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Honda Civic Coupe / Civic Si 2006+

patpat Member Posts: 10,421
edited September 2014 in Honda
Let's talk about the new Si and Civic Coupe for 2006. In case you haven't seen it, have a look at InsideLine's First Drive: 2006 Honda Civic Si and let's go!!
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Comments

  • fordfocusfordfocus Member Posts: 37
    woohoo!
    anyone have a link to the Dana Patrick??? something commercial with red Civic Si?
  • andysandiegoandysandiego Member Posts: 54
    A big thanks to our moderator, Pat, who listened to our request and set up this forum distinct from the Civic sedan. Does anyone agree that with a spoiler, the new coupe will look a lot like the Si ? One of the biggest San Diego dealers told me the new coupes are flying off the lot. None there at present. I'd love to have an MT LX silver coupe and put some 205/55-16 Falken Azenis Sport tires on it. It would be a lot of fun, and would go around the local mountain twisting roads very well. There's no red for the coupe. Guess they've reserved red for the Si. There's a great two-page photo of a wine red Si on pages 80-81 of the November Road & Track that arrived yesterday.

    :P
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Glad to help and let me just note that ClaireS is your host here and she was involved in setting this up - I'll be going back over to Sedans now. ;)

    Anyway, enjoy!
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I don't think the Coupe is a "poor man's Si." Budget sporty cars are Neons and Focus ZX3's in stripped configuration. The Coupe is $17,000 from a manufacturer that doesn't rebate or offer employee incentives. I view it more as a practical (read: reliable) alternative to a MINI.

    But we have to wait and see how owners rate the actual handling on the Coupe. I hope to drive one at the Honda event in San Francisco this weekend; they have been hard to find at dealers. I had a 2003 Coupe and was not happy with its handling; it wasn't a dog, but it was no better than any competing econo-box.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I did a check of the local inventory at 4 dealers here in the Twin Cities, and each had anywhere from 4 to 16 Civics in stock. Without doing the math I would say that about 75% of these were coupes, so at least here it would seem that the sedans are outselling the coupes (unless they are just getting more coupes in than sedans so far).

    Also as far as colors go, I believe Honda's web site shows a red color being available in December - comes with a black interior.
  • herrkaleuherrkaleu Member Posts: 62
    the online inventory doesn't mean they physically have the cars...
    I bought a Mazda 3 (which probaly works the same for honda dealers). Their dealer inventory is linked to the Mazda site. the exact Mazda 3 we bought was already shown in the inventory. Well, when we bought it (after "watching" it for weeks in the inventory) it still was on the way from Japan. Took additional 2 weeks to actually pick it up. After we already had the car it was still in the inventory. so, the inventory is more about cars that are coming soon or were there some time ago. doesn't mean the cars on the lot are the ones in the online inventory.
    (why did we go through that huggle?.. we wanted Xenon headlights.... and the one with these actually on the lot was white brrr.... so we had to wait for the one we liked to arrive... :-)
    Well, checkin the local honda dealers... their inventory system is even worse than the mazda-one. somehow they have their own, not linked to Honda site. weird....
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    herrkaleu, yes I realize the dealers' web sites probably don't match what's actually on their lots at any given point in time, but I was merely pointing out that at least here there seems to be more coupes than sedans, either now available or soon to arrive. It's just a relative measure of which style has the better supply in this area, shortly after launch. One of the dealers also had 10 or so new '05's listed on their site, and all but one were coupes, except one Si hatch.
  • allfiredupallfiredup Member Posts: 736
    I love the looks of the Rallye Red (available in December). It looks a lot like the Milano Red that was available on Civics for years.

    I wonder if it will be available on the Si or if they'll only have the Habanero Red they've shown in so many of the publicity photos. That one is too dark and burgandy looking for my taste.

    At least the Rallye Red has black interior, my favorite by far! Will the Si have black interior on all models or a choice of others? I remember when you could only get a black interior on anything with an Si badge on it. Those were the days...
  • andysandiegoandysandiego Member Posts: 54
    I'm happy to say I got wrong info somewhere about red for the coupe. Here it is in Rallye Red, "available in January 2006:" http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2006/civic_coupe/customize/base_car/RE_exnavi_34FRONT.- - - jpg

    The fact that the coupe has 2 inches shorter wheelbase and is 3 inches lower than the sedan makes it appealing to me as a sporty car.

    :P
  • machotacomachotaco Member Posts: 2
    hey guys i have an urgent question. Do the honda dealers allow for dealmaking or are they selling the coupes off the lot with no bargains whatsoever?
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    Some people in the previous combined sedan/coupe thread have reported getting some discount, but it seems that in most areas dealers are still sticking to MSRP. The general consensus is that better deals lie ahead for those who can wait a while.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I would add - most dealers will make you or break you on your trade-in. They know people talk about cash discounts from the MSRP, so they'd rather sell you a car by over-allowing your trade than by discounting the Civic. It's a lot harder to brag (and prove) that you got $2,000 extra on your trade than to say you got $2,000 off the car.

    So shop around, and don't give up!
  • gonzonygonzony Member Posts: 7
    allfiredup,

    Looks like all your wishes are coming true. The Civic Si will come in Rally Red -- the only colors it does not come in are Atomic Blue Metallic and Royal Blue Pearl. Also, all interiors are black. This is right out of the Coupe brochure, which is in front of me.

    I just put my money down to get first dibs on an Si. Of course, I can get my money back if we can't reach a deal. I expect to pay MSRP, but also will push for a good trade-in price. I expect that will be the only way to get the Si's price down at the beginning. Actually, I think there is much interest in this car and it will likely sell at a premium for a while since I hear they are not planning to make too many. My only concern is that I will get respect from the kids at the pump, but the other executives I work with (I'm 49), with their BMWs and Audi's, will look at me cross-eyed for trading in my 328 and getting a Civic. I know better, I had a '00 Si and loved it to death, until it was stolen. Bought the 328 to try and make it a positive experience. I also love the BMW and it is more polished, but I want something I can wind-up to 7500 rpm again.
  • mtbridermtbrider Member Posts: 16
    I own a '00 Si currently and love it as well....I plan to sell it in a year or so and then will be looking at the new Si, in addition to the RSX Type-S (supposedly there is going to be a new model for '07.....I imagine that Acura will add a limited slip and probably more HP to separate it from the Si, so it will be interesting to see what Acura does). I'm no spring chicken also (in relation to the stereotypical Civic crowd)--I'm 33--but love playing with sport compacts, minus the ridiculous body kits and massive wings and neon glow kits, etc...
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    One of the enthusiast websites tested an 06 Coupe on a dyno and said:

    Note that the higher of the two runs was performed in 3rd gear. The lower was in 4th gear. Power and torque at the hubs indicate that this engine is producing more like 150-155 hp and 135-138 lbs-ft of torque at the engine. Also note that the power peaks and torque peaks correspond almost perfectly with the advertised peaks of 4300 rpm for torque and 6300 rpm for horsepower.

    I posted some comments on this excerpt on the sedans board - I won't repeat it here lest I spam, since most of you are probably reading the sedan board already.
  • mldj98mldj98 Member Posts: 378
    Just curious....did you take a big hit on your 05 Jetta TDI__assuming you traded it in?
    What kind of price did you get on the 06 EX CP 5 speed?
  • alobster7alobster7 Member Posts: 17
    I am female and don't care for black interior. I have been informed that it is MUCH hotter in the summer months than tan, grey or others. Does anyone else find the temperature to be a lot warmer than the other colors?

    Also, I haven't seen the black but to me black is a lot more bland in other cars.

    In addition, won't the SI be stick shift only?
  • ezpilzeezpilze Member Posts: 29
    uh... not me, it's more like FEELS hotter, my mom always complains about my car being hot even though I have a grey interior compared to her black one. Hey, if its hot, its hot, the extra 1 or 2 degrees aint gonna make that much of a difference no?

    Yes, the SI is stick only, much like the acura rsx the joy from driving this car comes from its high end revs, so automatic would not be an option unless if you got one of those dinky auto-manuals, but the SI is relatively easy to drive compared to other cars out there.
  • alobster7alobster7 Member Posts: 17
    I think black interior is sort of a "guy" interior.

    In addition, if you park a car with black interior at the mall and come out after 3 hrs. in summer heat even a great AC takes a while to cool it.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    Other than the premium fuel requirement, what extra maintenance does the Si need, as compared to the non-Si Couple?
  • mldj98mldj98 Member Posts: 378
    Thanks for the reply...
    Hope I didn't touch a nerve (it appears that it did)....
    I was just curious....
  • gonzonygonzony Member Posts: 7
    All this tallk of guy colors and parking at the mall -- I just don't know.

    In any case, I have had black interiors on my last two cars, and while it is hotter, if lhou just enter the car and open the windows and top right away, it gets to normal "hot" quick enough. The only thing that really felt hot was the leather seats in my current car, and the Si does not come in leather.
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Had a 95 GSR red w black leather interior. It didn't get that hot. Also the maintenance wasn't that bad But I got it done at Honda instead of Acura.

    If you are concerned about the heat get window tint 9non-metallic); helps a lot And on the GSR I put cold air intake and a serendipity result was that by unclustering the engine compartment the car air conditioner cooled significantly faster. However, same engine Hondas/Acuras don't always cool fast.

    I don't think black interior is a guy's color, more of a "sporty" color.

    Honda makes one of the best manual shift cars and the Si should be a winner.

    MidCow
  • sr45sr45 Member Posts: 144
    Finally arrived, and took it home, and noticed that this Civic Coupe EX drove smoothly on both the highway, and city streets. Head restraints, as others have stated to be bothersome, was not a problem for me, I'm 6-3", 195 lbs. The emergency brakes rubbing into the right knee or leg, also not a problem for me thus far, as others have complained about, but I have only driven it for less than 20 miles thus far. Wait, and see on this one. Feel on the steering wheel was just fine, but others who like a sportier feel, and ride may complain as I have read on another forum, but not for me. I did have to lower the back of the seat just a bit, because of the moonroof and my 6-3 frame, but again, not a problem. I got the Galaxy Gray, and like it. I also like the White or Black Coupe as well, but not available with the Nav at this time. Some say its ugly, but not me. Color is very subjective.

    Wind noise was less than both my older Corolla or the 05 Rav4, and very happy with the quietness of this vehicle. Other's again think its still too loud. Very picky people on these forums. I'm not much into the radio or cd thing at a high sound setting, and many have complained of the 350 watter on this EX model to be less than perfect, but for me, it again is better than my Rav 4 system or Corolla. I have no complaints thus far. I'm now happy that Toyota failed to get the 06 Corolla LE with all the options in the dealership, giving me another look at and later a purchase of the Civic.
  • bigal3bigal3 Member Posts: 107
    Is your 06 Coupe EX a manual (or auto)? They said manual is a lot buzzier (noisy) than auto (especially on highway) because of different in gear ratio.

    With a lot of customers complaining about the hand brake lever rubbing/poking into the right knee, I hope that Honda will ask their customer (when they take their car to the dealer for service). If they are bothered by the existing lever handle, the dealer should replace (for free) with a new handle/lever which will not rub into the right knee.
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    My dealer has had no LX coupes so far. His first shipment of the LX coupes is 10/31 or Nov. 1st so I 've reserved one.

    The price: $15,995. I 've bought 3 other Hondas from his salesperson (Internet Mgr.) so I was able to talk him down. 2 Civics and 1 CRV for my wife. He first quoted me $16,550 for the LX coupe MT so I sent him a nastygram and reminded him how many cars I 've bought from him and how many people I 've sent to him over the years. He called me up right away after he read my e-mail. I tried getting it for invoice like I 've done with my previous Hondas, but it was very hard to do that when he doesn't have the car in the lot and when he knows it's a "hot" car right now that flies off the lot as soon as it touches the ground. I was prepared to pay a few hundred $ of invoice but had set my goal at under $16K and made that very clear to him because he was still throwing #s at me in the low 16's. We agreed at $15,995 and he reserved a Galaxy Grey for me that will be arriving at the end of the month. I 'll probably talk him down some more because I don't really like the color choices that come with gray interior..
    What suprised me was that his sticker were higher than the official one. He said all the LX coupes with MT coming in have a sticker of $17,070! About $200 more than the Honda.com web site. He said it's advertising costs. I don't buy it. Maybe these LX coupes have leather steering or cargo net or some other option I 'm hoping but those are usually dealer installed options. They don't come from the factory.

    I really wanted the black coupe but I hate that ivory interior. I wonder what made Honda believe that ivory is everyone's favorite color to make it the exclusive interior color choice on half their cars, and more specifically some of their best exterior color Civics (black, royal blue, white - I 'm talking LX here, not EX which some have 2 interior color choices).

    My blue '01 EX coupe has a tan/ivory interior and it is wearing very badly. It turned gray-black after only 2-3yrs and it looks really bad. Noone gets in my car. I 'm the only one. The spot on the driver side door where I rest my arm (elbow) when I drive, is completely blackened. I tried scrubing it with a sponge and soap and I didn't even make a dent in it. The entire dashboard too has turned a greyish color. The tan seats look very dirty too even though noone has sat in them like the passenger seat and rear seats. It's really weird. The interior looks pretty bad. Ivory fares very poorly unless you 're on top of it and cleaning your interior and shampooing your seats all the time. No thanks. I liked the grey interior I had in my '97 Civic DX HB so I 'll stick with that or anything other than light colors like ivory.
    I hate the fact that the limited interior color choices (only 1) are dictating to me which car to get. My wife has a silver Honda so I 'm not getting a silver Civic. I don't like the atomic blue which also comes with gray interior. I 'm not crazy about the Galaxy Gray either but it'll have to do. I hope I get used to it because my favorite colors are black and royal blue (and red too but I have a red Integra) which come with the ivory interior :(
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Has anyone purchased a 2006 Civic and, since XM Satellite Radio is not a factory install, had their dealer install one? Honda's cute "XM Ready" wording seems to be disguising a major cost.

    Anyone here able to advise me on how much their installation actually cost?

    I'm interested because EX-L and EX NAV Accords come with an XM radio as standard equipment, with no additional labor and material costs. That could bring the bottom line cost of a 2006 Civic EX or EX NAV much closer to that of a 2006 Accord if you want an integrated XM radio.
  • sr45sr45 Member Posts: 144
    Is your 06 Coupe EX a manual (or auto)?
    ----------------------------------

    5 speed automatic. Very smooth, but the vehicle seems heavy over my Rav 4 when driving. Will get used to it. Hand brake so far not an issue with me
  • daveman1daveman1 Member Posts: 9
    Blane,

    The Civic coupe EX NAV comes with XM standard from the factory. :)
  • allfiredupallfiredup Member Posts: 736
    I am a guy, so perhaps that explains my desire for black interior. When it is an available interior color in a car I'm buying, I always get it. I even waited two months back in '95 for a dealer to get a black on black Legend for me. It's just such a good looking interior color.
  • allfiredupallfiredup Member Posts: 736
    Just curious, have you actually seen the Atomic Blue color? It's nice looking to me and it does come with gray. I also saw Galaxy Gray for the first time last weekend and it is a nice color too...at least on the Sedan.

    I've complained about Honda's limited color combos for a long time, so I won't rehash it yet again here.

    Another option, albeit a $2000 one, is an EX in Royal Blue which can be had with ivory or gray interior. If it were me, I'd try to make myself like the Atomic Blue. Crazy that Royal Blue has two interior colors available, but Nighthawk Black and Taffeta White only have the mandatory ivory. If only I could have a Taffeta White with black (or gray), one would be sitting in my driveway now. Funny that the white DX does come with gray. Doesn't make much sense.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Thanks daveman1, but that's not what the Honda website or Civic brochure say. They say that the 2006 Civic EX and EX NAV are "XM Ready".

    "XM Ready audio system is pre-wired to accept the dealer installed accessory XM Satellite Radio hardware."

    http://automobiles.honda.com/models/specifications_at_a_glance.asp?ModelName=Civic+Sedan
  • sheltiepupsheltiepup Member Posts: 9
    my dealership said it would be an additional 1000 the cost on the website plus a huge instalation fee... they recommended i go to a local stereo shop
  • thekingtheking Member Posts: 107
    Dealer did not tell you that if local stereo shop does a "goof",Honda will not honor your warranty to fix the "goof",ie; if they "mickey mouse" the audio system so it accepts a cheap xm add-on and your audio system becomes the equal of a :cry: $5.00 radio !
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    sheltipup,

    Your $1,000 quote comes close to the approximately $950 that I was told by a (not particularly knowledgeable) Honda salesman the other day. Those numbers are crazy. We're in Accord territory here with just the addition of an XM tuner.
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    I wrote earlier that I reserved an '06 LX coupe 5sp. that is coming in Nov.1. Well I went to the dealer today to put a deposit down on it and they had an atomic blue in the showroom. Wasn't crazy about that color.

    The salesman took me outside to show me the only Galaxy Gray Coupe (with the Gray interior) they had on the lot which was sold already and was an automatic. I got inside and checked everything out (I coulnt' drive it because it was sold). I 'm 6'2 and that handbrake was definitely in my way and annoying. I pushed the seat all the way back, further in, different positions and then back to where it would normally be when I drive. No matter how adjusted the seat my leg would rest on the handbrake. Wasn't thrilled about that because it felt like a stick on my knee and not soft, smooth or like a flat surface.. I noticed a lot of plastic in the car as well. The dashboard I thought was really cool and having another foot and a half of space behind the steering wheel and not been able to see the hood will take some time to get used to I imagine, but I really do think they did a great job with the speedometer and odometer and the cool blue lighting. Seat/cloth material looked average to below average and NOT as good as in my '01 EX coupe. I also sat in an atomic blue sedan EX with gray interior and it was the same material & design as the LX. So EX & LX seem to have the exact same quality cloth. The gray color is very blant and a little on the light side, almost identical to my '97 DX Hatchback. The quality of this cloth is not that great. Previous generation Civics had better cloth material. Even the salesman agreed with me. I was a disappointed about that because it shows that Honda is cutting corners and going cheap with some things, very important things like the seat cover material. I guess I went there with high expectations which I shouldn't, and came out feeling like I was let down. I 'm not even sure if I like the Galaxy Gray. I have a dark blue '01 Civic now so I can't get the Royal blue because it's basically the same color. My wife has a silver CRV so I don't want to get the silver either. These are the only 3 colors with the gray interior.
    The only one I liked was the BLACK and that comes with a very light tan (ivory) which I didn't like at all, although the cloth material felt like it was better quality than the gray. So now I don't know what to do. Honda has really upset me and I think they 'll be losing a faithful customer of 12yrs. They really messed up with this ivory thing plus the gray cloth feels very cheap. Visibility is not good either. The so-called "160W stereo" was also disappointing. I also cranked up the 350W stereo in a black EX coupe. These stereos do NOT put out the wattage they claim. They can if you have 160W or 350W speakers, but they install cheap 10-20W speakers in the car. So you will never experience anything close to 160W which would blow your ear drums right out anyway. If anyone here knows anything about stereos or have ever built their own system, you would know that 160W can be very loud and bad for your hearing, especially in an enclosed environment like a car cabin. If you want true 160 or 350W you 'll have to install good speakers yourself. So I agree with others, that the stereo was also a little disappointing but that's not my primary concern, as long as it's clear and I get quality sound out of it. So my overall impression of the car and comparing it to my '01 EX was not that great. The new Civic also looks smaller and shorter than the previous generation. It's probably because of the steep angle of the windshield. Headroom was barely acceptable. My head was 1/2" away from the roof and I know when going over bumps my head will hit just like now with my '01. I wasn't really impressed with it. Luckily I haven't test driven one yet. The only 2 coupes they had (black EX and gray LX) were automatic and sold. I 'm hoping the test drive on Nov.1st or 2nd will change my mind about the new Civic. I also think for the price I got quoted ($15,995) it is still worth it considering all the airbags and safety features this car has, but I don't think the car is worth much more than that. I watched (and heard) people at the tables around me at the dealership, ordering new Civics with options and signing contracts for $19-20K and was asking myself why, when they can have the new redesigned '06 Accord LX coupe or sedan (4cyl.) for the same price. Granted, the Accord will have a few less options but the Accord dwarfs the Civic and will have a better resale value (since the LX stickers for $21K). All the Civics I saw were right next to an Accord and they looked tiny compared to their bigger cousin. Not only that, the Accords looked just as good or better, especially the coupes and stuck out more than the Civics that were parked next to them. If it weren't for my 160mi. daily commute I 'd say the hek with the 4-5mpg difference and get the '06 Accord coupe.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • gonzonygonzony Member Posts: 7
    only1harry, I also sat in the Civic this week but can away putting a deposit on an Si. I agree about the car feeling smaller that the past ones, and not as open as most Hondas. I believe that is due to the rake of the windshield, which is a bit extreme. Despite this, I found that I could make myself very comfortable in it. That said, I am 5'9", not 6'2". Still, I was wondering if you played around with the height of the seat. There is a lot of play in the height variations and I found that when I lowered it, I was much more comfortable. The only thing that bothered me then was that the window was a bit to high to lean my arm on, but that is something I am noticing on most new japanese cars. There is just a bit too much metal and too little window.
  • allfiredupallfiredup Member Posts: 736
    only1harry-

    Your three biggest gripes, if I'm not overlooking something in your posting, are-

    1- the handbrake poking into your right leg (I'm same height as you and had the same problem with it when I test drove
    2- poor choice in interior color/fabric (also gripe of mine, I prefer black interior and heavy fabric like they use in the Accord)
    3- stereo isn't that great on LX model

    The first thought that came to mind as I was reading your post was that the Accord LX Coupe would probably be a better bet for you. Then I got to the last line where you mentioned liking the Accord except for the lower fuel economy compared to the Civic. Being a numbers guy (I'm an accountant AND car enthusiast), I decided to do a little figuring. Here's what I came up with-

    Civic LX 5-speed, 800 miles weekly commute at 38 mpg = 22.22 gallons per week
    Accord LX 5-speed, 800 miles weekly commute at 34 mpg = 23.53 gallong per week

    The difference in the two cars is 1.3 gallons per week which equals 77.6 per year. Gas in most areas is under $3/gallon, so at that rate you'd use about $233 more gas per year in the Accord vs. the Civic. Obviously the numbers I used are highway mileage and real world mileage will almost certainly differ, but I was just wanting to illustrate that it isn't that huge of a difference.

    The other big plus for the Accord is more color options that have black interior and the Accord LX interior fabric feels and looks very high quality. Here are the colors with black interior-

    Alabaster Silver
    Graphite
    Nighthawk Black (yes, black on black!)

    I'm not sure about the '06 Accord LX stereo, but I have a friend with an '05 LX Sedan and the stereo sounds great.

    I hope this helps you out. The other big factor is the Accord's price. It will run you $2000-2500 more than the $16k quote you got on the Civic. In my opinion, it'd be worth it.

    Good luck! Hope this helps you at least a little.

    One more thing- if all else fails and Accord or Civic doesn't work out for you, there is always the Mazda3 i that gets 35mpg. Just a thought...
  • sr45sr45 Member Posts: 144
    I have only driven my new 06 Civic Coupe EX AT for around 4 days now and have had no problem with the Emerg. Brake handle, not one problem. I'm 6-3" and even with the legs somewhat apart, in a natural position, the knee is still around 1/2 inch from the handle. Don't know what your problem is with the handle though. Are you the type that likes to spread the legs a lot :P ?

    Have not checked the mpg as of yet. The gauge is still maxed out and has not budged on the display. I drive only city, no highway, so it will be interesting to see what I get. The seats are very forum fitting for my size and like it. Glad I don't have anyone for the back seat in this coupe, since my head does hit the ceiling when I tried it out, and have to bend over to keep from rubbing the top. Just enough room up front with the moonroof. Over all, I like it.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Well, not completely useless. The Civic Coupe felt a little better than the Chevy Cobalt...but not by much.

    In San Francisco, we had (actully it continues today) test drive auto shows in two different locales - Monster Park for Honda, and Alameda Navy Base for GM.

    The problem is, the courses are extremely short, you can't really go very fast (over 20 mph?) before you start hitting cones due to the sharp curves, and all the cars I drove, except the Element (and this includes the Malibu at the GM drive) accelerate fine (it's only up to 20!) and zip through the course without much body lean. The Element accelerates fine, but had a lot more body lean. In fact, I was wondering at times if I was going to tip it over, and see a real need for stability control as a safety factor (it felt like it would tip before sliding).

    Except, the Coupe feels firmer than the Cobalt and previous Civics, and the ride is still smooth.

    About all the extravagant shows convinced me to do, is to take a "real world" test drive at a dealer.
  • psypsy Member Posts: 122
    I havent seen the maint. sch. for Si yet. But I can share with you mine will be put on the same sch. as our 05 Accord.

    M1 oil and filter changer aprox. every 7.5k miles
    Tranny drain and fill every 3rd oil change. ( Accord 5at, Si 6mt ) still going to do it the same.
    K&N lay in air filter installed and washed and reoiled ever 3rd oil change.
    Coolant and brake flush once a year.
    Zanio twice a year.
    Scotchguard once a year.
    dont see tires as a issue. Good rubber always cost a fair penny. looks like stock wheels and tires on the Si will fit the Accord. So Si will get 18" wheels and tires. Accord get a upgrade.
    As for fuel and the Si. It wont be driven daily. Its a second car for evenings and weekends. Wife and I ride in to Tulsa together so on the odd day or fridays when the Si gets the nod for the commute it will go and rather briskly at that :)

    The way the wife and I see it from the wallet is the Si and Accord are going to cost about the same in total ownership cost and maint. Ins. on the Si should even be about the same as the Accord EX.

    Its a win for us. Accord gets a upgrade in wheels and tires ( thanks Si ) We get a late model sedan and a late model pocket rocket and enjoy the best of both worlds in our late 40's and early 50's. Our cool factor goes up with the grandchildren. And leaves our children green with envy. :shades:
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    Allfireup: Thanks for the calculations and the advice. I 'm an engineer and very good with numbers too. I did figure out the gallons per week, month, etc. and the costs as well, except the Accord has an 11mpg spread and not 9 as the Civic. The best my friend has been able to manage with his '06 Accord LX 5sp. is 32.5mpg all highway on a long trip from NY to Washington DC. With mixed town/hway driving it's always in the 20's according to him.
    Having owned 3 Civics in the past including the '01 EX MT I 'm driving now, which is 32/38, I 'm certain that I will see #s in the 20's with the Accord and that 's not acceptable to me. All Hondas get worse gas mileage in the winter or with colder temps under 60 deg. I live in NY. My '97 Civic (which was 33/38) and my current '01 get 31-33mpg in the winter depending how cold it gets. Spring/summer they averaged 35-37mpg (with my driving style). The Accord might get worse than 3-4mpg in the winter. Besides, gas might go up to $5/gal. or more. I 'm not willing to risk that.

    I 'm glad I don't like the Mazda 3 (its looks) because my coworker gets 28-30mpg with his base 3 (140hp) 5-sp. What they claim and what you get is a different story. Honda is usually very close with their mileage claims if you don't drive like a maniac.

    In any case the Accord coupe believe it or not is still in the back of my head. I 'm pretty sure in a couple of years I 'll be getting one because I think I 'm beginning to outgrow the Civics (I 'm 39).
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • bigal3bigal3 Member Posts: 107
    I have read a lot about "the clutch seemed funny...the feel is different than other manuals I have driven...it took a bit to get used to...".

    Can anyone describe in more detail how they are different compare to the pass models? For example, is the clutch too sensitive (or more forgiving) when it is released too fast? Will the engine jerks if the clutch is released slowly without putting a bit more gas? (e.g. can slowly roll forward smoothly like a automatic tranmission without putting more gas)? Need more coordination between putting a bit more gas when release the clutch, etc.?

    I heard some drivers complaining about rubbery feel & pushing the MT stick to 3rd gear. Any details about throttle-by-wire?
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    Both my '97 and '01 Civics seemed weird at first and very sensitive (my '93 wasn't bad though) but most new clutches are like that because they 're not broken in. You have the clutch disc, pressure plate, flywheel, all new parts that have a break-in period as well.
    I installed an aftermarket street/race clutch in my Integra GSR a year ago and it felt the same way at first. After a couple of weeks the clutch breaks in nicely and then you don't even think about shifting, your foot, or anything. The clutch is just less quirky. In addition your brain, leg, foot, hand on the shifter, etc. will work in harmony in just 2-3 weeks because it becomes a habit and comes natural. When your Civic has 50k mi. the clutch will feel better and you will shift even easier. As the clutch springs wear out a little and stretch more, the clutch becomes less forgiving. The shifter and shift linkage also become a little loose and everything is just easier. Just don't ever grind any gears. You should not try to shift fast when you 've only owned the car a few days or a few weeks. Do that after a couple of mos when you know the car much better. Grinding is the worse thing you can do. Your tranny and shifter will get worse, not better with time if you grind the syncros early on. And remember no racing the first 3k mi. I 've never taken any of my Civics to redline before they hit 3 or 4k mi. but for me that 's about 5 weeks after I buy the car. The first few thousand miles are very important. Not just the first few hundred or the first 1,000. Treat the car nice the first 3k mi. and it will reward you with good gas mileage all the way to a ripe old age. My '01 has 160k mi. and I still get 36+mpg. Mistreat it the first couple of thousand miles, and you will never see its true mileage capabilities, plus it 'll get much worse over time.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • khls97khls97 Member Posts: 15
    The price you got quoted seems really good.. I'm looking for a Coupe EX ATwith Navi.. What would the equivalent price be for that? I know the Navi adds about $1700 but I'm not sure about the rest..
  • sheltiepupsheltiepup Member Posts: 9
    Well I will check into to it, I have a high quality stereo shop I use, and if they cant do it right I wont do it, it certainly is not worth it for 1000 and it makes me MAD that Honda is advertising a xm ready radio when it really isnt the case- Theres no way I would give out that much for XM. XM wont get to many new subscribers with civic owners for this price- I Think Honda owes us a real XM radio radio reciever that all we have to do is ACTIVATE!
  • davidg3davidg3 Member Posts: 16
    I got two quotes recently for a 36 month lease and 26,000 miles per year. The SI was $30 per month more than the RSX-S that was the same as the Coupe EX. Anyone have any thoughts about this and whether it will move much in the next 3 months when the hot new models are more readily available?
  • bigal3bigal3 Member Posts: 107
    Did they already announce the MRSP price of the 06 Civic SI coupe?
  • sr45sr45 Member Posts: 144
    I'm getting about 24 miles per gallon on my EX coupe, city driving only, with only around 125 miles on the OD. Later I checked the tires, and found they were at 24 to 25 lbs. Put 32 lbs in, and will see if I get better gas mileage. Of course, the vehicle is brand new, and do not expect to get much higher until around 1,000 miles or so on the OD, which takes me at least 2 1/2 months. Anyone else checked the MPG yet on the coupe ?
  • claudius753claudius753 Member Posts: 138
    curtc, the 24 mpg is what sr45 is getting in city driving only. I agree that 24 mpg highway is way out of line.

    24 mpg in all city driving with under-inflated tires and only 125 miles on the car doesn't sound bad at all. 6mpg under the EPA estimates. With properly inflated tires and more breaking in you should see better. Even inflating the tires to proper psi you will see a gain of 2-3 mpg I bet.
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