like the focus is a good option; I'll give the noe i've seen a call tomorrow and have a look

Cheers for all the info guys

Rob

clutch release bearings leaking, gearbox off job to fix, springs, speedo not working (usually speedo sender in gearbox which is a bitch to get out), are the only reoccurring problems i see, and the only one worth concering yourself over is teh clutch slave/bearing, as everything else is cheap to sort and run of the mill.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

cheers Denis

OK guys - the search continues; I'm now looking at Mondeos and have arranged to look at a 1.8 Zetec estate this evening; its one of the newer shape cars on a 51 plate with circa 100k on the clock. Price is £900.

Anything particular with this model to look out for?

thanks again

Rob

Steer clear of the TDCI models at that age. Flywheel and turbo failures are common and expensive.

yip - saw that - in honesty all the diesels at that sort of price are either intergallactic mileage or too expensive

Rob, brother in law has an 03 plate 1600 Focus Ghia 5 door that he is on about selling- he recently got a company car. Not sure how much it would be though, I can find out, what is your budget?
He has had it from new, its tidy but with a couple of carpark knocks where nice folk have bumped into it and then buggered off, and a couple of bumper corner scuffs. Nothing horrendous though.

Tom, the budget is around £1k - could stretch a bit more but it would depend on the car

Rob