Honda again. The Si is all North America has. Yes there's a Type-R coming...maybe. For now, this Civic Si stands as the gold standard by with all affordable sport economy cars measure themselves.
The Honda Civic Si is a car for the family man who refuses to give up track days, and wants to have a warranty and rock solid reliability. Ask me how I know (I own a 2014 sedan).
John Hoo I own a 2012 fg4. This mad me laugh hard. It is true. The car enthusiast knows what this car is capable of. I got bored with N/A honda and went boost. MS3 have no chance. Im a 31 year old workaholic.
eletor Just because it's off the menu doesn't mean they don't have it. You can usually order that shake all year. Or get a vanilla shake and pour green food coloring in it.
Bad Drivers of SE WI Because Honda was like "Who needs torque. Just slap on short and sweet gears and make the car 3k lbs or less and we're fukkin muvin!" Seriously though. Best manual transmissions I've ever driven.
ILoveBreakfast671 You must be talking about newer Hondas. The Integras, Civics, and Preludes I've driven had decent transmissions, but nothing to write home about.
As the owner of this Si, I do want to note that the Civic Si generally does nothing great... but does a whole lot very well. It's not as frantic as my old '07 Si (unfortunately), but combines (some) power when you want, quick responses, roomy interior (it'll fit a tandem bike plus front seat occupants), good fuel economy, and extreme reliability. If my '07 is an indication, it'll also hold its value like nobody's business, delivering near zero depreciation. I looked at all options, including new WRX, Mazda3, Focus ST, and used E90 series BMW's. I couldn't get past paying half again as much (for those) - would I really like any of those that much more? So... I came back to an Si again. ... but I'll be looking at the Type-R when that comes out.
Using one almost every other day, I agree 100%. It certainly does feel like it will end up being a reliable car and that resale value is definitely huge and shouldn't be overlooked. Even though that interior might be too flashy for some, I like it! Our 2013 is considerably more stripped down.
Daniel Leinbach I feel you on that. I own an S2000 and have been looking on and off for a new DD, especially here in good ole gray PA arranging rides to and from work every time there's a hint of snow has worked out, but it's getting a bit tiresome. My first thought was the Focus ST, which is well reviewed and nice, but by time you take delivery you're looking dangerously close to 30K and for a 14' car I would have had to have bought tires and wheels as they were coming with summer tires only. The new WRX came out, and as a die hard Subaru fan I just am still struggling to wrap my head around that car. It just doesn't get me the way the weird, slightly odd old ones did, it doesn't seem to be the scrappy rally fighter anymore and again, thirty grand for the base model, damn near forty for an STI. The GTI is the grown up option, but again near thirty and you can't turn the traction control off on a hot hatch? I'll pass. I have to say, if I had to buy new, in that segment I might just get the Si. It's quick enough, from memory that six speed is almost as good as the S2000's box, and it's a fine enough car in its own right...
Daniel Leinbach May I ask why you didn't want a Mazda 3? I currently drive the 2010 sedan, 2.5L engine w/ 6-speed manual, and it's brilliant. Behind the wheel it has more character than any honda I've ever driven
I wish they would bring back the 3 door hatch and drop the regular coupe all together, a 3 door hatch is an easier sell then a 2 door coupe in the states granted only marginally.
I love this Honda Civic Si. I think the single mom analogy is fitting because my Si has never truly let me down in life. She always made sure that I’d be able to get to work on time whilst having a little fun together on the weekends when we aren’t busy.
If Honda would just give people turbo'ed engines, a lot of people would probably shut the fuck up about Hondas. They all come with fantastic suspension geometry. Mostly. And a reasonably stiff chassis. Decent brakes in most cases too. Yeah...I drive a Honda. But it's my DD!! And the only mods I've added are love stains.
SpaceManDawn Well lucky you the 10th gen civics will all come with turbo motors, and if you bother go and look for the patent images for the coupe and sedan I think they look really sharp (now only if they produce that same shade of green the concept has). Also the only reason Honda get so much hate is because of that one kid down the street with his 1994 hand me down EX and the canister exhaust that revs at every stoplight and launches form it at every opportunity to "Show Off".
***** What VW's are you talking about, the ones we get imported in Australia are of top quality, far better than Honda build quality, I drive a skoda which is a budget VW and even it has better build quality than a Honda. You pay more for quality and it shows in VW cars.
Watch any review on the civic si of today against any new similarly priced compact sporty car. It has become lethargic and the handling is really not that great compared to pretty much all it's competition. I don't hate Honda's, I hate all the teenage kids who drive them who talk them up to be something they're not.
Not a bad car at all. Very nice interior, strong Honda build quality and economy, looks technologically up-to-date as well. Despite all the annoying Honda fanboys and the whole VTEC thing, this car actually looks quite promising. I'm no Honda fan but I like this.
Jacob Mahoney Not at all, I still like it. Sure the WRX has a more powerful engine, AWD system and other awesome stuff. Doesn't mean the Honda isn't a good car.
John Hoo 25? Guess again my friend, bare bones WRX is 27 and change. An STI with options can hit forty. As a definite Subaru fan, I'd really have to think long and hard about one of these before shelling out the extra cash for a WRX that to me anyway is the least desirable one they've made...
When I purchased my 2011 Civic Si sedan I also considered a new Focus ST and used WRX. WRX reliability (especially used) scares me and I didn't like the fact the Focus ST doesn't have a true limited-slip differential. I enjoyed the Honda's interior space, exterior design, 8,000 RPM redline, relatively light weight, safety ratings, and LSD. I wasn't looking to buy a rocket ship, just something I enjoy driving, and the Civic Si far exceeded those criteria. Like someone else in the comments said, it's not great at anything, but good at a lot of things. Edit: I realize my 8th generation is a different beast than the 2014 being reviewed but I want to highlight to all of the "SHOULDA BOUGHT A WRX/MAZDASPEED3/ETC." people that there's more to a vehicle than raw horsepower.
I have a 2014 SI sedan and love it. I know it's not the faster car on the road. I know it's going to get a lot of hate. I also know that for a DD, the combination of reliability, value preservation and fun is unparalleled. Can I afford a much nicer car? Sure can, own 2 businesses and had a 335i convertible before this....and I'd take the SI any day. It's all about practicality and needs. This is my 3rd Honda and I still have yet to have any issues with any of them. I had my BMW in the shop 5 times in the year I owned it (and it was brand new). I get around with no worrying that it will break down or have issues and it gives me the thrills I need if I really want to open it up. People say the Mazda 3 is better....great, go buy one, it's an awesome car. Just accept the fact that Honda has created loyalty from their customers and fully knowing the Mazda was a tad better, I still went Honda. Do I care if people look at me and say "what a loser, you drive a Honda"? Not one bit. I like the car and at the end of the day, I don't worry about people with small manhoods that need to judge due to their lack of confidence.
This right here. My family used a '14 Si sedan as our main car until someone T-boned it last year because they didn't look left, and we badly miss it. That neither-screamer-nor-family-car quality that the vid complains about made the car perfect for us. The performance was enough to drive with confidence, and the trim was exactly what we wanted - refined but without the Audi-style electrified everything and two thousand servo motors to replace when they break. My DD is a Fiesta ST now, since manual Fits are absolute unobtanium and the new Civics look like janky over-modded ass, and the wife drives an Alltrack.
Still one of the best naturally aspirated sporty affordable manual family car. Especially as a Si Sedan. But if you happen to find a V6 manual Accord Sedan 👀
well i just finished watching all your videos and cant stop myself from wanting to start over. i loved all of your witty toilet humer and personification of cars. thank you for making these and please never stop. i would love to see you do the mustang foxbody though. ive been driving mine for about a year and i cant stop talking about it like i think you would XD.
The civic SI has been diluted gradually from generation to generation to something that is no more special than any other "sporty" fwd car. Gone are the high revving engines, stiff suspensions, small light weight bodies, double wishbones all around, what is left is a soft, heavy, ordinary car with some badges that used to mean something.
Rusty Shackleford Agreed, although I was rather surprised to find out that my 2014 Civic Si is lighter than my old RX-8 and MazdaSpeed6. Only lighter car I've owned was the S2000, and that didn't have backseats or a useable trunk.
Speed6 is a mid-sized 4 door family car with AWD, and the RX8 still has 4 doors and even if the motor is smaller its rwd and it basically weighs the same as the civic si at 3000-3100lbs. A Civic weighs more than 3000 lbs now! Your car is 200lbs heavier than an FRS/BRZ though, for about the same money,the brz has the high revving engine and lightweight, balanced chassis the civic used to have + RWD. It is the spiritual successor of the civic, despite the badge badge. All that, and the BRZ will still take 4 wheels and tires to a track day!
Rusty Shackleford I can't shuttle my daughter to daycare right after grocery shopping with my wife in a BRZ. Not without having my wife crank her back trying to shove a kid in my Recaro child seat while shoving the front passenger seat forward anyway. The Civic Si Sedan weighs exactly 3006 lbs. It's not a featherweight Lotus, but considering what's on the market these days for a sports sedan, it's doing alright for itself. That said, the next car I'm buying will be a mint condition S2000 CR. So yeah, I do appreciate lightweight cars. I want one in fact. Don't particularly care for FRS/BRZs though. I like my open top motoring.
In some ways, this review was better than any fact-spewing, objective review could be. The metaphors put into words how I feel about Si's. They're kind of boring. They're not as sporty as they should be. They're naturally-aspirated. They're almost exclusively bought by kids. These aren't visceral, face-ripping monsters. This is the car you talk your parents into buying when they're picking out a college car for you. Honda is getting blown away by the competition, and I really hope they have a resurgence, much like Ford did.
I had an '86 with a manual and it was incredible. Probably the most fun car I have ever owned but it was super rusty and I only paid like $500+fuel lines for it so I beat the living hell out of it for like a year and a half until the head gasket blew.
Drove a 2008 and 2009 Civic in driver's ed, it was okay in some ways, but the super light steering, weird feeling gas pedal, and big dash (features of most newer small cars) I did not like. Seems like the smaller cars these days all get more and more similar every redesign. New Civics and new Corolla's are very similar, whereas the Civic used to be more sporty and the Corolla was kinda mushy. The exception I think is the new Mazda 3, Mazda 6, and I still have respect for the Accord as well. My first car was a bone-stock 1991 Accord, reasonably sporty, comfortable, amazing steering and shifter and clutch feel. I'd take it any day over anything new. Only issue with it was the reliability
Jovi Gonyea lol I'm a classic mini fanboy. But I understand how vtec works. With the term being thrown around so much and how it's very often at the center of a flame war you'd think both sides would at least understand what vtec actually is. VTEC and VVT-i are not the same!
***** I-VTEc is the same shit as VVT-iVtec is very similar to vvt, but vvt is better as the transition is smoother, oh thats why people love old vtec because it was shitty ;'D
As a former owner of a 2009 Civic Si, I can say confidently that in my opinion, the coupe version of this car is good for the kid who is fresh out of college, or a high school kid whose parents bought it for him, its an entry level enthusiasts machine, that can be made into a scary fast beast with the right work, comfortable but fun, good handling, light on its feet, but not fast.
***** I agree with most of that, but SCARY fast? So what, like 800-900 HP? 1500? Is it running 7s in the 1/4 mile? I'd say with the right work and forced induction it can be made satisfyingly fast, but not scary fast.
Vernon Price actually people have achieved 800hp with these k24 engines adding a good turbo setup to these engines adds the missing torque that everyone complains and makes for a good time.
I have a Focus ST3. But I love this generation of the four door Si. Manual ONLY to weed out all of the people who need to.......go......and it's just a nice practical, Honda, reliable as F**K smart little car. Reasonably quick...enough. Sweet Shifter, Sweet Shifter, SWEEEEET gear linkage. Could shift this car all day long. Up down, up......down. Is this the best manual tranny ever made regardless of price? Yea, it's that good. And now it's gone so you can pick one up used for a Honda that means probably paying more for it now than when it was new. Yea, I know. Weak attempt at a little humor. By this for your kid. Best 1st car ever!
Can't wait for us to get a real type R in the US soon. Not even just a real type R, but a nurburgring record setting type R. Hopefully the new civic will get Honda back to their roots, back to those little cars from the 90's that were and still are so much fun to drive
I'm happy that Honda finally decided to make some cars that don't have ugly rims. I remember some of their vehicles used to roll off the lot looking as though they were missing a set of wheel covers.
The most Civic thing in that particular one, was the Speed Trap Scanner stuck to the windscreen. The first thing they'll be doing when they get pulled over is throwing that as deep into the center console as possible
HareyMon Sir, I am asking about the model variants such as Si, Se, Se Executive and so on I was referring to the hatchback model when I said EU as saloons are the popular version in America but they still retain the "Si" prefixs
Hopefully you know how to drive and don't live in the Philadelphia area because I love to torture young ones on the road who are cocky with their hot rides . Btw I'm 20 with an '08 accord Coupe .
Good review all around. My girlfriend has one, a 2013. Nothing to complain about really but at the same time, nothing to get too excited for either. But if one was to be shopping for a civic, might as well get the Si. The extra power and fun factor is nice to have, and the real world MPG on this car is stupid good, even when you run the snot out of it. Keep it up RCR!
Lets point out what makes this car special. Sure one can shit on Honda all day but the Si still has the best shifter in the biz and they give you a true LSD not some fake breast computer LSD. Let us not forget, Honda was the first to bring RELIABLE variable valve timing to the masses so it is ungrateful to dismiss i-VTEC as just another variable valve system. Would I choose an Si over a Mk6 GTI? Yes, I owned such GTI and I would catch myself falling asleep at the wheel it was so boring to drive. Was the interior of the GTI a class above the Si...YES! But if you are true car enthusiast I really think the Si is something special. I own a 14 as a daily. It really is good and worth a second look. I was on of those bitter Honda guys clamoring for the return of the glory days and the Si was off the radar for a while. But when Honda did an about face with the short comings of the 13 Si, I gave the 14 another look and happy I did. With a proper sounding exhaust and a set of Eibach springs the car is perfect.
One of the best episodes. It is funny and shows respect for every car guy. I suspect half the views of this video are mine because I come back to this video all the time. To me, it is one of the videos that better demonstrate Mr. Regular's feelings as a car guy. If I had to criticize this video I would say that it lacks some BROWN.
vtec is different than variable valve timing. vtec when activated, switches from a lower lift cam, to a higher lift cam, opening the valve further and longer. VVT adjusts the cam timing at a variable rate, kind of like how ignition timing increases with rpm
Demonslayer20111 I realize this is a 5 month old comment but.. no? I've never owned a Honda and am far from a fanboy but it seems nobody understands the difference between what vtec does and what simple vvt does. Vtec is literally changing how far the valves open in addition to timing of when the open. VVT has zero control of valve lift, only timing.
I've test driven 2 or 3 civic si's. I was NEVER impressed. Yes, they do a little better than a non-si. But as you said, nobody (well, except teen boys) is going to wet their self over it. Civics are extremely boring cars, mostly ugly cars - always have been. I'm allowed to say this. I daily drive a 2012 non si civic sedan and have since 2011.
wantsanewvehicle Take an Si to the track. They're boring daily drivers for sure, but they sure are fun on track days. I just ran mine completely stock, down to the tires, last month at Gingerman Raceway.
wantsanewvehicle I'm sure if you went to spectate a track day, you could find someone there to hitch a ride with. They're surprisingly agile cars. Reminded me a whole lot of my old RX-8, with less weight, a larger body and more torque (lol torque).
Ya every teen ricer wanna be has trashed the syncros in all the used ones for sale in my area, Had to get an auto EX Both are slow, so i chose better MPGs
They are a great platform for modding. The 8th and 9th gen si engines take boost like a fat guy takes in food, without even having to open the engine up until like 450hp. Make over twice the stock power and still be reliable, what more do you need?
RCR, I'm not as much of a car guy as you are, but I sure can relate to this: "I love being knowledgeable enough to be opinionated, but not so cultured that I can't still learn." The cars are the reason I click, but it's the writing that keeps me watching for all 4-15 minutes.
