Looking at early-mid 2000 Civics/ Corollas
- Thread starter dlundblad
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They are both good cars that will give you many enjoyable miles.
Don't forget about the Chevy Prizm rebadged Corolla, and is often cheaper. The Echo is also worth considering
Don't forget about the Chevy Prizm rebadged Corolla, and is often cheaper. The Echo is also worth considering
I never heard of the Civic being more of a death trap than any other small rice burner..I heard of bad transmissions and engine problems but never anything like what you said.
Get an early 2000's Protege. Still saying they are a sleeper for the price.
The 1.8 engine had cracked block problem that would cause a coolant leak, which is a known problem, and Honda has extended the warranty. Can't remember exactly what years it was. My son has a 2008 Civic that was included. I think it was fixed by early 2009 models, but can't remember when it started. Could be around 2006 or earlier. Just check the information is out there. Good thing about it though I can buy a low mileage engine from Ebay for $400 shipped to the door last time I checked, so I am sure I could get one locally a good bit cheaper.
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
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Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
The Insurance institute can stuff it. I witnessed two people die from being t-boned at roughly 45mph, both people died in the civic.
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
The Insurance institute can stuff it. I witnessed two people die from being t-boned at roughly 45mph, both people died in the civic.
My brother was t-boned in a mid 90's Civic at 40 mph by Cadillac and walked away from it. It hit right behind him, spun the car around a few times, ended up in ditch, no side airbags but the crumble zones did a great job dispersing the energy of the crash. Have a nice day gentlemen.
45mph isn't that slow in an accident.
2001 Civic was a bad year, lots of problems. Maybe they all got fixed in any vehicle that is still going, but that was a high recall year. I'm not sure when Civic went timing chain but Corolla was chain in this timeframe. However, 98-01 motors can be notorious oil burners. Chevy Prizm is a rebadged Corolla, with a different radio and hvac; typically though the Corolla would have a more desirable 4AT while the Prizm tended to come with a less desirable 3AT. [The 3AT spins the engine faster on the highway and gets a bit less mpg, and more engine noise. It also has a separate sump for the diff that many overlook.]
As far as Corolla goes, this thread thread is more for the later years, while this was more Prizm based.
2001 Civic was a bad year, lots of problems. Maybe they all got fixed in any vehicle that is still going, but that was a high recall year. I'm not sure when Civic went timing chain but Corolla was chain in this timeframe. However, 98-01 motors can be notorious oil burners. Chevy Prizm is a rebadged Corolla, with a different radio and hvac; typically though the Corolla would have a more desirable 4AT while the Prizm tended to come with a less desirable 3AT. [The 3AT spins the engine faster on the highway and gets a bit less mpg, and more engine noise. It also has a separate sump for the diff that many overlook.]
As far as Corolla goes, this thread thread is more for the later years, while this was more Prizm based.
The Corolla isn't as much fun to drive but it can be sharpened up with larger wheels and good tires. The engine is stout, as they say.
I'd have to look for a Geo Prism, as mentioned above they are usually a bit cheaper than the Corolla. One thing I have noticed that causes catastrophic failure is many don't know the differential fluid is separate from the trans and also need to be checked/changed. Simply changing the trans fluid does not affect the differential.
Originally Posted By: robshelton
I'd have to look for a Geo Prism, as mentioned above they are usually a bit cheaper than the Corolla. One thing I have noticed that causes catastrophic failure is many don't know the differential fluid is separate from the trans and also need to be checked/changed. Simply changing the trans fluid does not affect the differential.
Is that specific to the Geo Metro or are you saying for the Toyota transmissions?
I'd have to look for a Geo Prism, as mentioned above they are usually a bit cheaper than the Corolla. One thing I have noticed that causes catastrophic failure is many don't know the differential fluid is separate from the trans and also need to be checked/changed. Simply changing the trans fluid does not affect the differential.
Is that specific to the Geo Metro or are you saying for the Toyota transmissions?
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
The Insurance institute can stuff it. I witnessed two people die from being t-boned at roughly 45mph, both people died in the civic.
Okay, one accident that you witnessed trumps all.
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
The Insurance institute can stuff it. I witnessed two people die from being t-boned at roughly 45mph, both people died in the civic.
Okay, one accident that you witnessed trumps all.
Originally Posted By: supton
45mph isn't that slow in an accident.
2001 Civic was a bad year, lots of problems. Maybe they all got fixed in any vehicle that is still going, but that was a high recall year. I'm not sure when Civic went timing chain but Corolla was chain in this timeframe. However, 98-01 motors can be notorious oil burners. Chevy Prizm is a rebadged Corolla, with a different radio and hvac; typically though the Corolla would have a more desirable 4AT while the Prizm tended to come with a less desirable 3AT. [The 3AT spins the engine faster on the highway and gets a bit less mpg, and more engine noise. It also has a separate sump for the diff that many overlook.]
As far as Corolla goes, this thread thread is more for the later years, while this was more Prizm based.
I believe with the civics, if the engine is on the "wrong" side it has a belt. If it's on the "right" side, it has a chain.
45mph isn't that slow in an accident.
2001 Civic was a bad year, lots of problems. Maybe they all got fixed in any vehicle that is still going, but that was a high recall year. I'm not sure when Civic went timing chain but Corolla was chain in this timeframe. However, 98-01 motors can be notorious oil burners. Chevy Prizm is a rebadged Corolla, with a different radio and hvac; typically though the Corolla would have a more desirable 4AT while the Prizm tended to come with a less desirable 3AT. [The 3AT spins the engine faster on the highway and gets a bit less mpg, and more engine noise. It also has a separate sump for the diff that many overlook.]
As far as Corolla goes, this thread thread is more for the later years, while this was more Prizm based.
I believe with the civics, if the engine is on the "wrong" side it has a belt. If it's on the "right" side, it has a chain.
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: supton
45mph isn't that slow in an accident.
2001 Civic was a bad year, lots of problems. Maybe they all got fixed in any vehicle that is still going, but that was a high recall year. I'm not sure when Civic went timing chain but Corolla was chain in this timeframe. However, 98-01 motors can be notorious oil burners. Chevy Prizm is a rebadged Corolla, with a different radio and hvac; typically though the Corolla would have a more desirable 4AT while the Prizm tended to come with a less desirable 3AT. [The 3AT spins the engine faster on the highway and gets a bit less mpg, and more engine noise. It also has a separate sump for the diff that many overlook.]
As far as Corolla goes, this thread thread is more for the later years, while this was more Prizm based.
I believe with the civics, if the engine is on the "wrong" side it has a belt. If it's on the "right" side, it has a chain.
Anything Pre 2006 has a timing belt. 2006 and up have a chain, including the K20 SI.
Also the Civic is not a deathtrap any more than any other car in it's class. Give me a break.
Originally Posted By: supton
45mph isn't that slow in an accident.
2001 Civic was a bad year, lots of problems. Maybe they all got fixed in any vehicle that is still going, but that was a high recall year. I'm not sure when Civic went timing chain but Corolla was chain in this timeframe. However, 98-01 motors can be notorious oil burners. Chevy Prizm is a rebadged Corolla, with a different radio and hvac; typically though the Corolla would have a more desirable 4AT while the Prizm tended to come with a less desirable 3AT. [The 3AT spins the engine faster on the highway and gets a bit less mpg, and more engine noise. It also has a separate sump for the diff that many overlook.]
As far as Corolla goes, this thread thread is more for the later years, while this was more Prizm based.
I believe with the civics, if the engine is on the "wrong" side it has a belt. If it's on the "right" side, it has a chain.
Anything Pre 2006 has a timing belt. 2006 and up have a chain, including the K20 SI.
Also the Civic is not a deathtrap any more than any other car in it's class. Give me a break.
2001 Civic EX 5 speed manual - Probably the single best car I have owned. Changed oil with quaker state synthetic every 7500 miles. Drove it to just over 300,000 and sold it to a high school kid or 2000. No problems. replaced clutch at north of 250, cleaned EGR ports at 200 other than that normal wear items. Burned a qt between changes after 200 but ran perfect. Great car would not hesitate to buy another.
Had a 2002 Corolla that I drove in high school. Got 42 mpg on the best tank, all freeway 75-80 mph. Also burned a lot of oil and the engine didn't make it to 100k. My 6'1" frame barely fit in the driver's seat. Others have had the complete opposite experience, but I wouldn't buy another.
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Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
The Insurance institute can stuff it. I witnessed two people die from being t-boned at roughly 45mph, both people died in the civic.
Okay, one accident that you witnessed trumps all.
Its all I need to discourage anyone from owning a Civic deathtrap.
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the civic is a deathtrap, avoid it.
Insurance institute states otherwise.
Either choice to op is decent however Civic has a nag of timing belt replacement in the years you reference. 2006 to present they moved onto chains.
The Insurance institute can stuff it. I witnessed two people die from being t-boned at roughly 45mph, both people died in the civic.
Okay, one accident that you witnessed trumps all.
Its all I need to discourage anyone from owning a Civic deathtrap.
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