# Honda Civic vs Cruze



## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

Lol, glad this didn't go where I thought it was going...

Yeah that instrument panel doesn't make sense. Trying to be too futuristic our space ship like for my taste.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

It drives just as bad as it looks.


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## mcg75 (Mar 5, 2012)

I will agree with everything said so far. I hate driving our 2009 Civic. 

But in 3.5 years, it hasn't needed any work and hasn't left the GF stranded once. If that would have been the same case for her Pursuit (Cobalt) then I'm sure she'd have a Cruze right now.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

The current (06-current) Civic has proven to be a typically very reliable ride for a lot of folks. It might not be loaded to the gills with technology. Sometimes that's a good thing, especially if it makes for a reliable car. My friends have a '06 Civic fully decked out, and it's been a very reliable car for them. 

Let's not do too much bashing. One of us will end up owning/maintaining a Civic one day...


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Will buy a new 1984 Accord DX, 1.7 L MT Honda any day its offered again, very reliable, always got 46 mpg on the highway, 33-34 mpg around town.

Did have one problem with it, one of my pups chewed up the rear safety belt, 160 bucks, Honda gave me a new one for free. Free lifetime warranty on belts regardless of the reason. Back then paid around $5,500.00 for that car, had cruise and AC, that is all I ever wanted. Unbelievable how vehicle prices skyrocketed since then.


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

It's going to get a lot worse in a few years Nick. 

Thank your elected officials for that one also. (CAFE regulations will drive up the cost of entry level cars by at least 15%).


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

I actually like the instrument panel design in the current Civic. Trouble is though, it's all plastic as the rest of the interior. I thought the Civic was the car that I was going to buy until I spent time test driving the Cruze. It all came down to a situation where I really could not go wrong with either choice.


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## giantsnation (Oct 11, 2012)

I have to defend the Civic on this one. The two-tier dash, while it takes some time getting used to, is awesome. I had an '08 Civic SI and the red gauges were awesome and the digital speedometer was easy to read. HOWEVER, for an automatic the giant RPM gauge would be pretty useless. Other than the instrument cluster, the Cruze is far better.

The Cruze does a nice of job being easy to drive. I remember when I let someone borrow my Civic, they said they were all over the road because of the two tier dash and couldn't figure out the gauges.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

sciphi said:


> The current (06-current) Civic has proven to be a typically very reliable ride for a lot of folks. It might not be loaded to the gills with technology. Sometimes that's a good thing, especially if it makes for a reliable car. My friends have a '06 Civic fully decked out, and it's been a very reliable car for them.
> 
> Let's not do too much bashing. One of us will end up owning/maintaining a Civic one day...


I have a good friend with an '09, and another that owned an '04 since new. The friend with the '09 is looking to trade it on a Hyundai Sonata (Turbo) because she's just bored with the car. We took that car on a trip where I ended up driving the majority of the way, and it was boring to drive and gutless.

The one with the '04 had a great car, but it finally needed a transmission, and she jumped ship because she hated the 12/13 so much to the Subaru Impreza.

Neither of them are what I'd call "car" people.

That said, at least the Civic is more exciting than a Corolla. But it's like comparing plain grits to plain oatmeal.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

giantsnation said:


> The Cruze does a nice of job being easy to drive. I remember when I let someone borrow my Civic, they said they were all over the road because of the two tier dash and couldn't figure out the gauges.


I've been in a Civic and my Cruze when driving through stiff cross-winds. The Civic was blown all over the road, while my Cruze was not affected. Something to be said for being a little porker of a car, it's not affected by winds up to about 40 mph.


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## rmass09 (Apr 17, 2011)

The only thing Honda has going for them is their factory in Ohio has a massive test track and Lordstown doesn't  Forget what they make at Honda Marysville.


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

Honda Marysville makes the Accord. They are picking up production on another model as well, forget which.


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## chaser x (Sep 3, 2012)

I just hope the paint holds up well on my Cruze against rocks flying off the road compared to the Mitsubishi i had before.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

My wife's 2012 CRV if I recall is built in Ohio. I was never big on Hondas, however I have been pretty impressed with the CRV so far.


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## vmaxed (Jan 17, 2012)

My Honda GoldWing (GL1800) was made in Marysville,Ohio


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

The civic is also built in Ohio along with the CRZ I think. I believe the two of the vehicles have over 75% domestic made parts as well


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Aeroscout977 said:


> The civic is also built in Ohio along with the CRZ I think. I believe the two of the vehicles have over 75% domestic made parts as well


Civics are built in Indiana and Ontario. The Civic is 65% domestic content Have to check on the CRZ. I have driven both '12 & '13 versions of the Civic. Two very different handling and looking cars (inside). The suspension and chassic were given an overhaul for '13 and the car is a bit heavier due to extra metal in the front area to pass the new 25% offset crash test. A '13 EX-L sedan with navigation is very similar in features to a '13 2LT RS Cruze with a moon roof. The jury is still out.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

Just checked the window sticker from my wife's 2012 CRV - says final assembly is East Liberty, Ohio.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

blk88verde said:


> Just checked the window sticker from my wife's 2012 CRV - says final assembly is East Liberty, Ohio.


East Liberty, Anna, Marysville. It's all Hondaland.


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## chrisholland03 (Oct 13, 2011)

I dunno, my '12 Cruze has been more reliable than my '08 Civic Hybrid was a year in.

:1poke:


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

GoldenCruze said:


> Honda Marysville makes the Accord. They are picking up production on another model as well, forget which.


I believe it will be the Crosstour.


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## milehigh (Nov 24, 2012)

I cross shopped the Civic (and many others) before deciding on the Cruze. The '12 Civic was nice, but I preferred the '09-'11 body style. I was not able to locate an EX with a manual transmission without a ton of miles. I drive 20-25k per year, wanted a low mile used (or a great deal on new) at the time. I chose the Cruze for many reasons, although the primary was the turbo for "assistance" at our relatively high elevation along with killer MPG.

I still miss a moonroof though...


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## Mikeske (Jun 19, 2012)

When I shopping for a new car last summer I looked at the base Civic and the base Cruze all with automatic transmission and air conditioning. The two tier red indicators was a instant turn off, but I was trying to be fair and drove the Civic. My comparisons were the Civic, Focus, Alantra, Mazda 3, Corolla and the Cruze. First off all I wanted was a quiet car inside, with as little road noise as I could get. 

The Civic lost a lot because the base was a total plastic car inside and the road noise was rather annoying at 60 MPH and was as noisy as my old 1994 Plymouth Acclaim at 70 MPH, I also found it rather crude in driving as it wanted to instantly jump around on rutted roads. I never had it during any windy days but some of my co-workers have Civics and complained that they are a handful in wind. The other thing was the Honda dealer was really stuck to his price and added dealer markup stickers. The Chevy dealer did not have anything added on to the Cruze other then destination charge. I found out later that my Chevy Cruze LS had a ECO model rear spoiler put on in error and I was not charged for it and it has no code in the glove box about the added on spoiler. 

The Cruze won out as the quietest of the group and almost as good as my Buick Park Avenue. Of course the Cruze does not ride as well as the Buick but it is also a thousand pounds lighter then the Buick and gets 6-10 MPG more on gas.


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## chaser x (Sep 3, 2012)

I hope the Cruze will be around for many more years to come and not just a few years and then poof gone.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

You just gotta find what works best for you. When I picked my car I wanted fun, reliable, and good MPGs. My civic is still in excellent condition and 200whp/36.5mpg @2780 lbs has fulfilled that requirement nicely. But...

Now that I'm older I still have no mind for anything larger than compact(minus a few other mid-sized/sport coupes) but today I would probably look at a Buick. The civics do have road noise (especially 9th gens!) and the interior on the new models was a slap dash attempt at creating an exciting interior by a guy with a plastic fetish. 


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## SCruze (Oct 20, 2013)

Well civics are one of the sportiest cars in its segment. I remember the day when i had to go to the bus station & driver drove the civic as if it was a sports sedan, that thing drove a **** lot faster than what my dad has got (corolla 1.8). His average speed was 72-74mph & that also in the city. The engine does a wonderful job in giving the power when you need it. 

But i think the ride was little Hard on the civic, & head support was also hard. But i really liked the civic's power when he puts in sport gear. 10x better than corolla. 

But the asking price does not go on par for what it does. That said, cruze might be a better car. I can see many cruzes around my area now.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Wife and I test drove the Focus, Corolla, Civic, can't even remember the vehicle names of the Kia, and Hyundai. Cruze seemed special to us. Well, a bit of extra bias having $4,600.00 earnings on our GM card. But if didn't have that, will still have purchased the Cruze. 

Having practically free over a 100K trouble-free miles with our 04 Cavalier also had something to do with it. 

Was a bit of a learning curve when first driving the Cruze, but after this stage is over, can really appreciate what the designers did.


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## giantsnation (Oct 11, 2012)

Had an '08 civic SI and it was clear from Day 1 this was a drivers car. I wouldn't call a Civic a race car but it had that type of feel - all sport and no comfort. However, it was extremely reliable and thanks to the LSD was great in the snow. The max 30mpg (driving like grandma), not so great.


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## marden64 (Dec 1, 2013)

When I seen the topic, I thought you were going to say that there was an accident and the civic was rode off and not a scratch on the Cruze.

When my neighbour side swiped me a few weeks ago, there wasn't much damage to mine ( broken light, a few scratches ), but his whole wheel well is dented in of his Nissan frontier.

I like Nick also test drove all of those cars and it was up to two, the Focus and the Cruze. I picked the Cruze because of the GDI engine the Focus has in it.


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## Pukwudgie (Nov 13, 2013)

I'm not a car guy myself but honestly I think all Hondas are just ugly as sin, I can't stand them.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Pukwudgie said:


> I'm not a car guy myself but honestly I think all Hondas are just ugly as sin, I can't stand them.


OK, everyone is entitled to their opinions. I'm a car guy though.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I test drove the 12 and hated it - it felt very Corolla-esque with the new interior. May have reconsidered the 13. 

I loved the 01-05 Civics. Was not a fan of the 06-11 generation. The fun-loving VTEC engines were gone. 


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## prince_bigd (Jul 16, 2013)

I had to take my grandparents Ford Taurus into the dealership to have some minor work done. This dealer sells Ford and Honda. While I was waiting I had a chance to walk around and look at some of the current Honda offerings. I had already test drove a newer Focus and Fusion so i knew where those sat in my book. I walked over to the row of Accords and Civics. The 2014 civic absolutely impressed me on the inside. I sat in one, didnt test drive as my grandfather was inside and I didnt want to leave him stuck there if they finished the car quickly. Material feel and quality were much better than older civics I had sat in. Ive heard the new CVT in the civics actually provides much quicker pickup on the road and simulates actual gear ranges instead of motor boating at one steady rpm. that said I still am wary of the road noise and impact harshness after getting used to my cruze 2LT. Wheels still looked mighty small for the car even in the upper trim levels and Im not sure how they drive, but having sat in a new refresh model, I would consider it after a test drive now. 

The new accords though through a kink in the sales plan. those 4cylinder accord sports are quick. Like V6 quick from just a few years ago. however I preferred the interior materials and feel of the EX-L I sat in. Again I didnt test drive but feel and material are top notch now. From all the reviews on how well the new accord drives I also may consider it as a contender in a few years time when I replace my cruze. Im really interested in how those new Accord hybrids fair in reliability and longevity. I have read several reviews and they are a truly good car not just a good hybrid. Im still curious about the whole no transmission concept and what that mean repair wise once something does go wrong. however its hard to argue with a midsize car that gets diesel mileage in the real world on regular gas.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

I don't mind the look on the new refreshed Civics. In the right colors, they even look nice (hat tip: Jim Frye). Not counting road noise, they aren't that bad. Not sure I could live with a CVT though.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

prince_bigd said:


> I had to take my grandparents Ford Taurus into the dealership to have some minor work done. This dealer sells Ford and Honda. While I was waiting I had a chance to walk around and look at some of the current Honda offerings. I had already test drove a newer Focus and Fusion so i knew where those sat in my book. I walked over to the row of Accords and Civics. The 2014 civic absolutely impressed me on the inside. I sat in one, didnt test drive as my grandfather was inside and I didnt want to leave him stuck there if they finished the car quickly. Material feel and quality were much better than older civics I had sat in. Ive heard the new CVT in the civics actually provides much quicker pickup on the road and simulates actual gear ranges instead of motor boating at one steady rpm. that said I still am wary of the road noise and impact harshness after getting used to my cruze 2LT. Wheels still looked mighty small for the car even in the upper trim levels and Im not sure how they drive, but having sat in a new refresh model, I would consider it after a test drive now.
> 
> The new accords though through a kink in the sales plan. those 4cylinder accord sports are quick. Like V6 quick from just a few years ago. however I preferred the interior materials and feel of the EX-L I sat in. Again I didnt test drive but feel and material are top notch now. From all the reviews on how well the new accord drives I also may consider it as a contender in a few years time when I replace my cruze. Im really interested in how those new Accord hybrids fair in reliability and longevity. I have read several reviews and they are a truly good car not just a good hybrid. Im still curious about the whole no transmission concept and what that mean repair wise once something does go wrong. however its hard to argue with a midsize car that gets diesel mileage in the real world on regular gas.


The Civic has a CVT now too? I knew the Accord did, and some friends just bought one and actually love it. 

If I was looking for a car these days, I woulda bought the Accord Sport in a manual. Lotta car for the money. 


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## pL2014 (Dec 29, 2013)

We have an Odyssey that we love. I've been a GM guy forever. My grandfather worked for 30 years at AC Spark Plug in Flint and my grandmother in the front office at Buick. The Odyssey is my first non-GM. My grandparents are passed on now and once my last Olds died, I didn't think I owed GM anything. I thought I'd probably end up with a Civic given how much we like the van. Civic and Cruze were easily the best 2 I drove (compared to the Mazda 3, Focus, and Elantra). I ended up with the Cruze. 

And yes, the '14 Civics have a CVT or a manual. I drove a '13 and it was fine, but I liked the Cruze better. I hope my gas mileage improves in the summer and that I don't regret my decision.....


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Yes, the '14 non-Si Civics have a second generation CVT (Earth Dreams technology). The Coupe model also has the paddle shifters that turn the CVT into a seven speed like the Accord sport.


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## SCruze (Oct 20, 2013)

TFL car says the new gen 2013 civic has terrible wind noise, which kinda suks. I am glad that i bought chevy. 

Also Honda doesn't have many segments, i.e their topline in sedan is the accord. I know for you all there is acura too, but im talking globally they sell upto accord, no acura's.

They might sell acura but on special request i guess so. Chevys have caddy, toyo have lexus & Honda= Acura?? i doubt it.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Entire family was driving Hondas back in the 80's, only decent car on the road, was designed by American engineers and Italian stylist. And was given the time to do it right! I did become very good at changing timing belts. A 600-800 extra cost for family members at the dealers for a 17 buck belt. More if they insisted on changing the alternator and water pump.

Nippondenso alternators were a snap to repair, new bearings and brushes, about a ten minute job at most. Back then one of my families Hondas had other than Honda PS fluid put in that ruined all the seals. Was only 33 bucks to purchase an entire seal kit including the boots that were almost impossible to purchase for domestic cars.

All this is history and changed drastically in the 90's with the devaluation of the US buck by the Japanese. Heck they wanted 250 bucks for a blower motor, and their design changed drastically, not much different than American cars. Maintained that crazy timing belt with an interference clear up to around 2003. With dealers that rob you on parts, no suggested retail prices, just said the heck with Honda. But test drove one anyway, didn't charge me for this.

Son recently drove a Honda minivan, besides being $10K extra, didn't like it. Just my bit on Hondas. Still living on their reputation from the 80's, don't get this.


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

I traded in a 08 Civic for my Cruze. I think everything but the fuel economy and reliability is better! I averaged about 3mpg more with the Civic and in 2 years never had the first hint of a problem. Sorry I cant say that about the Cruze


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Have to say, I love my Honda lawn mower, always starts with a half a pull and miser on gas. But while MTD claims they didn't copy this engine, OHV and all this, darn close. Even in subzero weather, starts up with a half a pull on the cord and also a miser with gas. Both are very quiet engines, neighbors B&S engines drown them out. 

Hondas and Toyotas around here always demand a much greater used car price. I don't get this at all, even with rusted out bodies. And they do rust out.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

NickD said:


> Have to say, I love my Honda lawn mower, always starts with a half a pull and miser on gas. But while MTD claims they didn't copy this engine, OHV and all this, darn close. Even in subzero weather, starts up with a half a pull on the cord and also a miser with gas. Both are very quiet engines, neighbors B&S engines drown them out.
> 
> Hondas and Toyotas around here always demand a much greater used car price. I don't get this at all, even with rusted out bodies. And they do rust out.


This you Nick?


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