To accommodate an expanding family, I am bidding farewell to my 6-speed MINI Cooper Hardtop and picking up a new 4-door sedan next week. As I was choosing a new car, my criteria were as follows:
Must have: 4 doors, manual transmission
Preferable: Compact, fuel efficient, fun to drive, AWD, hatch
Budget: Around $30K
Right off the bat, I learned (with help from the folks here) that Stick+AWD=Slim Pickings. VW Tiguan and Mazda CX-5 are available with stick, but only in base-level FWD trim which, for me, largely undermines the appeal of a crossover. Subaru Forester comes with AWD and 6-speed manual, but fell short on shifter feel and fun-to-drive-ness. MINI Countryman checked all the right boxes, but two years of MINI quirkiness were enough for me.
Since my wife and I already have an AWD SUV in our household for practical needs, I decided to cross AWD and hatch off my wish list. That opened up a number of possibilities including a pristine 2009 BMW 328i xDrive that I would have bought if not for concerns about long-term reliability. VW GTI drove and shifted well, but reliability once again was a concern. Acura's ILX 2.4L and TSX Special Edition were contenders, but I couldn't quite see the value proposition.
In the end, I bought a 2013 Honda Civic Si which shares the same - or at least, very similar - naturally-aspirated, 2.4L, 201-hp, 4-cylinder powerplant as the two Acuras I mentioned. While it does not check all the boxes on my original wish list, it delivers the important ones. It also has an absolutely heavenly clutch/shifter feel. I am not crazy about the silly spoiler, but it's a small gripe that I can live with.
One thing I learned from my search is that manual transmissions are still out there, but they are becoming second-class citizens relegated to lower-trim levels within a given model. Civic Si bucks the trend by being available exclusively with 6-speed manual transmission, and by offering premium-trim goodies like an upgraded engine, sharper suspension and steering, fancier wheels, moonroof, optional navigation, etc.
One thing I will miss about my MINI is its tight handling and unbelievable, bolted-to-rails cornering ability. On twisty roads, I knew that no one this side of a Porsche 911 could beat me. On the other hand, my passengers will not miss having their spines shattered with every bump in the road.
I don't have any live photos of the Civic yet, but down below are some stock images from "The Internet."
Liking the new Si...congrats. Looks like a fun ride. Wished there is a rear spoiler delete option...at least for the sedan, but at least it's a more conservative design than the previous gen's funky rear spoiler.
Thanks guys. Yes, the Acura ILX is Civic-based. In particular, the manual-only ILX 2.4L 201-hp trim appears to be a reskinned Civic Si, with nicer amenities but same engine and transmission. As a result, it seems to suffer from a bit of an identity crisis, being stuck halfway between econobox and luxury territory. As for the Si's rear wing, it would be nice if buyers could opt out of it - I don't usually like spoilers on sedans - but I'll get used to it.
That wing is mild by today's standards, but if you'd rather see it gone, make it go away. Then you'll have a unique car without having to bolt on all manner of ugly crud that people like to do. Like six said, have a body shop fill the holes. Any decent body shop can make it so you'd never know it had anything there before.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT
Put your car in your sig!
Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
Thanks for all the spoiler advice! Good to know I have some options. I'll leave it in place for now and see how it goes.
potownrob - I hear you on the GTI, which often gets cross-shopped with the Si. GTI seems to have more low-end torque and bigger storage capacity thanks to its hatch. The Si had crisper clutch/shift action plus a better reputation for reliability. (I remember the GTI having longer clutch travel and a shifter that was literally longer.) Price and performance specs are similar on paper. Appearance is always subjective, but to me, both cars look purposeful and are stealthy enough to fly under the radar, which was important. Build quality seemed solid on both, with perhaps a slight edge going to the Si (against my preconceived notions) based on the quality of its seats, the feel of its compartments and switches, little things like that. How's that for overanalyzing? Really, I could easily be happy with either one.
bk7794 - Seems like you're a Civic fan. Do you really have 308K on your 1991 Civic?!
Will do. I drove it home from the dealer last night, but now I am out of town for a few days. I'll take some photos when I get back. It's the same gray color as in the stock photos I posted earlier.
Boston Fit wrote:Thanks for all the spoiler advice! Good to know I have some options. I'll leave it in place for now and see how it goes.
potownrob - I hear you on the GTI, which often gets cross-shopped with the Si. GTI seems to have more low-end torque and bigger storage capacity thanks to its hatch. The Si had crisper clutch/shift action plus a better reputation for reliability. (I remember the GTI having longer clutch travel and a shifter that was literally longer.) Price and performance specs are similar on paper. Appearance is always subjective, but to me, both cars look purposeful and are stealthy enough to fly under the radar, which was important. Build quality seemed solid on both, with perhaps a slight edge going to the Si (against my preconceived notions) based on the quality of its seats, the feel of its compartments and switches, little things like that. How's that for overanalyzing? Really, I could easily be happy with either one.
bk7794 - Seems like you're a Civic fan. Do you really have 308K on your 1991 Civic?!
Firs of all, congrats on the new car, great choice!
Seems to me like a Golf R would have checked all your boxes except for price. It is limited production so maybe a little harder to find also.
GTI would have been a great choice as well, especially the new one that's supposed to be coming out next year. I also disagree that the build quality/interior materials on the SI is better than the GTI. The GTI literally has the same interior quality of an Audi. I don't see how a civic can match that. In any case, SI is a good drivers car and you can't go wrong with that. Just watch out when that Vtec kicks in yo!
Boston Fit wrote:
bk7794 - Seems like you're a Civic fan. Do you really have 308K on your 1991 Civic?!
I do! I think it rolled over to 310k. Been a bit since I have driven it. Transmissions shifts good, 4th gear syncro was starting to get a little scratchy but still went in fine. The body is rusting pretty bad though. Still got in the high 30s for fuel economy.
113k
