How are highway drives with the Si?

[ablueSI]

The car is pretty good on the highway. It's obviously not a luxury cruiser, but is surprisingly comfortable (particularly in "normal" suspension mode) - from a ride quality standpoint, and the road noise isn't that bad. My previous car was a 2nd-gen Mazda3 2.5 -- the civic is WORLDS quieter. I've also driven the 3rd-gen Mazda3 extensively, the Civic feels more solid and is a bit quieter on the road.

I sometimes feel the steering is a tad darty on the highway. It doesn't track like some of the german cars I've driven, but is still precise. The darty feeling is a trade-off for how quick and responsive the steering is on the street.

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[grumpyguy6]

I put about 80 miles a day on mine, almost all of which are highway. It is a joy to drive! Quiet, fast, can cut in and out of traffic perfectly, and gets outstanding gas mileage.

 

[blinkz0rz]

I've been having a bit of a change in my driving style and what I value most now is (1) manual trans (2) highway ride and (3) engaging/mechanical feel, in that order.

My 3rd gen mazda 3 was alright and I trusted the online reviews. I have never been more dissatisfied with a car. Ended up trading it in last month. Debating between a GTI (quieter, feels more stable on highway) and a Civic Si (probably not as quiet. Dealers won't let me take it on the highway).

Is the Si a 'relaxing' car to drive on the highway? What I mean is, does it track pretty straight (i.e. does the nose feel darty and need your attention to keep it straight) and how is the highway noise? Ride might be stiffer than your regular Civic but I'm willing to live with that. Road noise and a darty nose is what really rubs me the wrong way when I'm on the highway (90% of my driving)

A wandering car typically means your alignment is off. This is fixed with the suspension tuning: tie rods and ball joints.

Highway noise is average. This isn't a high class luxury car so the road noise it exhibits is normal. To me I believe the ride is quiet enough for daily commuting, aside from having the PRL Cobra intake sound on higher acceleration.

As for comfort, it is a Si so it will be a little bit harder with bumps compared to an EX model. But, again, this is preferences so to me it is negligible and it is exactly how I wanted the ride to feel.

I drive 80 miles a day for work, all country highways at 60mph with 3 stoplights total. I average 40mpg now (cold weather, was getting 42mpg in summer).

 

[SI_honda_2k17]

Highway noise and comfort are really better than the 9th gen SI. Combined with great fuel economy and good torque, it makes a good highway cruiser.
VS the competition, it’s better than the WRX but still behind the GTI on comfort standpoint

 

[MuffinMcFluffin]

It's great on the highway, but I still don't know what people mean by avoiding accelerating in 5th and 6th gear. I know not to go WOT, but can I be entering boost, even at 3k+ RPM? Sometimes I am downshifting to 4th gear to begin over 4k RPM for acceleration, just so I can end up at about 5500 RPM so I can upshift to 5th then 6th again.

If I know that I should be okay in using some boost in the overdrive gears, that'll be a little easier for me.

 

[givemeadollar]

Go to your local honda dealer and test drive one. No one but you really knows whether or not you will like it.

 

[ablueSI]

It's great on the highway, but I still don't know what people mean by avoiding accelerating in 5th and 6th gear. I know not to go WOT, but can I be entering boost, even at 3k+ RPM? Sometimes I am downshifting to 4th gear to begin over 4k RPM for acceleration, just so I can end up at about 5500 RPM so I can upshift to 5th then 6th again.

If I know that I should be okay in using some boost in the overdrive gears, that'll be a little easier for me.

I'm no expert, but I've read those threads quite a bit and here's my take (and a few other folks') - drive how you normally would, try to downshift to 5th or 4th if you can, but don't worry about it otherwise. If entering boost in 5th or 6th gear was truly a major issue, the cars would not be on the road.

I am careful with my car but honestly - if you overthink it - you may end up being more worried about being in the right gear than avoiding an accident or passing safely.

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