Overview & Reviews

In typical Honda fashion, the Civic receives a number of minor changes this year in order to keep it fresh. For the coupe and sedan, there's new exterior styling, including restyling for the front and rear bumpers, hood, headlights and grille. Inside, the audio speakers have been upgraded, extra sound deadening material has been added and floor mats are now standard in the LX and EX. The LX trim has slightly bigger wheels this year (15 inches) and standard keyless entry. A new value package contains air conditioning, a CD player and a new center console. For the Si hatchback, there are new headlight and taillight designs, larger 16-inch wheels and flashier interior trim. Like the regular sedan, the Civic Hybrid has updated styling, standard floor mats and improved speakers. It also has a new interior console with an armrest, adjustable rear headrests and a manual driver-seat height adjuster. Finally, all 2004 Honda Civic sedans and coupes have a new seatbelt reminder system.

• Fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly engines, roomy interior, reputation for durability and quality, impressive crash test scores.

• Top-of-the-line models are pricey, antilock brakes not available on DX or LX.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 563.00

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  Grandama demanded the Civic VIP - 2004 Honda Civic
  By Davie Boy - July 30 - 8:03 am

  This model is a good used choice car for those looking for basic transportation. Replacement parts availability is excellent. Heads-up - this car has a timing belt which requires replacement at 105,000 miles (not a chain). I would only buy a used civic that has less then 55,000 miles. Back in 2004 my 80 year old mother needed a new car and demanded the CIVIC with manual windows so I got her a brand new 2004 VIP. The car cost $15,000 OTD with no trade-in. It is a very basic car but thats what she wanted. Since then she has put only 12,000 miles on it and the only time it was in the shop was for the airbag recall. It runs and drives like new after 11 years. This car feels quite "tinny" although its fit and finish are flawless. The designers clearly focused on interior room, fuel efficiency, reliability and the drivers outward visibility. The designers sacrificed suspension, breaking, acceleration, cornering/steering, cabin soundproofing and the overall fun driving experience. The rear suspension, in particular, has been crammed into a small space to make the trunk bigger, yielding an oddly bouncy ride. The rear brakes are drum which make for very poor stopping capability and the single overhead cam engine is quite pathetic. That said, its amazingly reliable, economical, well assembled, easy to drive with excellent outward visibility and boring - which is, apparently, what must drivers demand judging from this cars popularity.

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  When Honda Made Good Cars - 2004 Honda Civic
  By ravfjr - June 6 - 3:24 pm

  I really liked this car... It was a good value for the money. The gas mileage was reasonable at 34 MPG highway. It felt solid to drive, but a bit underpowered. The interior was nice and quiet, and didnt rattle like my now 2012 Civic Coupe. Im sorry I traded this car in...

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  The Forgotten Honda - 2004 Honda Civic
  By wavey83 - February 11 - 10:03 am

  I bought my 04 SiR (Canada) with 180 000 km on it, a mechanic used to own it, so it was still in great shape, compression was A1 and took no oil. Im now at 220 000 km and still runs awsome, very reliable little car. Didnt do much repairs on it except regular maintenance. I use it as a daily driver and do at least 180 km a day on average, it gets great mileage and hasnt let me go yet. Above all, its a blast to drive, handles great, but in a weird kind of way: understeers a lot, but it will still manage to get around the corner very quickly. My only complaint: Needs more power, it tends to feel weak at low RPMs, but thank god, like all Hondas, it loves to rev :)

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  Good ol car - 2004 Honda Civic
  By minitruckman - November 6 - 3:32 pm

  I bought a civc lx with 120,000 miles on the clock in early 2011. Before recently selling it, it had 155,000 miles on her. Never had a mechanical issues. kept up with the oil changes and brakes and a new set of tires and that was it. I drove it in heavy city traffic and got 31-33 mpg consistently. 5 or 6 mpg more than epa says. Overall, a great commuter car. This car is not comfortable for long 2 1/2 hr. drives, but going 400+ miles on less than 3/4 of a tank of fuel with speeds adveraging between 75-90 mph i couldnt complain!

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  Best Car Ever! - 2004 Honda Civic
  By wrogers3087 - September 14 - 9:52 am

  I bought this car in 2006 with 30,000 miles on it. I did not get a carfax and after I bought it, I found out that it had been in a front ender. I now have over 140,000 miles on it, and it has been through ONE set of brakes, and TWO sets of tires. Nothing else, ever. I have not been very kind to this car. I forget to get oil changes, and I have wrecked it six times. You cannot kill this car if you tried. I am finally buying a new car for better looks, but I am passing this car on to another family member who can easily get another 100,000 miles out of it. BEST CAR EVER!

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  More comfort than a box of rocks! - 2004 Honda Civic
  By moitz - January 27 - 3:12 pm

  Well, its been 5 years since I purchased this car used, with 32k on the clock. It now has 145k on it, and Im expecting to own it another 3 years and 60k. So that right there should tell you something about it. This gen of Civic is, quite simply put, the ideal commuter and city car. The engine is reasonably smooth and peppy. Very low road noise with Goodyear Affinity Triple-treads. Steering is nicely weighted for city driving. Ride quality is sportier than its American counterparts, and build quailty is far and above the class leader. 5 adults will fit if needed. Sunroof and power gizmos abound. Repairs are infrequent and cheap. 36 highway, 30 city. How can you go wrong?

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  So... why are people buying hybrids? - 2004 Honda Civic
  By fronteeer - January 24 - 7:32 am

  Ive owned six cars in my life: two Chryslers, one Chevrolet, two Volkswagens, and this is my second Honda Civic. My first Civic, a 1996, made me a Honda fan for life. Im actually embarrassed for having bought into the "German engineering" hype, because neither of my VWs was that great of a car, and as for the Chev and Chryslers, well... we all make mistakes. My wife and I have two other vehicles, but because my Civic (past and present) has comfortable front seats, lots of room for the kids, tons of trunk space, a decent stereo, phenomenal fuel economy and bulletproof reliability, we always seem to take it everywhere. The 1.7L VTEC engine is a perfect blend of economy and performance.

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  Ownage! - 2004 Honda Civic
  By Angry Gook - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new off the lot. Lots of modifications done to it. If your settings are right, this car can overtake idiots on the roads around corners. I had modified the suspension to give it superior handling, way better than stock, readjust the throttle cable, replace the intake and headers to give it a more smooth flow, lighten it, added kits for aerodynamic stability at high speeds and this is no stock vehicle. With all of my experimentation had me driving just about 470 miles with half a gallon of gas left in the tank. Less weight = quicker acceleration = less fuel usage.

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  Great car but - 2004 Honda Civic
  By jpc477 - April 19 - 9:13 pm

  This is my 3rd review. Bought in Jan of 09 w/ 59k miles, now has 78k. Gas mileage is wonderful. Handling is solid, engine runs smoothly and transmission shifts smoothly. When I first got the car power wasnt quite what I wanted. A cool air intake, header, and performance exhaust helped. However Ive had some unexpected issues. Fuel door cable broke - $300 to fix! O2 sensor failed, over $260 to fix, front control arm bushings replaced for $300. Not things I would expect from a Honda at the age / mileage it is. Overall I still think Honda is an excellent product but I will probably at least look at reviews more closely when I eventually replace my car - which Im not planning on for a while.

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  2004 Honda Hybrid - 2004 Honda Civic
  By carol - April 14 - 12:19 pm

  This was my first Honda that I ever owned. I currently have over 170,000 miles on it and it still is running strong. I drive 140 miles round trip to work from the mountains at 6,000 feet to sea level 4 days a week. My gas mileage averages about 40 mpg. I did replace the IMA battery at just under 150,000 and the cost was covered under CA law, lucky me! I love this car.