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Comments
I love my '02 Si, but I've not driven the Subie; so, I can't compare 'em.
I picked up my '03 Civic Si last Sat from a dealer in Boston, MA.
The car has been just stellar and has far exceeded every one of my expectations, except...
When I look closely through the front windshield there appears to be, what I can best describe as a "visual wrinkle." It's very subtle. The glass feels smooth to touch, but the "wrinkle" is evident when you look through it from the driver's seat.
It looks almost as if someone put a large Saran wrap on my windshield. It's most evident when I try to read signs (e.g. gas prices on signs, street names, etc.) It's not disturbing enough to interfere with my driving, but enough to annoy me at times, or worse, make me think the windshield has been repaired (I read some posts where the dealer sold a car with repaired car seats...)
Perhaps it's normal? Am I just being paranoid? Perhaps I need to up my Prozac?
Any comments/help? Thank you!
Al
"They all do that." ;-)
It's easily the largest piece of glass on any car we've ever owned. Have you tried cleaning it yet? Especially the inside? You can hurt yourself trying to clean that thing! My goodness!
If yours shows distortion in the central area, have it replaced. That's unacceptable. Fear not -- Honda's a good car, and a good company.
Rest easy. You've just purchased one of the cars you're most likely to look back upon in later years and say, "That '03 Si was one of the nicest cars, the most satisfying cars, I ever owned."
Come talk to me in five years. :-)
Enjoy your fine new machine. It's not flawless -- is anything? -- but it's superb.
As far as AWD is, it is not all it cracked up to be. I had Honda CR-V before, and in the winter, upon acelleration the rears would kick in and try to outrun the front. Very scary experience if you don't anticipate it. So far the Si has been excelled this past winter, and excellent in the rain.
My only beef is with Honda's swindon plant quality control.
In 6 months i had the following worked on:
1) Driver's side door panel came loose, needed to be replaced as one of the lcips broke
2) Driver's side window came off track. Regulator needed to be replaced
3) The lose window pinched the weather stripping and broke it, weather stripping was replaced.
4) Water in the spare tire well, they replaced the weather stripping, but it is still leaking. Future visits to the dealer guaranteed.
5) The rotors are starting to warp.
Mind I only have 6000 miles on it.
What a change! Very smooth running, and hits 6000 rpm in a blink.
I think this i more than the usual oil change afterglow.
What we have here is a 21 year old male looking for a car that's going to be a good commuter and something that is fun to drive. After spending a year in Tokyo, a motorized scooter would take the cake over the human sardine cans that pass for trains over here but I'm sure the lure of "OoOOO motor vehicle" will wear off eventually. When it does I drive ALOT--to and from school, work, and the occasional road trip. It doesnt need to be a speed daemon, I cant afford insurance in my age bracket as it is, but do ya'll think the SI fits the bill?
Second, what are my chances of getting the 1.9% financing? I have good credit (beacon of 740ish) but I'm only 21 so I guess in the eyes of financing I am still apt to, say, who knows, pick up the latest Sony Playstation 2 game and forgoe this months payment. If my history proves to be too short is it possible to have a co-signer and still get this rate?
Finally, assuming I am able to work out the above issue, is it possible to get this rate through carsdirect.com? I really have no clue how financing works with internet sites such as them.
Thanks for your time and any help!
You should however, worry more about your insurance rates, as being under 25, not married no kids, in the eyes of the insurance company you have nothing to live for and most likely to drive recklessly and crash. I had to wait unitl i was 25 to get decent insurance rates.
Si is not the best commuter car, if you want really good fuel economy, other civic's are better. HX is the next best thing to a hybrid, even EX gets better fuel economy than Si. Of course it is MUCH MORE FUN to commute in the Si. You can easily hang with BMW's, Lexus', Mercedes' and even Corvettes (if they are not racing you) It is fun to pull away in the corners, while other rear wheel drive sports sedans have to slow down as to not to lose traction in the rear.
To juilin - Post #2261 "First new car-ness"
Welcome to this discussion. And glad to see you're getting some good feedback here. (Thanks dudka!) To answer your other question concerning interest rate: I believe the 1.9% rate is only being offered by Honda Corp., and if that's the case, you would not be able to get it through carsdirect. You may also want to check out Edmunds' Incentives & Rebates section to see what other manufacturer discounts are available.
Also, here's another discussion you may find interesting: A good first car. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your purchase. ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
1. Extended warranty, if you don't want it, you don' thave to get to qualify for the price or financing. (I walked out of dealership that told me that) If you do want extended warranty, shop around. Some Honda dealers do not carry "Honda care" but have their own warranty. Good price for 7 yrs/100 000 miles coverage is $600-800
2. Seat protection -BS
3. Paint protection - BS
4. Installed accesories - if you don't want them, have dealer take them off. If you do want them, there is room to negotiate.
5. When getting qoutes from different dealers make sure you compare apples to apples. Some may include destination, others may not. some may qoute you an LX when you are looking for an EX or Si. If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask. It is YOUR money.
6. You don't have to service your car at the dealership you bought it from. If a dealer 50 miles away is giving you a better deal and you are willing to drive to pick up, DO it. Then service it at your local Honda.
7. Trade in - usually not a good idea. When I was buying my first new car ( I had a 91 Jetta, in pristine condition) they were going to give me $500. I sold it privately for $2500 in 2 days.
8. Downpayment - you don't have to put $5000 down to get 1.9% with a score of 740, Apply under recent graduate program (see post before) That $5000 in a CD at 3.5% will do much better than lowering you monthly payments at 1.9%. My rule of thumb on downpayment, have enough to cover your Tax, Title and registration. About $1000 to 1500.
9. To get the best possible price, get a few local dealership's e-mail addresses from honda.com and e-mail them with request
Good luck
To add to dudka's advice about emailing local Honda dealers, look for a direct link to Edmunds' Local Dealer Locator in the Additional Resources box on the left side of this page. Good luck.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
I got my '03 Si through Carsdirect - both 1.9% AND the $750 dealer cashback. Any dealer that states you get one or the other doesn't know what they are talking about, or worse, lying!
I paid 16611 + 460 dest. No junk fees. The entire process was very smooth and satisfying. got the car in 2 days!
Interesting thing about carsdirect. They don't tell you which dealer they work with until you have signed on the dotted line. ?why?
I have one more question for those Si owners. I noticed yesterday, while at idle the tach rests at "1" and not "0." It's aligned exactly with the number 1 so I don't think it's a defect. However, shouldn't it be at 0 if the car is not moving?
Thanks,
Al
Sometimes, dealer cash doesn't make it to Edmund's. So, checking the Consumer Reports site is a good idea once you know the car you're gonna buy. It's costs $12, but it's worth it.
I'm sick of dealer 'tude, too; and I've got 30+ years on you. Shopping the net for my '02 Si cut out a lot of that hooey.
Dealers keep their actual cost very close to the vest; and sometimes dealer cash is keep very secret, too. That's why I recommend checking Consumer Reports. The Edmunds incentive page is good ( http://apps.edmunds.com/incentives/RebateController?step=1&se- - tzip=38104&tid=edmunds.n.incentives.incentives.1.1.* ) but sometimes incomplete - to preserve advertising revenue I believe.
P.S. You have negotiate your best price. Almost always you can do better than the dealer's first offer.
I just wanted to thank everyone for the advice, it's great to have this as a resource before jumping headlong into things. I just endured the 10 hour flight from Japan back to the states so I'll probably be test driving and getting something within the month. It just may be the Si.
Thanks again,
Juilin
Revka
Also, does anyone know if any dealers on the west coast still have remaining 02 Si models on the lots? I know it's a long shot, but if there are any, I'm sure they're heavily discounted. Thanks.
Unfortunately, Honda is always hush-hush about things like this.
Can you believe there are a few 2002's still left over in the northeast, Someone posted on "the other" board that he offered $13.8K for brand new 2002, and the dealer took it. Now he is pondering whether he should have offered $13.5K.
I wonder if the 2004 will have adjustable intermittent wipers as the 2003 Coupe and Sedan have, on top of the FP package that everyone is talking about.
Anybody had experience with the hondata chip? The extra performance is attractive on paper, but I'd like a take on real world experience as well as on the impact on reliability.
rivertown - Haven't used hondata, but on the forusm dedicated to the EP HATCH there are many who have. They all love it.
What are the respective times for the '00 and '02 Si's for 0-100 mph?
Where to get such things?
My first recommendation has been, and remains, Tire Rack. I recommend them unhesitatingly and without reservation.
Now, what we just purchased was for autocrossing, and is probably not what you had in mind. :-)
But, feel free to ask questions, and I'll answer them as best I can.
Or, call Damon at the Tire Rack at 888-541-1777 Ext. 643. I just talked with him this week, purchasing wheels from him. If you call him, I'll bet you'll be glad you did; he's smart, knowledgeable, and extraordinarily helpful. You'll thank me for steering you his way. Tell him the autocrossers from Wisconsin sent you!
-Kauai (who has no affiliation with Tire Rack apart from being very satisfied with the customer care we've received over the years.)
Thanks.
What about lowering springs (coil-overs)? Have you done anything like that yet? I like the look of the Si with 17" wheels and lowered about 1" all around...
I have not lowered our Si, although I’ve seen that done and it improves the appearance, I think. I “cannot” install different springs, among other things, because I autocross this car and SCCA Stock Class Rules prohibit such mods.
While I could make these mods, and have even contemplated doing so recently, I would then be bumped into a more competitive class where I would face an even greater struggle – and a lot more expense to be competitive, because the other guys maxed out the greater possibilities permitted in this class and their cars are faster than mine in consequence. Trying to remain competitive can get expensive real fast! :-)
Before you upgrade to 17” wheels and tires, I’d recommend you do extensive reading on the ‘Net to get an idea of the pros and cons. Appearance and performance gains head the list of pros, while the cons include harsher ride, risk of damaging rims, and the need to take extra care ascending steep driveways to avoid scraping your front air dam if you’ve also lowered the car significantly. And don't forget that attractive wheels attract thieves!
For us, using the car as a daily driver, we’re not keen on the downsides – been there, done that. But, you may be happy with it. It’s all good fun, and _you_ get to choose.
Choose wisely, and enjoy your fun car.
My wife and I are both very happy with this vehicle so far. From my own, quite limited, experience, the performance of the Si seems like a cross between my old 69 MGB (first car I ever owned) and my 85 Mustang GT convertible. The handling is superior to the MG (but not as fun) and of course infinitely superior to the Mustang.
I'm still getting used to using the hi revs on the VTEC. It packs quite a whallop in 2nd at 4 grand. It's not the same as flooring the 4-bbl in the Mustang, but it's close enough for any car that my kids might drive :-).
Having 4 kids, the driveway has been occupied with vans and station wagons for the past few years: the Si is the first "sporty" car I've owned since crashing the Mustang in the rain back in 87. Now the vans are all gone and there's enough cargo space in the Si that it will officially replace our last station wagon. Yay!
Congratulations on your new purchase! Looks like you did pretty well on the purchase price. I, too, went through CarsDirect. Found the process very refreshing, and pain-free.
Keep an eye on your engine oil for first several thousand miles. I have read on several sites about the Si burning oil. I had to top off mine this weekend with just about 1/2 qt after about 1500 miles. I babied the car for 1st 1000 miles and really haven't taken it above 5000 rpm since then but still found it needed some top off.
Enjoy!