Drove an 07 Civic SI yesterday!

[sirplayalot]

I work for a local toyota dealership here as a valet/porter and we did delivery on an 07 Civic SI with only 14k miles on it. I LOVED IT! I loved the feel of the gearbox and the way the steering wheel/tac/speedo all kinda line them selves up when your in the drivers seat. I drive a lot of nice cars there but something about this car stood out. Everything felt amazing on it. I have some questions though, is there a difference with the interior/driving style of a regular civic VS the SI? I dont know much about cars or anything and am not a "speed" guy but im reading about the new civic and what im getting is that the only difference is that the SI has more HP, am I right?

I would really consider buying a new civic but would see no point to spend the extra money on an SI if the only difference is horsepower.

 

[HiTek21]

Civic Si has 197hp 2.0l i-vtec motor
6 speed manual transmission
limited slip differential
17" Alloy Wheels
Sport tuned suspension


The bad
Requires Premium Fuel
Lower MPG
Possible higher insurance rate



Everything else is pretty much the same as the standard Civic Ex.

 

[exdeath]

Horsepower is one of those things you don't know you are missing until you have it, then you don't have it.

 

[amish]

Originally posted by: HiTek21
Civic Si has 197hp 2.0l i-vtec motor
6 speed manual transmission
limited slip differential
17" Alloy Wheels
Sport tuned suspension


The bad
Requires Premium Fuel
Lower MPG
Possible higher insurance rate



Everything else is pretty much the same as the standard Civic Ex.

pretty much dead on. my 06 EX makes 140hp IIRC and takes regular. the only other difference than what HiTek said is that my gauges are blue instead of red.

 

[overst33r]

Mazdaspeed 3 > Civic Si pretty much in any category...

If you are considering buying the Si, I strongly suggest you take a look/drive its competition. I wouldn't buy a new car anyways. Get yourself a used Evo/Sti and drive in a totally different league.

 

[sirplayalot]

Originally posted by: mariok2006
Mazdaspeed 3 > Civic Si pretty much in any category...

If you are considering buying the Si, I strongly suggest you take a look/drive its competition. I wouldn't buy a new car anyways. Get yourself a used Evo/Sti and drive in a totally different league.

Well this wouldnt be for another couple of months or so. I will be buying a used car.

Im still open though to other cars but I really think the new civic stood out.

 

[fbrdphreak]

The Civic Si got great reviews as a fun daily driver, holds its own in the curves on a track, but the high-strung engine doesn't hold up as well to most other low $20K cars which generally have a turbo. I'd imagine the Mazdaspeed3's interior is nicer and has more options - Civics are pretty limited in options (no leather for instance, don't think they have power seats either).

The Si should get good gas mileage though, a good deal better than the Mazdaspeed3 or other turbo options.

The Si is a nice compromise, but not one I'd make personally.

 

[P0pinjay]

I own one. I'm about 5 months and 7500 miles into it. Gets decent mileage...28mpg so far. Still have to put premium in it so it's probably a wash with my old car.

You have to really wind the engine up to get the speed out of it, so consequently, I don't really floor it much. But, you know, it's there if you need it.

I also got the Nav system in mine, which I love. It has a PC card reader in it which I use a compact flash adapter and card with to read mp3's. It'll read up to 999 songs. I wish it would read more, but, that's what you get for a stock unit. I'm not really into all the time it takes to put in aftermarket stuff so I was looking for something that I could live with for a while. I like the fact that I don't have to deal with CD's or a dangling mp3 player anymore. Everything is in the HU.

I like the styling better than the MS3, and didn't care that it was slower. I was looking for Honda reliability and User Interface. Afterall, I have to drive the thing day in and day out, not take it to the track.

Insurance was quite a bit more than my old car, but then again, it would be so for the MS3 as well.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Cobalt SS blows the doors off a SI.

Handles better and is faster in a straight line. On a road course you can expect a SS to kill an SI by more than a few seconds.

The SS is also easier to modify and get large horsepower gains for cheaper.


Reliability wise, the SS motor is stout!

 

[drpootums]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Cobalt SS blows the doors off a SI.

Handles better and is faster in a straight line. On a road course you can expect a SS to kill an SI by more than a few seconds.

The SS is also easier to modify and get large horsepower gains for cheaper.


Reliability wise, the SS motor is stout!

The SS might not quite be up to the Honda build quality or have as nice interior materials, but is a very nice car that might be worth a look.

And don't mistake "poorer build quality" with unreliable. If it's taken care of, expect 150k miles out of the car easy without worrying about reliability.

 

[Tyrant222]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Cobalt SS blows the doors off a SI.

Handles better and is faster in a straight line. On a road course you can expect a SS to kill an SI by more than a few seconds.

The SS is also easier to modify and get large horsepower gains for cheaper.


Reliability wise, the SS motor is stout!

I have owned one for about 2 months now. The ss/sc is worth looking into in this price range for sure. The GM stage 2 upgrade is around 570 + install (200-300 typical) that will bring you up to ~245WHP. All with keeping your warranty. Mine is still stock at the moment. Not in a hurry as is wayy faster than my previous cars.

Note that now GM is offering 5yr/100k powertrain on 07 vehicles. Also note this year is the last year for the SS/SC.

 

[SketchMaster]

The SS/SC is a beast, I test drove one with my friends while looking for a new car. Before I drove it we were making fun of it, I took it on the highway and opened it up (I mean REALLY opened it up) and after that we all walked away thinking how nice it would be to have one.

The only faults the car has is the lack of feedback in the wheel and the huge spoiler blocking the rear view and attracting cops.

 

[foghorn67]

If you like the styling go for it. I don't think there is anything wrong with my favorite sport compacts, which is the Civic Si, the Golf, and the Mazdaspeed3. Just give whatever it is in price range a chance, and go for the one that you like the most. none cars of these are a 'mistake' in my opinion.
Btw, the Civic is the first Honda I liked in eons. I always thought Honda's were best when they had character. The previous Civics have been uninspired.

 

[sirplayalot]

I've drivin a Cobalt SS and I liked the Civic a lot better. Remember, im not a speed guy, I just loved the styling of the Civic SI. I would be driving it like I would any normal car, I wouldnt be treating it like a fast/race car.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
The Civic Si got great reviews as a fun daily driver, holds its own in the curves on a track, but the high-strung engine doesn't hold up as well to most other low $20K cars which generally have a turbo. I'd imagine the Mazdaspeed3's interior is nicer and has more options - Civics are pretty limited in options (no leather for instance, don't think they have power seats either).

The Si should get good gas mileage though, a good deal better than the Mazdaspeed3 or other turbo options.

The Si is a nice compromise, but not one I'd make personally.

The Mazdaspeed3's interior quality is barely up to par with the previous Civic generation, let alone the current one. There's just no contest on fit/finish, comfort, materials, tactile quality, etc. There's no arguing with the MS3's power, but interior quality is not one of its strong suits, especially compared to the Civic.

 

[theeedude]

I'd take Mazda3 2.3 (nonturbo) over Civic Si. Low end torque > screaming gutless wonders in 99% of driving.
You can quote 0-60 times till your face turns blue, but unless you plan to abuse your car by dropping the clutch at high revs, you'll never see them in a high strung car.