blee
04-03-2004, 01:41 AM
For those of you who are either impatient or afflicted with ADD, here's the skinny: Great package, only one complaint that might or might not be a dealbreaker.
The Civic Si is styled very nicely IMO. It's a good take on the "hot hatch" theme, and for the most part the stock version is not particularly ricey. Hondas are never very aggressively styled cars, and I think this works to the car's favor. The lines are clean and conservative, which contrasts well against the overall sporty image portrayed by the body style. I like the Mazda3's gentle fender bulges (again reminiscent of a certain car in my garage), and that car overall is quite pretty, but the Si is also a looker IMO. I would get rid of those stupid "i-VTEC DOHC" decals post haste.
The dashboard is typical Civic -- that is to say, clean and ergonomic. The Si adds a touch of excitement to the gauges, and there are some contrasting colors to the plastic around the controls, but overall it's a lot like a regular Civic...and that's a good thing. The three spoke steering wheel is leather wrapped and the perfect size/heft. The shifter is located in a somewhat unconventional location, mounted below the HVAC/stereo stack rather than the console between the front seats. It took about thirty seconds to get used to that, and it was actually not a problem. The Si has some useful-looking storage cubbies that aren't in the regular Civic.
The front seats are AWESOME. Definitely the best I've seen in the segment, on par with the WRX's. They are alcantara/suede on the outside bolsters and cloth on the inserts. The thigh and side bolsters are ample and supportive, and my body fit into them in all the right places. They are not nearly as adjustable as the Mazda's, but I got comfortable rather quickly. The rear seats are finished in a similar pattern and are comfortable, but the bottom cushions are rather low. I had plenty of knee room but I don't know how much I'd like to take long trips back there. One curiosity -- in the car that I drove, the passenger's front seat had the release lever for rear seat access, but the driver's side didn't. No idea if that was a mistake or part of the "design." If that was intentional, that was pretty dumb.
Cargo space is right in line with the rest of the segment, and it is adequate for our needs. The back seats fold 60/40 of course. With the shifter relocated from the console to the dash, I can see us fitting some long items in this car. Yeah, it really does seem to be practical.
Handling was also impressive. Roll is controlled very well, and I got the impression that the car is pretty balanced at the limits. It was raining during the test drive so I couldn't really push the car through the twisty part of the route, but the steering feel and response were very good. Better than I expected. Braking did not feel as quick as in the Mazda (this was later verified from magazine stats) but feel was good.
The only real disappointment with the car was the powertrain. It's rated at 160hp and 130 lb-ft of torque; I believe magazines have gotten 0-60 times around 7.8 seconds. That isn't bad, but the car just didn't feel all that quick to me. Maybe it's because the car is relatively well insulated from engine noise, but I definitely felt the lack of torque as compared to the Mazda. I'm not sure what to make of it; I think I need a second test drive in better weather. I did get the impression that the intake and exhaust were pretty restrictive, though. Just a hunch. The shifter was precise and smooth, and throws were actually nice and short. I liked it quite a bit. The clutch action was on the light side, but it did give good feedback.
Would I buy one? Hard to say. There are things about it that really impressed me, and there are other that leave me scratching my head. If it had the RSX-S powertrain in it, I would much more enthusiastic about it. As it is, I find it roughly on par with the Mazda at the moment.
Tomorrow I hope to find the GTI at the local Carmax to be still in stock, so that I can get the Jeep appraised and test drive a GTI at the same time.
The Civic Si is styled very nicely IMO. It's a good take on the "hot hatch" theme, and for the most part the stock version is not particularly ricey. Hondas are never very aggressively styled cars, and I think this works to the car's favor. The lines are clean and conservative, which contrasts well against the overall sporty image portrayed by the body style. I like the Mazda3's gentle fender bulges (again reminiscent of a certain car in my garage), and that car overall is quite pretty, but the Si is also a looker IMO. I would get rid of those stupid "i-VTEC DOHC" decals post haste.
The dashboard is typical Civic -- that is to say, clean and ergonomic. The Si adds a touch of excitement to the gauges, and there are some contrasting colors to the plastic around the controls, but overall it's a lot like a regular Civic...and that's a good thing. The three spoke steering wheel is leather wrapped and the perfect size/heft. The shifter is located in a somewhat unconventional location, mounted below the HVAC/stereo stack rather than the console between the front seats. It took about thirty seconds to get used to that, and it was actually not a problem. The Si has some useful-looking storage cubbies that aren't in the regular Civic.
The front seats are AWESOME. Definitely the best I've seen in the segment, on par with the WRX's. They are alcantara/suede on the outside bolsters and cloth on the inserts. The thigh and side bolsters are ample and supportive, and my body fit into them in all the right places. They are not nearly as adjustable as the Mazda's, but I got comfortable rather quickly. The rear seats are finished in a similar pattern and are comfortable, but the bottom cushions are rather low. I had plenty of knee room but I don't know how much I'd like to take long trips back there. One curiosity -- in the car that I drove, the passenger's front seat had the release lever for rear seat access, but the driver's side didn't. No idea if that was a mistake or part of the "design." If that was intentional, that was pretty dumb.
Cargo space is right in line with the rest of the segment, and it is adequate for our needs. The back seats fold 60/40 of course. With the shifter relocated from the console to the dash, I can see us fitting some long items in this car. Yeah, it really does seem to be practical.
Handling was also impressive. Roll is controlled very well, and I got the impression that the car is pretty balanced at the limits. It was raining during the test drive so I couldn't really push the car through the twisty part of the route, but the steering feel and response were very good. Better than I expected. Braking did not feel as quick as in the Mazda (this was later verified from magazine stats) but feel was good.
The only real disappointment with the car was the powertrain. It's rated at 160hp and 130 lb-ft of torque; I believe magazines have gotten 0-60 times around 7.8 seconds. That isn't bad, but the car just didn't feel all that quick to me. Maybe it's because the car is relatively well insulated from engine noise, but I definitely felt the lack of torque as compared to the Mazda. I'm not sure what to make of it; I think I need a second test drive in better weather. I did get the impression that the intake and exhaust were pretty restrictive, though. Just a hunch. The shifter was precise and smooth, and throws were actually nice and short. I liked it quite a bit. The clutch action was on the light side, but it did give good feedback.
Would I buy one? Hard to say. There are things about it that really impressed me, and there are other that leave me scratching my head. If it had the RSX-S powertrain in it, I would much more enthusiastic about it. As it is, I find it roughly on par with the Mazda at the moment.
Tomorrow I hope to find the GTI at the local Carmax to be still in stock, so that I can get the Jeep appraised and test drive a GTI at the same time.