I test drove the the 09 Civic Si Sedan, really nice car, and would have bought it if my wife didn't complain that she doesn't want to even try to learn how to drive manual.

The Si has the high revving VTEC on its side, plus the attention of pratically every after-market company out there. It is a classified as a compact car, and I do believe the do Lancers are as well. The interior dimensions should be relatively close between the Lancer and Si.

In price and performance I wouldn't or couldn't compare the Si to the n/a Lancers and probably compare it closer to the RA. Then the price of the Si seems way more attractive as well as fuel ecomomy adding NAV and other premium options will still price it below the RA.

AWD and the turbo are the main attractions for the RA. With added reliablity the Si I think is the better choice, too bad my wife doesn't drive a manual or the GSR would be a slight stretch but within my budget minus the insurance hike.

 

id go for the lancer based on comfort and looks , the only thing the si has over the lancer is power , but if your concern isnt power then the lancer is a clear winner ,

 

I picked my lancer based on looks, comfort, and price.

 

It has more than power. Better suspension, LSD, and a nice 6spd as well.

You are right though on the comfort issue. If you are into performance there isn't a debate. If you have more concerns then it's a toss up.

 

2009 Butfor

+1

 

why hasnt anyone mentioned that the si is supposed to take premium gas only?

i think thats actualy a pretty big issue if u said money is the main issue in the first place.

 

The Honda Civic Si is a good car but I think its overpriced. You will get a much better deal on a GTS. I think Mitsubishi makes a good quality car as well. I see a lot of Honda's on the road, but I also see alot of Mitsubishi's. As for the 197 HP, yea it has the VTEC, but the newer civics only make about 139ft-lbs of torque @6100 rpm and most of the drivers I know complain that they can't keep the car in VTEC (these drivers are autocrosser's). Think it kicks in @ about 4500+rpm. I have also heard that when its really cold outside, VTEC won't always turn on, but I don't have one so I don't know for sure. The civic SI is about 2899lbs, but the gts is just over 3000lbs. I just don't think the civic is worth what honda wants you to pay for a small sedan, even one with "VTEC".

 

i dont see it being that much of an issue..you have guys out there who are willing to pump premium gas for 7hp thats not even noticeable with the rrm timing module.

the coupe is lighter..i had one. if you look at any reviews for the Si its a hell of a deal for the price there isnt many 21k cars out there thats gonna give you that performance without a turbo. mitsubishis arent known well for upkeep. thats why the value of your car probably dropped a good 2 grand when you drove it off the lot. meanwile hondas hold their value extremely well.. i have never had the problem with vtec not kicking in, neither the cold problem the lancer is close to 3100 and the sedan is heavier yes but if your comparing the coupe its really no competition.

im no honda fanboy because i love my lancer..the 2 are just completely different cars..if you want performance dont waste your time with a lancer. if you dont care then the choice is obviously the lancer. there are people who pay 22-23k for a lancer..i got my 07 si brand new for 21. i paid more for my lancer..the Si has always been a hell of a deal for the price..compare it to other cars performance and interior wise. i mean come on honda is acura they have extremely classy and well looking interiors i dont think the lancer can compete with..

it all comes down to performance or looks.

 

+1 for SI. As long as it's white or red, they look pretty sick and of course they are nimble and quick. Gas mileage is nice for what you get performance-wise. And it's honda quality. I loved my coupe but they are freakin tiny on the inside.

 

Honda quality is almost the best there is so the quality argument doesn't really work, especially if you're comparing them to Mitsubishi (which isn't even in the top 5 normally). Honda's are notorious for being "pricey" but they're also great value for you what you pay.

 

Do you even have the RRM timing modual to be able to say the power is not noticeable? Seriously people who don't even have these items need to stop posting their "reviews" because all you do is spread BS lies about something you know nothing about. I'm not sure if you noticed or not but there was I think 2-3 people removed from this board for constantly bashing RRM's parts when they have never even had one of them on their cars. Have real facts before posting conjecture.

 

nobody is starting anything..there were videos posted..and testimonials, the video you cuold obviously notice nothing along with people who said they noticed no real difference..say what you want but if you can notice 7hp then you deserve a cookie. sorry im not going to ride RRMs nuts like half of the gullable lancer owners on these forums..these are forums for a reason where people can express what they want.

i didnt give a review please go back and read..i said people are willing to pump premuim in their car for 7hp..to me thats obserd to someone else they may think its worth it..thats up to them. if you love the company so much just keep quiet when someone dosent post something that glorifying how great the company is.

 

Yes you can express whatever you want on here, however unless you have first hand experience whatever you are saying is just hearsay. I'de be willing to bet 90% of the people that have the timing box are happy with it. It is actually pretty easy to notice that when you floor your car in first gear that it climbs RPMS quicker than it did ohh less than 15min prior to that. I guess a company that has built cars for Hyundai Corporate and Mitsubishi Corporate doesn't know what they are doing. I am not sure how much you know about the company but I suggest doing some research on Robert Talini and Road Race Engineering. I think you will find some impressive information. I don't want to get into an argument and take this thread off topic. I'm just tired of people posting their opinion on mods they don't even have. And you can actually run anything from 89 octane or higher. If they only sell 87, 89 and 93 where you live, get half a tank of each and you are running 91.

Here is my contribution to the actual topic. The civic SI is a very nice car, and can run with the best of them. However, like some have said the SI sedan is fugly. I believe you also said that your wife cannot drive a stick. Does she have her own car? If so what does it matter that she can't drive a stick? Make her learn, its really not that hard if you can find yourself a large open parking lot for her to practice on. Its not quite the same as real world driving conditions but it will give her an idea of what to do. On the performance aspect of the car yes it is 193hp but very very low amount of torque for a NA engine. So until you have the car into the V-Tec range its going to be a little slow picking up. Really I think you just need to decide what is more important for a daily driver that you can do a few things to performance wise down the road. Looks> power or power> looks. BOTH cars are good cars and have a great warranty. The lancer sits a little higher and rides a little harsher, but that can be attributed to the crappy dunlops. The civic is a lot lower as far as your position in the car goes, the lancer is actually a surprisingly tall car for a "compact" sedan. Overall the lancer is a much larger vehicle, but both have their downsides. I'm honestly not sure anything we can say will really help your decision. Its all about personal preference.


PS Honda is not Acura, Acura is a US division of Honda. In Japan all the cars are badged as Honda. IE: Honda NSX, Honda RSX.

 

i dont really care what the company has done in the past. they lost all my credibility when i seen they started obviously lying to gullible lancer owners in order to make a sale, im pretty sure you know what im talking about. imo they make claims they cant back up to get people excited in the real world if you make a claim its false until proven true but it seems with them its true until proven false. i wont go into anything else because it could go on for pages. i have/had rrm products in the past so im no rrm hater.

 

Oh boy here we go again....