ECCST
Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2020
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 34
- Location
- Florida
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 Civic Sport Touring Hatch
- Thread starter
- #1
My first post - new member.
Up until last week, I had a 2016 CRV Touring. I do a lot of highway driving and had racked up over 140,000 miles on it. Solid car, no problems, maintenance done by the book. Prior to this I had a '13 Golf R with 6MT, so I was missing that car, although I traded it off at 40,000 miles fearing future maintenance. I was looking for something of a "touring car" (a good highway cruiser) with the manual being the must-have, considering the CRV driving experience to be boring.
2 weeks before COVID, I checked out the Accord 2.0T 6mt and an Si Coupe to see which one fit my need for a highway cruiser with manual. The Accord was very impressive and I eliminated the Si because it felt too stiff for me - great car, but felt track car-like as compared to the Accord even though the Accord could put the power down mightily. At the time, I didn't feel the purchase was right, so I passed. 2 weeks later COVID happens and then I find out no more manual Accords.
I spend the next few months hearing about which cars are losing manuals (including 2021 Civic Sedans),so I figure if I'm not going Si, then now must be the time to get what may be the final manual Hondas (except again, 2022 Si or CTR). Tried out the ST Hatch and liked it. Far from the increased power, adjustable dampers, suspension setup of the Si, but I figured that actually is what I wanted. Feels like this may be the last manual Honda I may be able to buy if I keep it for at least 5 years.
My deciding factors over Si:
1. Gas mileage
2. Softer setup/ride - I'm getting older. I figured maybe the touring has some degree of improved insulation to reduce NVH, but maybe it's just in my mind.
3. Perceived additional maintenance costs (adjustable dampers have to cost more).
4. The standard 1.5L engine in the majority of the rest of the Civic line - hopefully since it's 5 years past 2016, the engine has been refined /bugs worked out in this final year of 10G.
5. Additional luxury features of the Touring - yes, it's debatable about whether they are worth the cost over the regular Sport, but I'm going to flatten the depreciation curve by keeping it for at least 5 years. I also must have satellite radio, so Touring was necessary (yes, you could stream XM through phone, but I wanted built-in).
6. Hatch body style. There probably will be a 2022 Si Hatch, but I don't do first year models, so if I wanted this, I would wait for '23 or '24 and I didn't want to wait. Plus, the hatch has lessened the impact of the hauling ability I had with CRV.
7. Happier with less HP - meaning, 180HP is an average HP output in today's cars (maybe slightly above average) and just driving normal with a 6speed puts the excitement back into driving again for me. Not overpowered, not underpowered for what the Civic is. Sometimes, I feel it's better to drive a "slower" car fast than have a car (like the Golf R) which made me an aggressive driver just by driving it.
These above points are probably the exact same considerations that most people have who mad the same decision that I did.
I for a very brief moment thought to wait for MK8 GTI, maybe WRX, whatever Kia has or had in 6mt, but then I remembered I am a Honda guy.
Nothing wrong with Si in my book, just personal preference. No matter the choice in Civic, I now have a fun car to drive that should be reliable for my next 5 years of car.
Up until last week, I had a 2016 CRV Touring. I do a lot of highway driving and had racked up over 140,000 miles on it. Solid car, no problems, maintenance done by the book. Prior to this I had a '13 Golf R with 6MT, so I was missing that car, although I traded it off at 40,000 miles fearing future maintenance. I was looking for something of a "touring car" (a good highway cruiser) with the manual being the must-have, considering the CRV driving experience to be boring.
2 weeks before COVID, I checked out the Accord 2.0T 6mt and an Si Coupe to see which one fit my need for a highway cruiser with manual. The Accord was very impressive and I eliminated the Si because it felt too stiff for me - great car, but felt track car-like as compared to the Accord even though the Accord could put the power down mightily. At the time, I didn't feel the purchase was right, so I passed. 2 weeks later COVID happens and then I find out no more manual Accords.
I spend the next few months hearing about which cars are losing manuals (including 2021 Civic Sedans),so I figure if I'm not going Si, then now must be the time to get what may be the final manual Hondas (except again, 2022 Si or CTR). Tried out the ST Hatch and liked it. Far from the increased power, adjustable dampers, suspension setup of the Si, but I figured that actually is what I wanted. Feels like this may be the last manual Honda I may be able to buy if I keep it for at least 5 years.
My deciding factors over Si:
1. Gas mileage
2. Softer setup/ride - I'm getting older. I figured maybe the touring has some degree of improved insulation to reduce NVH, but maybe it's just in my mind.
3. Perceived additional maintenance costs (adjustable dampers have to cost more).
4. The standard 1.5L engine in the majority of the rest of the Civic line - hopefully since it's 5 years past 2016, the engine has been refined /bugs worked out in this final year of 10G.
5. Additional luxury features of the Touring - yes, it's debatable about whether they are worth the cost over the regular Sport, but I'm going to flatten the depreciation curve by keeping it for at least 5 years. I also must have satellite radio, so Touring was necessary (yes, you could stream XM through phone, but I wanted built-in).
6. Hatch body style. There probably will be a 2022 Si Hatch, but I don't do first year models, so if I wanted this, I would wait for '23 or '24 and I didn't want to wait. Plus, the hatch has lessened the impact of the hauling ability I had with CRV.
7. Happier with less HP - meaning, 180HP is an average HP output in today's cars (maybe slightly above average) and just driving normal with a 6speed puts the excitement back into driving again for me. Not overpowered, not underpowered for what the Civic is. Sometimes, I feel it's better to drive a "slower" car fast than have a car (like the Golf R) which made me an aggressive driver just by driving it.
These above points are probably the exact same considerations that most people have who mad the same decision that I did.
I for a very brief moment thought to wait for MK8 GTI, maybe WRX, whatever Kia has or had in 6mt, but then I remembered I am a Honda guy.
Nothing wrong with Si in my book, just personal preference. No matter the choice in Civic, I now have a fun car to drive that should be reliable for my next 5 years of car.
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