9th Gen Civic Forum banner

Considering a new leftover 2012? or new 2013

10K views 47 replies 27 participants last post by  Digger 
#1 · (Edited)
error
 
#2 ·
I'm in the market for a new car. A local dealer has a leftover 2012 LX coupe. $16,900. I am a little nervous about it being the 1st year of the redesign and from all of the negative reviews I read about the car. I test drove it and was happy with the feel of the car. I had no problems with the car.
I think a 2013 would cost me $1500+ more. I am also considering a 2013 base fit.
For owners of 2012 civic, are you happy with your car? Do you wish you went with a 2013?
Any feedback and/or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
#4 ·
Just a side note. While we taking delivery of our '13 Civic EX-L sedan on Saturday, the salesman shared pricing information on the Fit with us. The delta between MSRP and dealer invoice on a Fit Sport was about $500. Not much dicker room there.
 
#6 ·
I had a 2010 LX sedan , traded it for a 2012 Si coupe and never understood all the hate for the 2012's, the interior wasn't any better on the 8th gen I had.
No regrets here as the coupe didn't change much in the new model. I will say the 2013 sedan looks much better on the outside, personally don't care for the fake carbon fiber and chrome trim on the 2013, but I know some people like it.
 
#9 ·
Best thing to do is sit in a 13' LX and see if the improved interior is worth the ~$1500 premium.

The optional black interior and backup camera would be reason enough for me to go with the 13'.
 
#12 ·
I'll tell you what I tell everyone who asks a 'should bu this or that' question. Test drive. You'll know if you like it. The negative reviews were all about cosmetics and perceptions. The quality is still there (except for the floormats). I have a '12 LX coupe. It's a great car. But then, I'm not a gadget person. For a $1500 difference, I'd go with the less expensive car that met my requirements.

The LX uses the R18 engine which is basically the same unit from the previous generation, going back to 2006. Nothing to worry about there.

The Fit was never an option for me so I cannot help you there.
 
#13 ·
I drove a '13 Si coupe at one dealership and found a "Left over" '12 in the color I wanted at another. Due to the price difference and having to wait for the color in wanted, I bought the 12. Drive both and see if the differences are worth the money to you. There is some differences in the interior materials, fit and finish, and available options but not enough for me to pay the difference for the 13.

There is a concern with resale/trade in value. Even though you have a brand new car, its still a year old even if it only has 40 miles on it. If this isn't a concern for you, then pull the trigger.
 
#15 ·
2012 Civic coupe vs. 2013 civic coupe -List of differences?

I've been searching for a list of difference between the 2012 & 2013 civic coupes. Can't find a list.
I know the 2013 has different interior dash & panel materials. And, there is a backup camera.
I also found the sedan has many exterior changes, but I am more interested in a coupe.
Are there any mechanical changes? Brakes? suspension? body structure? Electronics? anything?
Thanks
 
#17 · (Edited)
The '13s also got a revised chassis structure. The "ACEII" body has thicker steel in the front frame, front underbody, firewall, and A pillars. This was for the new 25% offset crash test, which the Civic got a top rating for. The '13s also get a thicker windshield and front side windows. There is also some extra sound deadening materials in the floor. The springs were stiffened slightly and the struts were also firmed a bit. The steering was also ever so slightly changed to tighten up its response. The brakes are slightly larger too. I drove a '12 & '13 back to back and the difference was very obvious.
 
#19 ·
The '13s also got a revised chassis structure. The "ACEII" body has thicker steel in the front frame, front underbody, firewall, and A pillars. This was for the new 25% offset crash test, which the Civic got a top rating for. The '13s also get a thicker windshield and front side windows. There is also some extra sound deadening materials in the floor. The springs were stiffened slightly and the struts were also firmed a bit. The steering was also ever so slightly changed to tighten up its response. I drove a '12 & '13 back to back and the difference was very obvious.
Would you please describe the differences in how the '12 and '13 drove?
 
#21 ·
Don't know about all of them, but my new CBP EX-L is pretty near flawless. I've been over it multiple times since we took delivery last Saturday and I haven't found anything amiss in the paint.
 
#24 ·
The rims are also darkened on the interior of the spokes, if I saw correctly on the lot.

I hear the shitty highway steering behavior has also been improved so it doesn't feel as numb at above 60+. That's probably one of my biggest issues on the 2012 Si is how sloppy it handles (or feels to) compared to the 2006-2011.
 
#25 ·
I own a '12 EX coupe and yesterday drove a '13 EX sedan while my car was in to the dealer for servicing. My sense from that drive is that the steering on the '13 is lighter and very slightly quicker than on the '12. In fact, the steering on the '12 is a good bit heavier than on the 8th gen Civics (I owned an '08), so the change brings it closer to what it was before. The '13 was also noticeably quieter than my '12, and the ride more settled. Along with the significantly upgraded interior, these dynamic changes give the sense of the '13 Civic being a more upscale car.

By the way, for those who don't know it--and that seems to include most Honda sales people--the front seats are different in the coupe than the sedan. Year doesn't matter. The coupe seats have considerably larger bolsters, which makes them seem narrower when you are sitting in them. I really prefer these seats, which is probably the main reason I bought a coupe (and may buy another).
 
#35 ·
This is truly unfortunate. The highway handling on my Si (steering, rather) has been a source of near constant complaint for me (and there's no shortage of things I can find to complain about on the 2012), but the 2006 Si I had (even the 2010 EX-L) was far more composed on the highway and required MUCH less adjusting. The steering above 55 is almost 'numb'. Not what I want on a sportier car.

While I'm happy they've fixed the issues, it leaves me wondering whether they knew these were shortcomings the whole time. There is a noticeable difference in how poorly my 2012 Si handles compared to my 2006 Si did. I wish I knew the reason for it.
 
#26 ·
Get the 2013's and you'll be happy. While waiting for the delivery of my car, the dealership gave me a 2012 EX-L as my loaner car. No disrespect to the 2012 owners here but I felt like I wasn't driving a car that was made by Honda. The ride and interior was disappointing and the road noise was bad.
 
#29 ·
No, there are a lot more differences. They've been detailed in other threads here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Digger
#31 · (Edited)
People not to differentiate between the Si and the other models in these discussions. If you're getting an Si, then every last change that enhances performance might be worth it, but if you're getting an LX or EX then you're not gonna feel much from the changes. And with a coupe, you'll only see the interior changes, and the exterior is basically the same, except for placement of the third brake light, afaik.

As for the '13's body structure changes, they are important to the government right now. Civics, as far back as 2006, again afaik, have always passed crash tests with flying colors.



Even hitting a larger, taller vehicle, Civics do their job. This is test shows two previous-to-8th gen civics:



These types of videos eased my mind about driving any recent (within the last 10 years) Honda Civic. In none of these cases was there deformation of the passenger compartment.
 
#36 ·
That's unlikely to happen, as the changes to 2014 will be marginal, at best, if anything at all.

The changes done from 2012 to 2013, regardless of what anyone on here says, were more signicant than most cars go through even in a mid model refresh, let alone after ONE year on the market.

The 2012 Civic is not a bad car. But it's definitely not a great car either. If I weren't in the market for an Si, and were buying an LX or EX level model of the Civic, it would have been dead last on my list for 2012 compared to the competition. For 2013, its in the Top 2 or Top 3, easily. I don't mean any disrespect to owners of the 2012 R18 model, but the changes to the Civic for 2013 weren't insignificant. And based on the price it likely cost Honda to make such radical changes in such a short time frame after the NEW model from 2012, I am willing to bet little, if anything, changes for 2014.

Lord knows Honda's marketing the shit out of the 2013 Civic as the "all-new 2013 Civic". Sweep it away, tomodachi, sweep away.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top