1998 Mk6 Honda Civic Lift Back Goes for a Drive

[@Driven247]

Thanks for filming my Honda Matt, pleasure meeting you and what a great video you made of my little, sentimental Honda, the elderly lady would have been proud to have seen how well you spoke of her pride and joy which is now mine ❤️

[@lesrogers7310]

Your Honda is a lovely little car and i like it very much.

[@Driven247]

@@lesrogers7310 thanks check out some of my videos on my Honda too 😝

[@volvo480]

@@Driven247 when lockdown is over, do a collaboration with Steph and Carly (miss HubNut), that would be massively fun to watch.

[@Driven247]

@@volvo480 yes I love them! Good idea! Thanks for the comment x

[@davidwilson7579]

Great car had one myself learned Honda and Rover came together rover with its nice interior and dash board Honda shell that's why you see rover's with Honda Engine's you know then the engine will last you see a lot of rovers with the same interior

[@dontpanicblink]

i had a 97' R, Sicilian red, civic ( bought in march 2013)had it for almost 6 years yes it was 1.4 90bhp but that little engine loved to rev and was so sweet,handled brilliant steering brilliant, between oil changes every year , i think i only needed to top up twice and that was only about 1/4 litre a time. the seats were brilliant driving position brilliant , drove down from angus to tebay cumbria with out stopping and had no back or leg pain,car handled very well and was good fun, the interior was solid nothing ripped or broken and everything worked. it never failed to start and never broke down i , i had 100% faith in the car's reliability it would have drove to london with no issues iam sure. bought it for £700 from car sales, with full history not all honda but serviced every year, with around 98500 miles on it and got rid of it at about 144000, i traded it in( feb 2019) for a corsa1.2 limited edition ! i got £245 for it, it had the cam belt done only about 1500 miles before parting with it, do i regret parting with it ? yes and no , the main reason was rust it was undersealed but spent £ 350 one mot on welding, but the rear wings were rusty i did try to fix it but just quick fixes. nothing major went wrong just the usual brake discs /pads a few times. bushes and 2 clutch slave cylinders , front shocks on last mot before getting rid .check out is mot history if you want,R408LJU, i did see it up for sale a few months after getting rid but has never been mot'd since, scrap yard i guess but the corsa newer safer and only had 24000 miles ,but july 2020 some young woman drove in to the back of it and yep , insurance company declared it a total loss. never mind back in a honda now , a 57 plate i-ctdi accord sport

[@bambloozr9951]

1.5 vtec? Best petrol engine ever made in history of humanity. 5,5 liter per 100km. Imaculate reliability. Good power. No new engine ever surpassed it.

[@paul1153]

Nice to see the original stereo still in place.

[@alansmillie1364]

How is your volvo doing any video coming up on it

[@galaxycruiser]

Thanks for the video Matt, I purchased one of these for my daughters first car it was a 1.4 manual she insisted on a retro ride. Unfortunately after 4 years of loving her Honda she had an accident on a narrow Cornish lane on the ice and flipped it, she was shaken but not hurt. We then tried to find another as it was either another Civic Mk 6 or a Volvo 240 after a long search we found a lovely low mileage example just 32k its a 1.6 auto we were looking for another manual but this one was to good to miss its a ES model so complete with leather wood and Pioneer stereo, she is very happy with her new Honda.

[@abcbcd1834]

Great video mate. So much nostalgia for this car. Grew up in the back of it. It was the first car I drove once I got my licence. Had to sell it for scrap as we were hand-to-mouth for a while. One of the most painful things about being poor looking back on it. Swear I'd go back and buy it off of my parents if I could now. Really miss that thing. Red just like this one too. Lovely car

[@petersimpson5859]

Peak 90s, all the ability and refinement but none of the electronic nannying. Also the joy of hot feet, a clear screen and cool air to prevent stuffiness.

[@garethpowell7501]

Rovers and Hondas of this era mean alot to alot of people, that you took the time to review such a car , is brilliant. Keep up the good work.

[@Driven247]

The Honda means a lot to me, thanks for watching!

[@mattylamb9194]

Very capable, overlooked cars

[@Elvis_TheKing]

The best thing (and the only thing I miss) about my old Rover 45 was that cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel. So handy for the placing of house keys, mobile phone, wallet. Now all that jazz has to go inside the central arm rest. It just isn’t the same.

[@garysimpson3900]

Civic & Jazz are the "older generation" vehicles of choice.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The good old D Series engine. Prone to cam cover gasket leaks, but apart from that, as long as the cam belt is changed at the specified intervals and it is serviced properly, they are very, very reliable. They will even keep running without oil or coolant in extreme conditions. Fantastic condition, remarkable to have a CD changer on a relatively basic car like this. Loved the music at the beginning with the drone shots. We do love the HH-Rs, don't we?

[@jonnygti]

When I got rid of my 1998 1.5 vtec, it was on 150 odd k, there was oil in the coolant expansion reservoir, well the threads on the cap were black and gunky, so I’m guessing something was seriously wrong with it. But I bought it modified, so it had probably been driven everywhere like it had been stolen I expect, so that wouldn’t have helped

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@jonnygti , yes, quite possibly there may have been head gasket failure or similar going on there. Driving it everywhere like that may not have been the most helpful thing for engine longevity...

[@jonnygti]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting yeah, but it wasn’t driven that way in my ownership though, I had it a good few years. Never mind, it wasn’t an expensive car, and I got my money’s worth out of it!👍🏻

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@jonnygti , the D-Series engines can blow head gaskets, it is a myth that it is only Rover K-Series engines that do it, but it tends to be far less frequent. Either way, getting your money's worth out of a cheap car is one of the great pleasures of life.

[@rayfordham9230]

I had a 96 1.6 VTI brilliant car, economical (around 45 mpg on a run). Not a lot could stay with it because from 6.000 to 8.000 revs it really moved just when everybody else was changing gear, a precursor to todays TYPE R. wish I still had it

[@heed17]

Used to own a ‘96 3 door 1.5i LS back in the day. One of the best cars I ever owned - well built, nippy 115hp engine and 45 mpg all day long with the econo light which shut off one of the intake valves on the cruise 👍

[@jonnygti]

I used to have a dark green one like this, it was a lovely pearlescent colour that changed to bluey turquoise when the sun hits it. It wasn’t standard bodywork wise, had big 5 spoke 17” wheels, side skirts etc, tinted windows. Was a very cheap and reliable car, exactly what I wanted when I was younger.

[@nicwilson89]

@@jonnygti Ahhhh, that's the colour I have! Unfortunately in the space of a year since I nabbed it, what had been extremely well taken care of bodywork is now a bit of a mess and I'm not sure if the colour is still available should I wanna just try and re-spray or wrap it after fixing all the damage, and finding panels that are the right colour has been annoying...I only paid 220quid anyway, had 120k miles on it and came with a buncha spares, Haynes manual etc

[@jonnygti]

@@nicwilson89 I think these days any colour is possible? I know for example, Halfords used to say”if we don’t have that colour we can still make it”

[@nicwilson89]

@@jonnygti Hmm, I didn't consider that. I've got an MOT booked with Halfords soon (a free one because I bought a £1,50 sponge haha) so I shall ask about it then

[@jonnygti]

@@nicwilson89 yeah but I’ve got a funny feeling they don’t do in store mixing anymore, I remember asking in my local store in Worcestershire, they said they stopped doing the mixing due to the fumes. I’m not sure if that applies to all stores. Or try Honda, you never know they may be able to mix the exact paint code, I’d imagine they would have more equipment than Halfords. Worth a go. I can’t remember the colour name, but it was definitely pearlescent, lovely colour 😎

[@garageamsterdam]

0:56 Dont know if mentioned before but it's actually part of the EG family. The technical base of the car is similar to the EG Civic. It's more like the Civic gen 5.5

[@alexj629]

Best car I had one for years

[@ChrisJackson-cq4zk]

I had two of these my first was a MA Civic had the Domani font end 1.6SR VTEC and my last one was a MB Civic Sport 1.4 non VTEC. Two of the best cars I have ever owned. One thing some of the standard kit that was in in the Civic was a option on the Rover like a passenger air bag I man what on earth ? . A friend of mine had the Aerodeck 1.8VTI Twin Cam VTEC and my god that thing was awesome. My last one still on the road 21 years old now and still as reliable as a Honda should be. The 1.5 had a special feature if you hit a certain speed and it would go into the Economy mode and a orange light would come on the dashboard. Very underrated cars indeed.

[@blueinquisitor2000]

Great video. I think it's a lovely car. I've just bought my Grandad's '95 mk 6 Honda Civic - Only 44k miles on the clock!

[@imnotamechanic3491]

The only experience I have ever had with one of these was also the fastest journey of my life. Mid-00's and I was a teenager on a weekend trip with the Boy's Brigade, awaiting my lift home with another boy's step-dad plus 2 more boys I was being told how fast he drove the car, I was skeptical that a 1.4 could do 115mph with a full car, however, I was about to find out that this was perfectly possible but able to be sustained for many miles, as we did a 75 mile journey (from near Cambridge to Norwich) that should take 1hr 20min in just an hour! I learned a couple of things on the journey, Ultima GTR owners don't appreciate being overtaken (twice) and this wqas the drivers second such car as he had blown the engine up on the first!

[@batiusfinkius2923]

In a past life working at a Honda main dealer we looked after several of these. Always belonging to more mature drivers, always polished to the very highest of sheens and almost always baikal green metallic. They, like this one, also did next to no mileage annually and frequently I would put 10 to 20% or more of its yearly total bringing it for service and mot. I once worked out that adding tax, mot, insurance and a main dealer service and mot annually (plus the negligible fuel usage) that for the mileage most were doing (presumably a weekly trip for groceries) the owners could have hired a limousine service every week to collect them, wait for them to shop and then ferry them home.

[@repo4]

I owned one of these for 3 years but with a 1.4 engine. Brilliant car. Teached me how to slow down and relax on the road 👍It's long gone but it still lives on the streetview, has been there for 9 years now 😊

[@resist4184]

nice, the exact model I used to have in same colour! brilliant car - so good ended up getting a green 1.8 VTi later with 8000+rpm redline. high speeds were too easy to achieve - which just seemed to be too fast for the chassis...

[@SpitfireFortyFour]

My Grandfather has had one of these for the past 15 years, replacing a Rover R8. It's an automatic, it's incredibly slow and absolutely bulletproof. I must say it feels cheap compared to my Rover 45. It's noticeably louder when driving, the interior materials aren't as nice and its developed far more trim rattles and squeaks. The only issue to me is the suspension, presumerably they were going for the tide of the Rover and the handling of the MG. Unfortunately what they actually achieved is crashy and rough in standard roads and floppy in the fun twisty bits. It's still good against most of its competitors but drive it back to back with a 45 or ZS and its a bit wonky. Overall though no complaints about it. Its been so reliable actually complaining would be madness. He's 92 and is perfectly happy driving it about. Interestingly despite being higher specced than this one it doesn't have a leather wrapped wheel.

[@davidhayes4814]

The Honda/Rover alliance should have been made in heaven, if such a place exists. Honda’s reliability and engineering matched with Rover’s style seemed perfect.... like my first marriage. My reliability and her style....... hey some things just aren’t meant to be.

[@FrightfulAccountant]

The Honda days were the best Rover days, but Rover never could shake off the reputation damage nor the cash drain the SD1 had done, and Honda never managed to figure out the European market. This old Civic is a glimpse of how diffrent things could have been...

[@johnbrereton5229]

​@@FrightfulAccountant Rover couldn't shake off being asset stripped by British Aerospace and then by BMW who also broke the company in two and left the rump to whither. Honda was the only brief ray of sunshine soon extinguished by BMWs acquisition.

[@billgriffiths1685]

The gauge always shows to help fuel thieving back in the day.

[@seancooke4127]

Above All It's A Yangcheng YC 7150. Also who would have thunk that Vauxhall actually sourced the horn for the Corsa from Honda in Swindon.

[@adamtoms2726]

Takes me back to the mid 2000's my Mum had a 96' 1.4i Civic 4 speed auto 5dr. A fantastic car. It was going to be mine when I passed my test, and stored in a garage for two years. We did a quote and being 17 it was crazy money, so we traded it in for a Citroen Saxo. It fired up straight away first turn of the key with a new battery, we couldn't believe it.

[@furiousdriving]

Its a Honda, it will always start!

[@hv54wxt]

The big vent on top of the dash isn't the window defrost/ demist. The large vent is for rear passengers. It still has the normal vents to demist

[@HughMacDonald20]

Watching this reminds me of how surprisingly comfortable my Rover 45 was. Quite a chuckable little car.

[@Rico_G]

It might be rare in the UK, but we never got the 5-door hatch at all in the States. Thanks for the drive!

[@nicnak4475]

Brilliant bullet proof cars ! Loved selling them as never got any back with problems and the owner always bought another Honda or Toyota, when they finally wanted a change.

[@promerops]

My own car/daily driver (when I can prise it away from my son, who also used to own one) is a 1999 Honda Ballade 1.5, built at the Mercedes Benz factory in East London. MB SA no longer build Hondas, that fairly long-standing agreement came to an end some years ago, with the result that Honda cars sold in this country are now fully imported from Japan. Unlike this low mileage beauty, my Ballade has some 350 000 kilometres on the clock. It still looks very good though - the previous owner (I have had it for some six years) was fanatical about keeping it in showroom condition. Quite a lot of the cabin arrangements are quite different, from this example, on my car - perhaps surprisingly... I have owned my fair share of cars and bikes in my time and there is a good chance that, at 71 years of age (me, not my Honda), this will be my last car. With the basic 1.5, SOHC, 8-valve engine, it is certainly no ball of fire, but that at least stops me from picking up as many speeding tickets as I did in its predecessor (a BMW E39, 523i). Fuel economy, although nothing to write home about by today's standards is actually very good. I agree with you about the handling and ride - excellent - and the brakes, which certainly need a very hard shove, especially if I have been driving a contemporary rental car for a while. For my tastes my Honda has just the right amount of electronics but not an oversupply, as per so many cars these days. Thanks for another great video.

[@VictorMaxol]

Amazing, I had to look this up. I thought I knew about the history of Honda but the MB Ballade was news to me.

[@jkk244]

Only 23K miles, but all that corrosion on the engine valve cover is crazy. Here in mostly dry Texas the aluminum and cast pieces in the engine bay (and in the suspension too) stay factory fresh throughout the life of the car. So it kind of shocking to see it all corroded like it’s been at the bottom of the ocean.

[@furiousdriving]

Its very damp in the UK, you can see sun rain and hail in the same video here

[@alextoft9199]

Ah love this. All the switchgear and feel of 90s Rover / Honda stuff is as Alan Patridge would say 'liquid childhood' 😅 Makes me feel safe. To see one in timecapsule condition like this is fabulous! 🙂

[@Driven247]

Thank you!

[@Jay.Treacy]

8:41 I own a 1998 EJ9 civic coupe and the fuel gauge also stays where it is. From what I’ve been told they rely on a little float in the tank and it moves up and down on hills. Who needs accurate fuel readings anyway 😊

[@michaeltutty1540]

Great review of an interesting car. She sure is immaculate. My mind boggles at the low mileage. I have to compare that original owner to my mother. Ma bought my Arthur new as her 60th birthday present to herself. Over the course of the next 25½ years, Ma managed to accumulate some 200,000 miles on the clock. She took ill and had to stop driving at that point. In the 5½ years since, I've managed to just about double the mileage. Seeing a low mileage car of that vintage is always a treat. I'd almost be afraid to drive a car like that very much as it is just too glorious!

[@edwinreid8355]

I still see some of these driving around. A former friend of mine still drives one of these models on an M Plate.

[@terryatkinson899]

Amazing story about the little old lady, I knew of someone the same, she had her husband's car for year's serviced and driven by the garage as she couldn't drive and he'd died, she had a mk3 escort and when I saw it it had 12k on it.

[@eggy1962]

I have an old ladies car an 08 nissan note 1.6 auto i bought it 18 months ago when it had 5500 miles, she had it 10 yrs and did 4000 miles it was as new...

[@fhwolthuis]

It doesn't look like much on the outside, but to be honest I love this black interior with the dark (photo?)wood and the lovely trim and upholstery. Very nice car! 👌🏼

[@mattylamb9194]

I thunk they are very graceful on the outside too. Really like the shape of them

[@grayfool]

Have cars got any better since this era? Personally, I think they just got more toys and less reliability. This has everything you need and nothing you don't. It drives very well and can carry people and stuff. Sounds like the definition of daily transport, doesn't it?

[@jo05dk]

Modern cars are around a million times better to be in a crash with, but other than that i agree.

[@jasonk7072]

And modern cars are considerably more efficient, with lower emissions and better economy. But that has to be balanced against a level of technological complication that will most probably make many uneconomical to repair after a couple of small failures.

[@grayfool]

@@jasonk7072 Does all the extra complication really make for a better car though? We've passed the point of diminishing returns by a long way now. Drive for a few years, the electronics die, throw it away, buy another, repeat. I would suggest that the gain in emissions and economy is blown out of the water by the built in obsolescence.

[@jo05dk]

@@jasonk7072 ..and the resources it takes to build these massively complicated cars. I left that part out because trying to balance things out in this area is beyond me. ..but speaking of cars being uneconomical to repair: Peugeot and Citroen had issues with their 82hp 1,2L 3 cylinder non-turbo engine. Some of them had to be replaced. Here in Denmark replacing that little engine cost the equivalent of 5800£. Imagine what one of the more complicated engines will cost, when it explodes... 😱

[@munnsie100]

Lovely to see one in as-new condition, especially with the original Pioneer sound system. Love the old Pioneer logo. Great story about how the current owner came to know and eventually own the car, hats off to her! It was meant to be.

[@richielodge9537]

I have the same car but its an mb3 sport. It's a pleasure to see someone review it so well 😃

[@ciaranmurray6623]

Much more restrained but classier stying than the current model Just can't warm to current honda styling.This is arguably the best honda ever

[@huwdavies6650]

I have driven a Rover 400 saloon from that generation. It was a rather nice car to drive. It was also rather nice to look at in British Racing Green.

[@odin5188]

I bought a MY2000 1.4s of these as a run around car in 2014 while my sport car was being upgraded. I hated the look of it, but man oh man are they reliable I went from London to Fort William in it twice in 2 months back and forth (1600 miles in total) no issues at all. Always started, ended up keeping it for 5 years, just so cheap to run. Miss that car but i wanted a bit more luxury, I reccommend these cars to anyone, only paid £500 for mine, sold it for £650 haha!

[@owensteele1274]

8:30 to 8:35 The upholstery looks like the spinning pattern that blocks part of my vision at the start of a migraine.

[@nysun6293]

I had a 1998 cherry red 1.4. Best car I ever had. It just kept going. Amazing in the snow too. Deeply regret selling it 4 years ago.

[@jonnygti]

Tell me about it, mine was lowered on 17”wheels, side skirts, front splitter etc, it ploughed the snow on our road, clearing it for other people 😂😂😂

[@frothe42]

Did you get the Acura/Honda Integra? This five door reminds of the first gen Integra. Only a four door sedan (saloon) was sold in the US (just saw one last week), so this is such a pleasant surprise! V-tec engine was for the Si (could be wrong), I believe the lesser series (LX & EX) had a 12 valve engine, although I could have my decades all mixed up. Taillamps remind me of a 1994 Honda Accord! Interior typical Honda. While you stopped, the vehicle ahead of you at one time looked like a Mitsubishi Eclipse! I could be wrong about that, you over in the UK 🇬🇧 have such unique and varied models we never got! Excellent review, well done! Oh, before I forget, power front windows must be an EU thing, we always got either keep fit or full power windows. I think the sunroof was reserved for the three door Si model.

[@furiousdriving]

yes, we did, it was a great looking car

[@alexeden7570]

Absolutely brilliant car! My dad had a 99 model. Rover had the better interior but Honda had the better exterior styling for me. I Remember a red immobiliser key which we didn’t know what it was at the time. My dad decided to use it as I kept badgering him because red looked cooler and then realised the whole car was now a paperweight after using it! Safe to say we had a pretty embarrassing AA call out after that 😂 It’s a credit to its quality and reliability that I still see a fare few on the roads compared to other cars of a similar age and class. My dad’s kept going on the roads until 2017 with the following owner and 150k on the clock.It sailed through every MOT from what I could find so i hate to think it was probably ended by a scrap scheme :(

[@kevinnye5132]

When the young lady popped up seamlessly in the drivers seat of the Honda , I thought for a second you had gone all Hubnut hippie on us with the flowing locks , yellow beanie 😂. Nice car and as always interesting vid 👌🏻.

[@Driven247]

Hey thanks for the comment on my flowing brunette locks lol!

[@andrewduffield2322]

Used to have an MG ZS 180 which handled like a dream so I can imagine that these Hondas are a pleasure to drive

[@paulillingworth1242]

Looks just like Rover sat in drivers seat . I think the Rover-Honda cars were fantastic, if BMW hadn’t took them I think Rover would be still building some great cars instead of bust and now dormant.

[@coolstorybro9946]

Awesome car! My father bought brand new in 1998 and gave me in 2004. It still runs and drives great. It has 190.000 miles. We have the 1.5i LS version. Nice video and hopefully the owner saved it.

[@tripemonger8916]

It looks like nothing, but it drives like everything. - Matt Richardson 2021 Surely this is a @furiousdriving merch slogan waiting to print!! @Driven 247 What an amazing Civic Amber! I'm sure the lady who cherished it for so long, would be delighted to know how well you're treating her 👍🏻

[@Driven247]

Yes I would like to think so, I want to love the car like she did, nice words, thank you!

[@henryrodier8024]

Reminds me of a French car with power front windows and wind ups in the back glad it drives like a Honda though.

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

These were the best looking and most reliable hatchbacks that Honda ever made. I’m glad that they followed this design of hatch for their newest Civic. I’m not a fan of a hatch that resembles an estate.

[@willswheels283]

I always liked these Civics, they were the best shape. I never realised how much Rover influence went into the car either, so many similarities with the 400/45, I wonder how much is interchangeable, I wonder if that engine could be fitted to a Rover 400/45? Nice to see the original radio and cd changer.

[@kevinjohnson1958]

The Rover 400 Auto of this era had the Honda engine.

[@mattylamb9194]

The engines were fitted to some Rover 400s I think. Well, Honda engines certainly were. Some had the K series, others had Honda engines

[@monk3yboy69]

@ Wills Rover had no influence in the development of this car. Honda did it all. Rover was told to take the car or take the next flight home after a meeting. All Rover go to do was some exterior and interior styling . The rest is all Honda

[@jkk244]

Love the eerily beautiful drone footage coming down through the bare tree branches. Very cinematic.

[@Driven247]

Tell me about it Matt did a great job! Love how the video has come out!

[@Vtecdragon]

Just bought a 97' civic 1.4! really enjoying the smooth and care free drive!

[@markonmotoring]

My Grandad had the Rover version in the firm of the five door 416 SLi Auto. I suppose it was a natural progression having gone from a Triumph Acclaim to a a few SD3s and a R8 214GSI and 216 SLI auto. The HHR was a nice car but felt a bit less Rover than the R8 somehow.

[@chappy2121]

My dad had a silver 1.4is one of these back in 99-00 I think? If I recall the fabric on the middle rear seat and the outer seat edges was horrific to keep clean. Every bit of lint, or fluff from clothing used to stick to it. Good car though 👍

[@akafede4351]

I had this car, an MB3 '97 1.5ils e-VTEC. I loved the car, super cheap to run, super light and it looked good (like a car, nowadays it's something too much to ask for), a petrol car that sipped gas like a diesel without the soot and the clatter while not being overloaded with computers, distributor driven! lol, easy to diagnose even by an amateur mechanic like me, tranny and engine combo were indestructible, it was a solid car. Things that I hated from it tho were the stupid power windows, they were absolute garbage, I fixed/replaced them a shit ton of times, easily the biggest flaw the car had for me, also the exhaust line rusted quite heavily, and had some minor electric hiccups on the interior, but nothing big. That being said the thing would always start and take you from a to b, this car was the meaning of "it's fun to drive a slow car fast" or you could go the other way around and play to save gas by driving it to keep the econo light on (it was addictive for me lol), it would blow ice cold air from the AC despite being like 25 years old, despite mine being an absolute beaten unit it worked just fine.

[@brianiswrong]

Looking forward to this, I well remember cars from this time, having company Peugeots at the time.

[@andrewduffield2322]

It's nice to see the door fabric in such good condition!

[@ДмитрийМакеев-б8я]

I live in Ukraine and I was lucky enough to buy a Civic Aerodeck with low mileage Imported from Germany. this is really a car that you can easily fall in love with, everything is harmonious in it

[@nicwilson89]

I nabbed the 'sport' version of one of these in 2019 in fabulous condition for £220 quid with 120k miles on it, some spares, and a Haynes manual. It'd been locked away in a garage for a few years and the dude needed his garage back. The sport version basically just had a spoiler and probably some other features and that's about it. Stuff like aircon. I was surprised to discover it had heated wing mirrors. I've got the fake wood, too, and I love it haha Also reverse engineered the central locking controller and converted it to RF instead of IR. Unfortunately, in the space of a year, so far three bloody people have crashed into it and now what was the perfect bodywork looks like a total mess so I'm tempted just to say bollocks to it and junkyard turbo it and swap in a K series if it explodes. It was bought as a project car anyway but I had reservations about fucking around with it once I saw how good the condition was. It's pretty amusing with an open style filter on, actually sounds pretty cool inside at 7krpm without getting you into trouble because they're not exactly quick Was probably gonna swap the rear drum brakes for discs and swap the front discs whilst I'm on as, no, the brakes aren't particularly good.

[@supertrinigamer]

My Uncle who lived in Surrey had one since brand new up until 2012 when some wanker rear ended it sadly. Great car, loved it. Dark Green.

[@bobagosto6107]

By the way thank you for all you do, it gives me joy ! I would love to meet you some day

[@chocobloco214]

The chassis code is mb3 not ek but great vid

[@Random-nf7qb]

It's not related to the EK. It's got a MB chassis code and is a rebadged Honda Domani, which is based on the 5th generation Civic - EG or EH, depending on the engine size.

[@GrahamColeBiz]

If the fuel gauge is like the one in the Accord, it's not always on as such... when you fill up the needle doesn't move until you put the key back in. I always wondered how it works.

[@Roverjoe]

Im Restoring an MB6 Civic with the B18C4 engine in it, as a remembrance to my grandparents who owned it. hopefully it'll get back on the road :) Great video matt

[@rez1222]

i want one very badly, sadly they are way to rare and to expensive.

[@ghostything]

That's not an EK, they're the late 90s 3 door hatches, coupes and saloons. The European 5dr liftback Civic and Aerodeck are more closely related to the EG/fifth gen Civic if any (the Domani is basically an EG underneath), but they're known as MA/MB/MCs. This is made even more confusing as MA was also used for the Concerto... Also, Aerodeck (estates) have a conventional tailgate pull on the outside of the car, not in the footwell!

[@furiousdriving]

When I was reading up on these it looked like all Civics from of these era were under the umbrella EK, but then each sub model has its own code as well, one website said this is an EJ6 but no-one else did!

[@histriamagna1014]

Hello. My ex girlfriend had one of these. It was a 1996 1.5i v-tec 90hp. Wonderfull car. The only issue was bad handling when fully loaded. It was a pretty lightly built car.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Really nice car I still see a handful around where I live, mostly elderly owners who take good care of them.

[@seancooke4127]

Elderly car owners, especially elderly female drivers, should be loved and celebrated by those of us who enjoy motoring. It is because of them that we'll cared for time warp cars like this Honda survive for all of us to discover motoring in another decade.

[@cornishrider]

What a great car, very overlooked, got me looking on Autotrader as it would make a great modern classic daily driver!

[@ryano8768]

As the previous owner of a Rover 45 and a MG ZS180, I approve of this review... I better watch it too.

[@janpellegrom9649]

Amazing! My 1999 1.4 auto with 44k on the clock is currently up for sale 🙂

[@janpellegrom9649]

@louis paul freeman 5 door just like the one in the video

[@Driven247]

@@janpellegrom9649 oh very nice!

[@jamespayne6348]

Surprised when you said you don't see many! Still see a fair few of these around Luton, perhaps just surviving minicabs or something of the sort. Not common but certainly not overly rare!

[@furiousdriving]

Id not seen one in months, then yesterday just after the video came out I followed a red one..

[@johnpriceuk]

I had a 1995 prefacelift 1.4 automatic for a short while. It was superbly comfortable if not very underpowered. Crashed it ahh :’(

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

90s cars are the best

[@bobagosto6107]

In Europe , they also have a civic called the Aerodeck..

[@furiousdriving]

the estate version, Saab used a similar name

[@bobagosto6107]

I wish the USA would’ve gotten that car, We have the CRV, , you guys have that one Oddyssey , Civic Wagon- 1978-1991 Accord Wagon and HRV and Pilot I LOVED my Grandmas White Accord Wagon

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

@@bobagosto6107 estate

[@timhancock6626]

This Honda makes me think " who needs any more in a small/medium sized family car". Car design since then seems to have got more complicated for no real benefit to the end user. I drove a few Civic mk2 1500s in the late 1970s, and they went like stink, but were not directionally that well trained. This one was far far better all round and I'd happily drive one today. Would I swap it for the Alfa 164Twin Spark I had 20 years ago ? Not a chance ! This Honda is a complete beauty though.

[@chriseseigbe9768]

This Honda Civic reminds me of my poor beloved Honda Civic registration number: P138GEC. There is no day that I don't regret selling it due to wanting a bigger car for the family.

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

They have fantastic engines.

[@nicnak4475]

Yes they have been a favourite with banger drivers for years as so strong and nippy.

[@dokat25]

i have for the last 6 months a y reg mb6 2 owners i picked it up at 48k now on 57 k , just added petrol, birmingham to cumbria around 6 times a month.its a 1.4 sport, with a rear disc set up, and aircon, with a tape player, full honda sevice history, in 2010 it had done 32k

[@matthewmason2357]

I've got one of these as a daily (albeit a 1.6SE on a V plate)and can confirm they're great all-rounder cars. Also I'm glad you picked up on just how good the ride quality is!

[@furiousdriving]

Thats one of the best things about these

[@jim_jam_dseries]

Another brilliant video Furious Driving. I'd also like to add that in some markets, the 6th generation Civic was available with a CVT. No rocket ship by any means but a very refined driving experience nonetheless. And I know that because I drive one 1000 km a week.

[@bcfairlie1]

Oh my Zeus!. I had no idea that Honda used this exact body. I owned a second hand Rover 414 here in New Zealand. A rare model. Sadly it had the Rover K series engine and no surprises blew the head gasket after a short time. IF the Honda had been available here I would have bought it over the Rover, without second thought. I hate the K series engine. And besides Rover were poorly assembled. I used the sunroof and immediately the headlining fell out. The car was good to drive, while it lasted. That wasn't long. The head gasket blew. Although I have been a Rover fan for decades, this put me off Rover forever. Infact I got rid of my low mileage 825 I immediately after dumping the R8 414. No modern Rover can justify the appalling build and lack of reliability. Unless it is a P5 3ltr or before, I just don't give a s**t about Rover anymore. Here in NZ, no one less than 200 years old cares about Rover.

[@VeyronBD]

As far as I know this civic and the 400 are esentially the same car, for the european market they were both built in the UK, you could even get the 400 with a honda engine

[@alisterwest6987]

Ooh some one is upset I had 3 rover 45 great cars rover for me anytime 👍

[@sonnysting2663]

Very interesting engine with an exceptional fuel economy and a lot of revs to explore the 115 hp. It must be like new if it was owned by a senior lady.

[@Driven247]

She is like new, I love her!

[@RichieRouge206]

My neighbour had one of the last of these (X-reg) and it was a lovely car. It was a Sport run-out model and had carbon effect where wood trim normally graced the dash. Just had a lovely robust feeling about it! Haha love the Lego size guide 😂 Great video Matt and lovely car!

[@alansimpson835]

Another beautiful time warp car in awesome original condition. I am developing a real thing for cars with a sunroof/ tape player combo and this goes even further with its CD changer and the sunroof being electric. Love that seat fabric too and the Vtec should last forever.

[@Strike86]

Just bought a Civic Aerodeck with a very similar story to this car. It really is a lovely thing.

[@davidknowles5519]

I had a 1998 Civic in a lovely metallic green colour it was nippy very comfy and even though I was doing 18k miles a year in three years it never missed a beat

[@simongarner2036]

My understanding was that this era of 5 door Civic sold in Europe (lift back and estate) was a completely different car than the 3 door civic and the sedan sold elsewhere in the world. Instead it was based on the Honda Domani and was more akin to the previous generation Civic under the skin...

[@743degrees]

Yeah, it is basically the successor to the Honda Concerto. It would have made more sense to call this the Concerto in my opinion, but I guess Civic was a more popular and well known name.

[@Mech747able]

Ah a D15Z6 engine, also think these had double front wishbone suspension whereas the Rovers had mcpherson struts.

[@furiousdriving]

Apparently these had Mcpherson as well

[@robertsedgwick1629]

5:34 "nothing much to say under here" apart from the engine/gearbox the other way round from the Rover! lol

[@Birmingham_racing]

My friends have had these in the past but the 1.8 vti and vti-s versions

[@thedeadstig123]

I use to work with a old lady which owned one of these, it was mint too, it was even the "sport" model as you say you never see them anymore

[@johnclarke2997]

In my Rover 400, it has a traffic master clock which I don't recall being fitted to the Honda Civic. The TM clock was nothing special except it would flash up queue information, usually just after entering the said queue.

[@nicholasmcelroy4766]

Looks like new! Far better looking than our US-spec Civics. What are your plans with what is becoming a future classic?

[@Driven247]

My plan is to keep hold of her! ❤️