opionions on 2001-2002 Acura 1.7EL

[ronny1980]

My brother is looking for a car as his got totalled 2 weeks ago.

Insurance gave us back $6900 for our 1998/w 130000K Protege and my parents are willing to add another $7-8K on top of that.

He was thinking of jus getting a 2002 civic LX ($12000 or so) until a i saw a few ads for the 1.7EL in autotrader..

2002 1.7EL premium pkg /w51K for $14995
2001 1.7EL premium pkg /w 43K for $14995

in my opionion that is not bad considering the civic with same mileage and year wont be that much cheaper..and the 1.7 comes with sunroof, leather, heated seats, keyless. spoiler and more..

i've never driven a 1.7EL so cant tell whether it is good or not...the dealer is 30 mins away from my house so i would like some opionions before i head out for a test drive

anyone here care to share some experiences?

really apprecaite it

[Bortman]

When I was looking at a new car a few years back I was looking at that car, the limited gold edition though. I took it for a drive and man was it nice. Reason I didn't buy it, it was an over priced Honda... That was new though. I think they are pretty nice cars myself.

[mlc2000]

When I was looking at a new car a few years back I was looking at that car, the limited gold edition though. I took it for a drive and man was it nice. Reason I didn't buy it, it was an over priced Honda... That was new though. I think they are pretty nice cars myself.

Acura is Honda with a tuxedo on.
The materials are better. The fit and finish is a little better.
Its not over priced if you consider they are generally better equipped.

[Mystix]

I have a 1.6el, and the 1.7 is the generation after that.

If your not looking for a fast car this is it, it has decent power to change lines, but dont expect to beat a ferrari.

I love all the features in the car, leather, heated seats and mirror, sunroof.

and the one thing that civics dont have, 4 disc brakes.

[bluetroll]

the 1.7EL is a Honda Civic with an Acura badge....

same car.... actually... it's a sedan SI....

even with 4 disc brakes.... if you are running on stock rubber.... it HAS to be garbage... those stock tires give out so quickly during stops.

[Talamasca]

I'm not sure if the 2002 model had it, but current ELs have side airbags, which Civics don't offer. Other than that though, they're basically Civics in tuxedos, as stated earlier. Which is a good thing considering how popular and reliable the Civic is.

[akito925]

My brother is looking for a car as his got totalled 2 weeks ago.

Insurance gave us back $6900 for our 1998/w 130000K Protege and my parents are willing to add another $7-8K on top of that.

He was thinking of jus getting a 2002 civic LX ($12000 or so) until a i saw a few ads for the 1.7EL in autotrader..

2002 1.7EL premium pkg /w51K for $14995
2001 1.7EL premium pkg /w 43K for $14995

in my opionion that is not bad considering the civic with same mileage and year wont be that much cheaper..and the 1.7 comes with sunroof, leather, heated seats, keyless. spoiler and more..

i've never driven a 1.7EL so cant tell whether it is good or not...the dealer is 30 mins away from my house so i would like some opionions before i head out for a test drive

anyone here care to share some experiences?

really apprecaite it


the car is a the same like a honda civic. just more luxery good in it..

look into its bigger brother... honda accord or look at the tsx.. or even a rsx..

www.torontoaccords.com

talk to people who drive that car..

or civic's 7thgen civic or honda or something along the like there.. serach it.

[Talamasca]

look into its bigger brother... honda accord or look at the tsx

Please tell me where I can get a TSX for $15K as I will be there asap to pick it up.

[frogger]

I say go for a used Protege ES.

[ronny1980]

I say go for a used Protege ES.

the car he totalled is a protege.. so he would rather drive a different car..

this post is more about is it worth spending the extra $2-3K for the 1.7EL or just get the civic for around $12000...

we have a budget...my 19 yr old bro doesnt need a tsx..

thanks for all the input tho..

[frogger]

Used Focus SVT? Just trying to be devil's advocate/get him into something sportier than a Civic/EL (thus the SVT and Pro ES).

[gh05t]

Its an embellished Civic but i like it all the same. More luxurious than civic with leather seats etc and looks better then the civic with Acura grill and lights etc.

IT is also reflective of a vehicle a more mature person might drive so not sure if it will help with insurance and the stigma associated with honda civics and young recklessness. :cheesygri If the price is right i say go for it.

[Skidz]

A guy at my work has a 2004 el and loves it, Myslef id get the 2001 with less km's for less money, also honda lx isnt even the top model ? you be better of comparing the 1.7 el to a civic si .Acura !p.s. i own an rsx so im kinda biased

[advantage21]

Back on topic. For the 3 grand difference, go with the Acura with the extra features. Both the Civic and the 1.7 are good cars, you can't go wrong with either one.

[canadian trader]

Look into the Nissan Sentra SE-R..fast car!

[mlc2000]

Used Focus SVT? Just trying to be devil's advocate/get him into something sportier than a Civic/EL (thus the SVT and Pro ES).

Are you serious? Do people like you still exist?

Please stop comparing domestic cars with imports.
It just doesn't hold water.

[islandboy_007]

imo the 1.7 look too much like the civcs, they are really the same car with a few differneces. Is it worth the 2-3k diff? Personally i dont think so. You should get a quote on a comparable civic, real numbers will help you make the desicion.

[hot dealz!]

the car is a the same like a honda civic. just more luxery good in it..

look into its bigger brother... honda accord or look at the tsx.. or even a rsx..

www.torontoaccords.com

talk to people who drive that car..

or civic's 7thgen civic or honda or something along the like there.. serach it.

tsx? wow. while you're at it, why not mention the TL or even the RL.

If you read the post, he's looking for a car in the 15K range. Not a car that's double that.

:mad:

[advantage21]

Look into the Nissan Sentra SE-R..fast car!

Isn't that one of the 10 worst cars on the road?

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/worst_1.html

[wasabi]

picked up a 2001 EL Premium this past August..

Power - decent, it'll get you around just fine. Lane changes on the highway are relatively painless and overtaking others is possible (hey, it wasn't possible in my '97 corolla)

Gas consumption - not bad at all; i can get from scarborough to waterloo on less than a quarter tank (sorry, never bothered recording for actual numbers). Takes regular 87.

Interior - I've always found it.. rather spartan. Don't get me wrong, the seats are good quality, its aesthetically pleasing, and all the dash controls are withing reach, but it just seems a bit bare. Thats expected though, its a glorified civic. Stock sound system isn't too great; as long as you change out the deck and throw in some components, you'll be good.

Looks - meh, its a civic (you'll hear this a LOT..) Only differences are the hood, front grill, and rear lights. Paint is pretty good quality.

other notes:
-stock tires really aren't too great, but then again, they never are
-brakes are pretty good
-sunroof is nice, decent size
-driverside armrest is too small
-chrome around the shiftknob scratches easily
-seats have tiny holes in them, don't bother using cream conditioner

[canadian trader]

Isn't that one of the 10 worst cars on the road?

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/worst_1.html

You may be right..

SE-R Review 1 (http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/02sentra_se-r.htm)

SE-R Review 2 (http://autonet.ca/AutonetStories/Spotlight/Stories.cfm?StoryID=3456)

[champ91]

i have a 2002 1.7 EL. It's the same as a civic. just that it's nicer with leather seats...

get the 2002 one. not a powerful car, but looks classy. much better than the civic

[GangStarr]

One cool thing about the EL's if every time you drive south of the border you'll be turning heads as theres no 1.7el's in the states, cheapest acura in the states is an RSX. heh


I have a civic 01 LX.

Let me tell you a 7th generation civic is a great car, great fuel economy and very low maintence


My 01 lx is rounding up to 115,000km and all Ive had to do was give her oil, and tire rotations.

Avoid the 2001 acura/hondas because they do have some problems that were corrected in later models. Mainly a rocking drivers seat and an annoying noise when you drive through puddles.

The automatic transmissions arnt the greatest on civics, I had mine replaced under warrenty at sadly 30,000 km.

I drive downtown everyday in bumper to bumper traffic, idle a lot and remote start my car every morning and I still manage to get around 430-450km per 40 liter tank. Again thats like as bad as it gets, non stop traffic and bit of irresponsible shifting. Shes great on the highway boasting up to 550 km on highway driving.

Its definatly not a power house but has enough power to get your around and when your alone in the car delivers enough power to catch yellow lights.

a good site if your looking at jumping into the 7th gen's is www.7thgencivic.com excellent forums there. Take a look at the vechile problems / issues section and you will see all the common bugs.

www.clubel.ca is another resource.

I say by it, civics an awesome car