S2Krence

Hey Guys,

I've been on this forum for a while now and since Car talk is the place I spend most of my time I figured I'd ask for the opinions of my fellow S2Ki members

Basically, I recently sold my Evo, and am in the market for a new(used) car. For the longest time, I told myself that if I sold the evo, I would no doubt get an S as the replacement. However, this being the only car I would drive, I started looking at my options and started reading up on the FA5 Si (4-door Si).

I guess what I'm looking for, are subjective opinions on the Si (how it drives, versatility, etc.)

I know that the civic si has been talked about on this forum before (i Searched) but I would definitely like the opinions of people who own one, have owned one, or driven one extensively.

Thanks A lot.

-Laurence

Here's a pic of my Evo. Parted it out and sold stock.

GPMike

I really like my Si. I feel it's 8/10 of my S2000 in terms of overall performance. It only falls short to the S in acceleration, steering feel and shifter/transmission feel.

pdj

If you don't mind me asking, why did you sell the evo? The si will be a substantial downgrade in driving experience I think, but it will be a lot more reliable than the evo.

Abdizzle

Well personally I'd never go from a Evo to an S. In my opinion that's a downgrade although you'd have a bit more fun in a S2000. But if you're looking to move onto to something more practical (even though I don't see how a DD Evo isn't practical?) an Si is a great candidate.

jemje2006

FD2 conversion is sweet, but kinda expensive.

curiouz_G

mcpherson front strut setup's in the FA5's arent really that great. If you get suspension for them, i HIGHLY recommend monoball mounts for them. they also do have tranny issues and throttle response issues that are all under TSB but still a pain. also, its pretty loud, for a stock car. for some reason, honda decided it would be "cool" to route the stock intake to the body panels so they "resonate", therefore it sounds like they have an intake when theyre stock.

other than that, theyre pretty good cars.

S2Krence

PDJ, I sold the Evo because the MPG was way too low for the type of driving I was doing (it's hard to stay off boost when you have ~300hp under your feet). I recently started my hospital rotation (I'm a RN/BSN student) and will be needing to drive all over the place to reach different facilities. So fuel economy is big for me. When I drove the evo, I was averaging 23 on the highway off boost most of the time. Add this to the super tiny fuel tank on the 8/9's and you start to see where I'm going with this.

I understand that from a performance point of view, this is deemed by most all people as a 'downgrade' but I'm ok with that. Once I get some money flowing and loans paid off (also why I sold my evo, to reduce my debt) . In the meantime I just want a fun, dependable, good mpg, all-around car, and that is why the FA5 appealed to me.

Curiouz G, yeah I heard about the TSB's but trust me, it would probably be a lot less of a headache than when my Evo's T-case decided one day to take a dump on me, and then later, after I got a new one installed, to take a dump on me again lol.

gemusan

I just picked up a FA5 Si to replace my S2000 that's nearing the end of the lease. Prior to deciding to go with the Si, I test drove the Gti (hated the manual gearbox), 2010 Mazda 3s (pretty decent car, but not enough power), and Insight (felt like being environmentally responsible, but the car was too slow). Here are my thoughts on the Si:

Handling: The steering wheel is too light for my taste and there's a lot less steering feel compared to the S2k. The stock all season tires aren't too great either. But overall, it's a decent handling fwd car. Stickier tires + sway bars a must.

Transmission: The clutch is very light and the gearbox is pretty slick. Not quite as good as S2k but it's probably the 2nd best gearbox I've used.

Power: Decently fast around town. The Gti feels quicker but the Si is more than adequate. The engine has this annoying rev hang issue though. The rev doesn't drop immediately when you release the throttle. Supposedly you can fix this with a Hondata reflash.

Fuel Economy: I get around 30mpg cruising on the freeway and around 24-26mpg combined. Kind of disappointed since my S2k gets about the same gas mileage with 40 more hp.

Practicality: I'm a bad judge of this since I have a S2000 and a BMW M Coupe. The mere fact that this car has rear doors makes it feel super practical.

Fun Factor: It's an easy car to drive and is pretty fun. Since I got the car, I've been reaching for its keys more than the M Coupe. Might be the honeymoon phase, but it really does a pretty good job of making the drive entertaining.

Overall I think the Si is the best car on the market for the money ($22k with Navi). It doesn't do one thing really well, but it does everything decently well. Sounds like it'll be the perfect car for your circumstances.

Abdizzle

I think you need to look more carefully at how much $ you'd actually be saving by driving a more fuel efficient car. Numbers easily sway people. I'd happily pay $500-1000 more a year on and drive a more enjoyable car vs. owning a Civic and reaping the rewards of $.5K annually.

IRS2K

The Civic Si is a great commuter car that gets good mileage while still providing some entertainment.

The stock handling is pretty good for daily duty. The engine and transmission feel good. Aside from the S2k, this may be one of Honda's best. It feels better than the TL-S and the RSX-S. The engine feels smooth and refined for this class. Smooth VTEC transition and good gas mileage. Engine note is also one of the best that Honda's provided.

The main concerns are the interior. I don't care for the hard plastics. The dual dash takes some getting used to. The seats and shifter make up for it though.

It's a great car for what it offers. It's a fun efficient vehicle.

I wish I didn't have to get rid of mine. I think it's going to be difficult to find something in this type of package... But when you get married things change.