My boyfriend bought this car in June 2006 (it was 1 year old at this point). He pays almost £900 for insurance with Arnold Clark (whom he bought it from - he was aged 22 at the time). That's fully comp, and includes business class 1 terms, so for his first car and own insurance policy (no other drivers), I think it's not too bad (insurance group 6). Elephant.co.uk have offered him a quote of almost £650 with 1 years no claims. Again, not too bad.
I drive the car on occasion. It's maybe a bit slow off the mark (it can feel as though the gear grinds between 1st and 2nd), however, other than that it goes through the gears with ease. You can feel the power of the engine when the V-tec kicks in, at around 60 mph. The car has good fuel consumption. My boyfriend uses his car every day for work, quite a lot at weekends too, and he uses £35/week. Honda state the fuel tank can hold 50 litres of petrol but I've put in just over 40 litres before and it's full to the brim, and that's with virtually an empty tank beforehand.
The car has lots of features. Its standard manufacture includes side skirts and lowered suspension, so gives it that sporty look and feel with no added cost. It also comes with a rear spoiler and 16" alloy wheels as standard, adding to the sporty feel of the car. My boyfriend has the blue version, which is different to the usual black and silver, so makes it stand out a bit more.
The car has 4 cup holders - one conveniently placed at the right hand side of the steering wheel for easy access whilst driving. A large McDonalds drink can easily fit in each of them. In each door, there is a compartment for a mobile phone, or you could sit it in the front cup holders - both are within easy reach! One thing to notice is that the gear stick deviates from the norm - in the civic it is mounted at the bottom of the dashboard! Personally my boyfriend prefers it here, saying it is easier to reach and maneuver, however it does take a little time getting used to it! Underneath the front cup holders is a 'secret compartment'. It is large enough to hold approximately 6 CDs or to hold other valuables. It does come with a sliding 'door' so that should you need to leave the car, u can hide away any personal belongings out of sight. Both the driver and passenger seats are sports racing seats, with plenty of room, leaving you feeling rather comfortable.
All potential buyers should note that here is a common fault with the electric windows - not the electrics themselves but they do rattle frequently. My boyfriend has had his fixed twice within the space of three months. It is covered under the manufacturers' warranty though.
Buyers could go for the Type R, however, the only difference to the Sport is that it has a 2 litre engine (so would cost a fortune in petrol) and has different standard wheels. It also is in insurance group 16!
Overall, this is a good car. My boyfriend would highly recommend it, whereas I'm slightly more reserved. It is very sporty, from the engine to its very nicely designed exterior and interior. It is definitely worth looking into - but make sure the service history of the car is available when you buy it, as a couple of other issues have arisen during the past year - but I think that was more to do with the previous owner than the actual car!
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Feb 5th, 2007
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