Finally joined the club

[OEDRO]

Congrats on the purchase! Welcome！

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[SCOPESYS]

Do you need to keep the monitor on to keep the discount? I like the idea in theory, but I hate the idea of having someone monitor my driving, forever.

No, the EVALUATION lasts about 3 months, and after that there is no more monitoring.

It gets better .. at least with Nationawide's "Smart Ride"

You can either get a device from them (free, on loan) that plugs into the OBD2 port .. or(better) use their APP.
The advantage of the Phone APP is that is you have an "event" (over accel or braking etc), at the end of the trip it ask you if you were the Driver or passenger, and relies on you to tell the truth !!!

 

[SCOPESYS]

Never heard of the insurance company driving monitor. I'll look into that.

check out https://www.nationwide.com/personal/insurance/auto/discounts/smartride/

Some other Car Insurance companies have similar programs, to save up to 40%

 

[gtman]

I've always modded my cars because, simply put, I don't want my car to be exactly like the other cookie cutter cars out there. But, I mod conservatively. Nothing over the top look-wise or performance-wise.

The Si is a terrific car out of the box, without question. It's handling is top notch and it's power is above average. IMO, there are two basic mods to consider (beyond cosmetic stuff) and each of these mods offer the best bang for your buck (and biggest improvement).

1. Grippier, high quality tires. Everyone knows the Si has a fantastic chassis and handling setup that's let down a touch by average tires.

2. A tune. If you feel the need for more power, this is really all you need. And remember, you don't need to tune only for ultimate power. You could tune simply to remove the rev hang, try the no-lift shift and improve the traction control setup, for example. There is the warranty concern of course but the tuning reliability survey has pretty much shown that tuning (with a base setup) is relatively safe.

Other excellent "secondary" mods to consider are a beefier rsb for reducing body roll, some of the Acuity shifter mods and for a nice cosmetic touch, Unity side markers (shameless plug for @CanadiaegeanBlue).

Just my take anyway. Enjoy your new Si.

 

[MaxPower]

What made you pick up the Si over the competitor?

Generally speaking, I felt that the Si fit my requirements better than anything else on the market, at an extremely reasonable price, while also offering the fewest compromises. Specifically, compared to the Veloster N, Jetta GLI & GTI, the Si should be more efficient and cheaper to purchase. Also more reliable and cheaper to fix than the VWs. I really liked the Veloster N, but it's just not that practical - at least, not for my purposes. The hatch is useful, but I kinda needed four doors. The performance of the N was really impressive, but I figured the Si would be plenty of fun even stock, and I knew I could tune it if I wanted a boost.

From a fellow Jersey new Si owner: https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2014/11/njs_10_most_scenic_roads_its_time_to_hit_the_highway.html

Back when I got the car in November, after break-in I took a ride from Somerset County up to the top of High Point State Park. Well worth the trip.

Thank you for this. The Pulaski Skyway is a weird choice but many of the others look very cool. I'll definitely drive some of these routes.

Congrats on the pickup and a fine choice of color!

ABM owners unite! It's truly a great color that would always catch my eye whenever I saw an ABM Civic on the road. But I'd never really taken a good long look at it until I picked up my car. It has a metallic character I was previously unaware of - even though, yes, it's in the name. I like it more than I expected.

I've always modded my cars because, simply put, I don't want my car to be exactly like the other cookie cutter cars out there. But, I mod conservatively. Nothing over the top look-wise or performance-wise.

The Si is a terrific car out of the box, without question. It's handling is top notch and it's power is above average. IMO, there are two basic mods to consider (beyond cosmetic stuff) and each of these mods offer the best bang for your buck (and biggest improvement).

1. Grippier, high quality tires. Everyone knows the Si has a fantastic chassis and handling setup that's let down a touch by average tires.

2. A tune. If you feel the need for more power, this is really all you need. And remember, you don't need to tune only for ultimate power. You could tune simply to remove the rev hang, try the no-lift shift and improve the traction control setup, for example. There is the warranty concern of course but the tuning reliability survey has pretty much shown that tuning (with a base setup) is relatively safe.

Other excellent "secondary" mods to consider are a beefier rsb for reducing body roll, some of the Acuity shifter mods and for a nice cosmetic touch, Unity side markers (shameless plug for @CanadiaegeanBlue).

Just my take anyway. Enjoy your new Si.

I hear you on customizing the car to make it truly yours. I never modded the Saabaru (aside from a new head unit), but that thing was a damn unicorn. Only two model years and very low production numbers. I forget the exact figures, but I learned that my car was one of only a dozen or so in that particular MY/color/transmission combo. So, it was fairly unique even stock. Strangers asked me about it all the time, wondering what the hell it was. The Civic, even in Si trim, is ubiquitous in comparison. I'll make some changes for that reason alone (among others, of course).

I think the side markers might actually be my first mod. The orange is kind of jarring and looks out of place. Re: a tune - yeah, I'm 99% certain I'll do it one day. That said, I never tuned either of my last two cars - an Audi A4 1.8TQ and the aforementioned Saabaru - and those were both pretty tunable vehicles. With the Saab in particular, I kept putting it off, and before I knew it, the car was >10 years old. At that point I began to fear that a tune would do more harm than good, applying excessive stress to the aging drivetrain. I'm not going to make that mistake with the Si. I've seen your reliability survey, and the results are indeed reassuring. I'll pull the trigger when I begin to approach the end of the warranty.

 

[amirza786]

I hear you on customizing the car to make it truly yours. I never modded the Saabaru (aside from a new head unit), but that thing was a damn unicorn. Only two model years and very low production numbers. I forget the exact figures, but I learned that my car was one of only a dozen or so in that particular MY/color/transmission combo. So, it was fairly unique even stock. Strangers asked me about it all the time, wondering what the hell it was. The Civic, even in Si trim, is ubiquitous in comparison. I'll make some changes for that reason alone (among others, of course).

I think the side markers might actually be my first mod. The orange is kind of jarring and looks out of place. Re: a tune - yeah, I'm 99% certain I'll do it one day. That said, I never tuned either of my last two cars - an Audi A4 1.8TQ and the aforementioned Saabaru - and those were both pretty tunable vehicles. With the Saab in particular, I kept putting it off, and before I knew it, the car was >10 years old. At that point I began to fear that a tune would do more harm than good, applying excessive stress to the aging drivetrain. I'm not going to make that mistake with the Si. I've seen your reliability survey, and the results are indeed reassuring. I'll pull the trigger when I begin to approach the end of the warranty.

One thing I want to mention to you about customizing the look of the car that you should keep in mind. If you plan on keeping it long term (10 years or the life of the car), than by all means, tweak it's look and personalize it to your hearts desire. BUT remember, none of these customization in most cases adds any value, except to you. If you plan on selling the car in lets say 3 to 5 years, these customization's will not bring you any added value, and it may even make the selling of the car harder. Some can be reversed and you can re-sale the parts you use (depending on condition), but you will never fully recover that money, and more importantly, the time you put into it. Case in point, I put a custom exhaust in my Si, and because I did not have a place to store the stock exhaust I sold it ($300). When I sold my Si, I lost about $500 on the sale price because of the custom exhaust. The person who bought the car didn't care that I put almost $1000 and time into it.

What I am saying is, don't throw a lot of money into customizing unless you plan to keep it, because you may recover selling aftermarket parts, but you will never recover the time and energy installing and removing them if you decide to sell in a few years

 

[suhhh]

So, at long last...after literally years of careful deliberation, I've finally purchased an Si. I've been considering the car since 2017 (check my join date)...took a couple of test drives...read through hundreds of forum posts...and kept an eye on any changes with each new model year. 2020 added LED headlights and Sensing, and that was enough to push me over the edge. I looked at some other cars - VW GLI & GTI, Veloster N, Forte GT. But I was always pretty sure I'd end up in the Honda. Indeed, I picked up my 2020 ABM sedan just a few hours ago.

My previous car was the relatively unheralded 2005 Saab 9-2x, purchased new in 2005. Yes, I drove that thing for 15 years. It kept going and going and going, delaying any actual need for a new ride. Truly, the Saabaru was terrific: AWD, 227HP, and built like a tank. Never had a major issue in those 15 years of ownership. Just brakes, tires, battery, power steering pump, and a couple of random recalls. Never left me stranded. Never got stuck in the snow. However, 15 years is a long time, and the gas mileage was crap. I wanted something new. The Si, in comparison, is like stepping into a new millennium. The tech is almost overwhelming. And I love it.

This forum has been incredibly helpful. Posters like @gtman, @amirza786, @zroger73, @CanadiaegeanBlue, @Gruber, @SCOPESYS, @360glitch and many more have shared some truly fantastic insight. Thank you all for imparting your knowledge.

Not sure about mods yet. I literally just got it home, and haven't even connected my phone yet. All in due time. Right now I'm planning a Sunday tour across some random winding roads in New Jersey. No particular destination. I just want to get out on the road.

See you out there.

Congratulations on the new ride from a fellow New Jersey man. I'm from up north NJ and frequent Bear Mountain a ton. Central New Jersey by Middlesex/Rutgers also has a bunch of fantastic mountain roads that are in the forest with minimal traffic/police. Hope to see you around sometime!

 

[Discount Tire]

Congratulations on your awesome new car.

 

[CanadiaegeanBlue]

I've always modded my cars because, simply put, I don't want my car to be exactly like the other cookie cutter cars out there. But, I mod conservatively. Nothing over the top look-wise or performance-wise.

The Si is a terrific car out of the box, without question. It's handling is top notch and it's power is above average. IMO, there are two basic mods to consider (beyond cosmetic stuff) and each of these mods offer the best bang for your buck (and biggest improvement).

1. Grippier, high quality tires. Everyone knows the Si has a fantastic chassis and handling setup that's let down a touch by average tires.

2. A tune. If you feel the need for more power, this is really all you need. And remember, you don't need to tune only for ultimate power. You could tune simply to remove the rev hang, try the no-lift shift and improve the traction control setup, for example. There is the warranty concern of course but the tuning reliability survey has pretty much shown that tuning (with a base setup) is relatively safe.

Other excellent "secondary" mods to consider are a beefier rsb for reducing body roll, some of the Acuity shifter mods and for a nice cosmetic touch, Unity side markers (shameless plug for @CanadiaegeanBlue).

Just my take anyway. Enjoy your new Si.

Just seeing this, thank you for the plug

Agree with everything you said as well. Si is a great package out of the box, and I personally feel that half of the Si owners who upgrade to a CTR would've reconsidered if they felt the car with some proper tires. The CTR is a great buy nonetheless with so much more to it than just tires so whichever way one chooses to go they can't lose.

 

[Gotch]

Welcome to the club! As others mentioned, just enjoy the car for now. Follow break in procedures, leave the factory oil fill in until the MM tells you to change. After all of that completed, either keep enjoying your ride or if you are looking for a bit extra, KTuner and TSP Stage 1. There are lots of threads for information. I’m 50k (kms) tuned, 74k kms total. Zero issues...including clutch. Enjoy your new car!

 

[OEDRO]

Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your new car.

 

[Ron R]

Congratulations on the new Si. I am a fan of VW's especially the new GLI. But for long term cost and maintenance, it's hard to pass up the Si. Enjoy your new toy

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