Honda Civic Coupe LX 2002 Review

Good Points
Reliable as they come. Fuel efficient. Well equipped.

Bad Points
Front shocks fail quickly. Dull driving experience. Somewhat underpowered.

General Comments
Just wanted to add my impressions and experience over 5 years of owning this car without going over the basics that most know, I'll keep this brief. Overall the car has been painless to own, never leaving me stranded and without any major components failing except for the front struts which is seems to be an issue with the 7th generation Civic. The OEM struts leak prematurely and getting them replaced by Honda with the same shocks will only lead to another failure. I replaced the front struts with Monroe Sensa Tracs at my expense at around 80k and the car rides better than it ever has. Note that the OEM struts started to leak LONG before 80k, I just put up with the rough ride for 2 years.



Engine idles as smooth as new after 90k. Clutch is still fine. Air conditioning blows cold. Power windows all functioning but moving much slower than they used too. All other power features seem work as intended. All in all this has been a reliable city and highway car with no real surprises. Fuel consumption is very low but this should be no surprise considering the small, underpowered engine. But that's the nature of the car and it works as intended as a economy sedan. Worth noting that the Civic is lighter than most of it's competition and therefore can get by with a less powerful engine. The competition that came out for the 7th generation Civic made the Honda look and feel dated a little before it's time, however.



I would recommend this car to someone who needs reliable transportation and the peace of mind that a Honda provides, but someone who is looking for a fun to drive car with some personality should look elsewhere.