Long-Term Road Tests
2006 Honda Civic Si
January 11, 2007
Yesterday I took our long-term Civic Si to the car wash. Nothing significant about the visit except that since the Civic has served its time in our fleet, this might be my last trip to the car wash with the revvy little Honda. Earlier this week we ran the Si through its post-fleet-duty test as we do with all long-term cars. It put down numbers nearly identical to its first test...
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- Posted by: Josh Jacquot January 11, 2007, 1:45 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
January 2, 2007
I've been driving a lot of SUVs and trucks lately, so sliding back into the Si over the weekend reminded me how fun cars are. Especially this one.
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- Posted by: J to the K January 2, 2007, 3:54 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
December 26, 2006
One year ago the Civic Si first arrived in our garage. A final visit to the test track next week makes it official, our test is over.
Nearly 20k miles between then and now stirred up a lot of talk and made the Si one of our most-blogged long-termers. If there are any more comments to share before it leaves the fleet, now is the time...
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- Posted by: Mike Schmidt December 26, 2006, 3:38 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
December 13, 2006
Here's something I've always liked about our Civic Si (and the last two generation Civics in general): the flat rear floor. I'm not the world's most coordinated person, and not having a hump to trip over when getting in the backseat makes life easier. And it's more comfortable to sit back here because your feet don't feel confined. All front-wheel-drive cars should have this kind of packaging...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches December 13, 2006, 3:18 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
December 11, 2006
In the past, I've compared the Civic Si to a BMW M3. The unfiltered connection between the Si and the road, the immediacy of the car's responses (be they to steering, throttle or brakes), the racy, ultra-supportive seats and the way the car feels as solid as a rock all remind me of an M3. More like the previous, simpler generation M3 (the '95 to '99) than the current one.
In styling, however, the Civic Si reminds me of the previous generation M coupe. That's the breadbox shaped coupe that was spun off the Z3 roadster and was made from '99 to '02. No, I haven't lost it -- it's not that the Civic Si and a '99 M coupe actually look similar. It's that I didn't like the looks of that Bimmer at all (awkwardly tall greenhouse, wagon-like rear end)...until I drove it and discovered how entertaining it was. Somehow, that changed things and now I find myself admiring some aspects of that M coupe's design, such as the view from directly behind that shows off the aggressively flared rear quarters.
The point is, sometimes a car can be so good, so much fun to drive, that it can make you accept its somewhat unattractive styling. Now, I still think the Civic is oddly proportioned, with its stubby hood and massive windshield giving the front end all the sporty pizzazz of a minivan. But like that M coupe, when I'm behind the wheel winding out the VTEC while dancing through a twisty road, she's a beauty indeed.
BTW, like some other drivers, I've noticed that the reflash has lessened the rev-hanging problem somewhat, but hasn't eliminated it entirely.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 19,326
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- Posted by: John DiPietro December 11, 2006, 11:33 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
December 8, 2006
I set out for a quick drive in our long-term Honda Civic Si this morning to see if I could detect a difference following the ECM reprogramming Brent had performed. I'm not really best editor for such a task, as I was never overly bothered by the hanging rpm effect. I think there's a slight improvement, but you still don't get a smooth drop. I know that's not the way it should be, but I got sidetracked by running the Si hard around a few corners...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches December 8, 2006, 12:25 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
December 6, 2006
I had our Honda Civic Si serviced yesterday for the hanging throttle issue that many 2006 Si owners have reported. For those readers unfamiliar with this problem, it's basically this: When making a transmission upshift, the engine's rpm doesn't immediately drop as would typically be the case with other manual-transmission cars. Rather, the 2.0-liter engine's rpm stays at the point where the driver depressed the clutch pedal and closed the throttle, and then slowly drops.
This can be annoying as it makes it harder to closely match the vehicle's engine speed to the wheel speed via the next gear when the clutch is engaged...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans December 6, 2006, 3:44 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
December 4, 2006
A few of our editors have noticed in the past that the transmission shift lever in our long-term 2006 Honda Civic Si will occasionally pop out of gear or grind when making a 2-to-3 upshift. This trait does not seem to be endemic to our car as other Civic Si owners have made forum posts about this topic. (Other six-speed manual Acura vehicles might also suffer from this problem.) It typically only happens when the transmission is cold, and I've noticed it a little more now that it's winter. Various tidbits of advice float around the internet for a possible fix; personally, I just take a little bit of extra care when shifting into 3rd...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans December 4, 2006, 11:00 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
November 27, 2006
Over the weekend I had the pleasure (if one can call it that) of driving a family relative's rented Pontiac Grand Prix. After a futile attempt to get comfortable in the GP's driver seat, I believe I said, "These seats are garbage."
In contrast, I happen to be quite fond of the seats in our long-term 2006 Honda Civic Si. Despite a lack of fancy adjustments, they're supportive during cornering and comfortable on long-distance drives. True, seat comfort is highly subjective...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans November 27, 2006, 1:59 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
November 24, 2006
Earlier this week, Karl blogged about his automotive "thank you" list. I would think for many Honda fans, the latest Civic Si would be pretty high on the list. It embodies the best Honda qualities -- it's quick, fuel efficient, well built, sharp handling, safe and pleasurable to own. I'd have to say that this is my favorite Honda car since the second-generation Honda CRX...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans November 24, 2006, 10:49 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
November 20, 2006
The sound that our 2006 Honda Civic Si makes under hard acceleration is a major contributor to its engaging personality. There are two Si-specific design elements that directly contribute to the car's aural aggressiveness.
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- Posted by: Brent Romans November 20, 2006, 11:46 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
November 17, 2006
Our 2006 Honda Civic Si is nearing 19,000 miles now. Though this isn't enough mileage to truly judge durability, I did examine the Civic's interior to see if I could find any future problem areas. Overall, it all looks pretty good. The seat fabric is still in fine condition and all of the little rubber nubs on the alloy pedals are still intact...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans November 17, 2006, 9:27 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
November 13, 2006
If anyone gets that headline, I'll mail them my AP Stylebook as a prize*. The Honda Civic Si has never quite worked out in my mind. I was part of a comparison test that had this screetcher up against the VW GTI, a car that appeals more to my tastes.
But after spending several days in the Si, not only was my hair feeling fuller and thicker, my appreciation for this little contraption blossomed as well...
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- Posted by: November 13, 2006, 5:05 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
October 23, 2006
I'm in the process of trying to find a new place to live. I currently live in Hollywood, which - in good traffic - is about 40 minutes away the Edmunds homebase here in Santa Monica. One of the neighborhoods I'm considering relocating to is the San Fernando valley. It's a move that would likely add at least 20 minutes to my commute...
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- Posted by: Warren Clarke October 23, 2006, 2:16 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
October 16, 2006
It has been a few weeks since I've plopped myself behind the seat of our long-term Civic Si for a weekend. The last time I did, I hadn't yet seen or driven the Mazdaspeed3.
Rear seat access: The Civic's "walk-in" rear seat access is mighty slick. My ten-year-old daughter frequently gripes when I bring home a two door, banished as she is, by mom's strict adherence to the "rear seat until they're 16" policy, or whatever it is. I swear that my daughter's first experience in the front seat will occur when she's learning to drive...
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- Posted by: Dan Edmunds October 16, 2006, 7:51 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
October 10, 2006
I love Tuesdays. Why? Because that's the day I get to drive my two-year old to preschool and listen to her describe the world to me in her usual, unfiltered and precious way from her perspective strapped in the back seat. She points to the ten-foot-diameter 1950s-era metal donut atop a local shop, and (because she's never actually eaten a donut) says, "Bagel, Daddy. Big bagel!" Okay, so that's not as cute as some of the other things she's said. But I also hate Tuesdays because after kissing my daughter good-bye in Garden Grove, I find myself at the wrong end of a 37-mile commute to Santa Monica which an online mapping site says should take 32 minutes. Guess again...
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- Posted by: Chris Walton October 10, 2006, 3:49 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
October 9, 2006
Drive the new Honda Civic Si long enough and you'll get used to the somewhat unorthadox gauge cluster. I know I have, but I also can't deny the effect of having three major focal points in my driving experience (versus the more traditional two). The tachometer, the speedo and the road ahead are all at different distances, so if you're driving aggressively you have to re-focus everytime you switch between them. If you're 19 you probably won't notice this, as the human eye focuses almost instantly at that age...
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- Posted by: Karl Brauer October 9, 2006, 8:41 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
October 5, 2006
I spent most of last weekend driving around in a Mazdaspeed 3 (actually, it was an MPS because this was in Germany), and as Josh noted in the full road test, this is a very impressive car for the money -- loaded with torque (280 lb-ft), fearsome through corners thanks its limited-slip differential and stable at high speeds. It's enough to make you wonder if the Civic Si, which is only about $1,100 cheaper and has only half the torque (139 lb-ft), is really worth considering now that this Mazda exists.
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- Posted by: Erin Riches October 5, 2006, 1:29 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
October 2, 2006
After driving around Europe all last week, I can see why they love cars like the Civic Si. It fits through narrow streets, handles twisty roads with ease and gets decent mileage along the way. It does all the same things back in L.A. but here it's a matter of convenience rather than necessity...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig October 2, 2006, 10:03 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
September 25, 2006
This was an unseasonably warm weekend here in L.A. with temps near 90 and the sun shining brightly most of the time. Not really something to complain about, eh? However, while driving the Civic Si I noticed that the cabin seemed to heat up pretty quickly when the car was parked. The chief culprit is most likely the massive windshield, which, like that of a minivan or Lamborghini Murcielago (never thought those two would be mentioned in the same sentence!) is so steeply raked that it continues quite a ways over the cabin.
The big windscreen is great for outward visibility, but the result is a "greenhouse effect" that admits a lot of sunlight, and hence passive solar heating, into the cabin. Great in the winter time, not so much on a hot day.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 15,830 miles.
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- Posted by: John DiPietro September 25, 2006, 4:05 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
September 22, 2006
No, I'm not talking about see-through swimwear, but rather the apparent invisibility of that big digital speedo when driving with headlights on during daylight hours.
Last week, six of us were driving six sport compact cars up to Monterey as part of a comparison test. It was a bright sunny day, and I was driving the Civic Si as we passed through one of California's "Daytime Headlight Use Required" sections. When I dutifully turned on the headlights, the speedo disappeared. Even after I stripped off my sunglasses, I couldn't make it out.
Since Daytime Headlight Use sections are located on historically dangerous roads, I figure the ability to see how fast I'm going would be a good thing. And since California now has a law on the books requiring headlights to be on whenever the windshield wipers are, the need for daytime headlight use increases.
As I shot these pictures, it was quite overcast -- as it might be on a drizzly day. The effect you see above is even worse in bright sun, as it was last week when the display totally vanished.
But today, I found that Honda thought of this, and provided a way for drivers to deal with the situation.
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- Posted by: Dan Edmunds September 22, 2006, 4:23 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
August 31, 2006
As Donna noted in a previous post, the Honda Civic Si's audio system is pretty "mega." In times past, I relied on its auxiliary input mini-jack port for my audio listening pleasure. But this situation ended yesterday when my Iriver MP3 player developed a fatal flaw. Thankfully, our Civic offers a number of different audio choices: regular radio, XM satellite radio and a CD player that can play MP3 or WMA files. I was happy about the availability of the latter because my music collection is in Microsoft's WMA format...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans August 31, 2006, 9:22 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
August 28, 2006
Last night, I dreamt that I used our Honda Civic Si to tow a car trailer loaded with a full-size Chevy pickup. I recall being quite excited about the prospect of posting a blog entry concerning this rather amazing feat.
Alas, company policy is such that we can only write about real events, not made up stuff.
In fact, the Civic was idle for much of the weekend...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans August 28, 2006, 8:48 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
August 24, 2006
The majority of cars have small hooks in back that can be used to hold clothes hangers. While they're fine for a single hanger (hanging up your suit jacket while driving, for instance), I've often found them to be inadequately small for holding a bundle of clothes picked up at a dry cleaners. Our Honda Civic Si, however, bucks the trend. Its hooks flip down from a recessed position and are big enough to hold four or five hangers without a problem...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans August 24, 2006, 8:01 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
August 21, 2006
A couple readers of our 2006 Honda Civic Si blog have mentioned the availability of a new ECU reflash. Performed at a Honda dealership, this software update is said to reduce (but not necessarily eliminate) the car's annoying attributes of slow-speed jerkiness and hanging rpm between shifts. Both are niggling problems we've noted previously.
A check on Edmunds' maintenance schedule and TSB (technical service bulletin) finder does not show a TSB for this specific problem...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans August 21, 2006, 9:55 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
August 18, 2006
Although the transmission shifter in our long-term Honda Civic Si has received plenty of praise, I did discover a downside to its fancy, Si-specific metallic knob: it can get very hot to the touch. Yeah, OK, that's a pretty obvious observation. (Metal gets hot? No way, Brent!) But this is the reason why most manual transmission shifters are leather-wrapped...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans August 18, 2006, 9:20 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
August 16, 2006
I knew I wasn't going to see our Civic Si for a while (it's going to spend the next couple weeks in Fresno, CA), so this morning I got up a little earlier than usual to take it on a real drive. With no caffeine in my system, my inputs behind the wheel were a little sluggish, even sloppy, but the car's limited-slip differential kept lifting my spirits, kicking the front end around amidst mild protest from the all-season Michelins. The steering in this car feels light, maybe a little too light, but it's so quick and accurate, I can hardly complain. I wouldn't mind if the throws between gears were a little shorter, though -- no question, shifting this car is fun, but I feel like I have to move the lever too far from gate to gate...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches August 16, 2006, 11:47 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 31, 2006
The Honda Civic Si as a runabout for the city? Fun. The Si as a canyon carver? Funner!..
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- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla July 31, 2006, 10:11 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 26, 2006
I got in our Civic Si last night to run a few errands and got out of it annoyed. The throttle is touchy, the steering oddly weighted and the clutch take up hard to pin. In other words, the Si isn't the easiest car to drive when you just want to get from one parking lot to another. I managed to work in a twisty road the next morning and suddenly remembered all the reasons why most people like the Si...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig July 26, 2006, 5:29 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 24, 2006
Boy, do I love driving the Si. Its shifts are short and only require a light touch to rein in its 197 horses. It's definitely a car whose capabilities are best realized on curvy canyon roads. But every time I've driven it, I notice that unless I shove the gear into 3rd, the stickshift won't snick into place causing me to grind the gear...
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- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla July 24, 2006, 2:30 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 21, 2006
After spending several days with the Solstice, it was a shocker to get into the Civic Si last night. It was like my hands had gotten too slow to drive this car. It has amazingly quick steering and turn-in response for a $20,000 sport coupe. Nudge the wheel off center and the Si has rounded the corner before your brain can fully process the move...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches July 21, 2006, 12:17 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 17, 2006
Stick-shift vehicles are fun, but let's face it, they aren't always a hoot when experienced around the city. Their natural habitat is the open road. When faced with the drudgery of gridlock, their pleasures evaporate like morning dew, and all you're left with are aching calf muscles and fuel for your road-rage fire.
Not so with the Civic Si. Its short shifts pepper even the dullest commute with a hint of excitement...
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- Posted by: Warren Clarke July 17, 2006, 12:20 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 10, 2006
Mustang's Boss 302, Corvette's LT-1 350, Mazda's RX-series rotary...Civic Si's 2.0?! In the pantheon of great, rev-happy engines, the Civic Si's is as deserving a spot in the hall of fame as any other. Although the Si makes decent pull all around, it's when the needle sweeps past six grand (and the i-VTEC system kicks in) that the real fun begins. The engine's previously subtle growl gets urgent, almost sounding angry as the tach's needle blazes towards 8,000 rpm. The rapid rush of newfound acceleration makes it feel as if the car suddenly sprouted a turbocharger at full boost. And the other 70 percent of the time when you're not flat-footing it to redline? The Si is happy to serve as a docile, 30 mpg commuter.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor
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- Posted by: John DiPietro July 10, 2006, 2:53 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
July 7, 2006
One of the first things that attracted me to the 2006 Honda Civic Si, aside from its feverish personality on the road, is its incredible amount of interior storage space. Obviously, it's the same setup as in other Civics, but this is the only sportscar I've ever driven that has as many storage slots as an Accord. The two cupholders in the the console can hold anything from a cup of coffee to a 1.5-liter bottle of water securely, and the slot in front of them is perfectly sized for a cell phone...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches July 7, 2006, 10:56 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 30, 2006
With the instrumented signal flare ablaze beside the tachometer, we knew it wouldn't be long before we crossed paths with the local Honda dealer. It was time for our Civic's 10k mile service.
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- Posted by: Mike Schmidt June 30, 2006, 2:25 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 27, 2006
At some point during my commute home last night, our Civic Si reached the 10,000 mile mark. I think it happened somewhere in Torrance, within sight of Honda HQ. I'm not certain of the exact spot, because while the Honda's mechanicals celebrated their anniversary, the LCD odometer display instead presented me with a scolding numerical reminder of the number of miles overdue we are for an oil change, accompanied by the dreaded maintenance required wrench icon.
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- Posted by: Dan Edmunds June 27, 2006, 7:57 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 26, 2006
Normally, a low-slung compact car is a poor choice for hiking trips. Not this trip. The roads in and nearby Yosemite National Park are sinuous temptations of blacktop begging for a thrashing. Trailheads are a stone's throw from the road, so the tires never even touch dirt...
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- Posted by: J to the K June 26, 2006, 10:35 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 19, 2006
I listen to my iPod any chance I get, which is why I find the MP3/Auxillary jack in the Civic Si to be so great. OK, so the little things make me happy. But what's not to like? The jack input is located on the dash just below the radio and surrounded by storage compartments... almost as if Honda expected driver's to plug into the jack, store their MP3 on the convenient shelf beside it, and crank up the tunes...
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- Posted by: Mike Schmidt June 19, 2006, 2:53 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 15, 2006
I've heard all the arguments against the unorthodox, "stacked" gauges in the new Civic:
-Speedometer should be analog, not digital, because the human brain can process an analog display faster.
-Tachometer should be on the top, not the bottom, because you want it at eye level when you're driving hard.
-And, depending on how tall you are and how you sit, the steering wheel may block part of the tach...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches June 15, 2006, 11:05 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 14, 2006
Yesterday, I drove our long-term 2006 Honda Civic Si from central California to our offices in Santa Monica, Calif. I had a great time with the car for the entire 300-mile trip. It was zippy in urban traffic, comfortable during the multi-hour highway stint and, the pièce de résistance, a full-on grin inducer during a detour I took to drive on 20 miles of empty canyon road.
After this, I recalled a comment made in this car's introduction that described our car as a "poor man's [BMW] M3." It's an astute observation as the Civic Si — just like the M3 — makes few compromises in everyday versatility for its enhanced performance...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 14, 2006, 7:55 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 9, 2006
One cosmetic issue I've noticed with our 2006 Honda Civic Si is the tendency for exhaust soot to quickly build up on the factory muffler's exhaust tip. You can see in the photo how dark soot attaches itself to the lower part of the tip. To clean it up, I first tried using a sponge and soapy water. This removed a majority of the soot but some of it still remained directly bonded to the metal...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 9, 2006, 9:24 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 7, 2006
Onions, everywhere! I recently used Inside Line's Civic Si for a bit of grocery shopping and noticed that the trunk of our car doesn't have any method for securing plastic grocery bags full of food. After returning home, much of the bags' contents had spilled out and were now rolling about in the trunk.
Honda does offer a cargo net as an accessory for the Civic coupe but our car doesn't have it...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 7, 2006, 11:15 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
June 2, 2006
We recently posted an article on Inside Line's future vehicles page about the 2008 Honda Civic Type R. This will be Europe's version of America's Civic Si. A few years ago, I was able to drive the previous-generation Type R in England. Naturally, relying on a three-year-old memory does not make for a very relevant comparison test...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 2, 2006, 12:13 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 30, 2006
I used our long-term 2006 Honda Civic Si for some long-distance travel over the Memorial Day weekend. It was a 290-mile trip, the vast majority of which was highway driving. Highway speeds were what I'd describe as, "with the flow of traffic." The result? A not-too-shabby 28.9-mpg average...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans May 30, 2006, 8:50 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 25, 2006
Got back from a long plane trip this week and realized I hadn't been behind the wheel of a car in 72 hours(!). A trip to the grocery store to buy milk turned into a 40-mile drive, as soon I heard the Si's front tires chirp while accelerating away from a stoplight. I think that one sound is what I find most endearing about Si -- it's like the car is starting a conversation with me. Next thing I know I'm at full throttle and not about to upshift until redline...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches May 25, 2006, 6:18 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 22, 2006
I am happy to report that our Civic Si is back on-line. Presumably because the car is so new, none of the dealers we called had pads or rotors in stock. As a result, the Si had to wait a day for its surgery until the parts came in. Cost: $276.71.
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- Posted by: Dan Edmunds May 22, 2006, 8:28 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 18, 2006
Short of frying its brakes, the Si proved itself as a potent track car on Monday. Fitted with Kumho's DOT-legal race rubber the Civic reinfored its place as a momentum car on the track by ticking off lap times that were more "German performance car" than "Japanese econobox." Going quickly was a combination of restraint and trust.
We'd hit the thermal capacity of brake system after only a few laps and were forced to use "enduro mode" to keep the car on the track -- lengthening braking zones became mandatory. Resisting the urge to threshold brake wasn't easy, but trust in the tires and the Civic's impressive dynamics made the medium pace entertaining. The Si's sharp steering response, awesome stability through high-speed corners, light clutch and perfect shifter made it easy to find a rhythm that would last an entire 20-minute session. Fun too...
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- Posted by: Josh Jacquot May 18, 2006, 9:36 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 16, 2006
We take Inside Line's long-term Civic Si to the track and learn the best (and worst) part about lapping Honda's hot rod.
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- Posted by: Josh Jacquot May 16, 2006, 11:26 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 12, 2006
Back in the L-T Civic Si after a fairly long layoff. I was again struck by how much spirit this engine has. The clutch action is so light and the drivetrain really leaps the car into action. There's some taut rubberbandiness in the powerband, and the steering wants to snap back to center, but other than that this car is a joy...
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- Posted by: May 12, 2006, 12:27 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
The speed at which MP3 inputs and Satellite radio have gone from zero-to-essential is remarkable. I never travel to work without my trusty iPod, and I find myself listening to satellite radio more than I ever expected - even when travelling locally where my "favorite" radio stations come in clearly. Since our long term Civic Si sports both features, I'm happy to drive it in my dreary bumper-to-bumper commute. But there is a SIRIUS problem.
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- Posted by: Dan Edmunds May 12, 2006, 11:04 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 10, 2006
Honda knows how to load up an audio system for the Civic Si's youthful and sporty target market.
With a 197-horsepower spunky coupe, you gotta be able to rock out to your favorite indie tunes. So this audio system is capable of playing WMA files and has a jack to plug in your MP3 player. If you add the navigation system, there's also a digital audio card reader and CD text display...
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- Posted by: Donna DeRosa May 10, 2006, 12:53 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
May 8, 2006
It was only because Scott Oldham once mentioned this that I've even noticed it, but the Civic Si does exhibit some annoying throttle overrun. In other words the car doesn't respond to lifting off the throttle in stop-and-go traffic by immediately slowing. Instead, there's a moment of what feels like free fall as the computer gradually closes the throttle and the car eventually begins to slow. While this tendency is not as pronounced as I've ever witnessed--the worst offender was the SVT Focus--it still makes driving in traffic a bit less brainless than it could/should be...
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- Posted by: Kelly Toepke May 8, 2006, 11:32 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
I blasted the Civic up a challenging road in the middle of Angeles Forest over the weekend, and was pleasantly surprised at the willingness of the chassis to play along. It actually works better the harder you push it. Around town the driveability of the drive-by-wire throttle is a bit wonky, and the steering is too nonlinear right around center. This all melts away when pounding it through a series of bends, the suspension taking various road surfaces in stride...
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- Posted by: Kelly Toepke May 8, 2006, 11:22 AM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
April 27, 2006
Although not exactly direct competitors, the Pontiac Solstice and Honda Civic Si are both cars that fun-loving enthusiasts spending 20 to 25 grand may consider. I've been driving both quite a bit lately and I'm struck by how the too-much-fun Civic is light years ahead of the Solstice in the refinement area. Want examples? How about the way the Honda's engine eagerly spins as if its reciprocating and rotating parts are Teflon-coated titanium as opposed to the Solstice's engine that feels as though it's lubricated with molasses and saddled with a 100-pound flywheel?..
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- Posted by: Kelly Toepke April 27, 2006, 1:51 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
April 23, 2006
For several years now it's been an undeniable fact that just about every car on the market is "good" or "nice." That means you can't go terribly wrong with almost any new car purchase, but the trick is to find the cars the stretch beyond "good" and "nice" and close in on that most elusive automotive status -- "perfect." Honda's new Si does just that. You know this as soon as you let the clutch out and feel the progressive engagement that seems to "perfectly" match your intuitive sense of how a sporty clutch should feel. Same with the seating position -- as well as the supportive-yet-comfortable seats themselves -- both are as close to "perfect" as anything this side of $50,000.
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- Posted by: Karl Brauer April 23, 2006, 6:30 PM
- Categories: 2006 Honda Civic Si
