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  1. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    14,825
    #21
    Quote Originally Posted by baiskee
    or try mo rin lynx, you can get a 2000 model in 97 civics/ corollas' price.
    my thoughts exactly...

    but between the two... go for the civic... though be wary of spare parts price.

  2. Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    155
    #22
    Quote Originally Posted by 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.
    sir oldblue, could you compare your maintenance cost between the two cars? This would really help a lot thanks!

  3. Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    8,837
    #23
    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.

  4. Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    109
    #24
    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.

  5. Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    99
    #25
    civic

  6. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,415
    #26
    a 97?... definitely a civic...

  7. Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    1,726
    #27
    Quote Originally Posted by niky
    High revving engines have internals built to withstand more stress. Honda's D16, while not as revvy as the B16, is one of these. Of course, both the D16 and the 4AFE are very reliable, but the D16 has the edge in durability, power and efficiency. That's why the Civic initially costs more with less features... you're paying for the engine.
    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.

  8. Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    24
    #28
    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!!

  9. Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    232
    #29
    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.
    Last edited by an0nim0us; April 27th, 2006 at 10:47 AM.

  10. Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    1,064
    #30
    EK 97 ka na bro. ano pa ba?

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Buying 2nd hand car Civic 97 or Corolla 97