1996 Honda Civic Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Write a review
I had just graduated from college, and was out to buy or lease my first car. I was about to leave the Honda dealer when the salesman pointed out a brand-new Civic still on the truck. Half an hour later, I was test-driving a car with 17 miles on it, and two hours later, walked out after signing my first lease.
My new car was a manual transmission, 5-speed, dark green Honda Civic EX. The interior was a soft grey. As soon as I learned to work the stick shift properly, I loved jumping from second gear directly into fourth. I always felt like the Civic was my partner in crime, and we loved taking mountain roads like we were a sports car and a stock car driver.
After two years, I had to turn my baby in. My only complaint was how uncomfortable the seats were. I had tried everything to increase the comfort level, including pillows, mats, and different seat positioning. After that experience, my next car was as comfortable as I could find (a Volvo), but I will always have a special place in my heart reserved for my green Civic.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1996 Honda Civic
Write a reviewUser rating:
by Francisco O
Jun 17, 2013
Gas saving, reliable car, bought it at 240000 miles, and have not had a problem yet! Hondas are truly amazing cars, I just wish they were a bit better looking. It is definitely the right car for a college student with not much money! Jun 17, 2013
by Evan W
Oct 22, 2011
Great overall car on a budget! Bullet proof! There aren't too many cars on the road like the one I had. I miss the car on a daily basis, and wish I could get my hands on another one! The performance wasn't necessarily there, but for someone who's interested in modifying cars, as we all know, this is the car for you!Oct 22, 2011
by Dylon H
Nov 27, 2010
performance is decent. Brakes very well. Handles well. No squeeks or rattles. Appearance- you can think what you want. Costs of ownership- great mpg. Not many expensive repairs, just normal wear n tear (wheel bearings, tie rod), funnest car ive ever driven!Nov 27, 2010
User rating:
by Francisco O
Jun 17, 2013
Gas saving, reliable car, bought it at 240000 miles, and have not had a problem yet! Hondas are truly amazing cars, I just wish they were a bit better looking. It is definitely the right car for a college student with not much money! Jun 17, 2013
by Evan W
Oct 22, 2011
Great overall car on a budget! Bullet proof! There aren't too many cars on the road like the one I had. I miss the car on a daily basis, and wish I could get my hands on another one! The performance wasn't necessarily there, but for someone who's interested in modifying cars, as we all know, this is the car for you!Oct 22, 2011
by Dylon H
Nov 27, 2010
performance is decent. Brakes very well. Handles well. No squeeks or rattles. Appearance- you can think what you want. Costs of ownership- great mpg. Not many expensive repairs, just normal wear n tear (wheel bearings, tie rod), funnest car ive ever driven!Nov 27, 2010
by Fernando C
May 07, 2010
very good car besides the mileage is 60000 km which is practicly new and has a
very good acceleration and its automatic which i prefer. dark green good steering it
almost never fails. has a good fuel usage, it gives me about 12 per km on the city,
and in highway about 18km per literMay 07, 2010
by Elisa P
Mar 22, 2010
All the damage has been mine. Severeal recks and pleanty of body damage, but she still is runnin like a champ! The paint has dicintigrated off of the hood... not my fault... I think because of heat and age. I'm impressed that after all the accidents she's still on the road! Yay!Mar 22, 2010
by Mitchell W
Dec 04, 2009
performance lags, braking ok, handling is great
my hook lever broke so crap
appearance is below par
cheap to own and maintain. these cars last forever
out of 10 this car is a 4. needs a turbo or nitro setup Dec 04, 2009
by Axel I
Nov 06, 2009
It's starting to fall apart due to its age. Some rust in the rear fenders and on the hood. Not the most inspiring car to drive, but it's pretty reliable. Has 11000 km on the meter and I think I have som electric problems, it's hard to get it started when it's been left undriven for a while.Nov 06, 2009
by Azam L
Oct 27, 2009
sporty. light. fast. rare item. jdm parts. quick accleration. good handling with tein soft hi low absorber. need to convert to k20 engine. save gas. low mileage. the vtec is really fun to drive. exterior and interior need to be well taken care.Oct 27, 2009
by Ahasan S
Aug 03, 2009
Well Honda Civic is ma passion. Above all i like the speed, the shapes and sports look.. In the next when i will gonna change my car i would like to go for Civic again. Wish i could drive the latest civic which will come very soon.Aug 03, 2009
by Brian B
Jul 29, 2009
Averages about 30 mpg city driving and about 40 highway. Fun and quick little car to drive. Built like a tank. There's never been a time where it has stranded me or not started or anything. No problems at all. Through all the heat and cold, always starts, runs, drives. Look forward to driving my baby into the ground. :) It's a Honda, what else would you expect ? ;)Jul 29, 2009
by Dimitar S
Jul 14, 2009
* Performance - fast, easy to maintenance, cheap
* Build Quality - I only change oil filter/air filter
* Appearance - it is good looking, despite it is almost 15 years old
* Cost of Ownership - about 6/100 benzine
* Fun Factor - it is absolute fun to drive this car.Jul 14, 2009
by Brian K
Feb 11, 2009
Great little car, not bad size on the inside, I am 6'5'' and fit comfortably, drives nice, gets outstanding gas mileage, could use more power, very reliable, replaced clutch at 159k miles, 10 gallon tank, 36-50 mpg, is a very basic car, no power steering, no power windows, no power locks, no ABS, but is still a very solid carFeb 11, 2009
by Scott L
Jan 20, 2009
The occasional scheduled maintenance and a repair here and there but those repairs could of been avoided if the previous owner had taken better care of it. Roughly 30 mpg city and 34 highway. Scratches and minor dings here and there but to be expected from a 1996.Jan 20, 2009
by John P
Jan 06, 2009
this is a good car for the preformance with out wasteing any extra cash for gas. The thrill of being able to drive it is above anything i have ever felt in any other vehicle. beyond that the fact that it always is looking good with out to much have to do by me is a large factor in why i purchased it. Jan 06, 2009
by Ben Z
Nov 22, 2008
Old reliable - over 12 years old and still kicking! Slow as crap, but the handling is great. Still manages to look good even though its old, and the insurance isn't nearly as bad as other cars. Even though it's slow, it's still fun. I would certainly recommend this to a friend, as long as they don't want to race it!Nov 22, 2008
by Adhitya W
Oct 23, 2008
Best look in Honda!!!! Japanese style rules!!!! The interior quite nice and the exterior is the best.... u can modify all u want... a little duck tail, front lips, sportkits, coil over spring... and the best thing is... it's mileage!!! and off course... The VTEC Engine... a little turbo doesn't hurts...Oct 23, 2008
by Jacob G
Sep 22, 2008
pros: great on gas, enough power to get me there, handles well, its a standard
cons: mine burns oil a lot of oil, not enough pickup to impress the ladies, as a
standard 5th gear is strictly used on flat highways.Sep 22, 2008
by Tyler E
Sep 02, 2008
My sisters car. Well it still runs! That is Honda Quality
for you. It has 110,000 miles and runs amazing. Just
re-painted and detailed so it is a bit nicer. No real
problems as of yet. Great gas milage as well around
40 mpg. Great car to run around in. Sep 02, 2008
by Brady R
Sep 02, 2008
I love my car. Ive always loved hondas. The most trustworthy car i couldve asked for. Right now im working on the performance of it. the cost to operate it is small, good on gas and not much maintenance to do on it. Its alot of fun to drive and will be more so when im done.Sep 02, 2008
by Thomas H
Aug 31, 2008
Build to last, Designed to impress :-) Haved own en Honda Civic VTI with Turbo, with 361horsepower at 1 bar´s pressure, and it was the funnist car i have ever owned :-) At 180km/t it would still make wheelspin,if you gave it full throttle:-) Was kind of the fastest car with in Denmark 2005 with frontwheeldrive :-) Miss like crazy!!!Aug 31, 2008
by Fabio S
Aug 07, 2008
this was a nice little car....overall i liked it but it lacked a few things...performance was probably one of them...i was thinking of doing a motor swap but then a bought a 06 civic...so just sold it....but to sum it all up the car was great....nice little red hatchAug 07, 2008
by Colin D
Jul 20, 2008
Performance - Quite quick, got induction kit and
exhaust system. brand new brake pads so brakes
are sharp and solid, handles very well.
Build Quality - Honda - Japanese cars are always
built solid.
Costs - Paid £1000 for it and it is very good on
petrol, £20 has lasted me over a week before and
I
was driving every day.
Fun Factor - Love driving it, makes a nice sound
from the exhaust and the sub woofer in the back....
Jul 20, 2008
by Nicola A
Apr 03, 2008
It was so reliable, and ran forever on a tank of fuel. Boring as anything thoughApr 03, 2008
by Andy P
Mar 28, 2008
great as a commuter or weekend racer!Mar 28, 2008
by Mark C
Mar 10, 2008
I drove this car in the Philippines. It was very reliable.Mar 10, 2008
by Ahmad A
Jan 27, 2008
I love it. It is reliable until you put unreliable parts on it.Jan 27, 2008
by Anonymous
Jan 07, 2008
Great car for streetracing or daily-drivenJan 07, 2008
by Asgeir T
Dec 31, 2007
A basic transportation car that was owned by my girlfriend. No problems with the car. It was sold to a russian guy in the fall of 2007.Dec 31, 2007
by Brian C
Dec 21, 2007
this 1.4i has coupe' brakes and is low to the ground. very sound , very easy on the eyeDec 21, 2007
by Luka J
Dec 20, 2007
Its a very nice car with great performance, a little bit tuned... with some styling aftermarkets...Dec 20, 2007
1996 Honda Civic Pricing
Original MSRP
$10,350 to $16,660Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
