2020 SI vs Accord manual ?

MorrisGray

Senior Member
First Name
Tony
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
180
Reaction score
72
Location
Rock Spring, GA
Vehicle(s)
2006 Mazda3 5sp manual, 2012 Genesis sedan
Country flag
I am shopping for a new car and it is very difficult to find a SI or an Accord in my area with a manual transmission. I did get to drive a 2020 SI a couple of weeks ago and was very pleased with it. I don't like the fake vents and NO SPARE tire for the SI but it was comfortable and drove really well. I have not driven anything else that I consider to be a competitor to this yet, like an Elantra GT N Line, Forte GT, GTI or Jetta GLI, and possibly the more expensive G70 2.0t.

Manual in everything, no automatic for me. I am still driving the 2006 Mazda3 5sp sedan purchased new because it has been dependable and is still a joy to dive. I just want a new car that pleases me as much to drive as my little Mazda3. If Mazda offered a manual in their sedan lineup I probably would have already bought one but they don't and I do not like their overpriced hatchback. I have never owned a VW and am somewhat afraid of the long term ownership costs. But there are no vehicles mentioned in my interest other than VW within a 100 miles of me with a manual transmission. The SI that I drove was only 33 miles from me but was sold less than 5 days after I looked at it. And it was black so I didn't really want to buy that SI because of the color. I believe I would rather have the SI in pearl white or modern steel.

Any way, I was just curious if any of you have driven the 2020 Accord with a manual and could tell me what it is like in comparison to the SI ? My daughter has an Accord Sport 1.5 but it is an automatic. I know it is roomy and has a big trunk but I forgot to look and see if it comes with a spare tire. I want to be able to drive my new car on vacation but I don't know about not having a spare and if I buy something to take with me then it will take away from my luggage space. I have 5 grand kids in Fla and generally haul gifts with me when I go visit also.

Sorry for the long conversation but would appreciate any thoughts or comments.
And have any of you test driven any other favorable competitor models?
Sponsored

 

Drake

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2019
Threads
23
Messages
1,085
Reaction score
1,517
Location
Ohio
Vehicle(s)
Honda Civic Si
Country flag
From what I've seen and read online, the Si will certainly feel more precise and sporty than the softer Accord. Even though they are both Hondas, it seems people generally enjoy shifting in the Si more than the Accord. I also agree not coming with a spare is a huge hassle, but I hear you can buy the temporary tire kit that canadian Si models come with online for $200-$300.
 
OP
OP
MorrisGray

MorrisGray

Senior Member
First Name
Tony
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
180
Reaction score
72
Location
Rock Spring, GA
Vehicle(s)
2006 Mazda3 5sp manual, 2012 Genesis sedan
Country flag
From what I've seen and read online, the Si will certainly feel more precise and sporty than the softer Accord. Even though they are both Hondas, it seems people generally enjoy shifting in the Si more than the Accord. I also agree not coming with a spare is a huge hassle, but I hear you can buy the temporary tire kit that canadian Si models come with online for $200-$300.
...True but it raises the trunk floor and you lose some storage by doing so. I am not saying that I can't make it work, I just really don't understand why Honda did this. The SI is the first new car I have driven since purchasing a new 2012 Genesis sedan with the 3.8L naturally aspirated v6 rated at 333hp. My wife drives that car and for an automatic it is a nice car that is enjoyable to drive. But I want something fun to drive daily. That will be dependable, reliable and economical to drive. The SI does meet that criteria without a doubt. I could care less about all of the 0-60mph comparison of cars, I can't remember the last time I tried to race somebody from a stop. I went to the drag strip with my 1976 455 Trans AM 4 speed back in my younger years and haven't been back there since. I have done 20 mph on races on the interstate, but way long time ago. I will not abuse my car or the clutch to do stupid stuff at my age but I still just simply enjoy driving a sporty car even if it only has a 2.0L naturally aspirated motor like my little Mazda. It still feels like Zoom Zoom to me even though I have owned much more powerful cars. The last being a 2003 350z but it was automatic and I regretted buying it because it wasn't a manual. I have two motorcycles for fun also. I drive a semi for my job and enjoy driving otherwise in my cars and m/c's when not working.
 
OP
OP
MorrisGray

MorrisGray

Senior Member
First Name
Tony
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
180
Reaction score
72
Location
Rock Spring, GA
Vehicle(s)
2006 Mazda3 5sp manual, 2012 Genesis sedan
Country flag
I forgot to say this.... The Honda SI is not the fastest car in the segment it competes in although it may be the most enjoyable.?!
I don't know but the center exhaust is not a valid reason to not put a spare tire in it and neither is weight reduction. The Civic Sport Touring has a center exhaust, in my opinion looks better with dual tips, and it has a spare tire. And most of the SI competitors come with a spare tire. Again I say I don't care if the SI can outrun anything else 0-60mph, I only care if it is fun to drive everyday as a daily driver.
 


ExVTEC

Senior Member
First Name
Elliot
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Threads
42
Messages
806
Reaction score
605
Location
Ohio
Vehicle(s)
2019 CTR
Country flag
The Si has a limited slip differential which helps make it more fun and gives it superior steering over the accord. This isn't available on the accord which in my opinion takes away from the fun (more understeer). I've driven all the cars you mentioned and there's some good competition there. The Si is probably the best value of the bunch.
I say look around see if there's a dealer 2-3 hrs away that has your car. Rent a car, go for a drive and get the car you want. I did that with my girlfriends car. We drove 3hrs in a rental and got the car she wanted.
 

ExVTEC

Senior Member
First Name
Elliot
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Threads
42
Messages
806
Reaction score
605
Location
Ohio
Vehicle(s)
2019 CTR
Country flag
No spare tire is due to manufacturers trying to squeeze every bit of mpg from a car. Many brands do this now.
I forgot to say this.... The Honda SI is not the fastest car in the segment it competes in although it may be the most enjoyable.?!
I don't know but the center exhaust is not a valid reason to not put a spare tire in it and neither is weight reduction. The Civic Sport Touring has a center exhaust, in my opinion looks better with dual tips, and it has a spare tire. And most of the SI competitors come with a spare tire. Again I say I don't care if the SI can outrun anything else 0-60mph, I only care if it is fun to drive everyday as a daily driver.
 
OP
OP
MorrisGray

MorrisGray

Senior Member
First Name
Tony
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
180
Reaction score
72
Location
Rock Spring, GA
Vehicle(s)
2006 Mazda3 5sp manual, 2012 Genesis sedan
Country flag
No spare tire is due to manufacturers trying to squeeze every bit of mpg from a car. Many brands do this now.
I understand what you are saying but the SI is far ahead of the competition in mpg. Do you really think the weight of a spare tire is going to effect the mileage? If so, why not make it a two seater because passengers are really going to hurt the mileage!
 

ExVTEC

Senior Member
First Name
Elliot
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Threads
42
Messages
806
Reaction score
605
Location
Ohio
Vehicle(s)
2019 CTR
Country flag
The mpg thing is based on total vehicle average. Honda makes 10 cars for example, they save .5 mpg on each one, EPA is happy. You and I get stuck without a spare :(


I understand what you are saying but the SI is far ahead of the competition in mpg. Do you really think the weight of a spare tire is going to effect the mileage? If so, why not make it a two seater because passengers are really going to hurt the mileage!
 

Annexed

Senior Member
First Name
Austen
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
341
Reaction score
617
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2017 Civic Si
Country flag
I forgot to say this.... The Honda SI is not the fastest car in the segment it competes in although it may be the most enjoyable.?!
I don't know but the center exhaust is not a valid reason to not put a spare tire in it and neither is weight reduction. The Civic Sport Touring has a center exhaust, in my opinion looks better with dual tips, and it has a spare tire. And most of the SI competitors come with a spare tire. Again I say I don't care if the SI can outrun anything else 0-60mph, I only care if it is fun to drive everyday as a daily driver.
Where the SI comes alive is in the corners and on the windy roads, otherwise it becomes a normal Civic. If you are driving straight all the time or in flat lands, the SI can become boring (IMO). I know in the 2020 Civic si, they fixed the SI rattles, but the Accord is definitely going to be the comfortable ride. I know when watching YouTube videos, people have mentioned that the Accord manual shifter is pretty numb and sloppy compared to the SI. I've also seen that the G70 is a great car, but I've never driven it... Just basing it off YouTube reviews.
 


turbo lover

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2016
Threads
17
Messages
645
Reaction score
348
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
Civic Hatchback Sport Touring
Country flag
It's not like the Civic is an inefficient car, I doubt that they'd be penalized by the EPA if the Civic lost 0.5 mpg for carrying a spare tire around.
 

MutatedMango

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Threads
13
Messages
488
Reaction score
205
Location
Philadelphia
Vehicle(s)
'19 Civic Si FC3
Country flag
I understand what you are saying but the SI is far ahead of the competition in mpg. Do you really think the weight of a spare tire is going to effect the mileage? If so, why not make it a two seater because passengers are really going to hurt the mileage!
It's probably just to do with cost I'm thinking
 

VarmintCong

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2016
Threads
49
Messages
1,640
Reaction score
869
Location
Taiwan
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Focus ST Line X (sold 2020 Si sedan)
Country flag
The Accord is huge, can't imagine that's gonna be as fun to drive.
Consider the regular Civic as well, the hatch Sport is a lot of fun to drive - I'd only get that over the Si if you want the hatch, or maybe if you want the Touring Sport 6MT.

The Elantra GT N-Line is really hard to find in a manual, GLWT. There's an updated model coming this fall that looks much better.

This is the European i30 N Line but should look similar.

Honda Civic 10th gen 2020 SI vs Accord manual ? 2021-hyundai-i30-n-line-facelift

Honda Civic 10th gen 2020 SI vs Accord manual ? 2021-hyundai-i30-n-line-facelift
 


 


Top