Is it worth modding a 2019 Civic Hatchback LX?

[Nickthegatorfin]

Hey guys, I’m new here, and I’ve really enjoyed diving deep into these forums and reading everything I can. One thing, though, is now I’m slowly getting into the idea of modding my car. I originally wanted to just get some new speakers and a sub (the 2019 hatch LX sound system is VERY lacking IMO and is my only gripe with the car), but lately I’ve been OBSESSED with the idea of getting everything I can out of my car, it’s just been out of the question financially until very recently.

my question is, is it worth modding it in anyway? I hope to tune it when I have enough money, but other than tuning, what else is there that I can do? Almost 99% of the threads I see on here or reddit are based around the SI (a car I really, really regret not getting but maybe in the future!). Right now I’m looking at a PRL Cobra intake, new sound system, and possibly a new head unit. Is there anything else that would be a good addition?

I apologize for the wall of text, I’m new to all of this and I’m very excited, but I don’t know a whole lot just yet, and I don’t know what would or wouldn’t be wasted on an LX hatchback.

Thanks in advance!

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[Nickthegatorfin]

Also, if you happen to have modded your LX, performance or cosmetically, I’d love to see some pics/hear about it! It’s really exciting to me just brainstorming ideas for the future and having things to save up for and do. I’m all ears for any new information and ideas!

 

[Gruber]

Almost 99% of the threads I see on here or reddit are based around the SI (a car I really, really regret not getting but maybe in the future!).

I don't know about reddit, but this is definitely not true about this forum.

 

[Badigadi]

Someone may correct me if I'm wrong but the LX seems better for an aftermarket headunit because you don't have every feature integrated with the factory HU. People like me with the EX or higher including the Si and Type R are stuck with the factory HU until we can adjust TPMS, proximity key behavior, A/C, maintenance minder and other things on an aftermarket HU.

I haven't done any performance mod yet but seems like a base tune totally changes the car for the better even on CVTs so I will definitely get a ktuner as soon as I'm financially able to.

Right now I have installed an amp and replaced the front pair of speakers and I'm waiting for a friend that will build me a subwoofer box that will go in the same spot as the factory sub in the cars with premium audio.

Lots of things to do and a lot of ideas come out if you lurk enough. Welcome to the forum!

Edit: THIS is the idea I will follow, just that I will put it in the right side, not the left

 

[Nickthegatorfin]

I don't know about reddit, but this is definitely not true about this forum.

Hey! Sorry, I meant when I search “2019 Honda Civic Hatchback LX”, a lot of results I find are more geared to the SI or Hatchback Sport than the LX, but I’m also brand new to the forum so there’s a possibility I am not searching quite right lol

 

[Nickthegatorfin]

Someone may correct me if I'm wrong but the LX seems better for an aftermarket headunit because you don't have every feature integrated with the factory HU. People like me with the EX or higher including the Si and Type R are stuck with the factory HU until we can adjust TPMS, proximity key behavior, A/C, maintenance minder and other things on an aftermarket HU.

I haven't done any performance mod yet but seems like a base tune totally changes the car for the better even on CVTs so I will definitely get a ktuner as soon as I'm financially able to.

Right now I have installed an amp and replaced the front pair of speakers and I'm waiting for a friend that will build me a subwoofer box that will go in the same spot as the factory sub in the cars with premium audio.

Lots of things to do and a lot of ideas come out if you lurk enough. Welcome to the forum!

Edit: THIS is the idea I will follow, just that I will put it in the right side, not the left

How are you liking your new front speakers?? I’m hoping there’s a huge boost to quality that you can tell, I’m excited to swap out mine. From the get go, that was my main gripe with the car. As soon as I drove it, I fell in love with it, but when I turned some music on, I knew I wanted to replace the speakers lol.

 

[Robot3RK]

I have a 2019 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport (non-touring) and mainly did cosmetics and electronic mods. I haven't considered doing tunes because I got the car with extended warranty and fear flashing the ECU for tuning will get caught and warranty void. I wanted to get an intake but am sticking with stock due to lack of CARB Legal Intakes. Since you have a 2019 LX Hatchback, you can get those large android head units to replace the tiny screen stock headunit because 2019 LX and Non-Touring Sport trims have analog rather than digital amp which gives compatibility with using aftermarket android head units. I agree with you that the stock audio sucks. I have replaced my stock door speakers with aftermarket speakers and also added 4 aftermarket tweeters. I have customized the EQ to my liking and am just using the stock system amp. I added some vinyl stripes on the side of my car and did some pinstriping on my car's exterior as well as interior trims. I used yellow lamin-x fog light covers (you might not be able to do this as I believe LX trim doesn't have fog lights) and replaced the whimpy meepy stock horn with an aftermarket horn. I also got a small compact but smart dash cam to monitor my drive and park. I took out the center wheel caps and wrapped them with red vinyl. I replaced front, steering wheel, and rear emblem with red Type-R emblems. I mounted a Type-R wing and added an LED spoiler as well to make it look like the taillights are almost connected, it is used as brake lights. I also got sequential rear led light that replaced the rear red reflectors. I replaced the orange signal light housing with the black smoked one. I swapped the rear diffuser with the 2020 one (there are LX owners doing this and mounting a center dual exhaust for it). Interiors have red plastic trims added. Red seat covers, red steering wheel cover. Added a carbon fiber door guard to protect the door sill from being scratched by sliding shoes. Added OEM splash guards rather than using Rally Armor mudflaps. I also added rain guards on my windows the Mugen style looking ones.

 

[Badigadi]

How are you liking your new front speakers?? I’m hoping there’s a huge boost to quality that you can tell, I’m excited to swap out mine. From the get go, that was my main gripe with the car. As soon as I drove it, I fell in love with it, but when I turned some music on, I knew I wanted to replace the speakers lol.

So I have the touchscreen, you can install an equalizer app called Viper4android and that improved the quality quite a bit (adding that you can tune the sound to your own preferences) but I got to the limit of the speakers so I changed them for components so that I could change both main speaker and tweeter at the same time for each door, now they sound much more precise and clean.

I would say that the main issue is not exactly the speakers (although they are still bad) but the signal we get from the HU that has a very weird equalization. I would recommend you a headunit that allows you to change EQ settings unless you plan to get a standalone EQ device along your new amp

 

[Nickthegatorfin]

So I have the touchscreen, you can install an equalizer app called Viper4android and that improved the quality quite a bit (adding that you can tune the sound to your own preferences) but I got to the limit of the speakers so I changed them for components so that I could change both main speaker and tweeter at the same time for each door, now they sound much more precise and clean.

I would say that the main issue is not exactly the speakers (although they are still bad) but the signal we get from the HU that has a very weird equalization. I would recommend you a headunit that allows you to change EQ settings unless you plan to get a standalone EQ device along your new amp

Yeah that's convinced me to give a new head-unit alone a try and see if maybe being able to EQ it a bit better is what it's missing. Did you have yours installed or did you do it yourself? Since this will be my first more in-depth install, I'm trying to judge whether I can do it myself or if I should have someone else do it first. Even beyond being able to EQ the speakers, it'll be nice to just switch out the head-unit lol.

 

[Nickthegatorfin]

I have a 2019 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport (non-touring) and mainly did cosmetics and electronic mods. I haven't considered doing tunes because I got the car with extended warranty and fear flashing the ECU for tuning will get caught and warranty void. I wanted to get an intake but am sticking with stock due to lack of CARB Legal Intakes. Since you have a 2019 LX Hatchback, you can get those large android head units to replace the tiny screen stock headunit because 2019 LX and Non-Touring Sport trims have analog rather than digital amp which gives compatibility with using aftermarket android head units. I agree with you that the stock audio sucks. I have replaced my stock door speakers with aftermarket speakers and also added 4 aftermarket tweeters. I have customized the EQ to my liking and am just using the stock system amp. I added some vinyl stripes on the side of my car and did some pinstriping on my car's exterior as well as interior trims. I used yellow lamin-x fog light covers (you might not be able to do this as I believe LX trim doesn't have fog lights) and replaced the whimpy meepy stock horn with an aftermarket horn. I also got a small compact but smart dash cam to monitor my drive and park. I took out the center wheel caps and wrapped them with red vinyl. I replaced front, steering wheel, and rear emblem with red Type-R emblems. I mounted a Type-R wing and added an LED spoiler as well to make it look like the taillights are almost connected, it is used as brake lights. I also got sequential rear led light that replaced the rear red reflectors. I replaced the orange signal light housing with the black smoked one. I swapped the rear diffuser with the 2020 one (there are LX owners doing this and mounting a center dual exhaust for it). Interiors have red plastic trims added. Red seat covers, red steering wheel cover. Added a carbon fiber door guard to protect the door sill from being scratched by sliding shoes. Added OEM splash guards rather than using Rally Armor mudflaps. I also added rain guards on my windows the Mugen style looking ones.

I'm wondering if I'd be able to add tweeters even though the paneling on mine is closed off (like finding sport paneling and replacing mine with those) because that would be a nice addition. Replacing the horn never even crossed my mind, but that sounds so nice lol, the stock civic horn is a bit.. whimpy, I agree lol. Those Type-R emblems look so nice, I don't blame you! Those mods sound great! Sounds like a lot of good work.

 

[Badigadi]

The place I bought the amp and speakers from offers free install on every purchase so I had them

Yeah that's convinced me to give a new head-unit alone a try and see if maybe being able to EQ it a bit better is what it's missing. Did you have yours installed or did you do it yourself? Since this will be my first more in-depth install, I'm trying to judge whether I can do it myself or if I should have someone else do it first. Even beyond being able to EQ the speakers, it'll be nice to just switch out the head-unit lol.

The place I bought the amp and speakers from offers free install on every purchase so I had them install them and wire them to the factory touch screen HU.

Since my car was repaired it didn't have a horn so I put a double tone horn and it sounds much better than factory one.

LED light bulbs are nice too

 

[Robot3RK]

I'm wondering if I'd be able to add tweeters even though the paneling on mine is closed off (like finding sport paneling and replacing mine with those) because that would be a nice addition. Replacing the horn never even crossed my mind, but that sounds so nice lol, the stock civic horn is a bit.. whimpy, I agree lol. Those Type-R emblems look so nice, I don't blame you! Those mods sound great! Sounds like a lot of good work.

Horn Upgrade Kit
Front Door Speaker and Tweeter Install
Rear Door Speaker and Tweeter Install
Android Head Unit

 

[OilChange123]

In terms of performance gains, the Ktuner totally wakes the car up and I have a CVT so that says something. If I were you, Ktuner would be the first mod I do hands down. Without it the car just feels bogged down with the factory tune. I hear the RV6 downpipe also wakes the engine up a lot paired with a Ktuner. Ktuner and downpipe would is what I'd suggest for your first mods.

 

[Robot3RK]

In terms of performance gains, the Ktuner totally wakes the car up and I have a CVT so that says something. If I were you, Ktuner would be the first mod I do hands down. Without it the car just feels bogged down with the factory tune. I hear the RV6 downpipe also wakes the engine up a lot paired with a Ktuner. Ktuner and downpipe would is what I'd suggest for your first mods.

I agree with the Ktuner upgrade. I wanted to do that one myself but I fear it will void warranty if they find out the ECU has been flashed.

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