Do you ever feel it's a waste to build your Si?

[MoaRPowah]

For me personally, I purchased the Si knowing I will be doing basic bolt ons and a tune. However, when the itch for more power arises, that's when I realize that a turbo upgrade, flex fuel and a new clutch will be needed. At that point, that's when I ask myself if I should have just gotten a Type R. So far, the basic bolt ons and Phearable tune is holding me over though.

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[DmK]

For me personally, I purchased the Si knowing I will be doing basic bolt ons and a tune. However, when the itch for more power arises, that's when I realize that a turbo upgrade, flex fuel and a new clutch will be needed. At that point, that's when I ask myself if I should have just gotten a Type R. So far, the basic bolt ons and Phearable tune is holding me over though.

I had the same felling that want more power from it, but as more I drive it, as more I fall in love with the balanced amount of power and cornering you getting from this car with a simple tune. This is a daily for me and I’m not planning to get type R. You can’t beat a 40 miles per gallon (it’s almost a hybrid) and if you want to have little fun going through the corners you have enough power!
If you want to beat everybody in a straight line get a muscle car as a weekend day toy

I don't think it's a waste to spend money on a car if you enjoy it. As many mentioned even if you would get type R most likely you will mod it, which will end up more expensive and you'll stress out to blow an engine or break some suspension components.

 

[Dpack]

Just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts about building your Si.

Let's say you bought your Si for $25k. Then you do your bolt-ons, tune, suspension, wheels, and all the bits. After all that, you want more and go bigger turbo and flex fuel and clutch. After all is said and done, you could have just bought a Type R and be done with it.

Back in the day, we had a saying that you could spend $10k and put all the Type R Integra parts on your GSR, but it will never be a Type R Integra. Do you guys feel that way with your Si? Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I think it's not worth it and I could have just purchased a Type R.

2019 Civic si coupe. i paid 23,400 out the door and have no intentions of modding it other than a tune. Yes, for the price I paid it’s totally worth it. By the way no one in January 2019 got a Type R for 35/37 K. Which no longer makes it a 12k difference. More like 15k to 18k

 

[FC1Dawn]

I've done KTuner V2, 27Won FMIC, Acuity Fully Adjustable Short Shifter and other small modifications. Each modification made me enjoy the Si more and more.

Recently, I found a new love for canyon carving so I'm prepping to do more suspension, wheel and tire modifications in the near future.

I don't regret modifying the Si. I think for the pleasure of driving, I got my money's worth.

 

[ebatr24]

I hear a lot about modding and daily driving a Type R or racking up mileage. I know Evo and Sti owners who don't mind daily driving theirs and beating on it. I guess it shows how special a Type R is compared to the others in it's class.

I guess that's what makes the Si good in the sense that you can build it and still daily drive it and have fun and not worry so much.

Those folks are the snowflakes that think the Type R is some exotic vehicle that it is going to appreciate in value if they don't drive it and treat it like it's the "Jesus" car. They hold their value well with low miles for sure, but so many were produced it is not going to be like the Integra Type R.

 

[MoaRPowah]

Those folks are the snowflakes that think the Type R is some exotic vehicle that it is going to appreciate in value if they don't drive it and treat it like it's the "Jesus" car. They hold their value well with low miles for sure, but so many were produced it is not going to be like the Integra Type R.

Lol at "Jesus Car". It's still somewhat a collectible I would say. Not Integra Type R collectible status, but I would still hate for one to be dinged around at a Target parking lot somewhere.

 

[86salmon]

Those folks are the snowflakes that think the Type R is some exotic vehicle that it is going to appreciate in value if they don't drive it and treat it like it's the "Jesus" car. They hold their value well with low miles for sure, but so many were produced it is not going to be like the Integra Type R.

They're just treating it like Corvette owners

 

[Design]

I was very particular in my mod choices for the Si. I've limited to a tune, leather center console, ppf, and HIDs. With those changes, I feel the car is near-perfect.

I knew what I'd be missing by opting for the Si over the CTR. But I've done fast and was ready for something more practical (aka seating for five). Don't get me wrong, I would have enjoyed owning the CTR. But the added incremental costs, concerns over theft/vandalism, and the crazy premium over MSRP (back in Summer 2017) made the Si a no-brainer. The heated seats and moonroof were icing on the cake.

The only other item I might consider is the HFP suspension kit once I cross 100K. By that time I suspect the chassis will be due for new dampers anyways. And the HFP set costs about as much as the four OEM dampers alone.

 

[RehabJP]

Reasons why buying a Type R sucks compared to modding an Si:

-5x120 wheel selection sucks and so does the used market. Enjoy paying high prices for "Type R spec'd" wheels
-$2800 to get the Hondata fuel system upgrade if you want to up the capability of making more than 370-400whp with not much room to make a lot more beyond that.
-Cost of aftermarket and OEM parts substantially higher. (imagine the cost of replacing a blown k20c1 motor vs an L15b7)
-4 seats vs 5 seats in the coupe and sedan even thought he coupe is going away
-higher maintenance cost-Pads, Rotors, Oil, etc....
-creature comforts, heated seats, mirrors, sun roof, etc...

Don't get me wrong yall I love my R, but it is not as simple as "jUsT gO BuY a TyPe R" when you're comparing modding your Si vs upgrade to an R. Some R owners have deeper pockets, but I am a lot more scared to blow the motor or trans in the R than I was for the Si. When I got the R I had to immediately get wheels because these rubber band tires are known to debead on rough roads and the wheels are known to bend easily due to the tires. I am already dreading having to replace my rotors when the time comes, buying an extra quart of oil every change is annoying on top of a 5 quart jug. The Si went 10 seconds in the quarter mile long before the R ever did, so in terms of straight line speed it is not as silly as it seems to mod an Si over buying an R. That being said the Type R rocks, speed you can hold on a twisty road is insane, it gets a ton of attention, and it has so much usable space making it a great daily.

The CTR is meant as a pure, no compromise, performance car while the Si is meant to be able to be your daily driver but unleash the beast a little when you are feeling sporty or if you are going to a track day or what ever. I think they each have their own appeal and use case. If you want a budget sporty car that can hang with cars like the GTIs and WRXs and has all the creature comforts and is easy to maintain and mod get an Si. If you want raw performance and power and are willing to sacrifice some of the frills and accept the higher MSRP and maintenance cost so you can track the car right off the lot and put op decent times then CTR is the way. It the Type R worth it will always be a debate. I guess it depends on what you are looking for and what your spending tolerance is. Same as people going to by a Corvette C8 or Mustang Cobra as a daily driver.

 

[ebatr24]

The CTR is meant as a pure, no compromise, performance car while the Si is meant to be able to be your daily driver but unleash the beast a little when you are feeling sporty or if you are going to a track day or what ever. I think they each have their own appeal and use case. If you want a budget sporty car that can hang with cars like the GTIs and WRXs and has all the creature comforts and is easy to maintain and mod get an Si. If you want raw performance and power and are willing to sacrifice some of the frills and accept the higher MSRP and maintenance cost so you can track the car right off the lot and put op decent times then CTR is the way. It the Type R worth it will always be a debate. I guess it depends on what you are looking for and what your spending tolerance is. Same as people going to by a Corvette C8 or Mustang Cobra as a daily driver.

Hardly anyone is buying the Type R as just a dedicated track car. Honda has shown that it is not a "no compromise" performance car by using the touring trim and adding some creature comforts to it to make it suitable to be daily driven. The car suffers from oil temperature and overheating on the track which is why there were revisions for 2020. In any case, my point was the R isn't for everyone. There are plenty reasons why the Si makes sense for people, it is definitely a less expensive car over all to maintain, mod, and drive. Same dynamic as the ST/RS, WRX/STI, Veloster/N, etc... More performance at the cost of maintenance cost, creature comforts, MPG, and cost to own.

 

[RehabJP]

Hardly anyone is buying the Type R as just a dedicated track car. Honda has shown that it is not a "no compromise" performance car by using the touring trim and adding some creature comforts to it to make it suitable to be daily driven. The car suffers from oil temperature and overheating on the track which is why there were revisions for 2020. In any case, my point was the R isn't for everyone. There are plenty reasons why the Si makes sense for people, it is definitely a less expensive car over all to maintain, mod, and drive. Same dynamic as the ST/RS, WRX/STI, Veloster/N, etc... More performance at the cost of maintenance cost, creature comforts, MPG, and cost to own.

Well said. I think that is more inline with what I was trying to say. Yea the CTR could be and I think was intended to be a performance car that could also be daily driver but with the balance scaled toward the performance than the driver comfort where the Si is a driver comfort car, basically a standard Civic LX, with some performance features and a little more juice under the hood.

I would consider getting a CTR myself one day in the future probably wait for the next gen see what they come out with both Si and CTR are great cars.

 

[MoaRPowah]

I definitely agree with both of your point of views. The Si certainly can be a very fun daily driver with just a few thousand dollars worth of mods.

 

[ebatr24]

Well said. I think that is more inline with what I was trying to say. Yea the CTR could be and I think was intended to be a performance car that could also be daily driver but with the balance scaled toward the performance than the driver comfort where the Si is a driver comfort car, basically a standard Civic LX, with some performance features and a little more juice under the hood.

I would consider getting a CTR myself one day in the future probably wait for the next gen see what they come out with both Si and CTR are great cars.

Coming from a coupe you won't be disappointed. I've found the most enjoyment in how practical the R is, so much space, the extra doors for my passengers comfort. Although I do miss the big doors and seats in the Si.

 

[liquidbluesi]

I was very particular in my mod choices for the Si. I've limited to a tune, leather center console, ppf, and HIDs. With those changes, I feel the car is near-perfect.

I knew what I'd be missing by opting for the Si over the CTR. But I've done fast and was ready for something more practical (aka seating for five). Don't get me wrong, I would have enjoyed owning the CTR. But the added incremental costs, concerns over theft/vandalism, and the crazy premium over MSRP (back in Summer 2017) made the Si a no-brainer. The heated seats and moonroof were icing on the cake.

The only other item I might consider is the HFP suspension kit once I cross 100K. By that time I suspect the chassis will be due for new dampers anyways. And the HFP set costs about as much as the four OEM dampers alone.

Where did you purchase the leather center console?

 

[redcivic19x]

Thank you OP for this, as this is something that I’ve spent countless hours reflecting on.

I bought the Si as my first brand new car I’ve ever owned after i graduated college and got my first “big boy” job making some decent money. I was driving a 2007 Saturn ion (Yep, a Saturn! Lol) and couldn’t wait to get rid of it. I chose the Si because it was in my budget and I wanted something reliable that also had good mpg.
I should also note that I bought the car with absolutely no intentions of modding or customizing it. I’ve always been into cars from a distant, but never had one that would have been worthy of mods.
after 4 months of having the car I threw the KTuner on there and that changed everything. I very quickly went down the rabbit hole of modifying my car - shifter upgrades, FBO, W1 turbo, flex fuel, etc.
I’m currently about $8k deep in to my modifications and couldn’t help but wonder if I just wasted my time doing all of this when I could have gotten a type r? I struggled with this for a while. However, I’d like to give a few of my reasons why I don’t think it’s a waste and I’m actually glad I got the Si and did it over the type r.
1) budget at time of purchase - at the time I was just starting out in my job role and this car fit my budget perfectly. if I would have waited maybe another 6-8 months then I would have been able to afford the type r, but couldn’t have predicted that at the time.
2) wasn’t looking to mod the car - If I would have come in knowing I would have wanted to mod the car, then maybe that makes my decision easier to wait and try and get the type r.
3) inexperience in modding cars - I’m no gear head and had minimal experience working on cars - I could change a tire, oil, etc. - the basics. So when I did start modding my Si - I did majority of the installs myself with guides and YouTube videos - I’d rather mod my first car I paid $22k rather than one that sits around$35k.
4) learning - I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned about these Honda’s and cars in general in just a short year of owning this car. Each install brings its own unique challenges to think though and overcome. Not to mention there are so many parts available for the Honda platform that it kind of forces you to do a lot of research and learn more about the platform.
5) sleeper car - idk about you all, but there is something I absolutely love about a sleeper car. Having people roll up next to you thinking you’re just in this little stock Si with 205 hp and then you punch it and they realize holy shit - this little 1.5 can pack a punch.
6) overall - at the end of the day, I’ve spent around $8k for my mods which puts me in at about $30k right now. That still is $5k cheaper than a type r and I’m already seeing results that put me close to the type r stock power numbers. Once I get my custom tune then I’m hoping to exceed those numbers.
So overall I’d rather spend the money on my mods, forced to do the amount of research required for these mods, learning new things about these engines and Honda’s, and connect with a huge community that has been nothing short of amazing and incredibly helpful at every turn. I’d take that experience 10/10 times rather than spending A lot more on a car that I wouldn’t have had the budget to modify the way I have my Si and produce numbers that are close to the type r.
win-win-win situation all around.

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