2003 Honda Civic LX: LX for Lacks Almost Nothing!
Written: Sep 12 '06
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Pros: Gas Mileage, ULEV, low maintenance.
Cons: Poor turning radius, slight dashboard rattle dashboard, and somewhat uncomfortable over long distances (3 hours).
The Bottom Line: The 2003 Honda Civic LX is a great value for the cost. It combines nice looks, decent performance, excellent safety and reliability, and nice gas mileage!
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| brentp256's Full Review: 2003 Honda Civic 4 door |
Note: The vehicle reviewed was purchased new and has been with one owner for its entire life.
The 2003 Honda Civic LX is a great value for the cost. It combines nice looks, decent performance, excellent safety and reliability, and nice gas mileage. If you are looking for a luxury vehicle, then look elsewhere, but if you want a good car for a good price, then this may be your vehicle!
Exterior
The reviewed model is Satin Silver Metallic. The color is decent, and the shape and look of the car is nice. The paint tends to get dinged and scratched from frequent highway travel, but is easy to fix with paint from the dealer.
The front of the car is nice looking, with a horizontal grille above the wide body-colored air-intake, and set in-between large headlights that curve around the corners. The sides are rather plain looking, with large tail-lights on the back.
Interior
The interior-design of the Honda civic is clean, comfortable for short-to mid range trips, easy to manage, and good for storage.
Design: The interior is nice and simple, and pretty easy to clean and the various pieces and materials all stay in place nicely. The seat fabric has been upgraded from previous models.
Visiblity: The visibility is good, with no major obstructions.
Dashboard and Controls: The placement of the controls is nice and easy to use and remember. The blue, back-lit gauges are a visually exciting piece-de-resistance to the dashboard, and never fail to receive compliments from passengers. The controls and feature are nice, although there are no variable intermittent wipers, which would have been a nice improvement. The biggest downside is a small rattling sound from the passenger side.
Stereo: The factory installed radio, CD player, and speakers provide a very good quality sound for not being upgraded.
Trunk: The trunk is spacious for a car of it’s size, and has an emergency escape safety feature if someone was to be trapped inside of it. Also, the back seats can fold down to extend the length of the trunk into the back seat area of the car. This is very useful for transporting lumber and other long items.
A/C and Heating: The A/C and heating system are both strong and quick to cool/heat the front, although sometimes take a little while to reach the back.
Legroom and Headroom: The legroom is spacious enough, although the headroom may be a little low if you are a tall person
Comfort: The seats are comfortable for short and mid range trips, but begin to get uncomfortable over three hours of travel time. The rear seats are good for up to two adults and will be uncomfortable for three.
Performance
For a mid-level car, the performance is well worth the money: decent acceleration, good braking, and good handling, but has a poor turning radius.
Specs:The 2003 Honda LX comes with a 1.7 L, 4 cylinder, 115 hp engine. The engine is a ULEV engine, so it is more environmentally friendly and will have no problems passing emissions tests.
Acceleration: The engine provides decent acceleration for a 4-cylinder vehicle, but it still strains a little bit when trying to accelerate onto the highway.
Noise: The engine provides a smooth sounding ride,
Handling: The car handles nicely, with very responsive steering, but it has a wide turning radius. The ride itself is somewhat smooth, although it can get a bit bumpy at times.
Braking: Braking is nice and tight, and steering is very responsive.
Gas Mileage: Gas mileage on the Honda is around 32/38 listed, but expect to get a few MPG less.
Safety
The Honda comes with computerized keys and an immobilizer theft deterrent system, which is great for keeping down theft, but expensive to replace if you lose your key. A valet key is also provided that allows access only to the ignition and the doors. Possessions can be locked away in the trunk. Also, the safety ratings of the Honda vehicles are consistently high. This vehicle came with a driver-side air-bag, but no passenger-side or side air-bags.
Reliability
The reliability is excellent. The reviewed model is now at 65,000 miles with no problems at all. Oil changes are given every 5,000 miles, with the occasional inspection, tire rotations, and standard maintenance.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 15,650
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: LX, automatic
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brentp256
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Member: B. Austin Price
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Reviews written: 218
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