considering 5th gen covic hatchback - common probs?

[dlb]

hi, i'm a prospective civic owner. a friend recently made me aware of the incredible mileage that the 5th gen civic hatchbacks get so i've been reading a bit on them. fuel economy is the most important thing to me so i'm looking for a VX but would be fine with a CX—i'm in canada and it appears the VX's were only available here '92-'93 so i'll consider myself lucky to find a good VX.

my question is: what are some common problems with these models, and what should i look for when checking them out? i have lots of experience wrenching, mainly on 80's/90's toyotas, so i'm fine checking the usual stuff but if there are particular spots that are bad for frame rust, or common problems with the engine or trans that i can look for, i'd love to hear about it.

sorry if this is in the wrong section of the forum. i can't seem to find any other 5th gen subforums besides this technical one.

thanks in advance.

 

[JeffBel]

Go with the cx if you want fuel economy. Everything I've heard is they get the best fuel mileage because they're the lightest.

 

[emerican]

I moved this thread to off topic. Please reserve the technical sections for technical questions.

 

[mymmeryloss]

Vx gets thr best mileage but the cx and dx are a close second.

Any of them will be fine.

Rear fender rust is normal as well as high mileage. But its a honda. Preventative maintenance can keep these running forever just like your beloved toyotas!

 

[connies96hatchie]

I've owned 92-94 year CX hatches over the last 10 years and the first thing that I notice that goes on them is rusty quarter panels. Check inside of the wheel wells with a LED flash light and feel the body to see if it has been replaced or just bondoed. If it is undercoated well enough, you might be better off continuing with the process once you get it. Second, the tach stops working after 150k miles. Nothing a swap out for another one can't cure. Trailing arms are weak on them as well as tie rods from the factory.