Turbo longevity and suspension types on gravel roads

[DeKay]

Hi folks

I'm hoping for my 2001 Civic (430,000km) to hang in there until the five door hatch comes out hopefully this fall and then decide between it and the sedan. Right now I'm going back and forth. I prefer the utility of the hatch, but I also will be putting a lot of miles on this thing: 60+ a day, of which about 18 miles are on gravel and most of the rest is highway. This daily commute has me concerned about the turbo: more stuff to go wrong, and having an engine compartment full of dirt and grit all the time doesn't help. Then there is my understanding that the sportier trim this car will be restricted to will have stiffer suspension and a likely rougher ride on the gravel. A quiet ride is important to me.

The normally aspirated engine and softer suspension in the Canadian LX sedan paired with the body of the five door hatch would be ideal for me, I think, assuming my assumptions are correct.

• the NA should be more reliable than the turbo for me in the long run.
• the softer handling of the DX/LX models should ride over rough road and be quieter than the stiffer suspension in the EX.

Am I getting this right? Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Edit: Also should have mentioned that the sportier performance and handling of the higher trims isn't important to me.

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[DeKay]

Anyone???

 

[kperalta]

Anyone???

I think some people have just answered the turbo question too many times. From what I understand yes more components means more to go wrong. Given the reliability of Honda engines as a whole I think assuming the turbo is going to just break is a little wrong. Turbo cars in the past have lasted many many years with a few very vocal bad eggs that come alongside anything when anything goes wrong. I'm sure people felt the same when vtec rolled around. I believe it will be fine in the long run but just as anything that is said I could very well be wrong


As far as the roads go, there's one around where I live so I'll test it out and let you know.

 

[hondo]

I don't think the suspension is stiffer on the higher models. If anything, the rear hydraulic bushings on the higher trims would give a smoother ride. What might make the ride stiffer is the larger wheels on the higher trims. You could easily downsize so it would absorb bumps easier. Not sure if the turbo would be any less reliable than the NA though.

 

[FedCO]

I hit train tracks at 50km H. Car did better than I thought. Solid. No sign to say the tracks would be so bumpy. Car took it like a champ.

 

[Balto]

As long as you aren't running around without an air cleaner, dirt/gravel/etc etc the turbo won't be an issue. As for roads, it won't be any different that any other car.

 

[Jon Snow]

Had a strange thing happen today that may be slightly related. Wife was driving it, called me and said she had to pull over because she heard a loud metal noise start coming from the car. I came over and it turned out to be a small rock had somehow jumped up and lodged itself between the brake rotor and the rotor shield (a thin piece of metal) behind it. I just gently pushed the shield back from the rotor, working around the wheel and the rock dropped out. I assume it would have worked itself out or broken up eventually but glad it came out.

It seems really unlikely that it could happen when you look at how much space there is there, but it happened, and happened on a fully paved city street. So, it seems like this could be some kind of minor design flaw that could be an issue if you're driving on gravel/dirt roads a lot. If you hear a kind of thin metallic scraping sound coming from one wheel (not a deep metal grinding sound), investigate that. Be careful you don't get the rock lodged deeper toward the center by pulling back on the top and letting it fall down farther. You could try to loosen it from the sides and bottom, then move the car a half wheel turn and do the bottom again. Maybe try using a chopstick or something thin to poke it out.

Maybe just a weird isolated incident, but I've been driving for over 30 years and never had this happen before.

 

[DeKay]

Maybe just a weird isolated incident, but I've been driving for over 30 years and never had this happen before.

Driving on all the gravel I do, this is not a rare occurence for me and my 2001 Civic.. I just keep going and the rock wears down and works its way out. Scared the crap out of me first time I heard it though: it's loud!

 

[inv4zn]

Have you looked at the HRV? It seems to be a better all-around vehicle for your needs

 

[Gavnzdad]

The HR-V is awesome, my wife has one.

18 miles on gravel roads everyday? Daannngggg. You probably go through more tires than anything else.

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