4 Star Reviews for 2008 Honda Civic

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.45/5 Average
578 Total Reviews
This Year's Model Updates:

A new Mugen Si trim level debuts for the 2008 Honda Civic sedan. It's similar to the regular Si sedan but comes with more aggressive suspension tuning, special wheels and exterior body enhancements. The only other change for the Civic line this year is the new availability of leather seating for the new EX-L trim level.

Pros:
  • Engine lineup that offers both fuel-efficiency and performance, roomy and refined interior, high crash test scores, available as a sedan or coupe.
Cons:
  • Controversial gauge cluster design, slow acceleration times of Hybrid and GX models.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 578.00
  • Dead Reliable, just not an enthusasts car - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    I bought my 08 LX in June of 2012 with just under 92,000 miles on the clock. Now, it has 134,000 miles and is still going strong. I have had only minor issues with the Civic overall eg. visors and clutch master cylinder. The car is very spacious compared to others in the class, which was helpful being 62". The only exception is the placement of the e-brake being where you rest your leg, which you get used to rather quickly. I hardly ever drop below 30mpg even in mixed driving. But it does come at a cost, below 4000 rpm, you are lucky to have as much torque as a mid 80s Mazda Rotary engine at idle! The lack of torque can make it a chore to drive around town/city.

  • A Good College Car - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    My 2008 Civic Si Coupe was a great car but it was just a college car. It was fast, quick on its feet, had an amazing audio system, and popular with the teenage and young-twenties crowd, but it always felt unrefined. The engine provides a surprising bit of power, but only high in the rpms, and had no down-low power. Driving it in stop-and-go traffic was a chore due to very low torque, but once you got in the 6,000 to 8,000 rpm range, it FLEW. This car is an amazing college vehicle, especially with the standard sunroof and subwoofer, but its just unrefined. Lots of wind noise, road bumps, and interior quality hiccups (such as a ticking CD-player) prevent it from being a "professional" car.

  • Over the Hill - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    The first year of ownership was great, but it has since been in steady decline. I bought this car based off of reputation, but unfortunately it will soon have to go. No longer can Honda claim reliability and high build quality with this vehicle. Problems include failing door locks, window motors, visors, blower fan electrical components, and A/C compressor failure. Honda has mailed extended warranties on paint and visors already. I expect eventual class action or warranty extension on the AC/blower issues - very common on this model. My dealer does not even charge me diagnostic fees on the AC or fan anymore. The car was babied and often garaged. All of these problems with only 62,000 miles.

  • Econ class do it urself car - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    Bought mine in early 2008 for 18.5 at 5%. It now has 98k miles on it, has been used for driving around the bay area in Cali for a job, multi trips from Cali to TX, and for the last 3 yrs Ive used it for pizza delivery in TX. Some repairs I have done myself are replacing both cv axels at 70k for $160, tires at 55k miles with good-yrs $540, the starter at 90k for $132. I am by no means a mechanic I bought some basic tools, spent a few hrs researching and as you can see from other reviews I saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars doing it myself. This car has been through a lot but still runs like new and feels as though it will for another 98k.

  • Reliable, fast, great handling - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    Purchased used in 2010 with 8,000km. Now has 43,000km. Feels like it hasnt aged a single bit. No problems, extremely fast on highways and local roads, easy to zip between cars and get thru traffic easily. Independent suspension makes cornering easy. Ride is slightly bumpy, compared to full size sedans. Drove 10 hours straight from Toronto to Queens, averaging 90mph all the way, and the car gave no problems. Was a very fun drive winding along the mountains at high speed. Fuel efficiency decreases substantially at higher speeds. Sad to see others writing poor comments, they must have received the bad apples, because otherwise the car follows the tradition for exceptional quality for me.

  • Disappointed - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    Bought a new Civic LX in 2008. Owned 2.5 years and put 28,000 miles on it. Found the position of the headrests too far forward, not allowing me to put my head in a comfortable driving position. The rear suspension chewed up the rear tires by 18,000 miles. At 20,000 miles the air intake meter abruptly died leaving my family and I stranded.The auto transmission from day one shifted roughly from 1st to 2nd gear. And the final straw was discovering 2006 through 2008 Civic engines have been cracking and losing cooling fluid, as early as 40,000 miles. Loved driving this sporty four door, but was unhappy with its unreliability.

  • Very Solid High MPG Car - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    I puchased this unit used, recently in very good condition. ($13k, 44k miles). Hybrids are certainly a different breed of cat. They drive a bit differently, though I like the driving dynamics much better than the Prius. (Brakes seem "grabby" and steering doesnt fit me HCH has a telescoping and tilt wheel that allows a more aggressive steering position). I find the car to be plenty peppy as to acceleration. Handling and braking are very good in my opinion. Car feels sporty. Hybrid system is a little distracting, and does some odd things (sudden battery "dumps" at times, MPG drops on cold weather). Ride is a bit stiff, bordering on harsh on poor pavement.

  • Im really liking it! - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    So far so good, bought second hand, very zippy, very comfortable seats, huge windshield. Interior plastic gouges/scratches very very easy, didnt like the rims it came with, has a blind spot on either left or right of the windshield, likely do to the thickness of where they put the side airbags. Overall, I really enjoy this car, wish it had another plug in thing for cell phone/gps etc. Fairly noisy from road noise

  • Good car for the money - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    I bought my car with 24 miles on it. Its been a good car. Youre not going to blow anyone away off the line with the 1.8L engine, but you will get great gas mileage. I average around 39 mpg year round. Higher in the summer, lower in the winter. Nothing has broken yet, but it shouldnt on a three year old car. I do my own tires, own oil changes, and own repairs. The car is well designed and seems to be well built. I do have some issues with the paint. Honda did a poor job painting the car and I noticed several areas where theres some blob under the clear coat. Like dirt or dust got on the car.

  • Every 2 months! - 2008 Honda Civic
    By -

    I bought my car in 2008. I had looked at the Toyota Matrix, but preferred the civic styling. For the first 2 months I was dealing with a clunking sound in the front end. After 3 visits to the dealership and a final stay of 3 days it was fixed. The dealership did a fairly major front end rebuild. Starting this past August there was a coil failure not once, but twice. The 2nd time left us stranded. Tonight was another call to Honda roadside assistance. Beautiful, eh. So I bought a HONDA built in Canada at the plant my family and friends work at. This is what I got. Well Merry Christmas!

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