> When mated with a 5spd tranny, it's the best Civic ever made.
> > When mated with a 5spd tranny, it's the best Civic ever made.
>
> really? just curious why youd say that. not that im disputing you- i
> have a 98CX, 5-spd. 48k miles and i could easily see myself keeping this
> car another 15-20 years. no matter how tempting the scion xA is to me!
The 96-00 model is a perfection of design/specification that began in 1988.
The previous Civic models had a weak chassis (not suspension) and a weak
engine (ok, for normal driving but tended to fail from hard driving over the
long term). In certain areas in Toronto, every other car is a Civic and I've
yet to see a 96-00 (and up) spoiting blue smoke.
Back in 2000, it was possible to obtain a double wishbone (front & back)
for $14,000 (Canadian). Today, it will cost $25,000 (minimum) to obtained a
car with the same suspension setup (in the form of an Accord or Mazda 6).
The Accord and the Mazda 6 are the only mainstream front-drive to offer the
double wishbone suspension in the front. When compared to other sedans, the
Accord and Mazda 6 will always capture 1st and 2nd place. It doesn't make
sense that a heavy weight like the Camry can get edged-out by a new comer
(Mazda 6), unless you factoring in the capability of the suspension system.
5 years ago, it was possible to get the same kind of suspension for $14k.
> im a big fan of the 88-91 gen civic. always have been, although ive
> never owned one. i like the low cowl, wedgy profile, and that they
I've spent many hours in the 88-91 Si Hatch and raced against them countless
time. At the time, I had a 90' Corsica V6, while one friend owned a 90 Si
Automatic, and another friend owned a 91 Si 5spd. Surprisingly, the 91 Si
Hatch was able to out perform my V6 Corisca from 0 - 180 km/hr (my cut off).
I also, liked the wedgy looks and ability to look slightly down and see the
road (instead of the instrument panel).
> offered up a really nice Si hatch.
>
> honda could have sold a lot more 96-00 hatches if theyd offered one with
> an EX or integra motor, maybe a few power amenities, like windows and
> locks... and a sunroof. but then whod want a integra?
I think the front double wishbone was becoming too expensive to make, for
it's economy class. Honda needed to come up with a new mold that was less
expensive to assemble.
Also, the company made a huge mistake by putting inferior tires on the 96-00
Civic which hid the suspensions capability. Instead of getting top rankings
in the comparisons test, the car ended up mid-pack.
Pars