My 1990 Civic Wagon Rocks !!
lalunette
familEE
Hi all !!
I've owned my wagon since June 2004. Anyhow, I needed a new ride that could handle trips to the cottage, as well as transporting my 3 kids and my Husky/German Shep. I was out car shopping on my Tomos moped and happened on the wagon quite by chance... I actually went to this dealer to look at the Toyota van they were selling... At first I wasn't sure what I was seeing... it looked like a Civic but had 4 doors and a hatchback... and I knew I had to test drive it.
I bought my 1990 Honda Civic Wagon after owning a crumbling 1990 Ford Aerostar (by the way, I will NEVER buy a Ford again). The wagon had 355,000 kms (about 222,000 miles) on it. I went for 2 test drives, haggled over the price ($1,900 CDN) and took it home. According to the original owner’s manual and CARFAX, the vehicle has always been insured in a small prairie town about 45 minutes outside Winnipeg. Not being a city vehicle, it was in great shape (inside & out) for its age & mileage. There were a few surface rust spots and some gravel dings but these were quickly sanded down and painted over.
The wagon passed the Manitoba safety but I found out this does NOT mean that all components are 100% good. I had both axle shafts replaced (approx. $360 CDN) to eliminate some pesky vibrations. In doing so we discovered the oil pan gasket was leaking and needed to be replaced (approx. $160 CDN). While the car was up on the lift I had a look at the muffler and decided to replace everything rear of the center pipe (approx. $100 CDN for parts and 2 hours of sweat equity compared to the $500 CDN estimate I received). I recently had the belts changed, bought 4 new tires, had 2 new front struts installed and had a complete tune-up performed. Come spring I’m going to tackle replacing the bushings on the trailing arms and install 2 new rear struts, as well as addressing some rust issues below the driver door and on the hatchback.
The engine (original) runs like a top, the interior is roomy and clean and the car shifts & handles like a beauty. The mileage is high but that,s OK for a Civic and it doesn't burn oil (like my previous Ford & Dodge vans).
LIKES:
Roomy – I’m 6-foot 2 and I have lots of leg & head room. Even with the driver’s seat all the way back, an adult can still sit in the rear seat. My 3 teenage kids have lots of room and our German Shep has loads of room in the trunk area. With the second seat folded down I’ve moved a computer desk and night table (one trip).
Visibility - Great with windows all around and the fact that you sit higher than most Civics, I can see clearly ahead and around.
5 speed standard - This helps get a lot of peppy response from the relatively small engine. I’ve owned vehicles with 3-litre engines that had less response.
Low-tech - Everything inside is manual (windows, locks, etc). No electronic gizmos that will breakdown and are expensive to fix (like my Ford, again!).
Aftermarket AIWA CD player & speakers - My teenagers helped me pick this out. It also has an AUX plug for the portable MP3 player.
Turning radius - Great to be able to do a 3-point turn in a tight spot or do a U-turn in an intersection without worrying about running out of room.
Parking - It parks on a dime and is amazingly easy to parallel park.
FWD - Front-wheel drive is great !!
Driving this car:
Well, honestly, it’s a little bumpy & noisy but new struts and tires have smoothed out the ride. The standard transmission is great in city traffic since I can put the car in neutral to coast or downshift to slow down. Dropping down a gear is great for those moments when you need a short boost of power to change lanes and leave the automatics behind. The car is very responsive for a wagon.
I plan on driving this wagon until something major dies and costs too much to replace. Right now the TLC it’s getting will enable me to squeeze a few more years out of her.
Long live my Honda Civic Wagon !!!
I've owned my wagon since June 2004. Anyhow, I needed a new ride that could handle trips to the cottage, as well as transporting my 3 kids and my Husky/German Shep. I was out car shopping on my Tomos moped and happened on the wagon quite by chance... I actually went to this dealer to look at the Toyota van they were selling... At first I wasn't sure what I was seeing... it looked like a Civic but had 4 doors and a hatchback... and I knew I had to test drive it.
I bought my 1990 Honda Civic Wagon after owning a crumbling 1990 Ford Aerostar (by the way, I will NEVER buy a Ford again). The wagon had 355,000 kms (about 222,000 miles) on it. I went for 2 test drives, haggled over the price ($1,900 CDN) and took it home. According to the original owner’s manual and CARFAX, the vehicle has always been insured in a small prairie town about 45 minutes outside Winnipeg. Not being a city vehicle, it was in great shape (inside & out) for its age & mileage. There were a few surface rust spots and some gravel dings but these were quickly sanded down and painted over.
The wagon passed the Manitoba safety but I found out this does NOT mean that all components are 100% good. I had both axle shafts replaced (approx. $360 CDN) to eliminate some pesky vibrations. In doing so we discovered the oil pan gasket was leaking and needed to be replaced (approx. $160 CDN). While the car was up on the lift I had a look at the muffler and decided to replace everything rear of the center pipe (approx. $100 CDN for parts and 2 hours of sweat equity compared to the $500 CDN estimate I received). I recently had the belts changed, bought 4 new tires, had 2 new front struts installed and had a complete tune-up performed. Come spring I’m going to tackle replacing the bushings on the trailing arms and install 2 new rear struts, as well as addressing some rust issues below the driver door and on the hatchback.
The engine (original) runs like a top, the interior is roomy and clean and the car shifts & handles like a beauty. The mileage is high but that,s OK for a Civic and it doesn't burn oil (like my previous Ford & Dodge vans).
LIKES:
Roomy – I’m 6-foot 2 and I have lots of leg & head room. Even with the driver’s seat all the way back, an adult can still sit in the rear seat. My 3 teenage kids have lots of room and our German Shep has loads of room in the trunk area. With the second seat folded down I’ve moved a computer desk and night table (one trip).
Visibility - Great with windows all around and the fact that you sit higher than most Civics, I can see clearly ahead and around.
5 speed standard - This helps get a lot of peppy response from the relatively small engine. I’ve owned vehicles with 3-litre engines that had less response.
Low-tech - Everything inside is manual (windows, locks, etc). No electronic gizmos that will breakdown and are expensive to fix (like my Ford, again!).
Aftermarket AIWA CD player & speakers - My teenagers helped me pick this out. It also has an AUX plug for the portable MP3 player.
Turning radius - Great to be able to do a 3-point turn in a tight spot or do a U-turn in an intersection without worrying about running out of room.
Parking - It parks on a dime and is amazingly easy to parallel park.
FWD - Front-wheel drive is great !!
Driving this car:
Well, honestly, it’s a little bumpy & noisy but new struts and tires have smoothed out the ride. The standard transmission is great in city traffic since I can put the car in neutral to coast or downshift to slow down. Dropping down a gear is great for those moments when you need a short boost of power to change lanes and leave the automatics behind. The car is very responsive for a wagon.
I plan on driving this wagon until something major dies and costs too much to replace. Right now the TLC it’s getting will enable me to squeeze a few more years out of her.
Long live my Honda Civic Wagon !!!
Comments
Many wagon owners share similar affection for their wagons. They are great cars.
passion from building unique rides said to buy her and make her crazy so the how shadow came to be and i'll never stop let her go she has been a member of my new family since 2002 and i'll die with her in the garage next to my secord toy my 2005 hayabusa thank for hearing my story