Been trying to decide between a 2007 Si Coupe and a 2007 Mazda Miata.I know the Si will be faster,but I think the Miata will be more fun.Anyway,I've been reading some stuff around some of the forums that makes the new Civics sound somewhat problematic compared to the older ones.I want a good car,and Honda is supposed to be tops in reliability,but sometimes I wonder if their quality is going down(like everything else these days).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Been trying to decide between a 2007 Si Coupe and a 2007 Mazda Miata.I know the Si will be faster,but I think the Miata will be more fun.Anyway,I've been reading some stuff around some of the forums that makes the new Civics sound somewhat problematic compared to the older ones.I want a good car,and Honda is supposed to be tops in reliability,but sometimes I wonder if their quality is going down(like everything else these days).</TD></TR></TABLE>

Where do you live? These two carsyour comparing are in very different leagues. 2 Seat convertable, compared to a 5 seater sport compact.....

Anyhow These Hondas will be just as reliable as civics from the past. Every manufacturer has to work the bugs out in the first couple years of a model run.

 

i tried fitting 5 people in my car....it didnt work

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by N4me (06civicsi) &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i tried fitting 5 people in my car....it didnt work</TD></TR></TABLE>

It works slightly better than doing it in a 2 seater though huh?

I have fit four comfortably.

 

I don't even think i could fit in a Miata. Those things are too damn small.

 

depends how tall they are... i fit six in my car once but the average height of the passengers was probably 5'7"

 

I thought a miata would outrun any new civic... being that it is so small and light.

Anyways, I've never liked the miatas. The only mazda i ever liked was the Mazda 6 5-door. Either way, honda for resale value over mazda any day

 

Stock to stock a Miata would take a civic off the line, but after that it's a totally different story.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Been trying to decide between a 2007 Si Coupe and a 2007 Mazda Miata.I know the Si will be faster,but I think the Miata will be more fun.Anyway,I've been reading some stuff around some of the forums that makes the new Civics sound somewhat problematic compared to the older ones.I want a good car,and Honda is supposed to be tops in reliability,but sometimes I wonder if their quality is going down(like everything else these days).</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL!!! honda # 1 FTW noting else bro

on reliable resale and safety and of course fun

 

my older brother had a miata protege 5, and my oldest brother had an MPV. both vehicles had problems. to mazda's reliability!

 

We have no way of knowing the true long term reliablity of the new SI compared to say a 92-95 SI. Most new cars have bugs or items fixed under warranty then have a trouble free life and the new cars i'm sure are no exception.

I've had a few little bugs with my almost 30k mile 06 EX but nothing any different than any other new car from Honda in recent memory.

 

i have a 97 ek hatch i've had since 98, and an 04 si i've had since new. It's got 70k on it and I am considering moving on to an 07 si sedan since saab stopped the 92x aero deal and the 93x sportcombi aero is a billion dollars...

i really do not like many things about the new civics vs. the older ones. I understand technology and progression, but so many factors are in play now that were not before, including incredibly convoluted labor to do stuff like change the clutch, and little failures that simply did not occur in the older pieces (like clutch master cylinder to name one), model run times considered. I am sure that Hondas in general are still at the top of the reliability list, but compared to the older units, i really do not think they are as robust and/or as well built/designed as previous gens.

unfortunately, buyers looking for new sub-25k practical sporty cars (practical=4dr, hatch, wagon) don't have that much else to choose from so the si sedan is at the top of my list....



Modified by builthatch at 12:50 AM 1/15/2007

 

I've had my 06 for 10 years now without a glitch......

 

OT but if you must have a 2 seat ragtop....

S2000 &gt;&gt; Miata

I live in Utah so I have to supplement the S...that said, if I had to choose and the environment did not play a part in the decision, I'd probably pick the S over the Si, but it would be a HARD choice to make. There have been sunny days when I have chosen to drive the Si, and still had fun.

 

miata is the cheap way to go RWD .. obviously S2000 &gt; miata's .. but on the track .. i'd probably have more fun driving the miata than an Si .. i autocrossed the mx-5 .. pretty fun .. gotta love RWDs. For an FWD, the Si is pretty adequate with it's upgraded brakes, k20, and LSD tranny.

 

The '06 Si outdoes the '06 MX-5 Miata in the slalom. Rated from both edmunds and motortrend.

 

Yeah man Honda all the way...

 

Well if you're talking about the problems that arise quite often on HT you got to remember that we are a site only about Hondas and a lot of people on here are picky and really beat their cars. So as some people felt the "loose" in the accelerator due to the DBW, you may not feel it as much as some other people did, and etc. You need to be considering the fact that you're also reading the forum about 06+ civics so its normal that there are more people with problems with the new civic in here that there would be on a site that there are many manufacturers and such (i.e. speedsociety). Overall you'd be better off getting the honda because the resale value of a SI will outpast the one of the Miata anyday, not just because its a honda, but also because its either a coupe or a sedan compared to the 2seater.

 

yeah a Miata might take an SI civic off the line for maybe &gt;1 second, then byeeee! And I personally think the miata is overpriced, because its a convertible of course and virtually all convertables are overpriced. Honda has made its name for itself with reliability, im sure a miata will do you well too, but sooner or later, the tiny *** car will wear on you, unless you are 5'5'' miatas aren't very comfortable.

 

I think it is funny that people consider the minor issues the new civic has had as big time reliability problems. If only you saw some other brand's first models, for example, my '02 WRX ate 2 clutches, 1 transmission and 3 synchros in the first year I owned it and all were determined to be manufacturing defects. For an Si to have squeaks, and a grind getting into 3rd (try 1st 2nd, and 3rd in the '02 WRX) is NOTHING. Honda's in general still have excellent long term reliability and the civic won't be any different once they iron out the minor foibles of the current gen.

Jon

 

Are the new Civics "just as reliable as the older ones"? In a word, yes.

Bear in mind that you've ventured onto a Honda enthusiasts' website. It's filled with gearheads. We -- and I include myself in the group -- tend to be very demanding. We, however, are not your typical car owners. Far from it. If you want a much broader cross section of car owners, I recommend you pick up a copy of Consumers Reports (CR) and look at their car-to-car comparisons.

One example will bring this home. These boards are filled with complaints about Honda Civic Si transmissions. Were you to read only these boards, you'd probably come to the conclusion that Honda Si transmissions are junk. However, when you look at CR you'll see nothing but red dots (i.e., "much better than average" ratings) for Hondas in general and Civics in particular, including the Si. From this, I humbly suggest, you can reasonably infer that "normal" Honda Civic owners are less demanding, they do not drive the **** out of their Civics, and consequently, if you drive like a "normal" person, you will get a lifetime of outstanding service from yours. You will see similar ratings for comparable Toyotas.

So, to come full circle, are the new Civics as reliable as the old ones? Yes. Remarkably so.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HondaF1Fanatic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think it is funny that people consider the minor issues the new civic has had as big time reliability problems.</TD></TR></TABLE>

but relative to the past gens and NOT to other makes, they are ridden with more issues....

like i said, my 97 hatch, which i've had for 9 years at this point, has had practically nothing fail that wasn't directly related to my modifications...yes i've had transmissions blow up and the orig. engine die from juice, but stuff like alternator, master cyliders (both brake and clutch), HVAC controls, brake calipers, distributor, windows, latches, air conditioning equipment, etc etc all is the original stuff and my car probably has 240K miles on it at this point.

It's perfect.

my EP, which is an '04, has 70k now and really does not give me the same type of confidence and it's BONE STOCK. I am almost 28 and truly drive it like it's a mini-van. It's a relative thing; are they as stout as the older ones, i don't think so. But i feel that the older ones were the epitome of reliability. The new ones are fabulous compared to everything else out there, but the are not where they used to be IMO.

It's funny, because I am considering an '07 Si 4dr, the other day i called a long time honda technician at a local dealership whom i've come to know over the past decade or so of having hondas, and he told me the same thing- nothing touches the 88-00 Honda Civics in terms of reliability. He said the new ones are not bad, but there are many little things, like the timing chain, the clutch service, the FSB's, etc that make him feel this way. It mirrored my feelings exactly....

Again, it's all relative. I'd never NOT suggest a Honda anything- lawnmower, chainsaw, motorcycle, car....get a honda

 

You make a good point. Too much technology in the new hondas i guess. Seems to me like the majority of people don't like the DBW system among other things. It's still a great car and i certainly hope i don't have any major issues.

The ITR and '00 Si were the first cars on my list and had i actually found one i probably would have gotten it instead of the '06 Si. But this car is still great. Far better than i expected. I just hope it holds up to it's reputation.