taitando

My brother graduated from high school last year and has been working over the summer to save money for a car. He wanted something that was reliable, fun to drive, and gets good gas mileage. In addition, it shouldn't kill him on insurance and needs to last through all his college years.

Anyhow, I found this '05 Civic Si with about 25k miles listed on Autotrader for $13,988. I think it fits the bill and he likes it too, at least compared to the Honda Fit which I originally proposed. I just don't know too much about these cars. Anyone here on Acurazine owned one or know much about them? What are some problems if any and is the price reasonable?

Moog-Type-S

I thought Civic insurance was rather high...due to them being high on the most stolen list

AznX TL

i don't really like them, plus they have a k20a3 in them, which is the base rsx engine.

invisiblewar

question...why do some Si's have 5 lugs and some have four?

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

they are not good on gas, if you put your foot in it at all it drinks the stuff. Also built in england, apparently there was some reliability issues but I'm not sure what they are. Insurance will also be high for a newer driver.

Might want to look at a 04 Accord. Bigger car, cheaper insurance same power.

Soccer_playa1579

yea man tell him to leave it..... get a 4 banger accord such as the newer gen 2003+.... or something without 2 doors since he is a new driver.

AznX TL

i doubt hes a new driver if he graduated from high school last yr. i graduated 2 yrs ago and i've been driving for almost 5 yrs.

taitando

So i been reading up a little bit more on the '05 Si. They are supposed to get 26/31 (City/fwy), but the EPA has since changed the way fuel economy is measured, so I don't know what it would really get.

The looks of the Si is love it or hate it, but my brother initially wanted a hatch for its versatility/fold down seats. He initially wanted an '06+ GTI, but simply can't afford one. Plus, the GTI takes premium fuel and that would be another cost factor.

I thought this Civic would be a good equivalent or alternative. Anyone knows if the Si takes premium? I'm looking at KBB and all it says under fule type is "Gas".

Edit: My bro's been driving since he was 16. Just never had his own car.

AznX TL

hes better off in a base RSX.
im pretty sure the Si takes premium........not too sure though. i know base rsx takes reg.

gdubb

I had an 02 model that I just traded in for a mazda3. I had it 3 years and the only thing that went wrong was the A/C went out.

Oh I also had an RSX-S at one point so I can go both ways in this thead

Any more q's just ask

gdubb

wrong, reg gas. Base rsx is no difference, same car diff sheetmetal. Also the price will be higher just because of the RSX name plate.

AznX TL

thanks for correcting me, but i could never get over the way the shifter is on the civic. and i like the way the rsx looks alot better.

gdubb

The shifter placement is sooooo natural, by far my favorite. As far as the looks, the EP is not a beauty queen but you wont see it everyday like the RSX. I do prefer the looks of the Acura

TzarChasm

My mom has an 07 civic and loves it. She has around 20K miles and has had 0 issues so far. Oil changes, nothing else. I've driven it, it's not a bad little car. She traded in here Mercedes C class for it because of the crazy miles she does and she still loves the civic. Note: her's is not the SI. A friend at work has one too and he loves his too. I don't know if the price is good or not but my sample audience of two people has said they both really like their cars.

taitando

Thanks, the premium vs. regular gas was a major point clarified. The '05s are the last of that Civic model run, so I'm hoping most of the kinks were worked out. How many miles did you have before your A/C went out and was it covered by warranty?

Essentially, my brother wanted something less than $15k OTD, low mileage (below 36k if possible), in a hatchback guise, with a manual transmission. We've been looking at used Mazda 3, VW Golf, GTI, and Civics. All the imports I guess. He does not want a Focus. The RSX base models are nice, but still too expensive as most of them start at $18k.

mrproul

i really like those si's. i test drove one and the shifting is great in that car. also with a few exterior mods those cars look great. i have seen a few that have been done up right.

gdubb

I think it had about 85k on it when the a/c let go. I had a extended warranty on the car so it was coverd. Also I got a consistant 30mpg with the car as well.

Like I said 04-05 Ep's are the exact same car as the base RSX, for about way cheaper.

My mazda I have now I really like so def keep that as a choice. Personally we have had bad luck with VW so I would not reccomend them.

hemhaw

I don't think that's that good of a price. I bought a '06 Si (new style, LSD) with Nav and the works, with less than 10k on it, for $17,500.

Sold it because I couldn't stand the seat after about 30 minutes driving...

I would look at used RSX's, or even prev gen (1.8l) GTIs

afici0nad0

http://www..com/clubep3/sfnt.html
http://ephatch.com/forum/index.php

i like the ep3's, but i have no technical knowledge of these.

Python2121

I would leave it, I hate that shifter placement.

taitando

To give you guys an idea, KBB has retail listed at $17,545 and Edmunds has it at $14,754. This particular Si was listed at $13988, but we were definitely going to negotiate with the dealer if the time comes. Also in contrast, there's a Honda dealer nearby that has the same car in silver with 30k miles, but for $17,695. When I asked for a quote, they told me $16,695 dropping it 1 grand Same deal with other cars in this class with similar mileage (RSX, 8th gen civics, Mazda 3, GTI), they all seem to be more expensive with more mileage on the clock. I mean, I know the economy is crappy right now and compacts are in high demand, but $16,695 is robbery. So $13,988 is the cheapest we've found so far w/o negotiating. We're still looking, but it seems to be the best we've found within a 75mi radius.

v6cord2k5

iTrader: (1)

tsxdriver has one of these, ask him about it thru PM.

Here is his thread: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40273

The ep3 is my favorite Civic, I've never read as many negative comments about it as I have read on this thread alone.

hemhaw

Sounds like it's what you (and your brother) want - go for it!

AznX TL

sounds a little iffy........i'd get a carfax on that before you buy it. it maybe a good deal now until you run into problems with the car.

v6cord2k5

iTrader: (1)

you might want to look for a pre-owned certified one thru a honda dealer or car-max... might cost a little more but you'll have the peace of mind of a warranty.

Mokos23

isn't that Civic Si designed from Honda of UK?

v6cord2k5

iTrader: (1)

tried to edit last post to add this:

dude, if the price is listed at 17,xxx and they quoted you at 16,xxx you could EASILY knock out at least an extra 1-2 thousand, you just have to go in and it might take a while but be persistent and know how to negotiate, take a couple of people so you have more brains/input.

Example: If the tag says 17, they quote at 16, you offer 13.5, they act like you are crazy, they might come down to 15 after an hour of negotiating, keep at it and work for 14... its hectic sometimes but the rewards are worth it. But also, dont forget not to let them screw you in the loan/interest rate! usually they will try to recover their losses here.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

<--- Former NBP 2004 Civic Si owner.

I think I can shed some light on the questions you have. The Si indeed only calls for 87 octane. Unless you're crazy and throw on a Jackson Racing Super Charger you will not need to put 91 or higher in.

I bought my 04 brand new and traded it in with 63xxx miles on it. The only problem I ever had with it was the clutch master cylinder went out with about 20xxx miles on it. It was covered by the factory warranty and cost me nothing to have it repaired. Other than that the car was super reliable, was great on gas unless you drive like a bat out of hell and you rarely see another one in a given day.

The looks are definitely either love it or hate it. I really liked mine much better once I put some wheels on it. The shifter on the dash does take some getting used to but only estetically. Functionally it's amazing. I actually found it difficult to get used to a "normal" placed shifter after the Civic. It was a very enjoyable car to drive and I absolutely loved the interior, especially the alcantra seats and the red stitching through out the inside. If I had to change one thing about it it would be the turning radius. For some reason it was worse than an early 80s Caprice station wagon. It was annoying at times but something that I learned to live with.

My suggestion would be keep it stock besides maybe an intake. I put a Neuspeed P-Flo intake on it before any other mod and the sound when WOT was incredible. I wish I had stopped there with the modding but I got carried away and ended up finding it a little hard to daily drive and traded it in for the CL-S.

"Black Pearl"


Awesome seats, steering wheel and shifter. I added an S2000 engine start button and relocated the hazard button to the other side. Made it fun to start in the morning.


Jackson Racing Street Super Charger. Never got it tuned quite right but it was a fun little pocket rocket.

Costco

You guys are kidding me. Ever even tried out that shifter? I love that placement. People are just not used to a shifter coming straight out of the middle of the dash, but its in a GREAT spot. Try it out.... its awkward at first but coupled with the typical great shifter feel of Honda manual trannys, you'll find its weird driving other Civics, like SuperTrooper said.

I didn't know you had an EP3! I like the new Si's a lot, too bad they didn't carry over the shifter placement, at least in another model.

Rock2534

If you can get past the looks, I don't see how you can go wrong with a relatively new honda. Gas mileage is gonna depend on how you drive it, but for keeping it on a college campus I don't think gas will be an issue.

SuperTrooper, just curious, how much power did that thing make with the SC? I imagine you don't need much to make that thing fast seeing how light it is.

dom

If you like the looks, I think its a solid choice. Wheels make a world of difference, as shown in Tropper's post.

myron

iTrader: (4)

I think thats the only civic I like besides a new SI, and its a honda so I would think that reliability is good and gas milage good as well. and for that much money I would get it right away cuz those are rare and they go in upwards of 18 000 in canada with lots more KM

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

I know, I would've liked to see them continue to keep the shifter in that location, too. I do like the new Si's outside styling a lot though and obviously going to the K20A2 was a very smart move.

Unfortunately I never got it dynoed. It never really made the power it was capable of because the shop that installed the supercharger had no f'n clue what they were doing and I ended up fixing their mistakes and in the end realized I would've been better off trying the install myself. It was the street trim JRSC so IIRC Jackson claimed a 40% increase in power over stock. I also had a DC header, Magnaflow Exhaust, Neuspeed Intake and RT Hi-Flow Cat.

The wheels were the main thing I wanted to change about the car the day I bought it. It just doesn't look right with 16's, definitely needs 17's or 18's. I've seen a few that run TSX wheels and they look incredible on them, a lot like the European TypeR wheels for the EP3.

taitando

Hey man, thanks for the advice, but believe me, at the age of 30, I've negotiated through quite a few car deals myself (that RL avatar for example)


My bro is beginning to go that route. He found a similar one on Carmax with 50k miles for the "No-Haggle" price of $17,849 . Which isn't too different from the price the Honda dealer is offering. We are going to test drive it possibly this weekend, but will most likely go to the used car lot that has the Black one for $13,988. Regardless, I'm hoping since it's getting nearer to the end of the month, the salesman will be more eager for a sale to meet month end quotas or something.

And thanks SuperTrooper for the pics and the info. It's great to see that the car has mod potentials, but my brother would more than likely keep it stock. Aside from the super-charger, did you do any suspension mods? How's the stock one ride? From what I understood, the Si was supposed to have a sportier suspension than the regular Civics.

taitando

Just found a free Carfax for the Black Si I found in Autotrader. Everything looks clean with no total loss or theft records. Car reportedly had 2 different owners. It was sold to the second owner as a Honda Certified Used Car. The second owner then got rid of it and it was then sold at an auto auction. Two auto auctions in fact, one on 10/09/2007 and then the second on 07/08/2008 with 25,064 miles reported.

Anyone know, once Honda has sold a car as a certified pre-owned, does that transfer on through the life of the car or subsequent owners?

AznX TL

its only certified pre-owned at that dealership, once it leaves the dealership's parking lot it is no longer certified unless they do another "certified" inspection. but i don't buy the certified pre-owned stuff for one second. they just slap the sticker on it and call it certified.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

Not a problem. I still miss the Si. It was my first brand new car and I had a lot of great times in it. I drove it across the US on my way from CT to AZ. It was nice knowing I had a reliable car and didn't have to worry about traveling that far in it. I was really impressed on how much I was able to fit in it too. I packed it to the brim with my stuff. Even with all that cargo and two mountain bikes mounted on a bike rack on the back I got close to 30mpg on my trip over.

I didn't touch the suspension. If I had kept it longer I probably would've done a very mild drop on it. It's stock set up was pretty good. It was actually a pretty smooth ride, which was nice for highway driving but did give it a little body roll going into corners. It was small enough and light enough that it was still pretty tossable.

hemhaw

FTFY

jaehshim

gluck with it.
Civic Si sounds good,

Si > used 03~06 RSX > Scion TC > used GTI

Mokos23

well my girlfriend could never drive this Civic Si because it doesn't come in Auto.