What did you cross-shop and are you happy that you went with the Si?

CanadiaegeanBlue

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2017-18 pre-refresh Hyundai Elantra Sport I was pretty set on but the Si got released late June 2017 just as I was about to pull the trigger. The seats, LSD, and better interior layout won me over :)
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Cornercarver

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I traded out of an M235i to lower my monthly payment and to get a lease that I can hand back at end of term as I will be moving internationally.

I cross shopped to an Accord 2.0T 6MT but the one they had on the lot had 70 miles on it, and I got the distinct impression that they had used it as the dealer thrasher for those miles. It desperately needed an LSD and the gearshift was sloppy. Not what I was expecting.

Mazda 3 Hatch 6MT. I actually chose this as my preferred option as I prefer the looks inside and out. The interior is so far ahead of the Civic (or Accord) it is ridiculous. It felt like a side step in interior from the BMW, not a down grade. I had agreed to a deal but after six weeks the dealer failed to find me one, a second Mazda dealer then found me one but as I made plans to go up and agree, cut $4k out of my trade so I walked away.

The Si felt much tighter and sharper than the Accord, despite definitely being slower. It is a great car and excellent value, but it doesn't feel special to me. The driveline of the M235i just felt special and wonderful. I miss it every single day emotionally, though my brain knows that it was the right choice.

If I could justify it, changing out the stock tyres to full summers on the Si would make a huge difference, but it's just not worth it at this stage. I have to see how the Goodyears wear to see if i can stretch them for the duration of the lease.
FYI, it is worth trading up to a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. I noticed a huge difference from the factory Goodyear all seasons. As in ride and grip. The bad news? You will probably get three years out of the Goodyears, so much for the excuse to swap. I spent about $ 1,000 US.
A note on missing your rwd BMW:
As you are no doubt aware, fwd cars require very different technique to extract their best performance. Don't write off your SI as a no fun compromise until you have explored that fully. I eventually was able to get mine to rotate nicely, if not quite drift in the classic sense, and carry a ton of speed in, through, and out of turns with minimal understeer, once I fine tuned my timing and trail brake pressure. The apex wasn't the issue so much as actually overcompensating for the anticipated understeer. With the Scandinavian Flick technique, or enough entry speed, abd accurate traiil braking, you can easily get the rear to come around.
A top school for rally drivers starts their students on fwd before going to awd. And rally cars at one time were all fwd before cars like the Audi Quattro changed the rally scene. Notice what drive type I didn't mention being used for these most demanding of racing courses? RWD.
I still run out of skill well before my Civic runs out of driving potential. What more can you ask?
Enjoy your SI. I put 52,000 fun miles on mine before answering the siren call of the Type R. You have chosen wisely.
 

reesee175

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I can tell you I love my 2020 si snd no I didn't want anything else. I trader in my 2017 hatchback sport and got a great deal with $1k off the car and good amount for my trade in. I owned a FBO srt4 before and I don't need anything that fast right now. I got into too much trouble.
 

Cornercarver

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Actually, even the not-so-humble SI can easily accelerate to ticketable speeds. Say 73 in a 50 for example. I know an SI owner who actually got that exact ticket. Twice. Suffice it to say that cruise control is your best shot to avoid an unscheduled stop.
 

aaaaah

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FYI, it is worth trading up to a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. I noticed a huge difference from the factory Goodyear all seasons. As in ride and grip. The bad news? You will probably get three years out of the Goodyears, so much for the excuse to swap. I spent about $ 1,000 US.
A note on missing your rwd BMW:
As you are no doubt aware, fwd cars require very different technique to extract their best performance. Don't write off your SI as a no fun compromise until you have explored that fully. I eventually was able to get mine to rotate nicely, if not quite drift in the classic sense, and carry a ton of speed in, through, and out of turns with minimal understeer, once I fine tuned my timing and trail brake pressure. The apex wasn't the issue so much as actually overcompensating for the anticipated understeer. With the Scandinavian Flick technique, or enough entry speed, abd accurate traiil braking, you can easily get the rear to come around.
A top school for rally drivers starts their students on fwd before going to awd. And rally cars at one time were all fwd before cars like the Audi Quattro changed the rally scene. Notice what drive type I didn't mention being used for these most demanding of racing courses? RWD.
I still run out of skill well before my Civic runs out of driving potential. What more can you ask?
Enjoy your SI. I put 52,000 fun miles on mine before answering the siren call of the Type R. You have chosen wisely.
Years ago I owned a MKV GTI and did multiple track days with it so I know that FWD cars can still be a lot of fun. The Si easily out handles the M235i due to having half the engine up front and weighing 600lb less, it just doesn't tick the emotional buttons like the BMW did. I'll still keep it until the end of the lease unless I win the lottery or a raffle.

I can get a full set of Falken FK510 or 615RK+ if I wanted to for ~$250 through work and it would definitely make the Si a lot more fun, but one of the main purposes was to save money relative to keeping the BMW so new tyres don't make a lot of sense. The Goodyears should definitely last the duration as I have a set of winters that I just need wheels for which will also extend their life.
 


VarmintCong

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Years ago I owned a MKV GTI and did multiple track days with it so I know that FWD cars can still be a lot of fun. The Si easily out handles the M235i due to having half the engine up front and weighing 600lb less, it just doesn't tick the emotional buttons like the BMW did. I'll still keep it until the end of the lease unless I win the lottery or a raffle.

I can get a full set of Falken FK510 or 615RK+ if I wanted to for ~$250 through work and it would definitely make the Si a lot more fun, but one of the main purposes was to save money relative to keeping the BMW so new tyres don't make a lot of sense. The Goodyears should definitely last the duration as I have a set of winters that I just need wheels for which will also extend their life.
It's hard to replace a $45k car with a $24k car. I drove my 330i ZHP for 10 years, the feel and sound of driving that car were special. I love my Sport just as much but for different reasons, it's like such a great car for the money, fun, practical, crazy gas mileage.
 

Cornercarver

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It's hard to replace a $45k car with a $24k car. I drove my 330i ZHP for 10 years, the feel and sound of driving that car were special. I love my Sport just as much but for different reasons, it's like such a great car for the money, fun, practical, crazy gas mileage.
Having owned one, and driven a number of other BMW's, they clearly have a special feel to them. The engine, the suspension balance, etc. are unique.
That said. taken on its own merits, the SI does not feel compromised. And the Type R even less so. They are not just great cars for the money. They are great cars, period.
 

arpypat

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A buddy of mine has an A6, 3.0 supercharged, with upgraded pulleys and a tune. He's pushing close to 450whp in that thing. I let him drive my Si and he had just as much fun with it as he did in his Audi. He's even considering buying one for a daily now, since his wife took the A6 ?

It's not always about power! The Si has a lot of character and is one of the best brand new cars you can get for under $25k.
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