New Civic vs Used German Cars

ScotPiza

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My first post. I'm curious about anyone's real life experience with the new Civic compared to entry-level German cars from around five years ago. In terms of performance, quality, etc, what are your thoughts?
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IcyRyce

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I cross shopped between new Civic and used BMW E90. The short time I spent shopping for a e90 and the difference between the new civic was that Honda's quality has certainly improved to the point that it was somewhat comparable to the E90 (More soft touch plastics, More sound dampening...etc). The similarities end there, the two main differences (To Me) between the new civic and old German cars are that Honda's offer the latest and greatest technologies and long term reliability. Older Germans offer the perfect mix between luxury and performance but with age you'll have to replace parts sooner than a new car. When German's break down the parts and labour will cost more than a Japanese or a domestic you may have to pay out of pocket if you did not purchase a certified pre owned German since having a warranty is GOAT, but that's only my opinion.

I bought a new civic over a e90 was the cost of ownership is lower though I sacrifice performance and luxury but at the end of the day I'm still a student and I wanted a all around good car as I finish school. But after I graduate I'm come for you M2!!
 

VarmintCong

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Bought a 6MT Sport to replace my 330i. They drive somewhat similar, I notice the civic feels much lighter. It's hard to compare the two, I mainly needed the mpg and hatchback. Love German cars but I drive too much now to live with the high depreciation.
 

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If reliability beyond 80K is of no concern, German all the way.

Otherwise the Civic is the car to get, hands down.
 

1WickedCivic

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My first post. I'm curious about anyone's real life experience with the new Civic compared to entry-level German cars from around five years ago. In terms of performance, quality, etc, what are your thoughts?
Having owned E90 BMWs (335i & 328i) & currently a W203 C230 Mercedes, your maintenance costs will be significantly lower with the Civic than the Bimmers. Yes, my Euro rides have the edge in performance & quality but when they do break, you better have a trust fund or an extended warranty at the very least. Case in point: my W203, which has been maintained meticulously, both dealer & independent service, took a dump last week - EIS/ESL failure. Initial quote is $1,500 for parts, labor = TBD. Have an extended warranty which covered the tow to the dealer & my rental car. Mind you, it had been running trouble-free for 60K miles at this point.
 


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ScotPiza

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Thank you everyone for the replies. I think one of my biggest concerns is the feel of RWD vs FWD. I've always leaned toward RWD cars in terms of 'fun to drive'. I owned an Acura Integra GSR years ago with that fantastic engine, but I was just underwhelmed by the driving experience. I just need to get out and test-drive more cars!
 

1WickedCivic

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I think one of my biggest concerns is the feel of RWD vs FWD. I've always leaned toward RWD cars in terms of 'fun to drive'.
2017 Subaru BRZ with Performance Package option. If you need more power, Jackson Racing makes a nice supercharger package for it.
 

VarmintCong

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Thank you everyone for the replies. I think one of my biggest concerns is the feel of RWD vs FWD. I've always leaned toward RWD cars in terms of 'fun to drive'. I owned an Acura Integra GSR years ago with that fantastic engine, but I was just underwhelmed by the driving experience. I just need to get out and test-drive more cars!
I had a GSR too, a sedan. It improved a lot with summer tires. I enjoy the Civic more cause it has so much more torque, it also feels more premium. I like driving my 330i more, but not by a large margin.

I'd certainly not choose the Civic Sport if I didn't care so much about practicality and mpg though.
 

takemorepills

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Having owned E90 BMWs (335i & 328i) & currently a W203 C230 Mercedes, your maintenance costs will be significantly lower with the Civic than the Bimmers. Yes, my Euro rides have the edge in performance & quality but when they do break, you better have a trust fund or an extended warranty at the very least. Case in point: my W203, which has been maintained meticulously, both dealer & independent service, took a dump last week - EIS/ESL failure. Initial quote is $1,500 for parts, labor = TBD. Have an extended warranty which covered the tow to the dealer & my rental car. Mind you, it had been running trouble-free for 60K miles at this point.
You think that's bad? My friend has a newer RAM 3500, the turbo let go at 40K miles. The total bill for repairs was $6500 out of his pocket (out of warranty by time). And this truck was $65K slightly used a few years ago.

2017 Subaru BRZ with Performance Package option. If you need more power, Jackson Racing makes a nice supercharger package for it.
I strongly contemplated a BRZ/GT86 with the Edelbrock supercharger. I really like the BRZ/GT86, kinda reminds me of the 4th gen Prelude, but RWD. Such a simple car too.


Not all German cars are so bad. I see tons of old hoopty BMW's and VW's on the road all the time. Something must be going right for those old cars.
My GTI is very easy to work on, and with advanced tech tools like VAGTech or OBDEleven, almost any problem can be "seen" with an inexpensive OBD adapter and smartphone. And the parts for the GTI are very reasonable. Being a former mechanic, I can work on my GTI myself, bypassing the expensive dealer. My biggest concern with the GTI for long term reliability is all of the plastic engine parts. I haven't looked closely at CivicX, but I would guess that the CivicX uses about as much plastic crap parts as my GTI.
BUT, yes I have seen some German cars be very very expensive to repair. The W12 VW would be a nightmare to work on, and many BMW's are just constantly needing nagging, expensive repairs.
We have also had bad luck with our Subarus.
German cars are best for lease. Japanese cars are best for long term ownership. German cars have a better "experience" during their first years while they are reliable. Japanese cars feel cheap, but becoming endearing as they continue to run with little repair needed.
 

1WickedCivic

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Not all German cars are so bad. I see tons of old hoopty BMW's and VW's on the road all the time. Something must be going right for those old cars.
Agreed. My E90 335i ran like a beast before the HPFP gave out & BMW settled when there was a class action lawsuit because of the HPFP failures for 2007-09 models. I probably had between $20-30K in mods on that car (I was able to recoup most of the cost when I returned her back to stock). One of the best cars I've owned, even with the HPFP issue.

Also had a Mk3 GTi VR6 w/ VF-Engineering supercharger on it. That one blew its cylinder head after 155K miles.
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