My Honda Civic coupe!. Review on Honda Civic

As a proud owner of this vehicle the past 6 months (Its the first car I have bought), I figured I owed it a review out here in MS.

First of all, having a car in Dubai is more of a necessity than a luxury. A car cannot be substitued by a bike like it can be done in India, given the weather, fast roads, faster cars, long distances and the relatively lower cost of operation. When I was hunting for a second hand car here in Dubai, the Honda Civic was never on the list simply because it is SUCH a popular car out here(especially with the expatriate population) along with the Corollas and Nissan Sunnys. And in my mind, no way was I going to take a car that was already so popular. I needed something different and special, YET within my limited budget. Thats when I chanced upon this advertisement in the local newspaper.

It was a 1998 Honda Civic two door coupe with ALL options(according to the paper), and it was BLACK. Now that was the most important thing for me, any car I was going to take HAD to be black. Also, it being a civic COUPE, I knew that there was just a handful of such Civic models, atleast in Dubai. Moreover, the price the guy quoted was an unbelievable AED 18,000 (around 2 lakh rupees). I told him I was coming over to take a look at it.

The car looked really handsome, and this is a general description about the goodies which were part of the package:

Automatic transmision

2 door, sports coupe look (not hatchback but more like a sedan)

Alloy wheels

2 airbags

An electronic sunroof

Cruise control

Power windows

Power side mirrors and steering

Tinted windows and sporty interiors

Done around 80.000 kms(thats very less in a big city like Dubai!)

Good mileage of around 40kms/Gallon (mileage is not something we look out here, but I know in India it is a very important factor. Here one gallon petrol is around Rs. 75, and one gallon=3.78 liters)

I was drooling shamelessly back then(and I still am) as I took her for a test drive and found her purring contently as I pushed her accelerator testing her 1.3 liter engine to the maximum. She was ecstatic yet in control, she allowed me to hug her curves as she hugged the curves on the roads. It was a match made in heaven and this was definitely what I wanted!

I parked the car, took out my wallet and offered an advance to the owner on the spot. I just could NOT keep this precious car anymore in his hands..no ways! And neither could I waste time saying ''I'll think about it'' coz I knew the moment someone else saw it, it would be gone!

One might wonder, WHY this guy was selling such a loaded car for such a great price? Well, I havent disclosed one point here. This car is an American import. Which means, if you want the history of the car(using the chassis number), it is impossible to get out here. In India, I doubt if such procedures exist, but out here, people who buy second hand cars generally check the history of the vehicle etc just to make sure. Well, I could not do that, and neither could anyone else, so that is why the price was so less. But who was I to complain? As far as I was concerned, it was a STEAL for me, and thats all I cared about. My instinct told me that whatever history this babe had, it was ok with me. Just like women. If you sit and worry about the past of a girl, you might just lose the juicy present...hehe:)

Its been 6 months now, and the car has run beautifully. Apart from the general maintenance, I have not spent anything more on her, and she gives me great value for money! The only thing that I had to get used to was her speedometer, which was in MILES( it being a US import) and out here we use KMS like in India, so I had to make mental notes regarding the speed limits in miles! Also, when I'm taking a few friends along for a drive, it is a little difficult entering and exiting from the back seat(coz there are only 2 doors), but its something you can get used to. The room in the back can also get a LITTLE crampy maybe, but hey, its a sports car(almost!) hehe..

EVERY day, my car turns heads because though it is a Civic and is ever so popular, yet it is unique because I have just seen 3 of the same so far in Dubai! Moreover, having cruise control is SUCH a blessing when I travel long routes of over 100 kms..just switch on the cruise control option, set the speed to 120 kms/hour, fold your legs and relax as she zips across the highway at the tip of your fingers! The sun roof is a very useful feature as well specially when the weather cools down a bit...the gals love sticking their heads over the roof..hehe :)

All in all, the Honda Civic rocks, and IF you ever come across a good Civic Coupe, GRAB it with both hands and stand out in the crowd always!