The Civic satisfied all criteria but given that it was a 10+ year old car that was long being discontinued, I was on a lookout for saner alternatives.
BHPian tri_life recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Summary:
As my first car, I purchased a pre-owned 2008 bronze Honda Civic V-MT, 1.8 i-VTEC with 8xxxx kilometers on it. Over the past three and half months, I have driven it for 2xxx kilometers, with a significant portion on highways and ghats around Pune, and some city driving to get around.
What I like:
- Exterior – I can’t help but linger around the car just a bit longer after it’s parked, often stealing glances as I walk away. That’s all you need. It is a classic stunner
- Engine – Wafts quietly in low RPMs, sounds like a dream and pulls hard in high RPMs
- Handling – The car is fun on curves, thanks to its sharp front end and low stance
- Interior – The car is spacious and comfortable, especially the rear seat. The interiors are beautiful and aging like a fine wine, especially the dashboard
- Safety – It has ABS, a couple of airbags, a strong build, and achieved a 5-star NCAP rating when it was tested back in the 2000s
- Experience – You feel special every time you take this car out
- Reliability – Everything has been working well so far after 3 months and 2000 kilometers of ownership
What I don’t like:
- Low ground clearance – The car is prone to scraping its underbelly on illegal speed-breakers and especially bad roads, especially when loaded
- Easy to stall – The clutch has a long travel and a relatively sharp point before it starts moving, making it easy to stall. This often results in a slow getaway in bumper-to-bumper traffic
- Bit of a challenge in city – You cannot see the bonnet of the car, so it takes some practice to comfortably maneuver in the city. Low ground clearance and the long travel clutch does not help
- Large front glass – It heats up the car quickly. Visually, the large glass looks a bit too tall and weird when viewed from certain angles
- Bumper body gaps – The edges of the bumper, both front and rear, slightly protrude from the body structure, which stands out upon closer inspection
- 15-inch alloys – They look underwhelming
- Missing features – The car lacks some new, helpful features like bluetooth, fuel efficiency indicator, cruise control, and remote boot opening
Introduction:
I love speed, adventure, and the outdoors. Whether it’s jumping out of small Cessna airplanes, cycling for hundreds of kilometers and flying down hills in an aero position, swimming in the oceans, running for hours under the hot sun, or setting some quick times on go-karting circuits.
Back in February 2023, I had just turned 23, had a job, and wanted to get my own transportation. Since I only had to go to the office once a week, and the office was barely a kilometer away, the primary objective of this vehicle would be good old-fashioned fun, and not something that would have to endure daily scheduled traffic runs. So, I felt like I owed it to myself to get a fun and exciting car/bike. I wanted something that would complement this fast-paced early twenties phase of my life and be an enabler for fun trips and good times!
How about a bike?
I considered getting a bike. The idea of snaking up a winding ghat on a fast and loud bike ran circles around my head for a while. However, since I did not have significant experience riding powerful bikes, I was looking for a sub-300cc bike to start with before upgrading to something more powerful, or maybe even a Royal Enfield for a cool cruiser vibe.
One day, I did a test ride of the Gixxer 250, FZ 250, and R15 in the middle of the day. However, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed. Upon further consideration, I realized that the lack of protection from the elements, lack of safety, and limited space would severely limit the bike’s use case for me. Plus upon asking, all my family and friends chose getting a car over a bike. I had little reason to pursue getting a bike and ended up dropping the idea. Maybe I’ll consider it again sometime later.
Nah, a car is better:
What I was crazy about is cars. When it came to choosing my major after my bachelors at IIT Madras, I opted for Automotive engineering simply because I enjoyed it, even though I knew I wouldn’t pursue a career in that industry.
I remember reading the Overdrive and Autocar magazines in the early 2010s and I could make out the vehicle model and sometime even the variant just by the slightest of a glance back then. That time was also dominated by relatively accessible fast sedans. You got a v6 in the Accord and the Superb. I was particularly fond of the butch Cruze, the elusive Kizashi with its exotic rear, and the clean Passat. But the Civic held a near mythical status due to its design and its NFS influence. Plus JDM car culture was quite hot in the late 2000s. Countless hours were spent in my formative years playing NFS and that did feed my love for fast cars.
My uncle owned a Chevy Optra since the mid-2000s, and I think that also influenced my love for fast sedans. There was a story about how the Optra once was near its top speed on an empty highway, but there was a old Honda City up the road that it just couldn’t catch. However, I’m not sure if it really happened.
In short, I loved the cars from the 2010s.
I did not want a long-term commitment as I may move overseas, or the upcoming automotive policies could be unfavorable for pure internal combustion cars in a few years. I would not be using the car for more than five years, and the running would be limited to approximately 8,000 kilometers per year. The car would primarily be used on open roads rather than being stuck in traffic. I wanted to experience pure internal combustion engines before they become obsolete owing to increasingly strict emission regulations and a shift towards electric/hybrid vehicles.
Requirements from the car:
Important:
- Should be a special car that I can fall in love with
- Powerful engine and quick
- Engaging to drive
- Well built and safe
- A beautiful and timeless design
- Only 4 cylinder naturally aspirated engine
- A manual petrol
- Only hatchbacks and sedans, no SUVs
- Should fit my road bike inside it somehow, either with seats folded or in the trunk. I did not want to use an external bike stand
- Reliable and justifiably priced spares in case of a pre-owned car
- Ideally within 12L for a new car and 10L for a preowned including the restoration. Could stretch if required
Not so important:
- Did not care much about the latest gizmos and gimmicks. A spartan but well built car with was basics would do
- Rear space was not a concern since most on the time only the front seats would be occupied
- Since the running was expected to be ~8000 kilometers, fuel efficiency was not important
- The Civic satisfied all criteria but given that it was a 10+ year old car that was long being discontinued, I was on a lookout for saner alternatives, just for the sake of being exhaustive.
Alternatives:
Looking at the current car line-up, I didn’t feel anything about them, but I decided to give it a shot mostly because my father wanted me to buy a new car.
I looked at the hatchback market, which consisted mostly of 3-cylinder engines or weakly constructed cars. I wasn’t excited by any of the offerings. While I thought the Slavia and Virtus were quite nice, the 4-cylinder options would cost ~20l, which would require a budget stretch. And they had turbos. The depreciation hit on new cars would also be quite significant after I sell them in ~5 years. The pre-owned market would have a significantly better value proposition, so I exclusively started looking at pre-owned cars.
I was most fascinated by the Polo. It had the reputation of being one of the most fun-to-drive hatches in the country. Upon checking it out and driving it in a Spinny showroom, I loved the simple interiors, beautiful timeless design, and the strong, no-nonsense build. However, I didn’t go ahead with this car because:
- The latest models had 3-cylinder engines
- The rear seats, when folded down, did not sit properly and kept popping up a little. It was very important to me that I could fit my road bike properly inside the car. With this setup, it would be jumping up and down
- Questionable reliability and high repair bills when something went wrong
The 5+ year-old European cars had a reputation for being high-maintenance and expensive to repair when the inevitable issue occurs. Hence, I did not bother much with the used Volkswagen, Skoda, or even some super-depreciated Audi, BMW, and Mercedes.
Honestly, I just wanted the Civic. I decided to check out a few cars and see how I felt about them. As long as I found a good car, it could give me a few years of fun and trouble-free experience! It also had a super-reliable engine and strong built quality. It was usable and reliable along with being one of the most exciting cars to drive, and that engine sounded like a dream.
Buying A Civic:
After filtering out Civic cars on OLX/Carwale that were automatics, CNG fitted, driven for more than 100,000 kilometers, or had three or more previous owners, or visually in poor condition, I decided to look at three shortlisted cars in person.
When I spoke with the dealer for a 2008 Civic, he informed me that he had already reached an agreement with a buyer for a price lower than the listed price, and that the buyer would be picking up the car the next day. Nevertheless, I decided to visit primarily for information gathering.
Since I knew I would also be doing some work on the car, I kept a list of how much extra I would need to spend on it. I also spoke with a nearby Honda Service Centre and planned to take the cars I liked there for a further detailed checkup.
I saw a 2011 car first, registered as MH20, parked outside with no shade. The steering wheel had turned yellowish, and the silver paint on the door armrest had worn off. The closing button did not work for the left ORVM. Overall, these were issues to be expected, and I knew they could be fixed relatively cheaply. However, that car had a yellow engine light on and sounded a little off when revved. I could see that the car had been maintained in an okay condition. The person in charge told me that I could bring in a mechanic to check the car, but that I could not take it to the Honda Service Centre. He also did not offer a test drive, saying that I had to pay a small booking amount first. I knew that some influence could fix that, so I told him I would come back next week with someone experienced and check again.
Then I went to see the 2008 model which was apparently booked.
As soon as I saw the car, I was in love with it. It was properly parked in shade and looked pretty good from the outside. I had a little time to examine the car on my own before the dealer arrived. The car had a well-documented service history from an authorized service center, with the previous service having been done just a month before. It was owned by a fifty-something year old gentleman, who was the first and the only owner. Every single thing worked in the car. E-v-e-r-y single thing. The engine was quiet when idling. There were some minor dings, a dent on the underfloor panel and a repainted door, but that was to be expected. There were no smudges on the roof liner, and the car’s interior was in pristine condition. It was clear that the car had been well well taken care of. I knew I wanted that car, it was perfect!
I took the car around for a spin, checked the engine note while revving it, everything seemed to be in order. The dealer was upfront and honest about the proceedings. He personally owned a 2001 Honda City and a two-stroke RX-100 from the ’90s, which helped his image a bit. Now I had to make the decision that day as the next day, it would be sold to another buyer. Also I had to fly out the next day and I’d be away for a week, and it would surely be gone until I’m back.
I told the dealer that I liked the car but wanted to get it checked from the service centre before. Initially he was reluctant, but I stood my ground. He asked me what price would I give for the car. I told him if everything was in order and there were no major red flags, I would give a price more than the previous buyer (but lower than what it was listed for online) and would immediately take the car off his hands.
He accompanied me to the service centre where the car was checked for a couple of hours and deemed to be in a good mechanical condition given its age. The engine and transmission were in good shape and confirmed to have a good life in them. The servicing schedule was also confirmed. They mentioned that a complete suspension overhaul and replacement of engine and transmission mounts would be necessary by the end of the year as it was weakened. However, I was aware that most Civics of this age would require this if it hadn’t been done already, so it was not a concern. I would need to re-register the car with the RTO, which would cost a bit, but it was good to go! The consultant I spoke with at the service centre gave me the green light. I decided to skip checking out the final Civic as it was almost the end of the day, a second owner white 2012 model in slightly worse condition based on the images, with a lower mileage but was listed at a significantly higher price.
We returned and he called the other buyer to cancel the deal, promising to find another Civic at a good price. After verifying that all the papers were in order, I made the transfer and brought home the car on the same day!
Although I did consider the possibility that the potential buyer was a ploy by the dealer to force me into making a decision that day, I dismissed it. The dealer had informed me about the potential buyer when I first called him, and had also disclosed the agreed-upon price, which was much lower than the listed price. By doing this, he risked me not showing up at all, and also sacrificing some extra margin.
In hindsight, I could’ve quoted a bit lower amount to him and saved some money. Also I could’ve handled the situation so that I also got a chance to look at the last car, the 2012 model instead of just going with the flow and cancelling the plans to see that car, just to be more exhaustive. However, I had already seen quite a few Civics on the internet and knew that finding one with a well-documented service history, a single owner, and that satisfied all my criteria would be hard to come by. I had looked at every single Civic on sale in Pune which was available online. It would have been better if I had found 2012 model in similar condition. Mumbai registered cars were a strict no-no due to almost certain rusting. Pune was the next biggest hub after Mumbai, and there was nothing significant afterwards. I did not have enough time or interest to look at cars from other states. It took me just 24 hours of active action to call shortlisted dealers, visit them, select a car, get it checked by the authorized service centre, do a background check, get the papers, and transfer the amount to finally take home the car.
Yes, I had made tiny mistakes but that’s okay, and the downsides for those mistakes were limited. Honestly speaking, I was super satisfied with what I got and was thrilled with my first used car buying experience.
Continue reading on BHPian tri_life’s Honda Civic for more insights and information.
Keyword: Brought home a preowned 8th gen Honda Civic: Initial impressions