Yesterday I took our long-term Civic Si to the car wash. Nothing significant about the visit except that since the Civic has served its time in our fleet, this might be my last trip to the car wash with the revvy little Honda. Earlier this week we ran the Si through its post-fleet-duty test as we do with all long-term cars. It put down numbers nearly identical to its first test...
Continue reading Civic Si: on the way out.
Continue reading Honda Civic Si: fun-ctional.
One year ago the Civic Si first arrived in our garage. A final visit to the test track next week makes it official, our test is over.
Nearly 20k miles between then and now stirred up a lot of talk and made the Si one of our most-blogged long-termers. If there are any more comments to share before it leaves the fleet, now is the time...
Continue reading 2006 Honda Civic: Test Ending.
Here's something I've always liked about our Civic Si (and the last two generation Civics in general): the flat rear floor. I'm not the world's most coordinated person, and not having a hump to trip over when getting in the backseat makes life easier. And it's more comfortable to sit back here because your feet don't feel confined. All front-wheel-drive cars should have this kind of packaging...
Continue reading Honda Civic Si: Flat Rear Floor Makes All the Difference.
In the past, I've compared the Civic Si to a BMW M3. The unfiltered connection between the Si and the road, the immediacy of the car's responses (be they to steering, throttle or brakes), the racy, ultra-supportive seats and the way the car feels as solid as a rock all remind me of an M3. More like the previous, simpler generation M3 (the '95 to '99) than the current one.
In styling, however, the Civic Si reminds me of the previous generation M coupe. That's the breadbox shaped coupe that was spun off the Z3 roadster and was made from '99 to '02. No, I haven't lost it -- it's not that the Civic Si and a '99 M coupe actually look similar. It's that I didn't like the looks of that Bimmer at all (awkwardly tall greenhouse, wagon-like rear end)...until I drove it and discovered how entertaining it was. Somehow, that changed things and now I find myself admiring some aspects of that M coupe's design, such as the view from directly behind that shows off the aggressively flared rear quarters.
The point is, sometimes a car can be so good, so much fun to drive, that it can make you accept its somewhat unattractive styling. Now, I still think the Civic is oddly proportioned, with its stubby hood and massive windshield giving the front end all the sporty pizzazz of a minivan. But like that M coupe, when I'm behind the wheel winding out the VTEC while dancing through a twisty road, she's a beauty indeed.
BTW, like some other drivers, I've noticed that the reflash has lessened the rev-hanging problem somewhat, but hasn't eliminated it entirely.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 19,326
I set out for a quick drive in our long-term Honda Civic Si this morning to see if I could detect a difference following the ECM reprogramming Brent had performed. I'm not really best editor for such a task, as I was never overly bothered by the hanging rpm effect. I think there's a slight improvement, but you still don't get a smooth drop. I know that's not the way it should be, but I got sidetracked by running the Si hard around a few corners...
Continue reading Crisp Fall Morning in the Civic Si.
I had our Honda Civic Si serviced yesterday for the hanging throttle issue that many 2006 Si owners have reported. For those readers unfamiliar with this problem, it's basically this: When making a transmission upshift, the engine's rpm doesn't immediately drop as would typically be the case with other manual-transmission cars. Rather, the 2.0-liter engine's rpm stays at the point where the driver depressed the clutch pedal and closed the throttle, and then slowly drops.
This can be annoying as it makes it harder to closely match the vehicle's engine speed to the wheel speed via the next gear when the clutch is engaged...
Continue reading 2006 Honda Civic Si: Throttle Response Fix. Sort Of..
A few of our editors have noticed in the past that the transmission shift lever in our long-term 2006 Honda Civic Si will occasionally pop out of gear or grind when making a 2-to-3 upshift. This trait does not seem to be endemic to our car as other Civic Si owners have made forum posts about this topic. (Other six-speed manual Acura vehicles might also suffer from this problem.) It typically only happens when the transmission is cold, and I've noticed it a little more now that it's winter. Various tidbits of advice float around the internet for a possible fix; personally, I just take a little bit of extra care when shifting into 3rd...
Continue reading 2006 Honda Civic Si: Popping Out of 3rd Gear.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure (if one can call it that) of driving a family relative's rented Pontiac Grand Prix. After a futile attempt to get comfortable in the GP's driver seat, I believe I said, "These seats are garbage."
In contrast, I happen to be quite fond of the seats in our long-term 2006 Honda Civic Si. Despite a lack of fancy adjustments, they're supportive during cornering and comfortable on long-distance drives. True, seat comfort is highly subjective...
Continue reading Honda Civic Si: Seat Comfort.
Earlier this week, Karl blogged about his automotive "thank you" list. I would think for many Honda fans, the latest Civic Si would be pretty high on the list. It embodies the best Honda qualities -- it's quick, fuel efficient, well built, sharp handling, safe and pleasurable to own. I'd have to say that this is my favorite Honda car since the second-generation Honda CRX...
Continue reading Honda Civic Si: Being Thankful.
The sound that our 2006 Honda Civic Si makes under hard acceleration is a major contributor to its engaging personality. There are two Si-specific design elements that directly contribute to the car's aural aggressiveness.
Continue reading 2006 Honda Civic Si: Engine Soundtrack.
Our 2006 Honda Civic Si is nearing 19,000 miles now. Though this isn't enough mileage to truly judge durability, I did examine the Civic's interior to see if I could find any future problem areas. Overall, it all looks pretty good. The seat fabric is still in fine condition and all of the little rubber nubs on the alloy pedals are still intact...
Continue reading Honda Civic Si: Interior Durability.
If anyone gets that headline, I'll mail them my AP Stylebook as a prize*. The Honda Civic Si has never quite worked out in my mind. I was part of a comparison test that had this screetcher up against the VW GTI, a car that appeals more to my tastes.
But after spending several days in the Si, not only was my hair feeling fuller and thicker, my appreciation for this little contraption blossomed as well...
Continue reading Most Famous "Si" Since Sperling.
Continue reading 2006 Honda Civic Si: Litmus Test.
It has been a few weeks since I've plopped myself behind the seat of our long-term Civic Si for a weekend. The last time I did, I hadn't yet seen or driven the Mazdaspeed3.
Rear seat access: The Civic's "walk-in" rear seat access is mighty slick. My ten-year-old daughter frequently gripes when I bring home a two door, banished as she is, by mom's strict adherence to the "rear seat until they're 16" policy, or whatever it is. I swear that my daughter's first experience in the front seat will occur when she's learning to drive...
Continue reading Civic Si: of Rear Seats and Torque.
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