Buying 2nd hand car Civic 97 or Corolla 97

[niky]

Wait a minute, are you including taxis here? Or are you referring to 1.6-liter private cars only?

Also, isn't it that an engine with more torque tends to be less stressed? The way I understand it, high-revving engines have to work harder because more RPM is needed to accelerate at a certain speed. The low-rev 4A-FE can reach a particular speed at less revs, can't it? One of the tsikoteers I met before has a 97 Civic VTi M/T, and one of his complaints is that it feels sluggish with 4 people on board. It drives happier the lesser the passengers. The Corolla I drive still pulls strongly even with 3 other people, thanks to its class-leading grunt. Performance loss is less compared to the Honda.

I guess Honda had to make sure the internals of their engines are very good to make up for their torquelessness. Detractors say Honda is after topping the bhp charts because people who are not so literate in cars get attracted with more power while overlooking torque.

That much is true... (referring to weakness under full load) I guess the thing is that Honda engines feel so powerful when there is one person in the car that drivers are often surprised at how slow they feel under a full load. I've noticed this with the SiR's revvy 1.6 as compared to a 2.0... with a full load, you have to push it more because the torque peak is high up. Engines with lower specific HP output but higher torque don't suffer as much. Doesn't mean the Honda engine is weak, though... A Honda Civic with a full load is still as quick as a Toyota Corolla with a full load... it just needs a few more revs to stay at the same speed.

Sadly, it's true that a lot of people buy into the HP part of the equation without considering torque... and that's one problem Honda's high HP engines have always had. But that's part of the game... it's hard to get both HP and Torque out of a specific displacement... just look at Toyota's newer 1.8 Celica engine, which feels even more gutless than the B16 down low because its torque peak is up in the stratosphere...

Honda engines are not over-engineered because they're torqueless... they're over-engineered so that they can rev high, period. It's engines like these (D16, B16, Nissan SR20, Mitsu 4G63, Toyota 4AGE) that are valued in racing not just because of their specific power output, but because of their inherent durability.

The high-revving nature allows the engine to be both quick and economical. In other words, you can either drive it quickly or economically, but not at the same time.

[oldblue]

yun ba corolla 97 same body as corolla 94 EFI? and I'm sure that the civic 97 vti is practically the same as civic 96 vti.

we've owned both. the corolla got totalled. the civic got carjacked.

I miss the civic most.

[simpsonseclaire]

yun ba corolla 97 same body as corolla 94 EFI? and I'm sure that the civic 97 vti is practically the same as civic 96 vti.

we've owned both. the corolla got totalled. the civic got carjacked.

I miss the civic most.

sir oldblue, could you compare your maintenance cost between the two cars? This would really help a lot thanks!

[simpsonseclaire]

really having hard time deciding which car to buy. More suggestions please!

[oldblue]

bata pa kasi ako noon so I never really did take notice of my dad's maint bills.
accdg. to my dad, civic parts are more expensive than corolla parts but honda parts last longer. corolla parts are cheaper but average ang life. suma total, ganun din. you just pay addl. premium on honda for longer time to replace. before my dad owned corolla efi and civic vti, nagkarun din sya ng civic esi and corolla gl. so I guess kaya nya na-compare ng husto bec. he owned 2 consecutive models of both brands.

but do take note na these are late 90's facts. we're not familiar anymore with the later model civic & corolla kasi hindi na kami nagkarun nun.

I've driven all four cars and for me, I really preferred the hondas. in fact, kung i-rank ko sila. 1. honda vti, 2. honda esi, 3. corolla gl, 4 corolla efi. with 1 being the highest. but that's me.

[easydeal]

IMO, I bought a car in 1997 and since I was pouring all my savings at that time, I did a thorough evaluation then. Money was not part of it, since I wanted the best car I could afford. I even did a test-drive of the Corolla, Civic, Lancer, Sentra. Finally, I chose the Civic ... here's why:

- unbeatable VTi engine (its like having 2 engines in 1, one for low rev and another one for max rev ... the corolla pales in comparison)
- unparalleled auto-transmission (its tranny is sooo intelligent that you worry about the gas pedal and the tranny will adjust for you ... comparing it to the corolla ... ayayay )
- great suspension (double-wishbone all around ... new models have cheaper front suspension now)
- highly reliable (just like the Toyota)
- honda prestige (you won't see a taxi bearing a honda logo)
- good customer service (i interviewed some technicians from the casa and was most impressed w/ honda & nissan)

I used the car for 7 years and enjoyed each year. It was a fun to drive, and reliable, as honda claimed it was. It ran 70tkm when I sold it to my sister. She is still happy w/ it and won't part w/ it for a new car. Up to now, only the aircon had to be fixed.

As for the maintenance, honda original parts IS indeed expensive. But there are OEM as well as replacement parts available to bring down your cost. Overall, I still recommend going for a Honda Civic.

[mazdamazda]

honda prestige (you won't see a taxi bearing a honda logo)

I guess BMWs are not prestigous because I've seen a few yellow plate 520is around here and more in HK & Singapore.

[the lark]

civic

[theveed]

a 97?... definitely a civic...

[rtp]

i purchased a 97 vti very recently...swerte ako dahil kahit na relatively mataas ang mileage eh ma-alaga naman yung mayari. lahat ng dapat palitan napalitan..with orig parts pa..ayaw niya ng replacement..ultimo brake pad...walang bangga or anything..just very small scratches sa ORIGINAL paint. all i can say is..i'm glad i followed my heart!!

[an0nim0us]

If M/T - CIVIC VTi, handsdown!
- Tipid sa gas
- big interior space (kasi maliit yung seats hehe)
- it is great as a daily drive because clutch pedals are soo easy to modulate , hindi ka masyado pagod.
- stock stereo sounds decent! you may have to add CD changer tho.
- suspension is the best in its class (all four 2xwishbone). . .
- a/c is very good

whatchout for or check these things before you get a unit:
- tierods and bushings (madali sya masira - mine got replaced after 3 years)
- Windows get stuck easily (maybe because the motors are weak/slow than of other cars)
- brakes are not that good (no ABS, rear drum)
- rust around the windshield (front and rear)
- rust near the batt compartment or the batt holder.
- plastic headlight lens gets dirty easily (pwede DIY clean yan)
- timing belt (replace to be sure)
- fan belts
- tires
- alignment
- oil leaks


IF A/T - go for the 97 up Corolla:
advantages over the civic
- interior looks and materials are better
- more comfortable ride
- seats are much more comfortable (mas makapal and mas malambot)
- you have leather options on the SE-G
- cheaper maintenance
- tranny is better than the civic, shiftshock is hardly felt. Never ako nagin g owner ng EK Civic A/T, just a short drive experience from Manila to Batangas.
- build quality is better (i cant explain exactly but try to 'feel' the car (interior, exterior, the thugs when moving, it's just different, the Civic seems mas manipis ang kaha, plastics??)

disadvantages (vs CIVIC pa rin):
- smaller interior space (not sure if it is because of the larger seats)
- engine doesnt sound great when past 4500rpm (maingay na)
- exterior styling (no offense sa AE111 owners incl my dad hehe)
- Taxi car (if that even matters to you)

I'm comparing CIVIC EK (M/T) and the Corolla AE111 (A/T) - own experience.

[wrcastro_ph]

EK 97 ka na bro. ano pa ba?

[oldblue]

yup napansin ko nga iyan kapag may sakay ako mga classmates or friends with our previous Hondas, parang humihina hatak pag may sakay. probably bec. I got so used driving a very responsive car alone. even in our 1st gen Honda CRV, ganyan din.

[finchy18]

if M/T go for CIVIC
if A/T go for rolla

[theveed]

I find it extremely amusing when people claim that it's "prestigious" hehe.

Like what you said M2, low-class ang bmw, mb, volvo, vw, audi, etc dahil taxi lang sila sa karamihan ng ibang bansa (wala kasing hondang taxi sa europe...)

[rh88]

* Korek ka dyan Sir Theveed, nakakatuwang isipin dito sa Middle east maraming Benz ginagawang taxi ibig bang sabihin nyun less prestigious ito( dahil dito walang hondang taxi )he!he!he! Pero karamihan ay Camry at Altima ang pinapasada at ang pampastol ng Bedouins sa mga camel ay puro LandCruiser!

[BoEinG_747]

* Korek ka dyan Sir Theveed, nakakatuwang isipin dito sa Middle east maraming Benz ginagawang taxi ibig bang sabihin nyun less prestigious ito( dahil dito walang hondang taxi )he!he!he! Pero karamihan ay Camry at Altima ang pinapasada

yes name it,
(for city taxi)Camry(2000 up model),Altima, Cressida ,Galant ,Cefiro
(airport taxi) Benz,Buick,CrownVictoria & Caprice

and they call the taxi in Middle East as "Limousine"

* ang pampastol ng Bedouins sa mga camel ay puro LandCruiser!

hehehe ,sinabi mo pa at para ka naka kita ng REVO or Adventure sa daan na kaliwat kanan kung nasa Manila road ka ,
sama mo na din ang Suburban

[masterboy]

I find it extremely amusing when people claim that it's "prestigious" hehe.

Like what you said M2, low-class ang bmw, mb, volvo, vw, audi, etc dahil taxi lang sila sa karamihan ng ibang bansa (wala kasing hondang taxi sa europe...)

Mag kaiba naman kasi ang level ng mga taxi dito and sa ibang bansa.

Sa canada nga galing ako dun lately mga taxi eh mga Honda Civic Hybrid Im sure miliones dito satin yun at maraming din Toyota Prius un Hybdrid din.

But its still remains prestigous kasi luxury ang Taxi sa kanila. Kala ko nga parang pinas lang na mura lang ang Taxi balak ko sana sumakay sabay natawa sakin mga pinsan ko. Ginto daw ang Taxi dun aabot ng 50$ or more ang isang average ride in and out of the city.

Unlike satin un mga peeps na walang car eh taxi tlga like me. Kahit everyday twice a day ka mag taxi afford.

Kaya cguro ganun ang reputation ng Corolla. Specially that drivers often dont maintain good physical appearance ng mga corolla usualy bulok in and out ng mga taxi.

Nagkakaron tuloy ng perception na Madaling malaspag ang corolla although depende lang tlga sa owner un.

[finchy18]

Corolla is still my choice.

[slicker_boi]

Prestige is not determined on what the car can or cannot be turned into. Critics say Honda doesn't allow their cars to be used as taxis because their suspension is not tough enough for everyday heavy load and the bad road conditions in the country. A Honda dealer claims it's a value issue - resale is lower for public-use vehicles.

I'd define prestige as the honor a car earns out of the things it can do, how long it can do them, and how well they're done.