It is no secret that Honda makes a product that lasts, which makes them easier to buy and easier to sell. Almost anyone who has owned one knows that the Honda Civic is one of those cars that is easy to own and maintain, making it a winner all around.

Whether you are looking to buy a brand new Civic or sell one used, this review will give you some facts and information you should know.

The overview

Honda began production on the Civic in the 1970’s and the model has been around ever since. For this reason alone you know this car works. In fact, only the Toyota Corolla name has been in production for a longer continuous time than the Civic badge.

The Civic Cockpit

The initial model interiors were spare and utilitarian, made more to get the job done than to impress. However as the Civic started to gain in popularity through the years, they started to make nicer and nicer vehicles.

Today you can find a wide range of option packages on brand new Civics, and there have been so many produced that buying a used Civic means having options too.

Plus, we always say that they have a magic back seat, from the outside it looks tiny, but get inside and there is tons of room.

That said, the Civic is across the board as far as it’s cockpit goes. However, for the most part they are simple, cleanly designed and user friendly.

The mechanics

Although it is not known for it’s drag racing power, the Civic makes up for it by being better for the environment.

Each redesign it went through it’s styling became a little more aerodynamic and the engine refined just a little more. All steps toward making it fuel-efficient and economical.

Different models and packages offer different engine options, but one thing you can count on is this, any Honda Civic you buy will run for a long time if well maintained.

On the road

The Civic will never pin you to the back of your seat as it accelerates from a standstill, but it will handle curves like a dream and it will get you where you need to go safely, and it will use very little gas to get you there.

Although in more recent models the engineering has been geared toward an economical brand of performance, they want to give you some vroom vroom, but at the same time they don’t want it to add to the cha ching of the cash register at the gas station.

Longevity

Longevity is something that Honda is serious about, especially when you consider how long the Civic has been in production and how long most of them last. From owner to owner Honda Civics make good used cars for years to come.

As a general rule if you buy a Honda you are stuck with it for a long time, everyone knows someone with a Civic.

Depreciation

Along with the fact that they last forever, Honda’s hold their value well too. As long as you don’t mistreat your Civic, it will hold it’s value pretty well. (Especially if you have a hybrid with a DMV sticker on it).

This makes the Civic an easy car to sell used, one that many are more inclined to buy used and one that will get you a decent resale value.

Be sure to keep it clean, and keep it well maintained. This not only saves you money in the long run, but it means that your Civic gets the best possible gas mileage and will last you as long as you want to keep it.

Green factor

All things considered, these cars are built economical more to help people with gas prices than they are to save the environment. We’ll take what we can get in that department, if it is easy on our pocketbook and better for the environment, all the better.

The overview

Image from Wordofcarfans.com
Audi has earned a high rank in the performance luxury industry, managing to hold its own against powerhouses like BMW and Mercedes Benz.

Their exclusive quattro all-wheel drive technology means they have a significant handle on road-hugging performance, the Audi A4 is a performance vehicle with luxury appeal.

The most recent generation is a tad larger than its older brothers, although keep in mind that this is a vehicle that will never be built for basketball players or sumo wrestlers. Particularly the back seat which seemed to earn a unanimous thumbs down for its lack of leg room.

If that is the A4’s only drawback, we aren’t complaining too much. Extra weight in the back seat just slows us down anyway.

The A4 Cockpit

In true Audi style, the cockpit of the A4 is understated and made with high quality materials. For convenience many of its parts are highly adjustable so almost any driver can find that perfect sweet spot.

Small details make a difference, and Audi proves that they understand this concept. Controls are easy to use and designed with a focus on the driver, seats offer lumbar support encouraging comfortable but proper posture while driving.

In the name of keeping a tidy vehicle, Audi thought of everything and included many strategically located pockets, pouches and cubbies to help on-the-go drivers stay organized.

Under the hood

The Audi A4 offers many state of the art technologies under its hood, such as:

Style options

Audi offers the A4 in a couple of models, with several engine and transmission combinations for each.

A4 Sedan offers two engine choices: A 200 horsepower 2.0 liter turbocharged inline 4 cylinder engine and a 255 horsepower 3.2 liter V6.

Those who opt for the inline 4 cylinder have three transmission choices:

While the 6 cylinder engine is only offered with their six-speed automatic transmission.

A4 Avant (wagon) also offers the two engine options above, however Audi does not offer the CVT transmission on this model. Not your mother’s station wagon, the 6 cylinder engine option will propel this wagon from 0-60 in 6.6 seconds.

Equipment options

Truly the most important part of the performance vehicle is its equipment. That said, here are some of the standard equipment, safety and comfort features found on the Audi A4:

Audi also offers option packages to suit any taste including the Sport Package, Premium Package and Lighting Package. All three of which offer too many added options to list here.

On the road

It goes without saying the the Audi A4 is considered a joy to drive by almost every reviewer that gets behind its fully adjustable steering wheel.

The A4 steering is crisp and stable at high speeds. This is a car that gobbles up curvy roads like that’s what it was born to.

The suspension is firm but not so firm that your kidneys hurt after driving about town. If you are looking for bruised kidneys, go for the stiffer more performance-driven sport option.

As with most performance vehicles, when you get behind the wheel of the A4, you feel the immediate desire to be on a windy mountain road, leaning into the curves with the wind in your hair.

Overview

Although BMW styling efforts continue to be controversial, they must be doing something right because direct competitors shamelessly model their sports sedans after the 330i. Truly imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

This is a sedan known not only for performance, but for safety as well. The BMW 330i was built not just to meet, but to exceed safety standards the world over.

Well liked by reviewers, the 330i was positively reviewed by every reviewer we researched.

The 330i Cockpit

BMW tradition dictates the simple luxury of their cockpits. The 330i’s interior is spacious and peacefully quiet from road noise, allowing the premium stereo system to play your CDs and MP3s without background noise.

The seats are comfortable yet firm and built for driving. A nice added touch is the drink holder in the center console which is air conditioned to keep your drinks cool.

The BMW 330i offers the option of their IDrive GPS navigational system. A system that was initially disliked because it was difficult to use. Refined with every generation produced, BMW is making strides towards a more user friendly interface.

The IDrive option puts control of many interior systems all in one interface, such as:

Although some reviewers still grumble about the interface because it requires learning, technological influence in vehicles will continue to grow. The system is not too difficult to learn even for the non-computer savvy. We do ask that you learn it while parked.

Standard options

The BMW 330i is standard with a 255 horsepower 3.0 liter in-line 6 cylinder engine, which incidentally is the same engine BMW has been building and improving since before WWII. Lending merit to the phrase ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

This sedan also offers several standard safety and performance options such as:

The only two drawbacks we were able to find in any of the reviews researched were the continuous use of rear wheel drive, and the rougher ride due to the run flat tires.

Equipment options

Having long been in the performance business, theirs is some of the finest equipment in the business. The BMW 330i offers an automatic or manual six-speed transmission developed specifically with performance enhancement and fuel economy in mind

Dynamic stability control and the large four wheel vented disc brakes offer:

On the road

We found very few complaints from reviewers once they were behind the wheel of this performance sedan. Performance descriptions ranged from ‘dreamy’ to ‘king of the road’.

With its sharp steering and years of performance research and development BMW’s 330i will take almost any terrain in stride at high speeds or low.

With a standard sport suspension just stiff enough to let the driver know that performance is its main goal on the road.

Watch out Germany, here comes Japan

Lexus has successfully planted themselves firmly in the running with the likes of the BMW 7-series, the Mercedes Benz S-class and the Audi A8 to name a few.

The high price tags now will equate to some very nice used LS 460 models available in a year or two when new models attract the eye of big spenders.

Overall results

The Lexus LS 460 has been well accepted by reviewers, which is also indicated by its World Car of the Year title.

While keeping its luxury roots as the smoothest ride in town, the Lexus upped performance and paired it with the first eight-speed automatic transmission in the world.

Standard features include:

Additional options featured on the 460L

Self parking feature

The Lexus LS 460 started its climb to fame with the airing of a snappy ad campaign in which the LS 460 parallel parks all by itself.

This feature was tested by all the big guys, but most amusing was Automobilemag.com’s almost comical recount of testing this technology.

As expected with a first effort, the results are fantastic, but only in clinical situations. If conditions are perfect, it is a great tool. However once real life comes into the equation, the testers found themselves more frustrated in their attempt to use the technology than they would have been simply parking the car in the first place.

Gas mileage

For a vehicle that has been redesigned to compete with our German friends when it comes to performance, the Lexus 460 gets admirable gas mileage.

No doubt its Toyota roots earned it the honor of being the first gas V8 engine to receive the Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle Certification. This is something to be proud of, and truly step forward for a car class that has never before been deemed fuel efficient.

Performance

True to its class, the Lexus has done a fine job of building a performance vehicle. This model proved to be quick and smooth, Lexus redesigned the suspension in the hopes of earning maximum performance without sacrificing too much of their signature smoothness.

All in harmony with their revolutionary automatic transmission, which does its job with a finesse that Lexus has come to stand for.

Updated style

The new look of the Lexus 460 is a major improvement over its rather bland previous generations, giving it a stylish boost over the scores of imported sedans that have a tendency to look similar.

A few reviewers grumbled over the the lack of imagination on the part of Lexus, and 460’s resemblance to some of the German vehicles it is striving to compete with. However, for the most part the redesign was well received.

Not just about safety test results, but about how user friendly the vehicle is, how intuitive the cockpit is and how easy the vehicle is to use overall.

Not to mention depreciation rates, overall mechanical soundness, and previous customer satisfaction.

Use us

Let us do your research for you, and show you which vehicles consumers would buy again and which vehicles consumers wish they’d never bought.

It is important for any car shopper to know what they are looking for prior to the actual car shopping process, so do your research folks. A few years down the line you will be thanking yourself for it.