If you could do it all over again: would you buy another Honda?

[Negan]

How do you get any ROI on modern cars?

Unless you're buying something like a collector's car that will appreciate in value, there's no ROI on any car you buy. Cars are not an investment, just a pure expense. Some are far more expensive than others.

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[DarkTimber]

Unless you're buying something like a collector's car that will appreciate in value, there's no ROI on any car you buy. Cars are not an investment, just a pure expense. Some are far more expensive than others.

I agree if I only look at the car for money in and money out.

As a new driver, my father said the same thing to me: "Cars are not an investment." In 1976, my father bought a brand new '76 Civic HB MT. He only looked to replace it in 1984 when the floor was rusting out.

However, I look at the big picture.

For years after my '98 Civic HB & '02 Highlander were paid off, I was able to build up my savings for my next house purchase. I did not have costly car repairs or a new car payment, therefore, I was able to redirect that money to savings and higher contribution to my 401K.

If I had bought a car which required costly repairs after the car payments were over, I would not be able to redirect money to these other areas which generally do have a positive ROI.

It is difficult when we are younger and inexperienced with costly purchases to understand the ripple effect of our choices when we choose a vehicle to purchase. Unfortunately, when I was younger, I made some unwise auto purchases.

 

[Negan]

I agree if I only look at the car for money in and money out.

As a new driver, my father said the same thing to me: "Cars are not an investment." In 1976, my father bought a brand new '76 Civic HB MT. He only looked to replace it in 1984 when the floor was rusting out.

However, I look at the big picture.

For years after my '98 Civic HB & '02 Highlander were paid off, I was able to build up my savings for my next house purchase. I did not have costly car repairs or a new car payment, therefore, I was able to redirect that money to savings and higher contribution to my 401K.

If I had bought a car which required costly repairs after the car payments were over, I would not be able to redirect money to these other areas which generally do have a positive ROI.

It is difficult when we are younger and inexperienced with costly purchases to understand the ripple effect of our choices when we choose a vehicle to purchase. Unfortunately, when I was younger, I made some unwise auto purchases.

I was simply pointing out that people should not think of cars as investments, but rather as an expense, which is what they are. A car will never add money to your bank account, only take it. You can simply choose to drive a car that takes less. Obviously, the money saved can be invested, but we're just talking about opportunity cost at that point which applies to every expense out there.

Other than that, I definitely agree with you. Compound interest is amazing, and investments made during the younger years are the most important.

 

[SonicHB]

I wouldn't buy another Civic considering they have no value now.

Some Toyota's, some Honda's, Lexus' and Subaru's are the ones that hold their value the best.

Probably not fair to say since the 2016+ Civic's are very popular, only time will tell now.

 

[BBRDLY]

I stumbled upon this website because I am in the market for a good quality car to replace my 2005 Mazda3. I am considering the Honda Civic. My Mazda3 is the first car I have ever owned that had very little maintenance costs. It was made in Japan. Gas mileage was never good but I also don't drive much either. My Mazda has a puny 60,000 miles on it at the moment. The car needs some minor repairs and it's solely a point A to B car. My wife has a newer 2014 Mazda3 which I am not impressed at all about. Mazda doesn't care about much what the consumer or driver wants. They've lagged many many generations behind in terms of entertainment tech. I also don't like the way the new Mazdas drive and they are rather costly now. They come standard with with large 17, 18 inch tires. The car's blind spots are troublesome for me whenever I take it out for drive.

I used to have a 1989 Honda Civic, brand new. It was a genuine lemon. I also used to work in the service department for a few years at a Honda dealership. My experience with Honda cars has not been very good. In particular, I've had chronic issues with Honda's transmission and brakes. Over the years, I have seen, experienced and known many people who complain the most about two things with Honda vehicles: Honda brakes and Honda transmissions. I talked several months back to old friends and colleagues who tell me these two issues are still present.

I would like to consider getting a 2017 Honda Civic CVT. I am getting up there in age and driving a manual in the city is not for me. I like what the Civic has to offer. However, I am worried about the longevity and the lifecycle of the rotors. it's really tricky business selling rebuilt/remanufactured transmissions. That's what Honda now does, that's what they did then. My Japanese trained mechanic (now retired) hated those rebuilt tranny's from Honda, but he said when he retired, they have improved but still not "good". It goes without saying transmissions are expensive but once you replace them, they seem to have a short life cycle and the vehicle becomes a money pit. When I worked for Honda, people would regularly complain about pulsating brakes and other brake issues with their Honda.

With my Mazda3, the front rotors and pads have lasted me to 50K. I still have original brakes in the rear. Talk about reliability. Aside from routine maintenance such as fluid changes, the odd engine mount which was under $100 outside of warranty, my Mazda was very low on maintenance.

So in part, my question to all you Honda owners here is would you buy another Honda, has it been reliable for you and should the CVT transmission be concern for someone who plans to keep their car a long time and who wants to have minimal maintenance costs?

NO!!!! Not a freaking chance!!!

 

[Hmm888]

NO!!!! Not a freaking chance!!!

Can you share why?

 

[kwk1]

I would. I own a 2017 LX with CVT and have 50k miles/80k kilometers and have not had to repair anything. Only oil/filter, wiper blade refills, engine/cabin air filters, and I had recently had the brake fluid replaced as part of preventative maintenance. No issues with the cvt either, and fingers crossed no a/c issues. A/C seems to be a problem for some people and there are recalls for a few components, but not the whole system yet.

 

[Hmm888]

I would. I own a 2017 LX with CVT and have 50k miles/80k kilometers and have not had to repair anything. Only oil/filter, wiper blade refills, engine/cabin air filters, and I had recently had the brake fluid replaced as part of preventative maintenance. No issues with the cvt either, and fingers crossed no a/c issues. A/C seems to be a problem for some people and there are recalls for a few components, but not the whole system yet.

Thanks for sharing!

A/C can be an annoying and frustrating issue. Not too much can go wrong: compressor, evaporator, and leakage issues. When it does though, it's very costly.

I noticed some Asian imports, regardless of brand can have poor A/C cooling. This can vary between models, even years despite being the same generation. Nowadays, having a decent A/C is a must especially with wildfires being common and higher summer temperatures. During the winter, the A/C compressor is also running in defrost mode.

Honda still maintains their same warranty and for the power train, I believe it's 5 years or 80K. Only Mitsubishi has a 10 year, 100K warranty.

 

[Builtfc1]

I stumbled upon this website because I am in the market for a good quality car to replace my 2005 Mazda3. I am considering the Honda Civic. My Mazda3 is the first car I have ever owned that had very little maintenance costs. It was made in Japan. Gas mileage was never good but I also don't drive much either. My Mazda has a puny 60,000 miles on it at the moment. The car needs some minor repairs and it's solely a point A to B car. My wife has a newer 2014 Mazda3 which I am not impressed at all about. Mazda doesn't care about much what the consumer or driver wants. They've lagged many many generations behind in terms of entertainment tech. I also don't like the way the new Mazdas drive and they are rather costly now. They come standard with with large 17, 18 inch tires. The car's blind spots are troublesome for me whenever I take it out for drive.

I used to have a 1989 Honda Civic, brand new. It was a genuine lemon. I also used to work in the service department for a few years at a Honda dealership. My experience with Honda cars has not been very good. In particular, I've had chronic issues with Honda's transmission and brakes. Over the years, I have seen, experienced and known many people who complain the most about two things with Honda vehicles: Honda brakes and Honda transmissions. I talked several months back to old friends and colleagues who tell me these two issues are still present.

I would like to consider getting a 2017 Honda Civic CVT. I am getting up there in age and driving a manual in the city is not for me. I like what the Civic has to offer. However, I am worried about the longevity and the lifecycle of the rotors. it's really tricky business selling rebuilt/remanufactured transmissions. That's what Honda now does, that's what they did then. My Japanese trained mechanic (now retired) hated those rebuilt tranny's from Honda, but he said when he retired, they have improved but still not "good". It goes without saying transmissions are expensive but once you replace them, they seem to have a short life cycle and the vehicle becomes a money pit. When I worked for Honda, people would regularly complain about pulsating brakes and other brake issues with their Honda.

With my Mazda3, the front rotors and pads have lasted me to 50K. I still have original brakes in the rear. Talk about reliability. Aside from routine maintenance such as fluid changes, the odd engine mount which was under $100 outside of warranty, my Mazda was very low on maintenance.

So in part, my question to all you Honda owners here is would you buy another Honda, has it been reliable for you and should the CVT transmission be concern for someone who plans to keep their car a long time and who wants to have minimal maintenance costs?

Nah 430 hp and 35 highway miles per gallon say less

 

[gtman]

Honda still maintains their same warranty and for the power train, I believe it's 5 years or 80K. Only Mitsubishi has a 10 year, 100K warranty.

You left out Hyundai and Kia (in North America).

 

[Hmm888]

You left out Hyundai and Kia (in North America).

I'm not aware KIA and Hyundai in Canada have a 10 year warranty.

 

[gtman]

Maybe not in Canada then but certainly in the US it has a 10 yr/ 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

 

[kwk1]

You know what they say, the best warranty is the one you don't have to use!

 

[Hmm888]

Maybe not in Canada then but certainly in the US it has a 10 yr/ 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

There was a time when new vehicle warranty in the US was horrible. Average warranty was around two or three years. I'm talking about around the start of this century (I am old). Canada's warranty was typically 5 years.

It started in the US with VW (around 2002) where they were the first to introduce a 10 year powertrain warranty, possibly around the time their VWs for the NA market began production in Mexico. That warranty never made to Canadian VWs.

Fast forward to 2024, only Mitsubishi has a 10 year warranty in Canada. Anyway, I wouldn't buy Kia or Hyundai. Kia management for one is unhinged. They told Canadian auto dealers to withhold selling new Kias to customers: [https://canadianautodealer.ca/2023/12/kia-canada-under-fire-for-inventory-practices/]

 

[Hmm888]

You know what they say, the best warranty is the one you don't have to use!

I've been incredibly lucky with my 2005 Mazda. I even bought extended warranty back in the day. Only used it once for an engine mount bushing which was around $115 back then. All other items which needed repairs were outside the warranty. I don't think they make them reliable anymore especially with all the plastic components including radiators.

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