Yep, this is exactly what I meant by "leaving us with a void." There is nothing out there now that successfully replaces and improves on the K series. For now, hanging on to the last K in my LX and enjoying this engine eagerly talking to me on my spirited drives is the only option I have. I really wanted the other sportiness that came with the Si.
No need to apologize - your experiences and opinions are valuable even though they don't make me any less smitten with my '17.
I am sure everyone here is sick of reading reviews; but for anyone curious about what a 9th gen Si owner thinks, read on.
A little background about my past and current vehicles that I will be using as a baseline to assess the new gen.
I currently daily drive a 9th gen Si with around 45k miles on the clock that I owned since its inception in 2012.
my weekend toy is a 370z 6mt, which won't really be compared due to being a completely different type of animal, but still being relevant as a baseline.
I am no stranger to honda, my first being an 05' s2000 which in my book is still the best sports car that I've driven to date.
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The review:
Interior: I love everything in this car from material feel, it punches above its weight and far supersedes the 9th gen interior in both ergonomics and quality of plastics/soft touch materials. The seats are a 10/10 - immense upgrade over the 9th gen, very nicely bolstered. In fact I like the seats even better than my 370z, they actually remind me of the s2000 buckets in terms of feel and grip.
Being cloth is a huge plus for me as it provides the perfect grip/ doesn't feel too cold or hot with the seasons.
I didn't get to play much with the HU or apple/android playy but the layout/gauge cluster felt right at home in this car.
10/10 - good job honda,
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Handling/suspension:
I kept the car in sport mode so I can't give you a baseline on the normal mode; but basically - it feels even lighter vs the 9th gen, the spring rate feels perfectly dialed in for street use and firm enough to carve some corners, make no mistake the car is dialed in for understeer but I am sure with a nice rear sway bar it will dial out just like the 9th gen.
My only gripe here is the turning radius is much worse vs. the 9th Si, also not a big deal but for a daily driver I prefer a much tighter steering rack with a narrow turning radius.
I drove the car equipped with summer tires on a hot & humid day, pushing the car inspires confidence and the chassis definitely has A LOT of room for more power, this car could easily handle another 50-60hp/tq on the current suspension/tires without pushing the boundaries too much.
As far as the LSD goes, I do not feel it on my 9th gen just like I didn't on the 17', I think you really have to push the car at 10/10 on a racetrack to feel the benefit, maybe im just a noob but I feel like its more of a gimmick/something to put down on the spec sheet because in the real world I just never felt the benefit, including the VLSD in my 370z.
8/10 - impressed.
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Drivetrain;
I swear the shifter feels nearly identical to the 9th gen, which is a great thing since the 9th gen was rated as the best transmission in MT back in '12, and it still has some of the s2000 feel as well - making this transmission far superior in terms of feel vs many cars above its price category - it puts the 370z manual shifter to shame, the Si has a satisfying engaging point for each gear and clearly defined shifter gates making a money shift/miss-shift nearly impossible, again adding to the ease of driveabiltiy.
The clutch is surprisingly slightly lighter, this is interesting since it makes the car much easier to drive for a beginner but does take away some of the visceral feeling, it has become more like an on/off switch in this iteration, meaning its nearly impossible to stall it/ drive train lash. I'd prefer a stiffer clutch but I can understand why an entry lever performance sedan has a feather clutch, ultimately its for driveability - your foot will never tire in heavy traffic and driver fatigue will never be an issue.
To the people who are used to stiffer clutches you may be disappointed as I was, but ultimately I can get used to the feel.
Unfortunately this is where the fun stopped and I got a dagger stabbing pain behind my right eye, I am not sure what honda was contemplating when they put the 1.5T in this car, compared to the K24Z7 in the 9th gen this engine is a huge downgrade in terms of feel (at least stock for stock), the torque hits much earlier vs the k24 but that is the only upside, after the initial surge - the car is just dead, in the 9th gen you would first get an initial surge at 4400 and it would keep building all the way to 7000 rpm allowing you to ride the wave of exhilaration with anticipation of the next gear pull.
Don't get me wrong, on paper and in real life the 10th gen is most likely as fast or maybe even faster vs the 9th Si, but sitting behind the wheel of both, the excitement of acceleration is just not there - maybe its partially due to the 10th gen exhaust being at least half as loud or the much narrower power band, but the end result is not good in stock form - this car needs a tune badly.
This chassis is a gem, but the motor honda chose was a huge mistake, this car needed the 2.0 from the CTR, period.
I came with full intent of trading my 9th gen in, and left with teary eyes and a broken heart, going to wait and see what the tuners can do and maybe redeem the let down that honda bestowed upon us.
4/10 - heart broken.
edit:
I apologize in advance since I know a lot of people already picked one up and are enjoying the car, and honestly If you never experienced the K series engine - this car will feel great and is a perfect daily, but for anyone who touched an 8th or a 9th gen - definitely expect to feel the pain.
This really threw a wrench in to my plans since I already had financing lined up from my bank, not sure what I am going to do next.
Understood, and the improvement is across the whole rev range. Just stating it can be remedied fairly cheaply if desired.
It's just a different feeling compared to having all that torque down low and losing the feeling as you go higher up. That's the same thing ppl who own cars with higher displacement says. "Why do you want to rev it out so high to move the car when I can just have 300 ft of torque at 2k rpm and move the car cause i have a V8"
I think the new Si is great, but I know what you mean. I don't have a 9th gen Si, but a 2G Acura TSX with essentially the same engine and 6MT. I've had it for almost eight years and 109k miles, so I'm thinking about a replacement. I have driven the new Si, and I think it's a fantastic overall package, but I wasn't sufficiently blown away to want to replace my TSX with an Si in the near term. So I've decided to just enjoy one of the last vestiges of Honda NA VTEC/6MT goodness for awhile longer.
pretty much spot on. I keep checking back and looking at the Si hoping I'll like it, but I just can't forgive Honda for such a lazy effort on the 17 Si. I know the powertrain is capable of WRX-like numbers with a much better chassis, but I want the Si to be what it's always been best at - being a thrill from the factory. That's the whole reason people lusted for TypeR's for years - Honda reliability/reputation to an actual performance package - not just an option trim. Add to fact that it needs a clutch to make good power and you have the same problem of WRX vs STi - the TypeR doesn't seem so expensive anymore after you look at how much money you put modding an Si with clutch job, tires, tune, etc.@Redglare
I cried after the test drive this past weekend. I wanted to like this so much, too, and be wowed by its new identity and character. My initial conclusion is that for those who have never had an Si will love this Si. For most of those (not all) who lived with the K series will not like the new Si.
Which is perfectly fine. I'm okay that everyone has different needs, wants, and past history / experience with different cars. I definitely disagree that, as a car, this is a fail or a dud as some may say. And, I'm very happy for those of you who already live with this car and are enjoying it.
What made me sad is that with so many darn trims and styles the 10th gen has, the FEEL (not the specs) of all the turbos are just too similar, and left us with a void. They ALL ride/drive the same, and the hatch and Si are even more similar. I had test driven an EX-T before and was hoping that the Si would kick it up a notch in the driving-experience department.
I never thought that my *LX* would feel closer to the 9th gen Si. 10th gen is already a great platform; it only makes sense. To me, the new Si is missing the rawness and liveliness that I was looking for in a sporty car. Overall, it felt too subdued. I understand some people are looking for that. I never considered my LX to be raw, but it is now compared to this Si.
I'm going to give it some more time, test drive again, and see how I feel. It took me a few test drives before deciding to buy the 15 Si so the same could happen.
If you've had all the generation SI's you would know that it happens every single time a refresh comes out.
