A790
06-12-2005, 07:47 PM
Please note that this review is unbiased and not related to the one that AsianCaucasian posted earlier. Some of our opinions differ, but in no way is it my intention to disrespect or undermine his.
***
After reading a review here on Beyond about the 2003 SiR, I decided to go out and test drive one and conduct my own. I had never driven one prior, but I had always assumed that the handling and performance would be comparable to my 1999 SiR. I had driven a few RSX's, powered by the K20, and felt that the performance was adequate enough. I have decided to compare the 2004 SiR to my old 99, the RSX, and my current Silvia.
First Impressions
I will admit, I've always been partial to a hatchback. I've always been a stereo guy, and the hatchback has always been my chassis of choice. The current SiR's hatch is pretty decent looking in stock form, though I find it's appeal is enhanced by leaps and bounds when it's lowered. The stock rims certainly do the ride justice, giving it a racey, if somewhat futuristic, look.
The car appears to be a bit high at first glance, though it's height is appreciated when entering or exiting the car. The low seating position offers a "go-kart" like feel.
I've always had high expectations for Hondas sport coupes, and my expectations for this hatch are no different. You certainly don't see many of them cruising around, adding to the novelty and appeal of the car.
Interior
The interior of the car feels the same as every other Civic I've ever been in: ergonomic, somewhat roomy and comfortable. It certainly is attractive, with a good choice of materials and a pretty well laid out dash.
Unlike most, I actually like the rally-style shifter. I feel it adds to the uniqueness of the vehicle and I found it easy enough to operate.
There is a lot of visibility with the standard blind spots, though they were not as apparent as with some vehicles.
The stock stereo is easy enough to use and provides a pretty good sound experience. The bass notes come through clear enough without distorting the speakers, and the highs do not sound tinny or tired. Overall, a pretty decent stock setup.
Driving
It wasn't until I started driving the car until I got mixed feelings about it. Acceleration wasn't neck-snapping, though it certainly was no slouch. Acceleration from feel felt very similar to my old 1999 SiR, though the old SiR felt a bit quicker. i-Vtec's engagement was quite noticeable, in both engine tone and the feel of the car. It provided a nice little push, but was not over the top.
Launching the car is not exceptionally difficult, though there is some wheel-hop if the clutch is slipped too aggressively. A decent limited slip would probably help the take off of the vehicle.
Winding the high-revving engine out might seem like a bore for some people, but I find it to be very satisfying. The sound of the K20 at 6000+ RPM was music to my ears as I flung the car around (and enjoyed every minute of it). Throttle response was solid at mid-high rpm, and it was easy to match the gear to the desired output of the engine.
The clutch felt a little of the soft side; I can see how it may be difficult for someone without a lot of experience with a manual transmission to become comfortable with it. Braking was decent, though there are no broken records with this car.
The suspension felt a bit softer than I was expecting. I was dissapointed in the amount of body roll that I experience driving this car. I understand that the suspension needs to be soft enough to get an enjoyable ride, but I feel that since this vehicle is Honda's "Hot hatch" that it should have been more performance oriented. I think they missed the mark on this aspect.
[/b]Conclusion...[/b]
I feel the new SiR is a capable and enjoyable machine. I do feel that there are aspects that Honda mis-judged and could be improved upon.
Fuel economy seemed alright. I had the vehicle for around half an hour, driving it hard for 90% of the time. The fuel gage didn't move much.
Pros:
- Nice looking.
- Decent acceleration and handling.
- Comfortable interior.
- Decent stereo.
- Fuel economy.
Cons:
- Suspension was too soft.
- Inadequate clutch pedal feel.
- Not as quick as I had hoped.
- Too much body roll.
Comparisons
1999 Civic SiR. I felt the comparison was more between the two Civics, as one generation gave way to another.
- The 1999 SiR felt faster.
- The 1999 SiR looks better (in my opinion)
- The 1999 SiR had stiffer suspension and less body roll.
+ The 2004 SiR had a more useable power band.
+ The 2004 SiR had better visibility.
+ The 2004 SiR still has a warrenty ;)
+ The 2004 SiR gets better fuel economy (from what I've read).
1990 Nissan Silvia K. I know it's comparing apples to oranges, but I thought I'd add this anyway. The horsepower numbers are within 20 of each other.
- The Silvia has considerably better acceleration.
- The Silvia has a much better powerband; useable from 2500 rpm on.
- The Silvia has stiffer suspension and a tighter turning radius.
+ The 2004 SiR has more interior room.
+ The 2004 has higher quality materials.
+ The 2004 SiR *should* be more reliable given that it's naturally aspirated, and that it's a Honda ;).
+- The 2004 SiR is FWD (better in winter, worse for acceleration- hence the "+-")
I would recommend this car to someone who was looking for a good perfoming car who didn't mind putting money into a couple of aftermarket go-fast goodies to bring the car to what it should have been. A definate tuner vehicle (this car is just begging for boost), and a fairly enjoyable one at that.
- A790
***
After reading a review here on Beyond about the 2003 SiR, I decided to go out and test drive one and conduct my own. I had never driven one prior, but I had always assumed that the handling and performance would be comparable to my 1999 SiR. I had driven a few RSX's, powered by the K20, and felt that the performance was adequate enough. I have decided to compare the 2004 SiR to my old 99, the RSX, and my current Silvia.
First Impressions
I will admit, I've always been partial to a hatchback. I've always been a stereo guy, and the hatchback has always been my chassis of choice. The current SiR's hatch is pretty decent looking in stock form, though I find it's appeal is enhanced by leaps and bounds when it's lowered. The stock rims certainly do the ride justice, giving it a racey, if somewhat futuristic, look.
The car appears to be a bit high at first glance, though it's height is appreciated when entering or exiting the car. The low seating position offers a "go-kart" like feel.
I've always had high expectations for Hondas sport coupes, and my expectations for this hatch are no different. You certainly don't see many of them cruising around, adding to the novelty and appeal of the car.
Interior
The interior of the car feels the same as every other Civic I've ever been in: ergonomic, somewhat roomy and comfortable. It certainly is attractive, with a good choice of materials and a pretty well laid out dash.
Unlike most, I actually like the rally-style shifter. I feel it adds to the uniqueness of the vehicle and I found it easy enough to operate.
There is a lot of visibility with the standard blind spots, though they were not as apparent as with some vehicles.
The stock stereo is easy enough to use and provides a pretty good sound experience. The bass notes come through clear enough without distorting the speakers, and the highs do not sound tinny or tired. Overall, a pretty decent stock setup.
Driving
It wasn't until I started driving the car until I got mixed feelings about it. Acceleration wasn't neck-snapping, though it certainly was no slouch. Acceleration from feel felt very similar to my old 1999 SiR, though the old SiR felt a bit quicker. i-Vtec's engagement was quite noticeable, in both engine tone and the feel of the car. It provided a nice little push, but was not over the top.
Launching the car is not exceptionally difficult, though there is some wheel-hop if the clutch is slipped too aggressively. A decent limited slip would probably help the take off of the vehicle.
Winding the high-revving engine out might seem like a bore for some people, but I find it to be very satisfying. The sound of the K20 at 6000+ RPM was music to my ears as I flung the car around (and enjoyed every minute of it). Throttle response was solid at mid-high rpm, and it was easy to match the gear to the desired output of the engine.
The clutch felt a little of the soft side; I can see how it may be difficult for someone without a lot of experience with a manual transmission to become comfortable with it. Braking was decent, though there are no broken records with this car.
The suspension felt a bit softer than I was expecting. I was dissapointed in the amount of body roll that I experience driving this car. I understand that the suspension needs to be soft enough to get an enjoyable ride, but I feel that since this vehicle is Honda's "Hot hatch" that it should have been more performance oriented. I think they missed the mark on this aspect.
[/b]Conclusion...[/b]
I feel the new SiR is a capable and enjoyable machine. I do feel that there are aspects that Honda mis-judged and could be improved upon.
Fuel economy seemed alright. I had the vehicle for around half an hour, driving it hard for 90% of the time. The fuel gage didn't move much.
Pros:
- Nice looking.
- Decent acceleration and handling.
- Comfortable interior.
- Decent stereo.
- Fuel economy.
Cons:
- Suspension was too soft.
- Inadequate clutch pedal feel.
- Not as quick as I had hoped.
- Too much body roll.
Comparisons
1999 Civic SiR. I felt the comparison was more between the two Civics, as one generation gave way to another.
- The 1999 SiR felt faster.
- The 1999 SiR looks better (in my opinion)
- The 1999 SiR had stiffer suspension and less body roll.
+ The 2004 SiR had a more useable power band.
+ The 2004 SiR had better visibility.
+ The 2004 SiR still has a warrenty ;)
+ The 2004 SiR gets better fuel economy (from what I've read).
1990 Nissan Silvia K. I know it's comparing apples to oranges, but I thought I'd add this anyway. The horsepower numbers are within 20 of each other.
- The Silvia has considerably better acceleration.
- The Silvia has a much better powerband; useable from 2500 rpm on.
- The Silvia has stiffer suspension and a tighter turning radius.
+ The 2004 SiR has more interior room.
+ The 2004 has higher quality materials.
+ The 2004 SiR *should* be more reliable given that it's naturally aspirated, and that it's a Honda ;).
+- The 2004 SiR is FWD (better in winter, worse for acceleration- hence the "+-")
I would recommend this car to someone who was looking for a good perfoming car who didn't mind putting money into a couple of aftermarket go-fast goodies to bring the car to what it should have been. A definate tuner vehicle (this car is just begging for boost), and a fairly enjoyable one at that.
- A790