Nicest interior in a 1.4?

baalad

Hey guys. Buying my first car and really have taken a shine to the Honda civic. Mostly due to its reliability and i think the interior looks awesome. Because iam a learner plus power at this moment in time is not of importance. I've decided that a 1.4 is more then sufficient and it's insurable ha

Been looking at buying a 07 civic but wondering what other cars in that year have nice interiors?

Also, is the 07 hatchback civic a hybrid? Bit sceptical about hybrids as i heard they give trouble.

ba_barabus

I'll ask the obvious but have you gotten an insurance quote on a civic?

bazz26

Only the Civic saloon was available as a hybrid. Whoever told you hybrids give trouble is misinformed or listening to the man down the pub. Hybrids in general are very reliable and are well capable of trouble free high mileage.

Mycroft H

What's your budget?

baalad

ba_barabus wrote: »

I'll ask the obvious but have you gotten an insurance quote on a civic?

Haha i have indeed.... 2,400 :-( Got a price for a focus aswell and was only about 70 quid cheaper

baalad

Mycroft H wrote: »

What's your budget?

5,500

ba_barabus

baalad wrote: »

Haha i have indeed.... 2,400 :-( Got a price for a focus aswell and was only about 70 quid cheaper

OK well that's a start.

Other cars I'd consider if you like something a bit different inside would be a Citroen c4 1.4l. The 3 Dr looks nice to me and it would be cheaper than the civic to buy.

baalad

I also like the focus and the golf but the golf is seemingly wicked sluggish along with the fact it looks boring inside! The focus is nice both inside and out but again is said to be awfully sluggish where as seemingly the civic is arguably more reliable ..... looks good both inside and outside (in my opinion) and also is not "as" sluggish as the other too right?

So iam thinking the civic would be the best bet? Only down side is they are fairly expensive although on par with the focus it seems! My biggest issue with the civic is the rear view window

baalad

Would the 1.4 civic be quicker then most 1.4s btw? I noticed most 1.4s here get a bashing for been incredibly slow but i imagine most new drivers are gonna be more then happy with any 1.4?

In saying that , i dont want a car thats awfully underpowered! Is it possible that a 1.4 can have a little oomph ???

One more thing ..... can the 1.4 civic be got in a 3dr or is it 5dr only?

baalad

Anyone?

Del2005

baalad wrote: »

Would the 1.4 civic be quicker then most 1.4s btw? I noticed most 1.4s here get a bashing for been incredibly slow but i imagine most new drivers are gonna be more then happy with any 1.4?

In saying that , i dont want a car thats awfully underpowered! Is it possible that a 1.4 can have a little oomph ???

One more thing ..... can the 1.4 civic be got in a 3dr or is it 5dr only?

Any 1.4 will be fast enough to get you in trouble when learning. To see which have oomph look at the bhp or kW, the bigger the number the better.

kirving

You could get a 1.4 Golf Tsi with 170bhp as an example, but insurance will be loaded as such.

Are you on a learner permit still? Your insurance seems expensive to be honest for a full licence to be honest.

baalad

Kevin Irving wrote: »

You could get a 1.4 Golf Tsi with 170bhp as an example, but insurance will be loaded as such.

Are you on a learner permit still? Your insurance seems expensive to be honest for a full licence to be honest.

Only on a permit unfortunately.

bazz26

Toyota Corolla 1.4 litre is one of the more powerful 1.4 litre engined cars of that era. They were launched back in 2002 and replaced with the inferior Auris in 2007. Only real thing is that next to the Civic, the Corolla look at bit dated.

baalad

The civic definitely seems to match what iam looking for although 2 issues are holding me back. One being the alleged firm suspension which could make some journeys very uncomfortable and secondly the rear view for a learner could be a nightmare?


I assume i could get parking sensors installed? If so, what would it cost??

CorkMan_

Getting your full licence should be prioritised as it will bring your insurance down. As has been said any car can be dangerous and the fact you are a learner is an added factor to insurance companies.

Parking sensors can be gotten cheap enough now-a-days and can be installed ones self if competent enough.

baalad

CorkMan_ wrote: »

Getting your full licence should be prioritised as it will bring your insurance down. As has been said any car can be dangerous and the fact you are a learner is an added factor to insurance companies.

Parking sensors can be gotten cheap enough now-a-days and can be installed ones self if competent enough.

Cool. At least i could have them installed to help with reversing if the rear window is a problem.

baalad

Oh and i can't apply for my full licence for at least 6 months

duffman3833

your lucky to be starting off in an 07 1.4 car, i had to start on a cheap old slow unreliable corsa that 0 -60 took a few hrs. If i was you though, id be getting a fiesta and aim for passing driving test then upgrade to bigger car. Unless you have the cash to splash

baalad

duffman3833 wrote: »

your lucky to be starting off in an 07 1.4 car, i had to start on a cheap old slow unreliable corsa that 0 -60 took a few hrs. If i was you though, id be getting a fiesta and aim for passing driving test then upgrade to bigger car. Unless you have the cash to splash

That was the plan but the insurance qoutes were crazy so i figured why buy a banger if it's gonna cost close to 2,500 to unsure. I couldn't justify it where as i feel it's more justified on a decent car if that makes sense? Plus it's not costing a whole lot more insurance wise between a 1.2 and 1.4

Skylinehead

baalad wrote: »

Hey guys. Buying my first car and really have taken a shine to the Honda civic. Mostly due to its reliability and i think the interior looks awesome. Because iam a learner plus power at this moment in time is not of importance. I've decided that a 1.4 is more then sufficient and it's insurable ha

Been looking at buying a 07 civic but wondering what other cars in that year have nice interiors?

Also, is the 07 hatchback civic a hybrid? Bit sceptical about hybrids as i heard they give trouble.

Interior is as good as any from around then, best bit about the car probably. Really well built, proper quality plastics, and while its unconventional it's well laid out (unless you want to change the climate as a passenger).

Suspension is definitely a bit harder than most other hatches but it's still comfortable.

Powerwise it won't beat much, but it's easily enough to drive smoothly, you won't be revving it like a Micra on a national road for example.

baalad

Skylinehead wrote: »

Interior is as good as any from around then, best bit about the car probably. Really well built, proper quality plastics, and while its unconventional it's well laid out (unless you want to change the climate as a passenger).

Suspension is definitely a bit harder than most other hatches but it's still comfortable.

Powerwise it won't beat much, but it's easily enough to drive smoothly, you won't be revving it like a Micra on a national road for example.

Cheers. Any idea how it would compare to a seat leon? I can get a 09 leon for the same price as a 07 civic although the leon has slightly higher mileage

ba_barabus

Have you set in or driven any of these cars?

And what exactly do you want in a car?

TBH I'd say a Corolla would be a great car to start off in.

baalad

ba_barabus wrote: »

Have you set in or driven any of these cars?

And what exactly do you want in a car?

TBH I'd say a Corolla would be a great car to start off in.

I want a car that looks good inside and outside. For insurance reasons i can't go past 1.4 but would like it to have a bit of oomph if possible but it's not that important once it's not dreadfully bad. Reliability is also important of course. Fuel consumption is not a major issue but would be nice if it was decent for a 1.4 and not guzzling fuel like a thirsty dog

JohnBoy26

baalad wrote: »

I want a car that looks good inside and outside. For insurance reasons i can't go past 1.4 but would like it to have a bit of oomph if possible but it's not that important once it's not dreadfully bad. Reliability is also important of course. Fuel consumption is not a major issue but would be nice if it was decent for a 1.4 and not guzzling fuel like a thirsty dog

A 1.4 vvti 2006 corolla hatchback in Luna spec would be a good option. A civic makes more sense with the 1.8 ivtec engine but I think that engine might be to big given your circumstances.

Zurbaran

I wouldn't in the least bit be worried about the speed of the car when you are on a provisional and hoping to build a no claims. All 1.4's of the same size are slow anyway bar maybe the dated corolla but as mentioned earlier its a bit dated.

I would go for the civic if I were you for the very reasons you mentioned. It is true the suspension isn't as comfortable as others but it makes it a bit more fun on bends. Over the years it has aged far better than anything else bar maybe the Alfa 147 looks wise but I think the smallest engine is a 1.6 in that?

ba_barabus

baalad wrote: »

I want a car that looks good inside and outside. For insurance reasons i can't go past 1.4 but would like it to have a bit of oomph if possible but it's not that important once it's not dreadfully bad. Reliability is also important of course. Fuel consumption is not a major issue but would be nice if it was decent for a 1.4 and not guzzling fuel like a thirsty dog

OP might I suggest you look at smaller cars with a 1.4l engine and a good spec. Bear with me here, but a 1.4 in a smaller, lighter car will be infinitely better to drive than a 1.4 in a heavier car. It should be cheaper to run also and make life easier for you with parking etc while you learn. A Clio 1.4 or Punto 1.4 16v would be great options.

Punto for example

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fiat-punto-grande/10784405

Clio for example

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/renault-clio-3-1-4-16v-dynamiq/11315128

baalad

ba_barabus wrote: »

OP might I suggest you look at smaller cars with a 1.4l engine and a good spec. Bear with me here, but a 1.4 in a smaller, lighter car will be infinitely better to drive than a 1.4 in a heavier car. It should be cheaper to run also and make life easier for you with parking etc while you learn. A Clio 1.4 or Punto 1.4 16v would be great options.

Punto for example

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fiat-punto-grande/10784405

Clio for example

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/renault-clio-3-1-4-16v-dynamiq/11315128

Isn't the civic the same size as those or there abouts? I've seen a few on the rd and it certainly doesn't look like a big car. Heavier perhaps but size wise the civic looks to be reasonably sized.

bazz26

No they are not, the Grand Punto and Clio are from the segment below the Civic. Fiat's equivalent model to the Civic is the Bravo, Renault's is the Megane.

Skylinehead

baalad wrote: »

Cheers. Any idea how it would compare to a seat leon? I can get a 09 leon for the same price as a 07 civic although the leon has slightly higher mileage

Honestly couldn't tell you, never been in one of those Leons.

baalad wrote: »

Isn't the civic the same size as those or there abouts? I've seen a few on the rd and it certainly doesn't look like a big car. Heavier perhaps but size wise the civic looks to be reasonably sized.

It's certainly bigger than both of those. Think Focus sized, as opposed to Fiesta (from the same period)

ba_barabus

As pointed out below it's from a class size down. None of the engines outlined will set the world on fire but those Clio's and Puntos are nippy to drive with the 1.4.

Of course it's entirely up to you but I thought it would be an option worth exploring if size isn't a determining factor.

Zurbaran

They are nippier but certainly not better to drive.

ba_barabus

Zurbaran wrote: »

They are nippier but certainly not better to drive.

It depends what exactly you're looking for and how you define better to drive.

I think the op should decide with a test drive.

colm_mcm

Skylinehead wrote: »

Interior is as good as any from around then, best bit about the car probably. Really well built, proper quality plastics, and while its unconventional it's well laid out (unless you want to change the climate as a passenger)

peasant!

baalad

Zurbaran wrote: »

They are nippier but certainly not better to drive.

Can you explain what makes the focus a better drive??

Zurbaran

baalad wrote: »

Can you explain what makes the focus a better drive??

Civic, Focus, Golf have a longer wheel base and are wider than the Jazz, Fiesta, Polo. They will be more refined at speed compared to them as well due to better insulation and most probably aerodynamics.

I currently drive an 06 Fiesta 1.25 and it's as nippy as the Civic/Focus 1.4 I test drove 10 years ago.

If you are interested in a Fiesta I will probably be looking to sell mine soon enough.

Also I would add that if you are learning I think you should stay away from adding rear sensors to any car. Maybe a slight bit old school but I think you should learn the dimensions so they become second nature.

Skylinehead

colm_mcm wrote: »

peasant!

I did not know that was a thing.

Jealous

earlytobed

Hard to beat the Corolla as a good all rounder, reliable and holds its value