New Ride: 2006 Honda Civic Si

[Subtle_Cynicism]

2006 Honda Civic Si in Fiji Blue Metallic. CLICK ME. (http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/specialringpop/)

I finally caved. I know this is probably the wrong place to post this, but I remember someone posted their new RSX Type S a while back.

Here's the first pictures after I drove it the 8.5 hours home from the dealership, and I washed, claybarred, and waxed it.

It's so solidly put together, I've never really had a car like that before. The interior's material is good, but many Civic owners have issues with it being too sensitive, and scratching. There's a few interior rattles, also a common problem with the 2006 models. While it was given car of the year award, that was the chief complaint. Once I get to a Honda dealership (nearest one is 1.5 hours away until I'm back in Minneapolis.), I'll have those taken care of properly.

Other than that, it's zippy, it's fast, it's pretty damn good on gas (for requiring premium) and the 6 speed transmission is solid and accurate, though I'm not 100% down with the Drive-by-Wire system.

Please feel free to post comments (I like to hear them), and let me know what you think, and also, I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys might have.

I'm still a GM loyal, and I will, but as I've said before: I am tough love for GM right now. Honda just announced opening a multi-million dollar plant in North America, and GM and Ford just announced opening plants in Mexico. That, and while the Cobalt was nice, it wasn't holding up to the Civic.

[LCCUB]

I'll admit I'm not usually a huge civic fan but these new SI's are quite nice, looks great in that blue and looks like you'll have a lot of fun with it

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I am not a Civic fan prior to 2006, but the redesign really caught my interest. The coupes (and sedans) are pretty sharp looking cars, and the LX, EX, and Si models are very well equipped.

The Fiji Blue was unnegotiable. It was the only color I wanted. :)

[Chain]

Oh the horror, a freaking kick ass TA to a civic?

I am sure you don't remember but you got to think back where and when you hit your head. Come over and I will smack you a good one and maybe you will be back to normal. :)


EDIT: BTW my wife walked by and said ah thats a cute car. I would like one of those. :lol:
Sorry man I can't help myself. Really though I will leave a light on for ya :P

[Subtle_Cynicism]

LOL. Oh, Chain.

Well, my Firebird has been sold since September of 2005. It wasn't a Trans Am, it was just an overweight, bloated, heavy V6 with 200 horsepower. I sold it because I couldn't drive it in the winter and sit with good conscience.

My brother just got his license, and he got my Grand Am GT. I know I left it in good hands. I know my brother is reponsible, but his male friends...I dunno. I hope nothing bad happens to it. It's still my baby.

As for the Civic, it blew the competition out of the water. The Scion was underpowered and lacking in options comparably, the Cobalt looked wonderful, but I couldn't get past the spoiler or the lack luster, rental car type interior. The G6 GTP coupe was on my list, but they wouldn't come down as far as I needed them to (my budget was $20k (most of the money from my Firebird sale).

The new Civic's are a cute car, but you have to admit, they're much better looking than the last generation (or older) Civics...especially the last generation Si. In case you forgot, here's the old one:

http://www.aberdeenhonda.com/civic_si_03/main2.jpg

[levey]

I'll support ya dude. I like the SI. Matter of fact...I almost bought one. But...I've reconsidered a new car purchase, and think I'll put it off until next year.
In any case..the car looks great. It must be a blast to drive.
Congrats.

Oh. I'm sorry but I laughed my damn ass off when I read Chains reply. :lol:

[zipnsip]

I love the color. Its a beautiful blue. Good choice on that. I am not too crazy about the new design. It hasn't quite grown on me yet, but ask me in a few months and that might change.

[nineteen88ga]

Congrats on the new car. I love my 00 Si. I'm still undecided about the new Si's. I can't seem to get use to the dash set ups in them.

[XoticGA]

Nice!

Just don't leave us, Mikey :(

[bandit307]

Ya, congrats on the car. But i may stick by Chains side on this one. LOL

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Thanks for all the comments, all. I'm staying right here. I've made too many friends here to go anywhere. I still have a GAGT in the family, anyways.

As for the dash design, it is controversial, but I've found that it is extremely convenient, and it really does grow on you the more you're in the car.

I didn't like the new Civic's design at first, either, but it quickly grew on me.

[GT2000]

Congrats on the new car Mike! I know you've been going back and forth between alot of options. And people need to realize...there is nothing wrong with a civic. Its a riced out civic that there is something wrong with :P

And your civic is quite sexy :)

And I'm glad to hear you don't plan on leaving us anytime soon.

[Chain]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism

I didn't like the new Civic's design at first, either, but it quickly grew on me.


I had something grow on me once... I cut it off. :) :roflmfao:

Oh man I crack myself up sometimes. :lol: :D :lol:

[Foxy]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/specialringpop/Reflection.jpg

You look like Toby Mcguire!

Nice car, though.. I really like that color blue. How long is it going to stay stock? :)

[sunrunner_pei]

Gawd I hate the dashboard in those. :(

Mike, I'm glad you like it. It's not my cup o' tea at all, but if you're happy that's all that matters.

But I agree, I'm not a big fan of too much in the GM car lineup right now. Honestly I don't know what I'd buy if I was given the chance.

[Matt95GT]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism
though I'm not 100% down with the Drive-by-Wire system.


Can't see that well, but does it have one of those gas pedals that pivots from the floor instead of the traditional "hanging" pedal? I know the Acura TL's have that... after sitting in one and playing around, I would have difficulty getting used to it too. Apparently the trick is to lay your foot completely flat on it, instead of the typical putting your heel back more and pushing pedal with toes.

I'm not sure why Honda went that route with the pedal... other make drive-by-wire systems felt the same as a cable to me... including GM and Nissan (my Spec V is drive-by-wire too).

Originally posted by nineteen88ga
Congrats on the new car. I love my 00 Si. I'm still undecided about the new Si's. I can't seem to get use to the dash set ups in them.

Yea, that's my fav gen too. The new ones are second place... I just don't like the last gen "Focus SI" look at all... and glad they 86'd the dash-mount shifter.

[99GrandAMSE]

Originally posted by sunrunner_pei
... Mike, I'm glad you like it. It's not my cup o' tea at all, but if you're happy that's all that matters ...

I couldn't agree more ... the new style of Honda's don't do it for me as they are getting bigger and bigger (or at last they appear that way in my eyes being they certainly are not as small as they once were) ... anyway, as hard as it is for me to say, my Honda, even though it is 15 years old, is still a nice little car for what it is ... it is under powered for the size of the car but ti has withstood the "test of time" over the years very well in my opinion and owning it has given me some additional respect for their engines (I always liked their engines but now more so) ... I still don't believe in their supposed superiority to other manufactures though :lol: ... regardless, I got a little long winded ... good luck!!

[XoticGA]

Pft... 'a little'


Understatement of the century :lol:


:)

[99GrandAMSE]

Originally posted by XoticGA
Pft... 'a little'

Understatement of the century :lol:

:)

Have you been "told" yet today?

[Y2KGAGT]

Nice! I like it!

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Thanks for all the comments. I'm happy you guys are so supportive, even if you don't really like it.

That's another reason I just won't leave this board: despite it being a board about a GM car, I've only run across a few blindly loyal people towards GM. There's a lot more blindly loyal to Honda or imports on the Civic board I'm part of, but it's nice to have a balance.

As for the drive by wire system, I'm not sure about the gas pedal, but I know that the engine hangs on to the rev for about a second or so after you put your foot on the clutch. I'm not sure why it does that, but most Honda fans are even upset with this. I will say I am having difficulty getting the car not to buck in 1st-4th gears. For some reason, that's common, and it just takes getting used to, but overall, I'm really enjoying it.

[BleakGT]

I like it alot.

This may be extreme opposite, but the new Si and a LS1 GTP are the two cars i have it narrowed down to for my next ride. :lol:

[matts]

that is a day and night difference :lol:



i like the looks of the car, but dont know if i would buy one. im glad to see that got rid of that stupidass shifter on the dash. i dont know what was up with that, but IMO it was one of the dumbest ideas i've seen in a long time

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Agreed. I can't believe Honda sold the last POS Si for around 25k starting. To begin with, it was ugly, and the interior was gross, too. I couldn't get over how ugly the shifter on the dash was.

[Prospeeder]

i cant get over how ugly the dash is on the new civics, my Sisters got an 06 EX Sedan and I hate the interior layout and design. But finally you got a new car at least!

[lamonpat]

The car looks good and the color is awesome, I love that blue!!!
But it's really not a car for me. I hate the dash in those new Civic. I sat in almost all the compact cars at the last autoshow here in Quebec, and I'm glad I got my Pursuit. That's the car I felt the most comfortable in. I stayed only like 2 secondes in the new Civic, I really hated it. One of my friend (girl) bought a burgundy 06 Si in the spring and she absolutly loves it to death.
I just can't stand the look of the sedan, and for me the coupe looks too massive.

[Foxy]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism
As for the drive by wire system, I'm not sure about the gas pedal, but I know that the engine hangs on to the rev for about a second or so after you put your foot on the clutch.

Some STi's do this as well (they're DBW). Apparently, it has something to do with emissions - abruptly letting off the gas does something funky with the AFR or something and it makes the car pollute more. I know on my STi, I can get the revs to raise about 500-750rpm's after lifting off the gas. It's annoying.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone comes out with an ECU flash that remaps the DBW programming so it doesn't do that though.

[XoticGA]

What kinda warranty did ya get Mike?

[Subtle_Cynicism]

There's nothing massive about the Civic coupes. My head hits the window in the back, and my legs hit the back of the front seats.

The dash is polarizing, I'll admit, but I've grown to love it, a lot, and I didn't at first.

I'm not a fan of the sedan, but I do love the coupes sharp look.

I sat in a Cobalt SS/NA, and my head was banging on the top of the headliner in the driver's seat, something I couldn't have. I loved the guages on the Cobalt SS, but it wasn't enough for me, as I felt the rest of the interior, while nicer than older/other Gm cars, still looked like a rental car interior, it was just a little too plain for me, but I am excited to see what they've done to it for 2007, as apparently it's a little different.

But a major reason I wound up with the Civic was that it has no competition when it comes to safety. Side airbags and the like should not be extra cost options. They should be standard on every new car, and I can't justify spending money on something that should be standard.

The gas milage was the other kicker. It gets 23/31 (but I've had around 35 on the freeway, so far). The main thing for me was looks and safety, and I found both. I don't think there's a car that can come close to competing with the Civic in terms of standard safety.

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I read that some guy filed a federal complaint against Honda for the Civics DBW system, claiming that it posed a hazard in traffic driving or something. I don't think it's been addressed yet, or nothing came of it, but I have heard that the future Civics may or may not have the system in the future, and existing models will get a flash to override it or something.

Trish, to be honset, I was a little disappointed with the warrenty. It's 3year/36,000 miles, and 5 year/50,000 miles on the engine and transmission. I could've bought the extra warrenty, but they wanted 1400 dollasr for it, and to be honest, I just didn't have it. I can buy the warrenty at any time, if I want, but the price will have went up.

EDIT: No one comes close to matching Kia (I think?)'s warrenty...10 year/100,000 miles or something I think.

[jayhawk]

At work a tech has a 200?-2005 Civic Si; we call it the hybrid, because it has the styling of one.

A salemans has a Civic Si like yours, but its this platinum color that looks terrible. Plus the fact that he has a boom boom bass system makes me hate it even more.

BUT! The reason I didnt like the new Si is because EVERYONE ****ING ONE I see around here is that horrible platinum color. The blue...looks great! totally changes the cars looks.

So bottom line, looks great.

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Thanks Jay!

I wonder what color you're talking about? The only platinum color I can think of would be Alabaster Silver (similar to the 01-05 GA silvers) or Galaxy Gray, which is a dark granite color.

I also felt that the blue really stands out. My friend says that the Fiji Blue is the generic Si color, but that doesn't explain why its one of the harder ones to get. But still, even in Minneapolis, I've only seen two other Si's: a white one (ick) and a galaxy gray one with the OEM Honda bodykit (which is pretty sharp).

[jayhawk]

Yeah, its the Galaxy Gray metallic.

[TA^Guy]

I like th eexterior on the new Civics, hate that interior.

[Subtle_Cynicism]

A word about the interior:

The seats are extremely comfortable (sometimes I wish there wash a LITTLE more lower back support) but they really grip you, and the faux suede, or whatever it is, is really comfy, too, albeit a pain in the ass to clean as it sucks up everything on your shirt and pants, and vacuums ton't like to pick it up well.

As for the dash, it's hit or miss with people. Some people love it, some people hate it. For me, I hated it at first, too, but it grew on me the more and more I researched the car.

And I think we can all admit, it looks a lot sportier than the older generations :). lol.

[jayhawk]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism
A word about the interior:

The seats are extremely comfortable (sometimes I wish there wash a LITTLE more lower back support) but they really grip you, and the faux suede, or whatever it is, is really comfy, too, albeit a pain in the ass to clean as it sucks up everything on your shirt and pants, and vacuums ton't like to pick it up well.



Alcona, I think it is called. You may hate it, but tear around a few windy roads and you'll love how well it holds you to the seat.

[sunrunner_pei]

I forgot to add that I love the color you went with. The blue seriously kisks ass, and would have been my first choice for sure. Just ask Jay, I came this close (pinching fingers together) to painting my '96 Sunfire a similar blue (GM Arrival Blue). I wanted blue for my '01, but the black I found was too good a deal to pass up. D'Oh!

I hope my earlier comments didn't seem overly negative. I dislike the dashboard enough not to want the rest of the car, but I've honestly never driven one myself to form an opinion on the rest of it. As I said though, it looks good (On the outside at least), and I'm happy you like it.

But your Firebird and Grand Am looked better. lol :)

[Subtle_Cynicism]

No worries, Shawn.

The blue was the only color I would take the Si in (I debated the Habanaro Red for awhile, but, no), and I wouldn't take any other options.

I initially wanted an EX 5 speed manual with their navigation system, as it was the same price as the Si without navigation (mine), but those models, as coupes, are even harder to find than the Si, and every Honda dealership said they couldn't get me them, even though I tried ordering three and was rejected all three times.

See, I personally thought the dashboard was unique, and that it warrented further investigation, and it turns out I liked it. I like new ideas and bold steps, and while some people think the new Civic looks like an X-Wing, I kinda like that: you don't see many automakers take bold initiatives or straying from the norm too often.

I do miss the Firebird, but in all honesty, looking back, it was made like a snap together car model, and it was very poorly executed and outdated (did I mention rather slow?). I wanted to go with a Trans Am, but mom wouldn't have it. I did use the money I got from the Firebird to put a nice downpayment on the car, so my payments aren't too bad.

As for my Grand Am, I do miss her, but I know my brother will take good care of her.

I now have two more coats of NXT wax on it, and it looks even sharper!

[XtremeGrandAm]

It looks good, I like the styling of the new civics more than any of the previous models. Expecially The Si the last one looked really ugly the new ones look really good. I thought about buying one but I just wanted a little bit more stock power.

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I found out something a little scary a few weeks ago. Apparently the new Si is .1 seconds faster in the slalom as the Dodge Viper SRT-10.

The Civic has more power (I rarely have to downshift for power) than any other car I've ever had. I just wish it had a LITTLE more torque though.

[XtremeGrandAm]

Yeah, honda needs to increase the torque in that engine. It would definantly help. There should also be a lot of aftermarket support for the vehicle so gaining power wouldnt be as challenging as it is for my car.

[RedFireUFO]

I love it! That's definitely something I will be looking at in a couple years after house and school is done with.. sweet ride!

[Customized]

Eh, not a big fan of the new civics at all, sorry. I like the older pre 06 civics better.

[Subtle_Cynicism]

See, I wouldn't get caught dead in a Civic prior to 2006.

They are boring, plain, run of the mill, common, unoffensive looking cars.

Give me a car that has some dramatics, no matter how extreme.

To be honest, I like standing out. I like having people say, "Ew, I hate that color" or "Ew, I'm not a fan of that car", because for everyone of those, you're going to have someone saying, "Wow, that's a ____?! No shit?"

[matts]

i like to be different, but i dont like people to say they dont like my car :P

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Chances are, when people say they don't like your car, they're driving blatant pieces of shit around, so take it with a grain of salt.

Someone in an 89 Escort coupe told me at a stoplight once that my Firebird was a piece of shit. All I could do was laugh uncontrollably.

[Customized]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism
See, I wouldn't get caught dead in a Civic prior to 2006.

They are boring, plain, run of the mill, common, unoffensive looking cars.

Give me a car that has some dramatics, no matter how extreme.

To be honest, I like standing out. I like having people say, "Ew, I hate that color" or "Ew, I'm not a fan of that car", because for everyone of those, you're going to have someone saying, "Wow, that's a ____?! No shit?"

I like standing out too :), hence why I bought my 05 mustang GT (well I did for a quite a while til early this year).I still do because of the GT, but there are a lot of V6's floating around.

[sumx4182]

i like it alot...it looks real "racer-coupe" like...the stance is great...it just looks badass, WAAAAYYYY better than the old civics that look like they reversed into a wall before leaving the factory! lol

[nineteen88ga]

Not sure if it interests you any but Merta just came out wit ha dash kit to put an aftermarket radio in it. Both single and double DIN headunits will work in it.

And this is going a few posts back, I know what you mean about people being so loyal to certain brands. Its very aggrivating. all I can say is don't say much about anything different than a Honda on club si's boards. lol

[mrjoecanadian]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism
The new Civic's are a cute car, but you have to admit, they're much better looking than the last generation (or older) Civics...especially the last generation Si. In case you forgot, here's the old one:

http://www.aberdeenhonda.com/civic_si_03/main2.jpg

I honestly like this civic but I didn't when I first saw it one of my friends have one, it is intersting but I still love my GA

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Yeah, I saw one the last time I was on campus, and it was better in person than photos, but I can't get over the shifter being on the dash. I dunno, and I hear they're pretty dang slow, and they cost close to 25k...the new Si is 20k for a lot more.

One option I wanted they stopped offering was leather though :(.

[matts]

Originally posted by Subtle_Cynicism
Chances are, when people say they don't like your car, they're driving blatant pieces of shit around, so take it with a grain of salt.

Someone in an 89 Escort coupe told me at a stoplight once that my Firebird was a piece of shit. All I could do was laugh uncontrollably.

if you're in an escort you shouldn't be talking about anyone else's ride PERIOD:lol: