Potential New Owner - A Few Questions

Hey all. Strongly considering a Civic for my next car. I'm coming from a pickup and moving into a commuter car that will regularly have 1-2 kids in in with boosters or car seats but it won't be the primary car for moving kids around. Anyone use their Civic for this?

Considering the LX, Sport and possibly Hatchback models if I'm buying new. Alternatively, I have a used 2016 LX with 22k miles on it as an option as well.

The oil dilution thing, real or overblown (if I went with a hatchback)? I live in Iowa, so it's a fairly cold climate.

I've heard the hatchback has a smaller backseat? How much smaller?

Why is the sport model rated for a MPG less on the highway? Added weight? Also, what's the consensus on the sport? Worth it for the added features over the LX?

Thanks

My brothers wife sold me her Civic (sedan) because she wanted an SUV to make it easier to get my Nephew in and out of the backseat.
The Oil DIllution thing is only a potential issue for the 1.5T, an LX would not have that issue and unless your regular drive is less then like 10 minutes to work then it's really not an issue, the issue would be living in a cold climate and not driving it long enough to give it time to burn off everything.

Daniel644 said:

My brothers wife sold me her Civic (sedan) because she wanted an SUV to make it easier to get my Nephew in and out of the backseat.
The Oil DIllution thing is only a potential issue for the 1.5T, an LX would not have that issue and unless your regular drive is less then like 10 minutes to work then it's really not an issue, the issue would be living in a cold climate and not driving it long enough to give it time to burn off everything.

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Yeah our other car is an Odyssey. So this isn't the primary kid mover. Really trying to decide if I need anything bigger or not.

Probably leaning toward the LX or the Sport just to eliminate any uncertainty about the turbo.

The rear seat room in a civic sedan is enormous, almost verging on mid-size car level of space. The hatchback has ~1.5 inches less rear leg-room, which is noticeable but not a huge difference. The sedan sport and hatchback sport are very different, as the sedan sport has the 2.0L NA engine (which is likely the reason for the lower MPGs), while the hatchback has the 1.5L turbo. Both come in either manual or CVT transmissions. It looks like for the $1-2k more you'd spend on the sport sedan versus the lx sedan you get bluetooth connectivity, fog lights, alloy wheels, an exhaust tip, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

I was also looking at the sedan and hatchback. I settled on the HB due to the overall convenience it offers. I have owned both types through the years but mostly hatchbacks. Every time I've had a sedan I've always regretted it. Good luck.

I watched a civic hatchback punch it at highway speeds the other day. There was a definite white puff of smoke when he first stepped on it. Is that likely some of the gas in the oil mix getting burned off?

I'm not sure if it's gas and oil but I see that happen on lots of cars.

If you find an '18 LX 2.0; you can avoid the oil dilution, possible Sensing issues, and you'll be able to upgrade the stereo easily.

I didn't want the Sensing. And I didn't want a turbo. But I had to be able to upgrade the stereo. I bought a '19 Sport (with paddle shifters) before realizing most of the above.

Point of my post is that the LX gained the Sensing for the 2019 year.

Oil dilution is real, I'won't buy a car with a know issue.
Many car mags I read write don't buy it

Seems like an equal amount of people saying the oil dilution isn't a big deal and people saying stay away. Did they actually change the engine in 19 or just update the software at the factory?

The ones that are saying it's not a big deal are the ones that own it and realize it's a non issue. The ones that are saying stay away are those that don't own one and have read about some issues such as the poster above. I own a 2017 and have very minor dilution in the winter and absolutely none the other 8 months of the year.

There is no reason to be overly concerned unless your daily commute is very short and the vehicle is not getting warm enough to burn off the minor fuel dilution that's present in any direct injection turbo.

There have been some extreme cases (mostly in Crvs) where alot of fuel accumulated in the oilpan although these were the exceptions and not the norm.

Most of the car has oil dilution. I think you should take public transportation for life.

julianzh said:

Most of the car has oil dilution. I think you should take public transportation for life.

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Dilution like Civics ? You are wrong.
It is only in Honda car I heard oil dilution

Wookiewok said:

I watched a civic hatchback punch it at highway speeds the other day. There was a definite white puff of smoke when he first stepped on it. Is that likely some of the gas in the oil mix getting burned off?

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white smoke is water, likely condensation.

pretty impossible to detect oil dilution from exhaust since minimal oil is supposed to reach the engine combustion chamber. by then, you'll only detect severe oil combustion by black smoke.

@Wookiewok I went from a Sonata to the Civic sedan, and like you I have two still in booster seats. Absolutely no issues with space. Have even had four adults in it, and no complaints. I went with the Touring, as I prefer leather seats for ease of cleanup when the kids make a mess. Bought a used 2017, and only had for about a month, so not long enough to notice any dilution issues. I debated for a few weeks over the Civic, as, like you, I was concerned about the oil dilution. But after lots of research, I felt it wasn’t enough of a concern for me. I love the stereo, but the tweeters definitely need to be updated.