n00b here...

[SwolleN]

I just wanted to ask you EP guys a question...since these dealerships are letting these cars go for 15 g's or less OTD...i was contemplating them since their payments would be hella cheaper than say, type s payments. so my question is, what exactly do you like about your EP? yes i have searched, and couldn't find anything. if i bought the car, i would either go in the direction of all motor or FI, depending on what companies develop what for the k20a3. thanks alot... and sorry if i posted this in the wrong forum. :o

[Suk02Si]

Originally posted by SwolleN
so my question is, what exactly do you like about your EP?

everything

except the crappy tires, half-assed vtec and minivan ride height:D

[Black03Si]

Well, personally one of the best things I like about my car is that not every Dick, Tom, and Harry has one. For example, I see more Ford Focus than I can count on a daily basis. I live in St. Louis and have only seen one other EP, and I know the guy now.

On to the car. The interior is awesome. I could probably nitpick about some minor details, but overall I wouldn't change a thing. It comes with Recaro Racing Seats, which are very comfortable. Definitely a nice touch. White face gauges, that look great when lit up. The red stitching on the seats and steering wheel is cool too. That's just to name a few examples. I spend alot of time in my car and am very pleased with interior.

Some people don't like the way the car looks and others love it. Of course, this comes back to the uniqueness and rarity of the car. The main thing that I would change when looking at the outside is how high the car sits. Lowering springs is definitely a plus and dramatically increases the appearance. Also, the more I look at this car, the better looking it gets.

On to the engine and tranny. It's a Honda engine. What more can I say? It's in a new family of engines for Honda, but it appears to be quite advanced and will more than likely have the same proven Honda reliability. The engine may not have crazy amounts of power, but it does have plenty of potential. Plus, Honda is probably also shooting for efficiency and reliability (what they're known for). The transmission is also very smooth as far as I'm concerned. My last car was an 01 civic lx. I thought the tranny in that was okay until I test drove the Si. Now the lx tranny seems like crap compared to this one.

There are plenty of haters out there when it comes to the Si. I think it's mainly because the magazines expected too much and proceeded to write bad reviews. Then everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. Plus, most of the things that magazine complain about are miniscule, nit picky items that can pretty easily be dealt with. If you read between the lines, you can see they thought the car was well built, expected too much, and were just looking for something to complain about.

I love my car. It's a blast to drive. Sure, an engine with a little bit more power would have been nice and the factory stance of the suspension could have been a little lower, but this is a great car overall.

Also to top everything off. If Honda gave us a car that was made to the specifications we were looking for, then all the fun and joy modifications wouldn't be there like it is. By giving us a great car that could use some tweaking, it gives us the opportunity to have a unique car that sets apart from the norm day in day out.

If you're really serious about picking up an EP and it's at the top of the list, then by all means get it. You won't be disappointed.

Whew!

[chet]

I agree with both afore mentioned opinions. Tires suck, stock height is too much. But I only see one of these 99% of the time when I am in town, and that's when I get out and smile at my car. I've only seen about 5 or 6 of these in my general area. The one thing I personally dislike about the car, but have gotten used to; is the sunroof 1/2 way safety feature. It stops automatically 1/2 way through its closing and then you have to hit the switch again to close it--tedious you know. Other than that, I love everything about the car. Seats and shifter placement--EXCELLENT

[RiceCzechs]

I'd just like to echo most of the sentiments set forth thusfar...

The best thing about actually driving the EP for me is, hands down, driver accomodation - the quality and interface of the EP's seats/shifter/steering wheel is top-notch. I could nitpick (no telescoping wheel, seat belts are mounted WAY back there, rear-seat access less than ideal) but on the whole it feels great. I was a shade concerned about the amount and quality of the feel provided by the power electric steering, but I think that a set of less compromised tires will take care of much of that issue.

The best thing I like about my EP outside of driving it is the same as everyone else's - its unique, and its a useful shape - it has a big rear seat (once you contort yourself back there), and the hatch area is more commodious than at first glance. Honda quality being what it is, generally, I'm reasonably sure that my Si will stay tighter over time than most of its competitors.

In general, I pride myself on being a champion of the automotive underdog, and can't see the merit in purchasing something like a consumer lemming. That I finally have my first British car (albeit in a really roundabout manner) is icing on the cake.

Overall, I would say that if you can get an EP for 15-16k, and can get your arms around the styling, go for it. Performance-wise, would I view it as a genuine alternative to most other pocket rockets? Not really... I consider performance to be of the "lukewarm hatch" family. That said, for the $$$, it is far more interesting than a garden variety Focus ZX3 or bog-standard Golf. The performance end of the equasion could (and ought to be) helped with 30-60 more stock horsies, and as everyone and their mother will tell you, the stock wheel/tire/suspension height is deeply compromised at best. The aftermarket probably will never catch on to this Si like it did the previous incarnation, and that's disappointing, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to cook up something pretty interesting if you work at it.

In brief: If I'm comparing MSRPs, I'd absolutely be looking elsewhere (Hello, SRT-4, WRX, Jetta 1.8T, etc.), but if you do your homework, you'll find yourself with a car priced against less impressive "standard" models, and then the EP comes into its own as real value. Best of luck, no matter what your choice...

[bioevolve]

Welcome

[SwolleN]

thanks for all the imput guys...i currently drive a 01 EX and the tranny isn't all that great like Black03Si said...but i guess i will find out how nice the SI tranny is when i testdrive one this saturday. so far, it seems like this motor has quite a bit of potential down the road, as well as the rest of the car. thanks for the many useful responses guys :) hopefully i find the SI as awesome as you fellas do.

[Steve02Si]

The car may be underpowered stock, but consider this:

car $15k
wheels/tires $1k
springs $200
K20A $6k
sell stock drivetrain $2500

total spent: under $20k

You now have a tight, refined (compared to other cars under $20k) car with great seats, lots of room, uniqueness, a 6 speed, LSD, decent gas mileage, that'll beat up on SRT4's, Spec V's, GTIs, Mustangs, Focus SVTs.....