Yflyer

I am considering a replacement for my "war horse" 1998 Odyssey EX and thinking of going the 4-DR sedan route. I frequently carry my bicycle inside the Odyssey (If I remove one of the middle captain's chairs I can fit two bikes with the wheels on!), and need this option in a new car. I don't like exposing my other "toys" to the elements.

Thinking about a Civic, and I definitely want a manual transmission. The SI looks great and the used prices are reasonable. However, since I already have the S for the enjoyment of VTEC, I have some reservation about the MPG on the SI. Two of my daughters have the Civic LX (auto) and the 30+ mpg in DC and NoVA traffic is very enticing.

I know that several of you have SI's as daily drivers, and I also guess that there are other Civic owners. Tell me what you think. What kind of mileage does your car deliver?

Thanks,

- Marty

tof

Wait...what?

How do you remove the middle seat from a Civic?

ralper

Back in 2006, before the Si was released I placed an order for a 4 door Civic EX with a manual transmission and a Navi. My wife and son both had 2005 Civic EXs and I liked them.

Long story short, I waited two months and the dealer never got the car. It seemed that those who buy 4 door EXs and Navis don't want manual transmissions and those who buy manuals don't especially want Navis and 4 doors. In any event on the Saturday that I went to the dealer to get my deposit back he had just gotten his first Si. When I asked for the deposit back he took me to the Si and asked if I'd rather have that. I immediately said yes, even after two months of trying to convince myself that the Si wasn't practical enough.

I now have 66,000 miles on my Si and I love it. I'm thrilled that I decided to buy it. I may give it to my son in June when he gets his license. If I do, I'm going to buy a new Si. That's how much I like it.

In the 66,000 miles I've averaged 23.28 mpg (I keep track of every drop of gas and every mile). This is mostly commuting miles in traffic. My wife's EX did about 4 or 5 mpg better, but wasn't anywhere as much fun. Had I ended up with the EX I'm sure I'd be bored with it by now. My Si still puts a smile on my face.

You decide.

I love my Si.

tof

According to my rough calculations--figuring regular gas at around $2.65 and premium at $2.90 I figure the poorer mileage Rob got with his Si cost him around $275 a year. That works out to about .75 a day. That's the cost of a morning paper or a small coffee at 7-11 for the extra driving pleasure of the Si. Something to think about.

ralper

Take my word on it, I think about it all the time. Just the differential from regular to premium irritates me every time I fill up. And, I don't like the low mpg that my Si gets.

The tradeoff, of course, is the fun I get in driving the Si every day. I get bored very easily with boring cars. The Si serves my daily driving purposes perfectly and so I (with a certain amount of pain) accept the extra fuel cost of driving it.

Lainey

We're in the same boat with the WRX. Average MPG is around 23-24. BUT, Rick hates to drive "boring" cars, which is why we HAD to get the car with the turbo.

He makes his own coffee at work.

Edit: The dealership he was working for sold Subaru's it wasn't tops on the car purchasing list. However, the AWD and versatility of the hatchback have come in handy.

A 2

I've recorded around 32 MPG hwy and 25 MPG in city driving. A mix usually yields between 27-29 MPG.

You must keep in mind though, that like the S, the Si needs premium fuel as well.

canberra

'08 EX-L Navi 4 door automatic. Has 36,500 miles on it. We've gotten over 35mpg on the highway (it LIKES 70-80mph). It is an excellent road car for long trips, and while it certainly doesn't handle like an "S", it accounts for itself quite well. Suspension is taut, steering is quick and brakes are excellent. Power is adequate.... but little more.

Accurate average for those 36,500 miles is 30.2mpg.

Dunno about getting two bicycles in it, even with the rear seat folded down.

If the Si ran on regular gas, I'd have bought one.

tof

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS A DAY!

I just don't see why anyone who really enjoys driving wouldn't pay that for a better handling more powerful car.

Of course that doesn't include the difference in purchase price. I assume that an Si is a bit dearer than an EX.

A 2

I paid $19.6K plus tax and title when I bought my 08 just before they launched the 09. Mine was the base model with no NAVI or summer tires.

Honda is offering 0.9% APR now on 2011 Civic's for a 24-36 month financing period and a 1.9% APR for upto 60 months.

At that time, the Navi model was priced $1400 more than the base. I think the 2011 models could be available at the same if not lower price. The MSRP on the car I purchased was around $22K