Honda Civic Si / SiR 2005 and earlier

rivertown

So, price is an issue? Humph!

P.S. Probably not the place to be talking reliability and GTI in the same sentence.

BTW, what's a GTI 1.8 cost in the real world?
BTW II, where can you actually buy a Mazdaspeed Pro? What's the price, i.e. actual street price?
BTW III, ditto re the SRT.

gsgman69

but it is only part of the equation when determining the value of a piece of hardware.

What it comes down to is not other people's experience with VW's but my own which has been spotless in almost 12,000 miles.

GTIs can be had for little over invoice in the real world as I proved to myself last February.

If am sure if you are patient and stubborn you can have either the MSP or SRT at MSRP. MSP delivery was affected by things outside of Mazda's control(strikes). People have gotten Minis for MSRP so it can be done.

revka

Let's continue discussion of the GTI, and other cars, in a more appropriate area. Okay?

To gsgman69- You may be interested in our Honda Civic Si vs. VW GTI and Pocket Rockets! discussions. Also, feel free to start up a new discussion if you'd like. Thanks!
 
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

rivertown

I, too, thought price was an issue, LOL.

Dunno what your point is. If you're patient and stubborn enough and spend more money, you can buy a car that's faster than an Si and which also has a poorer rep for resale, reliability, and consumer satisfaction? I'd say you are right!

nippononly

I quoted before was given to me straight off by the local dealership the weekend before last, when I said I was looking for leftover '02s. The sales manager introduced himself to me and said no, he didn't have any more '02s, which were advertised at other area dealerships last weekend for $15K, but it "would be better" to get an '03 anyway, because it is "not automatically a year old as soon as you drive it away", and if I would be interested, he would be happy to sell me one at $17K, "only $2K more for the newer model". Now, of course, I know there are no differences between the '02 and the '03, so I wasn't buying that line, but the $17K price tag was intriguing. As I said before, still thinking about it....

And I am in the San Francisco area

greenguy

And cracked my wind shield. I have glass insurance so it will be coverd. I cannot belive that its cracked already! On previous cars I had plenty of good size chips, and they never split up the glass. It will be interesting to see if they replace it with OEM or aftermarket ( if available yet) glass. I am dissapointed that the factory seal of the windshield will be violated as things hardley ever go back the same:(.

gee35coupe

Only cost $200 to replace though not too bad.

anonymousposts

Get the windshield replaced by a reputable place. Harmon does ours and it's good as new. They also provide a lifetime warranty.

easygoer101

Well after reading all the post and doing a little searching I got the deal that I wanted on a 02 Si. The out the door price was 16700 at Sussman Honda in Pa. The dealership around my way didn't see how they could sell it that cheap because they are taking a lost. The best they could do for me was 16200 not including taxes and everything. I did get a better deal from D & C in N.J. but I didn't fell like traveling 3 hrs away. So far I love it and it reminds me of my CRX that I had back in the day. It's pretty sporty and has pep to go along with it. I do have one question, however, why does my A/C light go on when I turn my defrosters on? Thanks

anonymousposts

The AC/defrost thing has been covered. It's the way it's designed. If you read back far enough you will find instructions for overriding it so that the AC will not automatically come on. Otherwise, whenever the defrost/floor or full defrost modes are selected the AC will come on.

If you think it's peppy now wait until the engine breaks in. Couple words of warning though:

1. Break the engine in gently for the first 1000 miles and keep a close eye on your oil. Some people have reported oil consumption during the first few thousand miles. I took it very easy on my car during the first thousand miles and now at 9600 miles I have only used approx. 1 qt of oil.
2. Make sure the car is in gear when you park it or you might come out and find your car on top of the mailbox

stickguy

Do the rear quarter windows open at all? I know they don't roll down, but do they pop out?

Just wondering how the kids would be if they didn't open, since I rarely use the AC (do keep the roof open most of the time though).

anonymousposts

Rear windows do not open. Air flow is good in the car though.

si2002owner

I did cracked my windshield too, but about 5 months ago. It was not easy to find replacement, a shop even came to replace the windshield with the Civic's LX windshield (of course it didn't fit, duh!) and after about a month waiting between insurance and glass shop i got original Honda glass put on mine which costs arround $900 with parts, labor, and taxes, while aftermarket was close to 200... but i did notice that the glass is EXTREMELY thin, so to all Civic SI 2002-03 owners, beware or rocks because they will not only chip, but crack your windshield.

rivertown

Great, Easy! What color did you get?

Defrost fix is to turn all three HVAC knobs all the way to the left. Then hold AC and recirc buttons down while you start the car. One of those, recirc I think, flashes. The AC will still come on, if I remember right, when you switch to defrost; but you can turn it off with the AC button.
I think some designer decided that if you wanted defrost, you'd also want the dried air from AC to clear the class.

anonymousposts

Got a factory spec windshield from Harmon Auto Glass for $200. List price was $900. Thank goodness for discounts ...

Had mine done in August. No problem getting the replacement either. I called on Monday and they fixed it on Tuesday.

moparbad

Early oil change today at 4,000 miles. Dealership installed my cargo net in hatch area for free while doing the oil change. Very nice of them especially since I did not even purchase the car or the net there. No rattles or squeaks as reported by some other owners. Hope it stays that way. Mileage is still 26-27 mpg average with majority of travel on highway. Did average about 29 mpg on a 400 mile trip.
Overall I am happy with the car now that the early problems seem to be taken care of.

dudka

well, i picked up the Si this morning. I had a 30 mile ride back. i did not rev it high, nor sped. (you can;t it is a residential road with lots of traffic) but when i stopped at home and let her idle a few minutes, i noticed the smoke coming out of the tail pipe. it was kind of blueish, but it did not smell like oil or antifreeze. It smelled like burning wood. when i shut off the engine, the tail pipe still emitted smoke for a few minutes. should i be concerned? is it just the catalitic converter priming?
other than that car drives nice. i don't know why people complained about the radio, i though it was pretty good (you have to turn the bass and treble all the way up)

rivertown

I've gotten complements on the radio, too.

I noticed an odor when I test drove mine. Salesman commented it was the lube used on the exhaust system during the manufacturing process burning off. I didn't look; so, I dunno about smoke.

pageaut

I POSTED THIS ON HONDA CIVIC PROBLEMS TOO!!

I have a 2002 Honda Civic that I got in Aug, 2002. There is a problem with my emergency brake. I started my car and put it in neutral and fully engaged my parking brake. I got out of the car, locked it with my 2nd set of keys, and walked about 10 steps when I heard a noise from the car. (the brake letting loose) The car starting rolling backwards. I managed to get the door open as it was going down my driveway but I fell and the car ran over my leg and the door hit me and bent it all the way back to the front panel. I now have a few thousand dollars in damage on my car. The door will have to be replaced and the front panel is all dented from the door opening so far and possible damage to the back from the snow bank it ran in to across the street. I brought it to the dealer and they said the brake is fine and that my car was probably on ice. I told them it was NOT from the ice because it went all the way down the driveway, across the road, and up a 3-4 foot snowbank. My car would not slide that far with a working brake. He also said that I probably did not put the brake fully on. I DID put it fully on and if I didn't it would have started backwards as soon as I took my foot off the brake while I was still in the car and not when I had time to lock the door, and walk about 10 - 15 steps. I HEARD when the brake let loose and I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with their parking brake on the 2002 Honda Civic. Thank you.
PLEASE REPORT TO NHTSA.DOT.GOV IF YOU HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. THIS IS WHERE THEY DETERMINE IF THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE CAR. I WOULD LIKE TO PREVENT ANYONE ELSE FROM GOING THROUGH THE PAIN I AM GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW!! THANK YOU.

muffin_man

That's a scary story, was your leg ok?

pageaut

I was lucky I didn't "brake" my leg but it has a bad sprain on both sides of it not to mention other bruises all over my body. Thank you for your concern. I really appreciate it.

muffin_man

Don't mention it, glad you're ok. I have had my e-brake slip on steep inclines a number of times. I don't trust it. However, I've never been outside of the car when it happened.

easygoer101

I forgot to put it in gear and my wife yells downstairs and says you cars rolling back. I quick ran outside and drove it back and put it in gear. Few more feet and in would have been in the street.

pageaut

MUFFIN MAN AND EASYGOER
JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD REPORT IT TO NHSTA.DOT.COM. YOU CAN FILL OUT THE COMPLAINT ON THE WEBSITE. IT ONLY TOOK ME A FEW MINUTES. I THINK THE MORE WE HAVE THAT REPORT IT, THERE WILL BE A CHANCE WE CAN GET A RECALL ON IT AND HAVE THEM FIXED. THANKS

muffin_man

I will. Here is the link:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

dudka

if any recall results from all this, is the recall in the manual. I remeber all my previous cars mentioning in the manual to have it so many clicks to engage the parking brake. usually 3, with the Si, i noticed that you have to pull it all the way up to firmly engage the brake. as it is, my manual has one page replaced with a stick-on replacement, i think it was the one before last page.
did you notice in the manual, "bonnet release" lol it shows its english roots, lol

redsir

There is a small vent, about an inch in size, on the dash near the ignition. Does anyone know what it is?

rivertown

You're right. There is a vent. HVAC settings don't seem to have anything to do with whether air passes through it. My best guesses are 'styling' or a heat vent for the instrument cluster.

dudka

as far as i remeber the vent exists only on hondas assembled in england. the ones assembled in japan, us, canada, or anywhere else don't have it.

gee35coupe

beeps come from for the doors and ignition. I haven't investigated though.

si2002owner

For the 6 months I've owned the car, the main complaint I had was the factory stereo, but this week I got it replaced with a Pioneer premier, and let me tell you that it makes a WHOLE difference, and it sounds great, without changing or adding speakers. Other nice thing is that the color kind of matches the dashboard, and with the design of it, you don't even need the "kit" to istall it, since the 'hole' that leaves the stereo when you remove it, fits perfectly to any receiver.
I defenitely recomend to upgrade the radio.

anonymousposts

Just hit the 10,000 mile mark and the car is running great. No problems to report and it's driving smoother than the day I drove it off the lot.

As a side note I checked my owner's manual to see what it says about parking brake operation. It states that the brake should be applied firmly (I'm assuming this means that it should be pulled up to where there is no more give) and it states that the car should be in first gear if you are facing forward on an incline and in reverse gear if you are facing down the incline. Otherwise it says your car will roll.

rivertown

Time's proving you right, Gee. My '02 rolled yesterday, on the same slope where I parked my '99 for a couple of years without a roll (bank parking lot). I read somewhere the current gen is heavier (and stiffer and tougher), so I figure that's part of the prob. Leave it in gear, set the brake hard, maybe stay off steep slopes - seems to be the best ya can do.
Could we be in for that rarest of all things, a Honda recall? Oh, goody! I just love going to the dealer.

Remember the posts about windshield cracks from flying rocks?
I dub this one the "Rock & Roll" generation of Si's.

Handbrake, windshield, and all, I LOVE this car.

(Sure do miss Ham, too.)

rivertown

Anybody want a pair of keyless entry remotes that came with a '99 Si? Dunno if they can be reprogramed for your car or not, but they won't cost you anything.

Click on my username and e-mail direct.

gee35coupe

I know you probably are like me and never thought about it. But if you read your manual it says you MUST use the gearbox too to keep the car from rolling. The musta knew they put a ten speed parking brake on the car.

rivertown

And, I had to find out for myself, LOL. No harm done with my roll, thank goodness.

Yes, I'd seen that in the manual and also in your post.

I'm clearing out stuff from the stolen '99, so that manual's close by. Same instructions, same wording, same emphasis in the '99 manual. LOL, I guess they REALLY meant it with the R&R gen Si!

smwls8

I have 2 dealer's offering me 02 Si's for 17,500 and 17,400 out the door, no trade. They both claim this is below cost will not go lower, etc.

Anyone know of a straight shooter in S. FLA?

rivertown

I don't know dealerships in your area, but . . .

You might get further with the internet salesguys. On the whole, they seem straighter than the floor salespeople.

hondacars.com will let you locate dealers in your area and give you links to those who have websites. Most Honda dealers' sites even have an inventory search, so you can tell if they even the Si you want.

17.5 out the door may not be that bad. Here, TTL runs about $1,350. If the same's true there, you're looking at 16.1+-. I'm guessing the supplies of '02's may be drying up.

dudka

What is the selling price? what are the fees that add up to $17K? what is the tax rate in FL? I heard that plates in FL are expencive, so i assume registration is included in the price, but to be fair, we only need selling price and whether it included destination. if the selling price is $16K, i think it is on the high side, as you can get a 2003 for close to that from www.carsdirect.com
good luck.

fslaugts

That price is about right. I was offered it in the tampa bay area.. I tried for $16500 and someone else bought the car. Now I must try to deal on an 03 Si.

azaharchuk

Here in Phoenix I have seen '02 Si's advertised for about $15,800. When you add registration (about $400), documentation fee(about $200), and tax (about $1200) that comes to $17,400 OTD. Similar price to what you are finding in Florida. I have seen from previous posts prices in California and the east coast advertising Si's for $14,995 or $15,000. Havnt seen them that low in Phoenix. That $15,000 price may not include destination charges of about $450. If you add that you are up to $15,450. I think $17,500 OTD seems like a very good deal considering the car lists for $19,460. Not to mention the fact that they are only importing 12,000 to 15,000 a year of the Si. It would be kinda nice to have a car that you dont see every day. I dont think its possible to get a VW GTI for $17,500 OTD.

crikey

A local dealer, Holler Honda in Winter Park, has advertised the 2003 Honda Civic Si for $15,500 on television. This is before taxes, tag, licensing. They will probably charge you $500 for documentation fees so get that fee out. Try contacting the Internet Sales Dept. and see how it goes. I, myself, am thinking of getting one but I have to sell my car first. Good Luck.

moparbad

Si pricing at Holler in the print ad is for 2002 Civic at $15,555. http://www.automotiveservice.com/news/holler%20honda.pdf

gee35coupe

They aren't gonna give the car away. I'm sure there's a baseline price where they stop an say.."we ain't goin' no further."

crikey

Good find, but I'm sure the TV ad was for a 2003 Honda Civic Si.

azaharchuk

Back in 1992 (my college days) I bought a new '92 Civic CX Hatch. The CX was the BASE model. Vinyl seats...no radio...etc...70 HP engine. I added A/C and Honda Alloy wheels. I think the price was $10,800 before taxes/title/etc. Back in those days some of the Honda's had waiting lists and everyone paid MSRP or better. Today you can get a Civic Si withh all the extra's (moonroof, 15 inch alloy wheels, am/fm cd, dual airbags, 160 hp engine etc....not to mention the added refinement) for $15,000 to $16,000 (before taxes & stuff). Althouh the MSRP of $19460 is too much, $15 - $16k is a great deal.

azaharchuk

Not to mention you can get 1.9% for 60 months financing!

muffin_man

I don't think Miller Honda (Van Nuys) where I bought my car has sold even one 2002 Si since I got there. They still have at least 10 on the lot. I think they are ready to start giving them away.

anonymousposts

Yeah I wish I coulda got in on that 1.9%. I am paying 5.9% or something like that though.

BTW: Sutherlin Honda in Lithia Springs GA has the 2002 SI advertised for $15,333. They only had 1 stock number in the newspaper so I am not sure if that's the only one or what.

rivertown

Can't find Sutherlin Honda on the net, unless it's the same as Team Honda. Team Honda, Lithia Springs shows 4 02 Si's on their net inventory - black, 2 white, silver.