Civic Si... Rev hang? Is it that big of a deal?

The rev hang thing is annoying for me, but the rev hang in the Si is only about 80% as bad as my last car was, an '09 Mazda 6. Which was the first car I've ever owned that had "rev hang".

If you've never learned how to drive a manual, then yes the rev hang will help you and the engine from the common mistakes newbies make as they learn.

Even though I've never owned a car that didn't have a clutch (though I've owned several trucks that were automatic). At this point in history I wouldn't bother learning how to drive a "stick". Unless that is a personal goal for you.

Buying a CVT and putting on Si sway bars and a tune will get you all of the experience your looking for. As far as the adaptive suspension goes, I have to A/B compare the two setting on the same piece of road just to be able to discern a negligible amount of difference.

I find the stiffer steering annoying, and the throttle map can be added with a tune. The reason I use "Sport" mode is for the throttle map and the reduced "Stabilty" interference.

I love my Si and it corners just as good, if not better, than my '85 corvette. Si sway bars will get you 80% of the handling, but not all of it.

The clutch is really, really light in the Si. So much so that when I did my first test drive, I thought it was broke. Yet some people have complained about having to clutch incessantly in bumper to bumper traffic. Which you do.

So the "R" is twice the car performance wise, that you will have to pump a heavier clutch incessantly in bumper to bumper traffic.

As I approach my 70's, I can assure you that my next car will be my first "automatic" transmission car. Mostly because of "rev hang", but also because there is no longer any tactical advantage to a clutch.

As has been stated in this forum, a stock CVT is just about as quick 0-60 as a stock Si because of the extra time shifting takes.

So take your time and consider carefully.

Well, there's rev hang for the software induced slow throttle close for emissions and just having a heavy flywheel. I think the heavy flywheel kind of stinks... but eliminating rev hand helped a little, but the slow rev drop persists. It's all about what you've driven before. The only time it irks me a little is when I gun it in 2nd... get up to speed on a 45 mph road (most of the roads around town are 35 or 45 mph zones), then have to 2-3 seconds to shift over into 6th, because it takes for-eh-ver (2-3 seconds) for the revs to fall. It doesn't ruin the drive for me in any way and it's just a characteristic the car has I'd prefer it didn't.

All that being said, if (when) I replace my clutch, I would absolutely going to go with a lighter flywheel. There's no reason, to me, not to change the car's characteristic to sometime I'd prefer once the time and money is spent to dig that deep.

If whatever you get will be your first manual car and you have no basis for comparison, OP... then I'd say it's completely a non-issue.

The rev hang isn't an issue at all for me and I've been driving Honda's for over 30 years. If you're still young I'd say go with a stick shift and learn to live a little There's nothing like having control of a great performing car via a stick shift!

Thought I would hate the rev hang, in reality it's not that bad. You will get used to it, but I know there are some people on here that can't deal with it.

I went from a car with a decent manual transmission with no rev hang, to the Si's better transmission with rev hang - I would choose the Si driving experience any day.

So is the revs slow to drop during the 1-2 shift rev hang or is rev hang just part of that? My Si is my first MT and I love it so far and am really enjoying driving stick, I just struggle w/ the 1-2 shift sometimes. I'll typically shift around 3K RPM and I feel like I need to wait forever for the RPMs to drop otherwise it's quite jerky. Am I just doing something wrong or need to adjust my technique?

CTRx said:

how bad the Si's rev hang actually is

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I wouldn't even know what it was if I hadn't read about it on the internet. Don't let the tuners scare you. The car is a thrill in stock form.

Car and Driver persuaded me, and after six months of ownership, I can say they speak the truth:

"...the Si enthralls enthusiasts with its ethereal chassis, manual-only transmission, and 205-hp turbo four-cylinder. Its acceleration isn't as spellbinding as its ride and handling, but the bang for your buck is nearly unbeatable."
Highs: Brilliant ride and handling, practical interior, vehicular excellence for entry-level prices.
Lows: Awkward clutch action, boy-racer styling, requires premium fuel.
Verdict: A nearly unbeatable performance value.

charleswrivers said:

If whatever you get will be your first manual car and you have no basis for comparison, OP... then I'd say it's completely a non-issue.

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Exactly

I am curious if the owners who have removed the clutch delay valve still have rev hang concerns. My thought is that both rev hang and longer clutch engagement times prevent crisp shifts. My '82 VW Scirocco had both clutch and throttle directly controlled through cables. Shifts were literally flicks of the feet. Revs dropped and the clutch engaged. Bang-bang.

The SI requires deliberate movements. It would be interesting if a sharper clutch engagement without the delay valve would reduce the rev hang complaints. Granted, it would be using the clutch to bring the engine RPM to the gearbox but you have a better connection between the clutch pedal and the clutch.

Clutch wear shouldn't be excessive. The rotating mass of the engine is significantly less than the car's speed that determines the gearbox RPM so the engine would be "matched" to the gearbox.

I'm probably in the minority here but I actually prefer rev hang, makes shifting a bit more smooth (jerkiness).

I've owned 3 manual transmission cars/trucks prior to my civic, so this is my first experience.

fenix-silver said:

So is the revs slow to drop during the 1-2 shift rev hang or is rev hang just part of that? My Si is my first MT and I love it so far and am really enjoying driving stick, I just struggle w/ the 1-2 shift sometimes. I'll typically shift around 3K RPM and I feel like I need to wait forever for the RPMs to drop otherwise it's quite jerky. Am I just doing something wrong or need to adjust my technique?

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I'm not sure you're doing anything wrong..I don't think I get I rev up that high when I shift 1-2, prob around 2500 vs. 3000..I've learned not to start out fast, I shift quick to 2nd and let the car pick up some speed then the car will do everything you want.

If you have never driven a manual before and you are mainly sitting in traffic during your daily commute, I highly recommend thinking about getting a HB Sport Touring. If you are the type to get frustrated easily, then you may regret getting the manual because it will take sometime for you to feel comfortable with the car and for it to become second nature.

With all that being said, the Si would be a good choice for learning manual.

I got my Si in October, it is my first manual, and aside from my boyfriend showing me the basics in his 9th gen twice - I had zero experience with a clutch. It was a bucket list thing to learn/own a 6 speed, so I went for it.
I feel the rev hang helped me out since I’m a newbie. I was told this car was the easiest to learn manual on, and I believe it.
Sitting in traffic is a pain in the butt. Thankfully I don’t have to do that a ton, so I’m no help there.
Good luck!

ebhaynz said:

I'm not sure you're doing anything wrong..I don't think I get I rev up that high when I shift 1-2, prob around 2500 vs. 3000..I've learned not to start out fast, I shift quick to 2nd and let the car pick up some speed then the car will do everything you want.

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fenix-silver said:

So is the revs slow to drop during the 1-2 shift rev hang or is rev hang just part of that? My Si is my first MT and I love it so far and am really enjoying driving stick, I just struggle w/ the 1-2 shift sometimes. I'll typically shift around 3K RPM and I feel like I need to wait forever for the RPMs to drop otherwise it's quite jerky. Am I just doing something wrong or need to adjust my technique?

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Maybe I'm doing this wrong....You're shifting before 3K? That's just getting to normal operating range for me.
I run at 3.5 to 4.5ish in traffic and only keep the low RPMS for highway. Shift range for me is between 5K to 6K.
Not sure how this impacts rev hang "feel" but it feels good to drive it like a sports car. I don't see any reason to baby this car or have a boring drive at low revs. I will shift at 2.5K RPM in school zones or if I have a "friend" behind me... "Good Evening, Officer!

What I found that helps is when you shift, listen to the engine - there’s a point where you’ll know it’s time to let out the clutch just by how the engine sounds. It also helps to watch the tach while you’re learning so you can see the revs drop visually. Sync the revs falling with the engine sound and it starts to become a pattern you recognize.

Verdingo said:

Maybe I'm doing this wrong....You're shifting before 3K? That's just getting to normal operating range for me.
I run at 3.5 to 4.5ish in traffic and only keep the low RPMS for highway. Shift range for me is between 5K to 6K.
Not sure how this impacts rev hang "feel" but it feels good to drive it like a sports car. I don't see any reason to baby this car or have a boring drive at low revs. I will shift at 2.5K RPM in school zones or if I have a "friend" behind me... "Good Evening, Officer!

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+1
Around town, when accelerating, I usually shift around 4-5K RPM until I get up to speed and then it's 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear depending on speed limit. I cruise around at 2500RPM... On the highway, I'm in 6th unless I'm preparing to pass, then it's 4th.

Verdingo said:

I
I will say that there are lots of better cars out there to learn to drive a stick. My son has an automatic Civic and wanted to learn a manual and I was shamed in teaching him on my Si by my wife. He did well, but with the turbo and the very early clutch engagement this car is was more difficult than others to learn on.

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Oh there's nothing that makes an Si or any other 10th gen civic harder than any other car to learn how to drive stick on. It's a ridiculously easy car to drive. The clutch releases at the end of the pedal engagement (at the top). You barely need to hit the clutch to shift.