Is it still worth it to buy second hand Honda Civic 97-99 model?

[jheloperez]

I'm planning to buy this December and any inputs will be appreciated.
Advantage/Disadvantages?
Or if you have any suggestions, of what would be better to purchase, that would be good as well. Second hand car with almost the same budget as second hand civic 97-99 model.
Thanks in advance.

[[archie]]

i have a LXi 2000 and have been with me ever since brandnew.

advantage:
reliability
looks
parts (cheap and easy to find)
good fuel economy (i get 11-12kms/l)

disadvantage:
high resale value (disadvantage for buyer)
more than a decade old car = wear and tear is imminent

im assuming your budget is playing around 200k-230k. if so, you can look for 2000 - 2001 lancer, 2000 corolla love life, exalta. from these choices, ill go for the love life.

pero bias ako sa civic ek kasi i own one and it never failed me.

[ben_david19]

as a 2nd hand or 3rd hand or 4th hand etc buyer, I recommend not buying a car badge with a high resale value like Honda or Toyota.

with a 97-99 Civic, you can get a fresher 2001-2003 models of Nissan Sentra or Mitsubishi Lancer. it doesn't mean that a car with a low resale value is not reliable, talagang yung badge lang ang basehan diyan.

[voltscastillo]

the 1996-1998 models are starting to look dated. quite a few have been abused by boy-racers clueless about cars but want to run and look fast.

the real gems of this generation civic (aka, the EK series) were the 99-00 models. malaking bagay yung external refresh na ginawa ng honda dito... kahit itabi mo sa mga bago ngayon mukhang ok pa.

mahal ang honda for a 2nd hand car... but sa presyo you get a reliable engine (wag lang nag overheat sometime in the past), comfortable ride and interior and the badge. its like buying a sports shoe... adidas is adidas and nike, is well, nike. your choice between mediocre or premium brand.

i personally won't be buying another honda anytime soon. marami na rin magagandang choices ngayon... dati you had a choice between a corolla lovelife, lancer EL and a civic (sa civic nako kahit mahal ng 50K++ that time, in 99). now, marami na lumabas na maayos, at yung mga hindi ko mabili nun ay abot kaya na ngayon, like the galants, and cefiros na 1M+ nung 99, ngayon 300K na lang at most.

medyo maintenance intensive kasi honda. oil should not be too thick otherwise puputok mga seals, valves and tappets need to be adjusted, timing belts changed, thermostats replaced, tranny fluid must be HONDA, etc etc...

[GTi]

Hell yes! But then, always get the facelifted ones, the newer the better. A well maintained VTi, let alone an SiR will still be able to keep up or even smoke some of today's compacts. Besides the power, its also thrifty due to the high output, yet small displacement VTEC engine.

[impulzz]

if you can get a well maintained EK... why not. just look out for those "abused" ones.

ganda pa din kahit simpleng mags at skirts lang, and projector conversion

like this one from http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2238014

[GTi]

Yes... and the later facelifted EK models look even better. I really like the redesigned rear and the streamlined front. I find the design even more modern than some of the current offerings in the market.