9th gen Si vs 10th gen Si, a short comparison.

[JDM_DOHC_SiR]

I've considered offering to become a moderator, but after my recent stint as a moderator at the Ridgeline Owner's Club, I'm not so sure. I tend to become consumed with cleaning and organization which detracts from my enjoyment of participating.

Same here Did it on 3 Honda Forums and 2 Acura Forums ... not really my cup of tea.. would rather add to the site to make it a better place for all to enjoy and not have to deal with thankless job of being the person that everybody sucks up to and hates at the same time

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[LoveToDrive]

I don't sense any negativity or complaining here, as no one is calling this Si POS. Honda deserves to know exactly why some like it and some don't, and members are making that opinion known. Disappointed or not, we are all Honda fans at heart.

 

[nothome17]

I actually liked the pros and cons of what people has said in here. I'm actually in the market for a 9th gen or 10 gen Si. Currently leaning towards a 9th Gen Si. I like the linear feel instead of the surprise you get when it hits boost.

With that added maintenance like changing the bearings on the turbo at 100k. Honda has been reliable but this is the first generation where they went turbo. Sure Honda motors are like tanks but it's just added extra thing to know if you are missing some power from a vacuum/turbo leak somewhere. There are pros and cons to having turbo.

 

[10GenPearlSi]

I drove an 8th gen Si yesterday. I had a nostalgic love of my 97 GSR. I loved taking it to 7 to 8.2 grand and listening and feeling the VTEC. I lost some of my nostalgia yesterday. The VTEC is still great, but it pales in relationship to the acceleration of my Vittuned Stage 1 10th gen Si. Over all drivability is very much improved with the tune. Removing the CDV from the clutch slave cylinder and putting in the tune removed almost all the nastiness of the little 1.5L. There is very little for me to lament about not having a GSR or 8th gen Si. I am in love with my little Si more than any car I have ever had.

 

[Fazzster]

I had a 2015 Si before my 2017. I don't miss the K24 at all. Not that it was bad in anyway but its just time to move on into the next century. I think the new 1.5t/2.0t are a step in the right direction for Honda. I've been driving Honda's since the mid 80's and have enjoyed the high revs and VTEC from past S2000's and Si's but its time for real world torque and fuel efficiency. I can't wait for turbo charged Fits and HR-Vs.

 

[250gtswb]

I used to be very opinionated about high-RPM NA engines vs. low-RPM turbo engines, considering turbos (and superchargers) add-ons that could almost be considered cheating. Kind of like how the lazy American high-capacity V8 engines that powered the family station wagons (my mom's cars; my dad always drove good sports cars) performed well not because they were great engines, but because they were such big engines.

I have always thought a thoroughbred sporting car should have an engine which is so carefully designed and made that it can produce high specific power from a modest displacement, and without any external gadget helping it along. Such an engine should be able to achieve sustained high RPMs smoothly, and with no risk of damaging the engine's internals. My 8th-gen (2007) Civic Si has a technologically state-of-the-art, high-RPM, super-efficient K20Z3, which in my view is not far off from being a 2-liter equivalent of a Ferrari or Porsche engine -- in terms of horsepower/liter, technological sophistication, and "feel". By feel I include characteristics like throttle response, great sounds (both engine sounds and exhaust note), and eagerness to rev (as if the car itself seems to want to go faster).

When I got my 2017 Si, I was resigned to driving a car with excellent handling and road-holding, but with an engine with a lower redline and possibly less glorious sounds than I have been used to in my previous cars. But I am actually very surprised as to how completely the 10th-gen Si's little 1.5 turbo engine has changed my mind about high-RPM horsepower vs. low-RPM torque. I am really enjoying this engine; I am no longer an RPM snob. Torque is good! Torque is fun!

It's a different kind of fun than enjoying a classic rev-happy old school Honda NA engine come "on cam" at 5800 RPM, and then spin frenetically, with that wonderful smooth growl, to 8000 RPM. Actually, it's the fun feeling of the car moving quickly without the engine feeling as though it's doing much work. That feel of effortlessness that turbocharging gives to an engine is as rewarding, in its own way, as the feel of a thoroughbred engine with a lofty redline. Good torque available at low RPMS makes the whole car feel lighter. The 10th-gen Civic Si is already rather light by today's standards, but I think it feels even lighter than it actually is because of a combination of its torquey engine and its responsive, agile handling.

With ever-stricter international standards for fuel and emissions efficiency, turbos seem to be the future. Ferrari, traditionally as stalwart in their dedication to normally-aspirated engine design as Honda have been (I'm only talking about road cars here), has "gone turbo", as have Porsche with all of their cars.

 

[inertiadrifto86]

I wish Honda had tuned the Si's engine with 230hp/230ft-lbs just to compete spec sheet to spec sheet with other cars like the ST and GTI, which I see as the Si's main competition. The Si is already stomping GTIs and STs in autocross, but there are still keyboard warriors who will vehemently say it's slow compared to the competition. In terms of what the car can do, this is the fastest Si ever built.

It's hard to really get a feel for a car on a test drive. Sure you can rev out the engine (maybe once, maybe twice without getting told to slow down by your salesperson) but you can't really drive to nine, eight or even seven tenths before you'll be asked politely (or not-so politely) to leave the car dealership upon returning from your test drive.

The 10th gen civics are momentum cars. No one's winning any drag races in a stock 10th gen civic, except perhaps in a CTR. The faster you drive the Si, the better it gets. You don't really know what you've got until you you're pulling yourself out of corner at 4500rpm in 3rd gear. That is where the Si comes alive.

I never drove any of the previous generation Sis. I mourn the loss of VTEC only because we (owners of the 10th gen Si) are no longer in the "cool kids" club. Only true Honda enthusiasts know the virtues of VTEC. /s

 

[JoYu]

I wish Honda had tuned the Si's engine with 230hp/230ft-lbs just to compete spec sheet to spec sheet with other cars like the ST and GTI, which I see as the Si's main competition. The Si is already stomping GTIs and STs in autocross, but there are still keyboard warriors who will vehemently say it's slow compared to the competition. In terms of what the car can do, this is the fastest Si ever built.

I agree, I got it anyways cause all you need is a tuner to get an extra 30 tq.

 

[callmehandsum]

I actually liked the pros and cons of what people has said in here. I'm actually in the market for a 9th gen or 10 gen Si. Currently leaning towards a 9th Gen Si. I like the linear feel instead of the surprise you get when it hits boost.

With that added maintenance like changing the bearings on the turbo at 100k. Honda has been reliable but this is the first generation where they went turbo. Sure Honda motors are like tanks but it's just added extra thing to know if you are missing some power from a vacuum/turbo leak somewhere. There are pros and cons to having turbo.

I disagree with two of your comments. The boost doesn't feel like a surprise, it doesn't hit, i's more like a push. And I guess the jury is still out on whether the turbo will need new bearings at 100k although I don't think that'll be the case. The headers are built into the block so that the exhaust gases can be water cooled, meaning the turbo should operate at a lower temperature than a traditional turbo, thus reducing the oil temps and hopefully preventing oil cooking.

 

[who8myrice]

I wish Honda had tuned the Si's engine with 230hp/230ft-lbs just to compete spec sheet to spec sheet with other cars like the ST and GTI, which I see as the Si's main competition. The Si is already stomping GTIs and STs in autocross, but there are still keyboard warriors who will vehemently say it's slow compared to the competition. In terms of what the car can do, this is the fastest Si ever built.

It's hard to really get a feel for a car on a test drive. Sure you can rev out the engine (maybe once, maybe twice without getting told to slow down by your salesperson) but you can't really drive to nine, eight or even seven tenths before you'll be asked politely (or not-so politely) to leave the car dealership upon returning from your test drive.

The 10th gen civics are momentum cars. No one's winning any drag races in a stock 10th gen civic, except perhaps in a CTR. The faster you drive the Si, the better it gets. You don't really know what you've got until you you're pulling yourself out of corner at 4500rpm in 3rd gear. That is where the Si comes alive.

I never drove any of the previous generation Sis. I mourn the loss of VTEC only because we (owners of the 10th gen Si) are no longer in the "cool kids" club. Only true Honda enthusiasts know the virtues of VTEC. /s

Don’t think too much about older vtech people.
Back in the day, lot of Honda owners cry for more torque. Now Honda has gone turbo people still finding reason to cry for more.

 

[mis3]

Don’t think too much about older vtech people. Back in the day, lot of Honda owners cry for more torque. Now Honda has gone turbo people still finding reason to cry for more.

My 1999 Prelude sported a 200 hp engine but 156 ft-lbs at high RPM. It was a great car for the time; 20 years old.

 

[who8myrice]

My 1999 Prelude sported a 200 hp engine but 156 ft-lbs at high RPM. It was a great car for the time; 20 years old.

It was great car. It also was known as best handling fwd car at the time also. Before cobalt came along. Kinda like new si, but updated.

 

[inertiadrifto86]

It was great car. It also was known as best handling fwd car at the time also. Before cobalt came along. Kinda like new si, but updated.

I had always thought the Integra Type R was heralded to be the best handling FWD of that time period.

 

[who8myrice]

I had always thought the Integra Type R was heralded to be the best handling FWD of that time period.

I believe prelude won the car of year when new gen came out. Was long time ago hard to remember. Too bad clean type r are so rare.

 

[Aero2001]

The 10th gen civics are momentum cars. No one's winning any drag races in a stock 10th gen civic, except perhaps in a CTR. The faster you drive the Si, the better it gets. You don't really know what you've got until you you're pulling yourself out of corner at 4500rpm in 3rd gear. That is where the Si comes alive.

Based on my 2017 Si test drive, I completely agree with this. The engine feels weak off the line, but once up to speed, the whole package comes together extremely well.

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