Civic 1.8 VTi Ownership?

[WildCards]

I'm thinking about getting rid of my reliable diesel 306 and getting back into something Jap and something petrol. I was thinking about a Civic 1.8 VTi or VTi-S. Does anyone know what they're like to own? and what a decent average mpg would be for a 20 mile commute using A roads and country lanes?

Or can anyone recommend a somehting else to fit my criteria? Jap, <£3000, Hatch or Estate, No less than 30mpg average, A bit of poke under the bonnet.

Thanks

Edited by WildCards on Wednesday 20th February 13:50

[fizzbitt]

Having owned a X plate VTi hatch i can say although it has a little poke i wouldnt buy one again.

Very soggy handling for a car which holds the VT-i badge is a bit of a let down and the seats are crap and dont hold you at all.

MPG was shocking considering it was a 1.8 and i would barely make 28 ish on a good day.

[havoc]

I owned one when newer (2.5 - 5y.o.), and liked it...before I drove stuff like ITRs, S2000's, and 306GTi-6's.

Economy...I was getting 33-35mpg on mainly M-way and A-road runs.

Handling...OK. No sports car, more a mini-GT with an odd engine. Comfy, well-equipped, gripped well but with a thrashy engine. Inert steering, as with a lot of Hondas...


I don't think I'd get one again...I'd go for a 306GTi instead - similar money, similar size, similar straight-line performance but much better handling and involvement. Downsides are the gearchange and that it's French. Oh, and economy is 27-30 depending on style...

[Gizmo535]

Similar to the above, I had a Civic Aerodeck VTi. Fantastic engine, rest of the car a bit dull. So when I was living in the countryside and thrashing the nuts off it all the time, it was great; but when I moved to the city it was just another smallish estate - and not a very economical one at that.

Don't get me wrong, I loved it - but mostly because of the engine. If I was getting a hot hatch I'd think seriously about the 3-door 1.6 VTi: the 1.8 is more powerful but has a lot of weight to lug about.

[abarber]

These 5 door Civics are a bit of a hold up from the Rover 400 series days. They are over 100kgs iirc heavier than the 3 or 4 door Civics and much softer. Plenty around, but nothing like as good to drive or even as fast as a 1.6 civic VTi. Way to soft and heavy.

[WildCards]

Cheers guys, I'm torn between a rock and a hard place really. I need something practical for the kids, something throw away so I'm not too precious about throwing mountain bikes in or onto it and something a little bit fun for me.

I'm currently pottering around in a 306 HDi estate, which I love but it's nearing 160,000 miles now and showing it's age a little, I think it's probably going to start costing me some money soon, but the Civic doesn't really sound like the car for me, so i'll have to have a re-think.

[sinbad666]

Go for it mate if thats what you want to do. For what you'll be needing it for it will be a nice mixture of sports/family saloon. The 1.8 (B18C4) comes with a diff as standard too and isnt that heavy just over 1200kgs having weighbridged mine when i had it. If you want abit more sportiness then you can always add an exhaust and intake, with a set of eibach springs to firm things up. I found just adding these small things made a nice improvement to the feel of the car, making it alittle quicker than stuff like 1.8 turbo A3's, golf gti's and the like with surprisingly good handling when pushed. Gearing is longer than the 1.6 so it cruises better, with fuel consumption being around ~30mpg with mixed driving. Vti-s which is what i had was a limited run which included a different bodyit and came in a very nice "Pirates black".

the 5-door civic has a well built platform (rover 400). The same chasiss that competed in BTCC up until recently.

Edited by sinbad666 on Monday 25th February 17:38

[havoc]

Thinking about it did they do the MG-ZS in hatchback form? The V6 is a better engine for the type of car, the suspension/handling set-up is probably better, and residuals are probably awful so you'll get one for peanuts!

...but I'd still get a GTi-6 if the bikes fit...that or an early Leon...

[Martin Keene]

I had an X plate one for just just over 2 years. In that time I put over 32k on it, taking it from 16 to 48, and using it... erm... enthusiactically... apart from a drivers seat base, which Honda replaced with no question under warranty no a thing went wrong. It was even on it's orignal brakes! Although I did work for a Honda suppllier at the time and found the brakes are actually the same as the NSX...



Superb engine/gearbox/brakes. Slightly wooly handling, but acceptable. Crappy plastic interior, with a steering wheel which is way to big, with a rim that is too small. MPG 28 is doing well, for a 20 mile commute, mine was more like ~25.

[HedgeScraper]

I've had a 1.8 VTi for a few years now. Although I'm sure it's heavier than a 1.6 3-door, it's definately NOT a heavy car. The 1.8 has got some usable mid-range punch, unlike the 1.6, so you don't have to scream it to overtake. It's got a limited slip diff that gives better traction, plenty of steering feel and awesome brakes.
On the negatives, the suspension is soft as standard. (But that's an easy fix, any car of this kind of age needs the suspension replacing and I found the Koni top adjustable kit amazing value for money!) With the kit, the handling is balanced and fun, but watch out for the torque steer (hence the big steering wheel). It could do with 6 gears, so I find that the average mpg to be 27-35 town to motorway.