Honda Civic Si / SiR 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    mopar - I thought your Si was one of the new HB's. I got that wrong?

    ham - I bought my '99 Si new, @ 17.1K before TTL. Stolen, stripped, and totaled, my insurance company has offered (out of the goodness of their generous hearts - yeah, right) to settle at 14.4+K plus TTL. I've rejected that offer; all but one of their comparables were Civic Ex's, and the one Si in the batch sold for 15.1K (by newspaper ad, no less) with more miles on the odo than mine.

    All of this, of course, is irrelevant - to the extent that rep for value retention is irrelevant.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    My Si is 2002 and is Silver. Right now I am trying to find a bargain on some 16" Rota wheels in black or maybe gunmetal. That is if I do not trade it. Depends on how much my elbow hurts.

    I never really warmed up to the 1999-2000 Si. I thought it should have been a hatch. Now with the current Si and it's mini minivan style I suddenly have more appreciation for the 2000 Si style.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    Gee, did yours roll forward or backward with the parking brake set? I see Ham's rolled forward.

    And, did you have it set hard?

    You know that 4 wheel disks mean the parking brake is an auxillary set of cable actuated drums on the rear? Drums usually hold better in one direction, usually forward, than the other. I never drove a set of drums I couldn't slip in reverse.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I pulled the car next to the curb and pulled the brake up but I didn't put it in gear .. doh!!

    Anyways, there's just a little scratch on the front bumper from the wooden sticks they had up. We actually got kind of lucky. At least it stopped after the front went over the curb instead of continuing to roll down the muddy hill and into the bobcat that was parked down there.

    The scratches don't really bother me. I still love the car. I'm just gonna drive it til the wheels fall off .. which at the rate I'm going might not be long. 1 cracked windshield @ a cost of $200, 2 bumper scratches, and a shopping cart that ended up in the side of my car. Luckily all the scratches are minor and if I choose I can get them touched up. I will probably wait until my factory Michelins wear out and then put a set of rims on it and maybe a Type R kit if they are available here by then.

    ham: Still doubting me I see. I got what was excellent trade at that time for my Protege and got the Si for $11,000. When I traded it the dealer gave me $12,200+ the sales tax credit = $13,054 and the price on the new SI was $16,385. Other than that I paid their dealer fee and the $21 for titling/warranty fee.

    On Gee's car after the sales tax credit was figured in we got more than we paid for it 7 months and 9,000 ago. Got a new Accord coupe for a few hundred over invoice.
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    River - actually my car rolled backwards and forwards as well. Happened once each time. Backwards was when I was waiting for traffic light change and decided to use the parking brake and took my feet of the brakes. Luckily I looked in the rear view mirror and saw what seem like the car behind creeping up on me. Turns out I was rolling backwards! Immediately step the brakes and took it off parking brakes.

    The other time was when I was on my driveway and it rolled forward.

    Both times engine was running. So I can't leave it in gear obviously. Now, I make sure I put it in gear each and every time I park my car. But I'm sure someone somewhere will indoubtedly have his or her car rolled down a hill or hit some old lady to cause Consumer Reports to investigate Honda. Afterall, not everyone is a Honda fanatic that oversees all the shortcoming of the car and accepts it.

    Heck, maybe I'll go to the NHSTA site now and put in a report about my Si rolling down hills.
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    Here's what you wrote previously about your Protege:

    When I bought the 2000 SI I didn't pay sales tax because I traded a 2001 Protege that was worth $11,500. When I bought the 2000 SI I had negative equity from the Mazda (even 0.0% couldn't offset the Mazda's depreciation) so when I traded the 2000 SI for the 2002 I was $2500 upside down.

    You talked down the Protege, or specifically Mazda AS IF your Honda will not depreciate if you buy it brand new and sell it in less than a year. You are talking about mass production car. Of course they'll depreciate and the 02 Si if you sell it now, you'll be lucky to find a buyer for $12k.

    Anyway, now you wrote:
    I got what was excellent trade at that time for my Protege

    Well, excellent trade in value for the Protege now. Whatever happened to the depreciation of the Protege despite the 0% financing?? Basically you are dealing w/ funny money. You didn't make any money on the 00 Si when you trade it in. You lost a whole bunch during the trade as evident in the $2500 upside down.

    Btw, when I post about the making money by selling 99/00 Si, I wasn't referring to you. I've already *exposed* you in post # 1435. I was questionning moparbad as to how he can make more money on a used 99/00 Si if he indeed bought it new and attempting to trade it in now. But for some reason you feel necessary to defend your excellent deal that you got and the so called funny money you made.

    If you ask anyone who bought a car recently, no one will say they got a bad deal. Each and everyone walks away thinking they got a good deal and proceed to recommend their salesperson to you.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    11,000 + tx. And got 11,500 trade. I made $500 after driving the car 9000 miles. My new EX-L coupe was $23,500 out the door. That included fog lights, molding, fender trim, compass mirror, and rear spoiler....That's a good deal since in essence we paid retail for the car and got all the accessories for free.

    She bought the SI for $11,000 flat. When she traded it the dealer gave her $12,200 for it. So not only did she get $1200 more in trade and the 02 SI for $16385, the point about the negative equity is moot since when she totalled it the insurance company paid off the whole thing. So when she bought her second one she got all the accessories AND financed less money. So really she MADE money on the accident. She financed her second SI for $1000 LESS than the first one and the second one had fog lights and paint protectant that the first one didn't have. The fog lights retail for $495. ALSO we actually got over $200 back from the payoff of the first one. All in all not bad since we didn't even get to make the first payment on the first 02 SI.
    No exposure. Just ignorance on the subject is all.

    As far as the rolling down the hill...It's kinda infuriating. We have been lucky so far in that it has only cost us a mailbox and a couple scratches but out of over 20 or so cars in the past 7 years this is the only car that has done this...twice.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    The parking brake issue looks real to me. What has the dealer said?

    I can't pull mine off the parking brake going forward if I set it hard; but I haven't tried reverse, assuming I could move it like every other car I've owned.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    It seems that the SI's brake must be pulled ALL the way up and it must be in gear. While I guess it's not that big of a deal the other cars we have owned have been no where near this sensitive. Maybe they just have lazy brakes.
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    Maybe it is builtin feature like the dumb A/C switch.

    Anyway, I've submitted a complain at the NHTSA website. See if anything comes out of it.
  • greenguygreenguy Member Posts: 78
    Mine works fine. I pulled off the side of the road the other day, there was a dirt patch, pulled the e-brake and the rear locked up and slid around nicely! Too much fun!!
  • dfbidwelldfbidwell Member Posts: 21
    Me too. My e-brake is very tight on the Si. Unlike my old CL-S whose e-brake was very loose and poorly placed by the dead pedal.

    Locking up the rear wheels and sliding is quite fun indeed.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Is there any way to tighten the cable (I think) to make the e-brake engage a bit sooner?

    I have a 99 Si and live in a very hilly area. While I haven't had any problems with it rolling unattended or unintentionally, I worry about my wife being able to pull it up all the way and have it engage. If I could tighten the cable a bit and have it engage sooner, it would be a nice bit of comfort to have. Would this cause any potential damage by tightening?

    -Paul
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I'm hoping somebody here may have a clue. When I shift gears in my 99Si, there seems to be a clicking noise in the dash - below the stero and vents, to the left of the glove box, and to the right of center, just a bit. I've felt around for loose stereo cables or anything else that may be bobbing around in there, but just can't seem to find it.

    Anybody else had a similar problem and found a fix for it? I'm really trying to avoid taking it to a shop to look at if possible.

    Thanks,
    -Paul
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    In the last couple of days, I've seen two Matrix, two Si's besides mine, a VR6, and a Protege 5 on the streets. Looks like a groundswell to me, LOL.

    "Maybe we should get together and call ourselves an institute."
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    Based on what I've heard here, I played with my handbrake today. Not good.

    I could move the car fairly easily against the brake in both forward and reverse. Worse than that, the handbrake wasn't much good stopping the car from 10 mph on dry pavement. The car stopped, but it was more like coasting than stopping. Not good at all, and nowhere near as good as my '99 Si.

    If anybody has a service contact about this, I'd like to know.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    We leave it in gear when we stop. That's the best remedy I can think of. I don't feel like such a clod now though.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    I'm a leave-it-in-gear guy anyhow, using the handbrake only on serious hills; so, that's notta biggie. I'm also not seriously bent about the emergency brake function; though I call that one a serious problem.

    What I'm gonna HATE is failing the tag renewal inspection if I get a Napoleon who forces the issue.
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    Have any of you seen the ads comparing SUV to terrorism? I've posted a news bit on the Edmunds "I don't like SUV, do you" thread.

    Check it out:

    Link to thread
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    Honda is giving this offer. I got an e-mail to a link for a cert. I can't post the link as it directly links to an offer made to me. If you signed up for Honda news in the past, you'll get this offer.

    The bummer thing is it doesn't apply to prior purchases/leases to Jan 7.

    Maybe next month, they'll start giving away 17" rims :P Or maybe just one 17" rim. Haha..

    Gotta do something short of giving them away since they are just sitting on the lot.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    just sitting there. I feel sorry for that cute little car. Somebody needs to give em a home.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    Yep, 'tis a very sad situation. And, I'm evaluating my options.

    Trade my new one for one with a changer? Maybe make 1k on the trade?

    Buy a 2nd one; learn to drive two at one time? Park one on the street; hope it's stolen and stripped; make 2-3k on the insurance?

    Advocate for war, the tax cut on investment income, and the return of the draft; and ride the resultant rising economic tide to prosperity?

    Wait for Focus SVT prices to drop to $2.49, and speculate on a dozen?

    Wait for Si prices to drop to $1.24, and speculate on a gross?

    "Im soooo confused!" ~ Fonzie
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Well I would buy another SI, especially for $1.24, and use it as kind of a stopper for when the SI decides to get rollin. You know you would park the extra SI sideways behind/in front of the Civic if you park it on an inclined surface. The extra SI would be beat up but at least it was cheap. As bad as the SI's sales are always remember it could be worse .. think Daewoo.

    I have over 9,000 miles now and the car has been great. No problems other than the brake thing and that's not really a problem as long as I put it in gear and pull the brake up as far as it will go.
  • scooter71scooter71 Member Posts: 56
    I was thinking today how great it would be if Honda offered non-Si versions in the US, as they do in the UK. Give me the option of 3-door or 5-door, the 1.7L motor, 15" alloys, optional CVT, sunroof, power everything, cruise, ABS, and an MSRP of $15k. And of course an armrest! For me, that would be the perfect city car. It might also outsell the Focus hatch.

    (I don't frequent these boards often, so my apologies if this has been covered)
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I think the reason they can't use the 1.7L is the weight of the hatch. It's a stocky car which aids in it's more substantial feeling over previous SI's and regular Civics.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    I visited the Honda UK site, and the choices are interesting - including, I think, a 1.6L hatch. What astounded me was the sticker prices, converted from British pounds to US dollars. If I remember correctly, that 1.6L hatchback showed 110 hp and was stickered at 12k British pounds (19K dollars, +-).

    scooter71, what you're asking for seems like an Si with optional rear doors and CVT. Am I right in thinking you'd like a less expensive hatch as an alternative to the US Si? A more direct competitor to the Focus, non SVT? Sounds good to me!

    (BTW, what's CVT?)
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    CVT is continually variable transmission or something close. Basically it doesn't change into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. It's constantly adjusting to get the RPM at an even level. I'm sure there is a better and more accurate description somewhere but that's close enough.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    an SI with an automatic would be an insult to the SI's heritage. While I agree it would sell better, throughout it's history the SI has been equipped with a manual transmission and a manual transmission only.
  • jfigueroa1jfigueroa1 Member Posts: 209
    Thanks for the info. see you learnd some thing new every day. Still nice car but, with the traffic down here in Miami no way I buy stick shift + wife will not let me.
    Greetings from sunny Miami.
    fig
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    TY, Anony! I've read about CVT's, though I can't remember the car. An Audi, maybe? As I remember, the engine runs at a more or less contant rpm and the trany increases final drive ratio as mph increases / load decreases. Sure would be a different driving experience, from a manual and even from a conventional auto.

    I'd hate it in a 'sporty' car. Sounds great for a limo, LOL, or a truck.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I think the 96 Civic was the first production car to come equipped with a CVT. It was available in the HX coupe and they still have it if I am not mistaken.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    I've seen that; didn't know what it was!

    Ever driven one? What's it like? I can see where it would be great for gas mileage/efficiency but low on fun factor.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Never driven one unfortunately. I've heard that once you adjust to it it's actually a better set-up. No chance for rough shifting.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    Better as in smoother shifting? Makes sense to me.

    Got any sense of the fun factor?
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    What I heard is that most of the people didn't really like the experience.
    It feels like the transmission is slipping - the speed is increasing while the rpm's are staing the same.
    It's more efficient than the regular tranny since the engine spends most of the time in the optimum rpm range.
    I also heard that it requires a lot of maintanance (tranny oil change every 30K).
    And those few that made its way from the dealer lots weren't reliable - couldn't handle even that little torque that the 1.6L was producing. The technology was just too new.
    But it's all different now. Nissan, for example, is offering the modern version of the tranny in its Murano (3.5L V6 with tons of torque).
    And more will come.
    And regarding the UK prices. Aren't you glad that you live the USA?
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    Better as in smoother shifting? Makes sense to me.

    Got any sense of the fun factor?
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    TY, V. I was wondering about that 'slipping' sensation. Think you get the feeling of 'go' you get flooring even an auto tranny?

    My thoughts exactly, contemplating UK pricing. Kinda makes "VAROOM" into 'varuum', LOL.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    In the HX. They aren't trouble prone if driven int he manner they were designed. I've seen several in the high 100k's. And there are more than a few. There are HX boards where they compare gas mileage.

    I'm sure someone can mess up an Insights drivetrain if they drove it roughly.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    CVT seems perfect for Gen-x - revs only loosely related to locomotion and no real skill required aside from refraining from tearing it up.

    Hybred seems perfect for hippies - weak performance and the appearance of saving fuel without actually saving much fuel. 'Green' sure is pretty, though.

    Si, with its manual tranny, seems perfect for me. Heck, it wasn't all that long ago when peak hp was to be had from a borax wagon - 20 mule team borax.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    because they were not within our Town Hall guidelines. Please note: Town Hall welcomes all views on automotive matters.

    In addition, it's okay to take issue with other views posted here, however, we ask that you keep the focus on vehicles and avoid making personal/inflammatory remarks about other members... as this often results in flames. Personal comments directed towards individual participants are subject to automatic deletion.

    For further clarification, please refer to our Town Hall Membership Agreement. Also, feel free to send me an email if you have any questions/comments. Thanks!

    And now, back to the subject of the Honda Civic Si / Sir. ;-)

    Revka
    Host/Hatchbacks & Wagons
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    There is no proof the CVT was/is problematic. Honda continues to use it in the Insight and the Civic Hybrid because of it's efficiency. Honda putting it in the Civic probably paved the way for other companies to offer it. Subaru tried with the Justy but failed and Fiat tried but failed also. Honda was the first company to succesfully put the CVT in a mainstream car.
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    that will not stress the CVT belt. If you read up on CVT, you'll realize most of them are on econobox making no more than 130HP.

    Audi, I believe was the first to put it on a 200+ HP car using a chain. However, they still don't offer CVT on quattro coz' it can't handle the extra power or maybe it is just a marketing ploy. Last I heard, it will be available on quattros as well. Quattros is Audi speak for AWD for those who don't know.

    Now, we have Saturn offering CVT on the new VUE.

    Someone hit it right on the nail. CVT do not offer a pleasing ride experience. It is strange to see the RPM remain the same while the car is accelerating. Thus, artificial shift point are programmed into the trans. You'll get the traditional shifting feel in the Audi CVT for example. But depending on the programming, it could be for fuel economy, comfort or sports. It won't be long before you can customize your own *shift* point.

    Also, I believe the CVT on HX back in 97/98 was a stick shift. That and also it was offered in a 115/117HP engine. I remember it has a nice alloy rims though.
  • hamproofhamproof Member Posts: 241
    While I agree it would sell better, throughout it's history the SI has been equipped with a manual transmission and a manual transmission only.

    I guess that's why we still get the same 160HP and 15" rims like the 99/00 Si because Honda is following history. Maybe 10 years down the line, you'll still get the same 160HP in a 3.0l engine and the same 160HP with maybe 160ft.lb torque.

    History doesn't matter. Eventually, Honda will have to offer some sort of SMG paddle shifter like BMW, Porsche, Ferrari etc. Maybe not on the Si. If you are talking about performance, nothing can shift faster than a computer and to rev match when downshift.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    The HX CVT is automatic only. Wouldn't make much since to have a manual transmission CVT when the point of the CVT is to keep an AUTOMATIC transmission from shifting through multiple gears.

    And it's not the same 160HP .. the 99-00 had a 1.6L Vtec engine while the 02-03's have a 2.0L i-Vtec. The wheels aren't the same either .. there is a noticable difference in wheel design.
  • scooter71scooter71 Member Posts: 56
    To correct your statements regarding "generational vehicles"...

    1) I'm a 31-year-old "Gen-X'er" and all 3 of my new cars have had 5-speeds. Most of my friends prefer manuals, too, even in some of the most congested cities in the country (Seattle, SF, DC, LA, etc.). However, a CVT is a great transmission for city driving.

    2) Some hybrids burn half as much fuel as the Civic Si. Any reasonable person would consider that a significant savings, don't you think?

    Please avoid overstated stereotypes in the future.
  • rivertownrivertown Member Posts: 928
    I'm sorry, Scooter71. I rib everybody, including me. No offense intended.

    I'm sure the CVT and the hybrids suit some very well.

    BTW, ratings aside, hybrid drivers actually get 50 mpg in the city?
  • scooter71scooter71 Member Posts: 56
    I just looked on the Honda UK site, and boy is the 5-door Civic ugly. To revise my wish- a 3-door non-Si with 1.7L, EX-level equipment, etc ;-)

    Rivertown- I've found boards like this to be a bad place to rib people since nobody knows the intentions of the person who's ribbing- to personally offend, to merely joke, to start an argument, etc.

    Luckily, Revka does a good job of keeping us in line.

    Back to the Si... I've heard rumors of people paying $15k for a new Si. Any truth to that in the Seattle metro area (I imagine a premium above sticker here)? Also- is there an armrest available for the Si?
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    The HX CVT is automatic only. Wouldn't make much since to have a manual transmission CVT when the point of the CVT is to keep an AUTOMATIC transmission from shifting through multiple gears.

    Manual CVT? What do you mean?
    Hamproof clearly described what Audi had to do to make it feel more pleasant or traditional.
    Audi inroduced the artificial shift points which were programmed into the trans computer to simulate the traditional auto tranny feel and eliminate that slipping sensation.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    So she meant there is no stick shift CVT. You can provide computer software to simulate gearchanges but you will not have a five speed stick CVT.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    My 2003 Coupe has that very 2.4/160 hp and accelerates just as fast as my 00 SI. It's a much larger car. The larger engine as used for more torque and a more relaxed demeanor of the car in the Accord and SI.

    The Civic handles just fine on 15" tires. Want bigger? Buy em.

    Size doesn't matter...Funny...I'm 6 foot 6 she just a hair over 5 foot. Size matters.
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