[civic09]

As my username suggests, I currently drive a 2009 Honda Civic Ex-L -- perfectly decent appliance. Having turned 50 last year,I'm looking for something a little more fun to drive on the weekends. Want something reliable (which the most recent gen 3 seems to be based on what I have read) and with good gas mileage (the Premium sedan's cylinder turn off seems intriguing, but am a bit skeptical of Skyactiv X, both in the possible kinks and when it might make it to the US).

The car was fun to drive. Peppier than my current Civic. Love the exterior and interior.

I'm not a big fan of the current Civic's looks (and it doesn't have blind spot monitoring, just that Lanewatch thing). Based on folks' past experiences with the 3, what should I expect as a (hopefully) future 3 owner for maintenance costs (particularly since I tend to keep cars for about 10 years), durability, dealer service/maintenance, etc? My car is garage kept, take the car for scheduled service to the dealer, not a lead foot, mainly weekend driver on highways.

Thanks!

 

[arathol]

Maintenance costs? Really, not much hopefully. Oil changes at the dealer ~ $60 plus whatever else you have done, filters, tire rotation etc, depends on how much you drive it really. Brakes should last a long time, as should the clutch if you have one. 15k on my car and the brake pads are barely worn. These cars are surprising reliable in the long term.
The one thing you might want to do up front is replace the tires depending on what comes with the car. So far OEM tires have been crap mostly....

 

[SR14626]

Maintenance costs? Really, not much hopefully. Oil changes at the dealer ~ $60 plus whatever else you have done, filters, tire rotation etc, depends on how much you drive it really. Brakes should last a long time, as should the clutch if you have one. 15k on my car and the brake pads are barely worn. These cars are surprising reliable in the long term.
The one thing you might want to do up front is replace the tires depending on what comes with the car. So far OEM tires have been crap mostly....

What tires do you have me I ask? And how much did they cost you ?

 

[Rdrokit]

I would buy the Skyactiv engine model and not wait till the Skyactiv X as the first year of anything can be scary. Now I had my 2014 Mazda 3 since new and I run the piss out of her. Always ring it to the redline when merging and passing. I now have 46,000km and besides the regular scheduled maintenance all I had to replace is a leaky rear shock last month. I replaced both just to be safe. Considering all the rough roads and pot holes here in Thailand I think this is the most reliable car I have ever owned and I have owned a few in my 71 years of life. You wont be disappointed if you buy the Mazda.