It's been a long journey with this car. It has over 206,000 miles on it but he's still going strong, although I have had to put a good amount of work into it. Whenever anyone mentions reliable vehicle, what's the first thing that comes to mind? A Honda or Toyota. My Honda Civic is no exception - for the most part. As far as performance, it's not the greatest. Driving over 75 miles per hour is a struggle. I just don't think the engine can keep up anymore. The AC still works great, as do the power windows. It still looks pretty good for being over 16 years old, too. The gas mileage is unbeatable - 35 mpg on the highway, 30 in the city. Once I fix the O2 sensor, I expect my gas mileage will go even higher. As far as styling, you don't purchase an old Civic because you want to look cool. You purchase it because it's cheap, it's reliable, and it will get you from point A to point B comfortably. That's what a Honda Civic is for, and that's exactly what my car does. It is the definition of practical. And, although you wouldn't think so, it's actually comfortable to sleep in on long trips.

The build quality of this year Honda Civic is what gave Honda Motor Corporation the reputation that they have today. The car has been virtually maintenance free for well over 200,000 miles driven. All systems have operated flawlessly since ownership in 1997. Not only will this car drive you around the world and back, but it will do so while sipping on fuel. Highway gas mileage is logged at over 40 miles per gallon, and city driving is only slightly lower at 32 miles per gallon with the manual transmission. Honda truly did build these cars to last a lifetime. I have been driven this model civic since I turned 16 years old. It has never let me down even through all of the abuse I have put it through when I learned how to drive with it. The car, while marketed as an economy cruiser, will still make the driver feel like they are behind the wheel of a performance vehicle. The engine revs wind up freely, the bucket seats are just enough to support the driver through the windy turns, and the steering feels rock solid. At the end of the day Honda delivered one of there best model cars of their History with the 1997 Honda Civic.