9 month ep review.

[02SiHB]

I don't post much anymore, but I've had my Si for 9 months. I'm a huge automobile enthusiast. I thought I would just do a write up and tell you what I think.

Pros- Interior looks nice. Fun "run around" car, handles pretty nice. I delivered pizza part time in my Si, so I got tons of city and highway time in it. Responsive to a point. Def, an attention getter. I can't complain' about the styling because thats partly why I bought the car.

Cons- *Sigh* Here we go. Well, my main problem with the Si was lack of throttle goodness. I mean, you punch it in 1st and you pretty much sit there and watch the tach shoot up, but you don't go anywhere. It makes a cool sound, but that's about it. I remember my dad's 4.6L ford, which wasn't fast, but if you punch it good enough you'll feel yourself forced into the seat. I didn't buy the car for speed, but man, the b and h series gave so much more of a kick. For fun I raced a Shelby-Z Daytona 2.2 (w/bad vaccum lines).... He annhiliated me... I mean I was sucking his blow off valve all the way down the road and it was pretty embarassing his $600 car was bitch slapping my $16k Si with a newspaper. Oh well, Like I said, I didn't buy for speed. Next.... damn, this car is HEAVY. (for a hatchback) Jeeze, a neighbor has a 2700 lb full interior Nova SS. Man that thing is comfy! If Chevy can make a 2700 lb car 35 years ago that is light and comfy, with a good amount of power out of a 327 ci, I should expect the same now. (obviously you cant compare a Nova and an Si) Oh well. Lets see what else.... My roomies are constantly complaining about riding in the back. Granted they are both over 6 foot and over 200 lbs... I'm also a little pissed about the attitude I get from Honda. I ask them to take a look at something and I get attitude and then "we dont have time" or "it'll cost ya".. Thanks for the awesome service, Honda. :rolleyes:

Overall- If you need something to buzz back and forth to work, and give you a lil kick when jumping on the turnpike, this car is for you.
I have to say though, I don't believe this is a tuner car at all. It's very slow, and only time will tell if the k-series will have promise. I am eager to see how they hold up with some boost, but I have generally been dissapointed with the number I have seen from FI so far.

haha, forgive me ep brothers... I just feel like the car isn't for me. It's a good car no doubt. But after owning quick (not fast) BMW's, Ford's, Buicks, Volvos, and Toyotas.. I just can't see myself sticking with this car for a long time. I love to drive... But I cringe when it's 1 am and I have a 45 min drive home, cause it's just not fun. :(

Quality car... I just think Honda is falling off though. Anyways, let's discuss.

[HeelToePro]

wow, maybe I can agree with you on everything except one...the back seat of this car is awsome!! You have so much room compared to older hondas. Have you been in the back seat of a RSX?? Crampy as hell dude, I can barely fit anybody back there. I own a RSX and trust me your back seats are roomy as can be.

[todaCspec]

Yep, rear is very comfortable especially w/o the foot thing in the middle. Also our hatches have a rear head rest and I actually don't hit the roof. Can't say the same for RSX or Celica.

[02SiHB]

I'm only 5'7, but like I said, my roomies are HUGE, so maybe that plays a factor in it.

[IceD out N CALI]

seems like a lot of people are just itching to get out of their ep:o

[STP03BlueSI]

damn sorry to here that. I have been driving a 1992 Saturn SL1, no pick up what so ever,friends complain all the time about the room(there isnt much back there for a 4 door car), no mods, and well a 1967 pinto could eat this car alive.

I have been ichin to get a Si since i have joined this site(oct 02). I cant wait to get my Ep!!

[kenis138]

Had mine for almost a year and still love it. I hated the way 1st gear behaved stock, but it is truly night and day with I/H/E...hondata helped a bit here too, but really helped out throttle response in 4th and 5th. As far as the weight, yer right, the car is a bit chunky. But, my ex felt like a tin can compared to this car, I love how solid it feels. The interior room is fantastic for the size of the car. Transmission is great. I do wish it came a bit more pepped up from the factory, but the car is definitely quick enough to be obnoxious every now and then, and comfy enough to be a great daily driver. Keepin the faith!;)

[Suk02Si]

Not a tuner car? The car's suspension sucks in stock form. You should take a ride in SpeedRacer's car, handles like a go-kart.

The car isn't fast straight line.. but its good enough to pull you up and over the hills of Santa Monica.

[BlairSpeed]

02SiHB, I think you should take a ride in my car. I can give you that "pushed in your seat" feeling! :p I only have an SRI but my car just passed 11k and its true what they say about the 10k mark. After that, the car seems to accelerate faster and my fifth gear pickup seems to be quicker. I love being able to have passing power in 5th gear on the freeway. I bought my car in Nov. '02 and havent had any problems yet. My only quirks about my SI are:
no arm rests
car sits too high
stock tires are shit

Other then that, I love my SI :cool:

[audomatik]

i think no matter what car you own, you always want it to be faster. it was like that with the last si. people said it was quick but they wanted it to be as fast as a gsr. thats what mods are for... but i guess to each their own...

[Dres97]

honda falling off....hahaha thats like an oxymoron. anyways as for the Kseries being crap thats another laugh try sitting in an RSX with a K20a or a ep with a swap port will till u he ran a 13.9 with only an exhuast!!! i would like to see ford come out with a natualy asperated car that ran 13's stock(in a something smaller then a V8)! now thats just performance but look at it overal gas milage, smog index the engeering that goes behind honda's engines are giving every other automaker long sleepless nights trying to figure out how a 2 liter can pump out 160, 200, 220hp out of a 2L. and still get the reliabilty and gas milage that hondas gets. Yeah the ford can fly guzzling gas down a quater mile strip but what can it do on a sreet course with a low reving engine that it has!? I dunno i just do see any automaker comming close to where honda is. the only complaint i have about honad is there structure integrity of the car is poor but id rather deal with that then something going wrong under the hood.

[fkagti]

02sihb, you wrong brotha, you wrong! I've owned three different hondas, this being the third and best one yet. Other than the fact that i've had to replace my windshield twice, this is the most solid honda i've driven to date. And about the room in the backseat, i had a dx sedan before this and i can tell you that si has more room in the back than the dx did. I got my si in november of 02 and i've already put 20,000 miles on it for no other reason than just because i love to drive it. i love 2 kick the crap out of my brother's civic with i/e while mine is completely stock (for another day or so). I don't think there is another car on the road with the kind of style, reliability, heritage, and the engine to back it up than the Honda Civic Si. F**K a GTI!

[cbecker333]

Originally posted by 02SiHB
It makes a cool sound, but that's about it. I remember my dad's 4.6L ford, which wasn't fast, but if you punch it good enough you'll feel yourself forced into the seat. I didn't buy the car for speed, but man, the b and h series gave so much more of a kick. For fun I raced a Shelby-Z Daytona 2.2 (w/bad vaccum lines).

It all depends on what you're comparing it to - I thought the Si felt like a rocket after tooling around in a 170hp '92 bonneville for 4 years.

Did you ever reset your ECU? Some people have seen better throttle response after doing so....

Sorry to hear you are disappointed but there's always the SRT-4 if speed is what you really want.:eek:

[Puffs]

How do you reset the ECU?

[cbecker333]

see this thread:
http://www.ephatch.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13663&highlight=reset+ecu

I'm not sure you have to wait 10 full minutes for it to reset, once you disconnect battery/unplug fuse. I think 1 minute would do it.

UPDATED:

Ok, heres what you do: (before starting, make sure you have the code for your stereo!! after the reset you stereo will need the security code re-entered) go under the hood and pull the ecu fuse, backup fuse, for about a minute. Put them back and turn on the car, you are ready to go. Some have said to let the car sit for 10 minutes to relearn idle, this is not necessary in the case of a reset - only when the ECU is reflashed by someone like Hondata. (I don't KNOW this for certain, but I didn't let the car sit at all after both times resetting it and it still idles silky smooth at exactly 800 RPM when its fully warmed up.)

Also, note that the fuse box has a FUSE PULLER tool in it! Its really cool and decreases the chances of dropping a fuze by accident. I did this 2 times before I noticed the puller tool, and damn is it nicer than fingers or even pliers:D

[TheMutt]

I'm not gonna come right out and say anyones wrong about anything because car preference depends a lot on your driving environment, what you use it for, and your overall tastes. Here are some of my own opinions I will add:

1)Acceleration: Living in a part of town where I am almost constantly in traffic, I don't really have time to just punch it from a stop and really go. However I will say that I'm quicker than a lot of people on acceleration just because I like to feel like I'm going fast :p I've been pleased with the car in this field.

2)Speed and Tranny: Another plus from me. I think almost everyone loves the close gears even if first does seem to be near-nonexistant. My Si is only a few months old, but the shifts are still as clean as day one. As for speed, I don't think that anyone hoping to take this car to the limit will be very pleased. Like I said, I don't drive extremely fast due to traffic and when I do put the pedal down I feel like I get something in return, but I wouldn't expect much in a quarter mile.

3)Looks: The Ep is most definitely unique. Besides the one that's parked down the street from me every few days :D I hardly ever see another one. When I do I'm sure to give a wave, I think belonging to a small group is what makes us all a community. :p Some people don't go for the whole egg look, but that's them. I love the new style even if it isn't the most widely accepted.

4)Interior: Everyone better give the Si two big thumbs up on this. I mean how pimp is the shifter thingy?! And not having the hump on the floor in the back seat is another nifty feature. The seats are comfortable even without having armrests (maybe I will get annoyed by this over time, but so far I couldn't imagine it any other way.) The radio could be better, but most of the people that care about the radio would change it out anyways. Having a sunroof that's reasonably quiet is nice, especially when it's a standard feature. And legroom for most of my passengers and myself is usually not a problem. And the A/C gets cold and hot fast enough for me, even in the Texas summers.

Sum it all up - I wanted a car comfortable on the inside, something unique on the outside, gets you where you're going without sucking up the gas (and quicker than a lot of cars in the pricerange/category). The Si was the car to consider.

But keep in mind I haven't had my car near as long as 02SiHB, maybe my opinion will change given the time. As of right now, I'm kinda doubtful though :D

[jandetuning]

Jeeze, a neighbor has a 2700 lb full interior Nova SS. Man that thing is comfy! If Chevy can make a 2700 lb car 35 years ago that is light and comfy, with a good amount of power out of a 327 ci, I should expect the same now. (obviously you cant compare a Nova and an Si)

What kind of Nova does he have? I have a '63 SS and even with no interior it is 3221 lbs. If that weight is true, it is missing some serious sheetmetal somewhere. At a hair over 400hp I am lucky to see 13mpg on the freeway. Would you be willing to trade the Si's practical economy for a 12 second 1/4 mile?

[02SiHB]

Originally posted by jandetuning


What kind of Nova does he have? I have a '63 SS and even with no interior it is 3221 lbs. If that weight is true, it is missing some serious sheetmetal somewhere. At a hair over 400hp I am lucky to see 13mpg on the freeway. Would you be willing to trade the Si's practical economy for a 12 second 1/4 mile?

Yup :)

Anyways, I knew that the loyalist of the ep3 would come right out and attack anything negative I have to say. And I'm saying you're missing the point.

I have also owned other honda's, a 6g MR Civic, and a b16 Del Sol. I am LEAST satisfied with this car. I'm not saying the car sucks, I'm saying I've had better Honda's. My del Sol went through turns like a champ, my 6g was actually a better feel in the interior, but it didn't look as cool

No matter what I say though, people are going to react about someone not liking the ep3, and this is America, so bring it on. :D

Yeah, I said Honda was falling off. The Lancer was and still is kicking ass in sales, which is more than I can say for the 7g Civics. I talked to the manager at the dealer I bought mine from, and he says the prices are too high. And that they were losing massive amounts of business to the multi-car dealer across the st.
A direct quote from him. "The MSRP of the new Si is rediculous, we cannot sell them There are 4 used 2000-20002 WS6's across the street" they will sell them all before anyone even test drives the Si"

And hey, who can blame them, for the same price you get ass ripping power. Not that I'm saying that's all a car is about, but it's a hell of a seller.. Then again, the F-body is dead.

I almost got lynched on here when I said the NSX sucks. But hey for 90k???? Lets get real here.

Anyways. Back to the honda thing? What do they have? Nothing. They discontinued the Prelude, which was smart and stupid. I love it, but they had to... Mustangs were outselling them 12 to 1 or something rediculous. And Honda's sales reduced when the 2001 Civic Model came out. It's funny seeing Used 6g coupes go for more than new 7g ones at certain places. :o

Okay, Honda has the s2k. A RWD roadster for 32k... Uh... 32k... For a Honda? No. I'd rather get a nice lil AWD BMW, or something FI like an Evoloution. But that's personal opinion. I am partial to the Ultamite Driving Machine or an AWD Trubocharged car. Lets face it, performance wise 4g63 > Honda ... (go ahead try an argue that one from a performance view) :)

Sure the Accord sells out the ass, but not really an enthusiast car now is it? :rolleyes:

Anyways, here is my point. I didn't say the RSX "sucks" or that the k-series was "bad".. I just basically that it doesn't meet my expectations like I thought it would. End of story.

[IceD out N CALI]

good post 02SiHB. I find myself agreeing with much of what you said. It is crazy how those 6th gen civics go for more than 7th gen on some lots. i was at a dealer today and they said they no longer order EP's cuz they dont sell. It is sad, but the EP is a flop sales wise which hurts resale value big time
:o lately it seems that many people are trying (almost desperately) to get out of their EP's.

[jandetuning]

I can understand why people are dissatisfied with the EP. My transmission is shit when it comes to shifting into second and third. The synchros suck. I am going to have the Dealer fix my tranny, then I am going to swap in the RSX 6 speed I have now. Other than that, I am happy with the car. The fit and finish is excellent.

Bottom line is I knew what I was buying. I researched it, and I test drove before I bought. Sure, I could have bought a SVT Focus for the same price, but random engine fires and A-pillar plastics that stab you in the face or throat during a minor front-end collision was a problem for me.

Basically, it looks like you bought a car that didn't suit your needs. That is fine, but don't slight the car because your particular standards are higher than the EP can deliver.

[Dunrick]

My car be quick

What were you expecting when you bought a civic Si

its not a sports car -- its a sport compact

[IceD out N CALI]

I'm not dissapointed with the car itself,(it is a nice car) just the fact that they were a sales flop which means low resale value

[chubbychu]

Well if its time to critique the EP
1) its just tooooo slow, its a little too slow sometimes And the $$ im spending for minimal gains isnt worth it.
2) im sure if the car were Lighter than it would be "faster" so that kinda ties in...it kinda makes me feel like my car is missing something because its soo heavy.
3)thats about it...everything else i love

[redronin22]

Dont worry dude. I attack Honda all the time. I know my car isnt perfect no car is. i like to point out the bad sides so i know what needs to be done to correct em. if Honda had given us an a2 it woulda have all been gravy. Imo our k20a3 engine would be better suited for a civic ex or something. This is suppose to be a sport compact contender. instead its the weakest car in its class, one of the worst handling. Smallest wheels. But hey we got a shifter on the dash

[02SiHB]

Originally posted by Dunrick
My car be quick

What were you expecting when you bought a civic Si

its not a sports car -- its a sport compact


1. Scroll up.
2. Re-read my posts.
3. Insert foot in mouth.

I bought the car to drive to drive to work and back, not to race. But it's embarassing getting passed by grandma in rush hour highway traffic when I've got the the balls to the walls.

[TheMutt]

Well hopefully, in the near future, hondas sales will force them to take on new means of selling their cars. When that happens we will all be able to buy CTRs for 21k. Until then, just sell your Si and wait :'(

[rick77f]

02sihb it looks like we see eye to eye. I didn't have a problem with the performance. It was slow when I bought it, and a lot faster when I was done with it. I prefer the older Hondas as well. I had an unusually bad experience with my EP, reliability and quality wise. It seems like everybody thought I was crazy when I explained how my EP was falling apart. The dealer didn't believe me either until they were spending more time with the car than I was. I said my EP was a POS and a few people didn't like that. From September 14 2002 to July 1 2003 the EP was in the shop 17 times, I think that qualifies as a POS. Hopefully I had the worst one so nobody needs to worry.

[abstrack]

i like my ep its unique... you'd have to agree that not many ppl have one... i like having a car not many ppl have. Imo i think honda gave us these engines to make us swap em out... since people swap honda engines all the time they prolly realized we'd swap this one as well... might as well swap for something better (k20a2 or k20a)anyone:)

new cars are out all the time every year... my thing is.. if u like the ep then u like it... if u dont then....thats ok to :)

if all else fails then its turbo time;) :) :D :p