took the plunge

quakaroaks

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It was originally at another dealership in NJ. Frankly, under a hundred miles I didn't even give it a thought. Too late now -- I love the car and it's paid for. Thanks for demonstrating your superior savvy.
I wouldn't sweat it, enjoy your Si
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bugboy32337

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Happy to share my thinking. I ruled out the GLI because of reliability concerns. That's actually what prompted me to pull the trigger sooner rather than later, there were a few things starting to go on with my current Jetta I didn't like, and I was concerned that if I waited any longer I would be dumping money into a car that I was already planning to sell. I test drove the Kia Forte DCT and wasn't impressed. And the Forte GT with manual didn't have some of the equipment I deem essential, especially heated seats (I'm 51 and set in my ways!).

A couple things over the summer caused me to confirm the Civic Si was the car I wanted. First, I Turo'd a CivicX (non-Si) over the summer, to see for myself if I could work with / tolerate the infotainment. I realized I could, especially with the new and (IMO) vastly improved Android Auto as an option. Second, on several long highway drives in my gf's car and a few rentals, I discovered the value of adaptive cruise. I fully intend to keep this car for at least about 5-7 years or more, and I decided I didn't want my daily (only) driver to lack that tech.

So at the end of the day, I always had eyes for CivicX (see what I've owned in the past), and by 2020 some of the weaknesses were mitigated, and a benefit (to me) was added, in having adaptive cruise. I know many others on the board would disagree with that assessment. I don't care about the other Sensing stuff much, and I've already turned off Lanewatch, because I hate how it takes over the screen. Absolutely another factor is the potential added fun of a TSP Stage 1 tune down the line, although I have no intention of even considering that for several thousand miles. I'm just so super-pumped to be driving a fun stick car again. The test drive yesterday, and the driving I've done since, has reminded me how much I missed that. As I mentioned earlier, I can't wait to have the car broken in and put it through its paces on some of the backroads around here.

I wound up buying from Madison Honda. I got a good but not great price from them -- a shade over a thousand under sticker. The key is they made it quick and painless. I already had a Carvana offer for my VW, and a check-ready auto loan from PNC (which I highly recommend doing). By Friday night I was already in touch via email with several dealers, and as a flier I requested a quote using Cars Direct, which is what directed me to Madison. I was called by their internet guy that morning, was in the dealership by 12:30, and driving home by 3:40. They honored the quote given online, had zero dealer-installed add-ons (a must for me), and clinched the deal by offering a trade in value on my VW that was within shouting range of Carvana, which I had not expected. I know if I went in fully loaded for bear, and willing to drive around several dealerships, I could have squeezed out a better deal. But I was ready to buy, and was willing to sacrifice a couple bucks for a relatively quick, hassle-free experience. They gave that to me. I would also definitely recommend Clinton Honda. They are the Costco dealer, and I would have used them in a heartbeat if they had the Si in stock. They are universally well-reviewed online as well. If you are in my neck of the woods, Autosport in Bridgewater would be worth a look. There are a few others I can give pro or con on. I almost bought an Accord a year ago and I have gathered some info on darn near every dealership between Monmouth and Sussex counties. Yes, I'm a bit detail-oriented.

Welcome to the Civic X AARP Si owners club!
At our age, we've learned that a few extra dollars (or a few hours drive, in my case) to get what you WANT and save the hassles, is a wise investment.
My '19 Si Coupe is my first NEW car, and my wife was very supportive that I get what I wanted.
(I'm turning 51 in 4 weeks, and TOTALLY agree on the heated seats!)
 
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bugboy32337

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I don't think the 2020 is faster but another member had a really good point. It could be spot on. You can't drive around in first gear because it is too bouncy and third is too tall so by default so when tooling around town ... it's second gear. With the 2020 gear change I would guess you could more confidently sprout around town at low speed without the gearing issue I tend to feel in my 2019 ... Like the gear is a bit awkward at low speeds ... feeling a bit too tall. I was just fooling around with an old mid 80's Eagle Talon TSi. Great purchase - regardless. Are you saying you had that many miles on the car when you made the purchase? 66 miles? Or you put on 66 miles right off the bat?
I put 250 miles on my '19, when I left the dealer.
4+ hour drive home, from the dealer that had the car I wanted.
I thought it was a great way to get easy break in miles on the car ... and gave my wife time to read the manual to me, so that I could play with different features en route.
 
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Siiick

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i wouldn't buy a new car with that mileage, somebody has driven that car between dealerships, and im sure you know they didn't baby that car while doing so,

when i bought my civic i told them i wanted to see my actual car on the lot, and i want to check the odometer, before i purchase the vehicle,

if it had over 5 miles, i would decline to purchase the vehicle, mine had 3 so i accepted,

66 miles for a "new" car is rediculous......it aint new at that point
Dude it's a freaking Civic. These things will take a beating and then some. 66 miles ain't squat.

OP, I would not worry about how it was driven those first 66 miles. Not only that but you have a full factory warranty should anything go wrong.
 
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Siiick

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66 on the odometer is way out of line ... my 2019 picked up on Feb 2 had 5 miles on it manufactured in Jan 2019 .... The sticker never made it to the window and NO ONE but ME ever drove my car. 66 Miles did not concern you???
Jeez, you act like the damn thing is going to fall apart on him because it had a few more miles than yours did :lol:
 


Siiick

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sorry but when i buy a brand new car, and pay the price for a brand new car, i expect the car to be brand new,

a car somebody else has driven for 66 miles, is not a new car, its a used car,

that is why dealers give discounts on cars that were used for test drives, and such, once they have been driven on a public road, they are not new anymore

if your buying a car with 66 miles on it, you shouldn't be paying full price for it
Honda Civic 10th gen took the plunge me-says-anything-internet-ackchyually-true-8649209
 

Drake

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sorry but when i buy a brand new car, and pay the price for a brand new car, i expect the car to be brand new,

a car somebody else has driven for 66 miles, is not a new car, its a used car,

that is why dealers give discounts on cars that were used for test drives, and such, once they have been driven on a public road, they are not new anymore

if your buying a car with 66 miles on it, you shouldn't be paying full price for it
You're saying that every car that's ever been test-driven but not bought right afterwards by the same person should be considered a used car? You realize "new" only means no one else has owned it before, right? :doh:
I've never heard of any dealer offering a discount because there's 15 miles on the odometer because someone took it on a 5-mile test drive before you
 

amirza786

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Congrats on the purchase! I like these rims way better than the previous ones. BTW, don't listen to these guys. 66 miles is not an issue at all. I mean what does it matter...0 or a 100 miles on it? It's not like 66 miles is going to make it break faster. I love it how people obsess over such small things
 

amirza786

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Cornercarver

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Congrats! And you even got it in the right color. Ahem.

Have fun flogging it around corners and sweepers. 44,000 miles later, still no issues
with my 2017 SI, averaging about 34 mpg combined. Still on the original brakes. So your
future looks bright.

When you eventually replace the tires, consider upgrading to Michelin Pilot 4S.
Oh, wait you are in NJ, you actually get winter there. Never mind. Still drives
well on the stock Goodyear All Seasons. Of course you could run two sets of tires...

You may also eventually want to look into an Acuity kit to upgrade the gear shift, and also an Acuity pedal
kit to improve the spacing for heel-toe downshifts. Other than that, save your insurance, warranty,
and reliability - and leave the rest of it alone. Presuming this is your daily driver.
 
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mjh

mjh

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Dude it's a freaking Civic. These things will take a beating and then some. 66 miles ain't squat.

OP, I would not worry about how it was driven those first 66 miles. Not only that but you have a full factory warranty should anything go wrong.
Precisely. And IIRC it was under 60 when I took it out myself, and it came from another dealer that was 48 miles away. So I'm not sweating it in the slightest.
 
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mjh

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Thanks @Cornercarver for the suggestions! And yes, I am in a world where all-seasons are a necessity. Fortunately I'm a teacher, so I don't ever have to worry about driving to work in the snow (so again, all-seasons are sufficient). I think I mentioned earlier that any mods I do will be minimal -- I love how the car feels, especially after the last six years or so in automatics.
 
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mjh

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Welcome to the Civic X AARP Si owners club!
At our age, we've learned that a few extra dollars (or a few hours drive, in my case) to get what you WANT and save the hassles, is a wise investment.
My '19 Si Coupe is my first NEW car, and my wife was very supportive that I get what I wanted.
(I'm turning 51 in 4 weeks, and TOTALLY agree on the heated seats!)
Thanks for the AARP shout-out! I've thoroughly enjoyed the threads about how there are some older guys like us who just want a fun manual to drive, and are in a position to go ever-so-slightly impractical in the car purchase.
 

ltrinh

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You're saying that every car that's ever been test-driven but not bought right afterwards by the same person should be considered a used car? You realize "new" only means no one else has owned it before, right? :doh:
I've never heard of any dealer offering a discount because there's 15 miles on the odometer because someone took it on a 5-mile test drive before you
i am gonna muddy this a bit more...
A while back I bought a 'demon' car (family car Toyota Avalon) from a dealership. It has 10K miles on it but never registered. The dealer owner drove around as an advertisement. So 10K miles would be for sure as being considered 'used' but never registered would be considered 'new'?

To Toyota, it is a new car (even 1 year old) and the 36K or 3 years warrant applied. To Toyota, I had 26K left on my warranty and full 3 years. Dealer made up the differences by offering me additional 20K (extended warranty). Obviously I got a good discount on the car.

I know my case is somewhat unique.

When I buy a brand new car (never registered before), less 100 miles is acceptable. Anything more than that is subject to negotiation but still considered new car. I picked up my 2018 SI with 15 miles on it and the sale person said it was never test driven before. The 15 miles were moving between different lots/show rooms, etc.
 

maggs_10thgen

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After a year of hemming and hawing, I finally took the plunge and bought a 2020 Civic Si of my very own! I couldn't be happier, and can't wait to get through the break-in period so I can really put it through its paces. I think Honda should give this board a commission, for all the time I've spent on it before buying. Having a community of people who put so much time and thought into the car definitely helped in the final push.
CivicSi2.jpg
Beautiful car and best of luck with her! More pics!
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