so just some thoughts/observations after driving it now for about 3 weeks....
• the driving experience is basically like taking a jack russell terrier on a walk through a park full of squirrels. constant urgency, always wants to pull another gear. it just sort of pokes you constantly..."HEY SEE THAT GAP? COME ON LETS GO LETS GO JUST DOWNSHIFT ITS FINE WHEEEEE! DO VTEC AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN! HAHAHAHA DON'T SLOW DOWN COME ON COME ON!" lots of restraint to not drive like a dick even with just 200hp.
• everything has a "low intertia" feeling to it, like the entire powertrain is made from ball bearings. the K20 has an almost rotary-like character in how little it seems to care how high its revving and making a fuss about it. you get the sensation that if you don't lift your foot at redline the engine will just spin faster until it breaks free and flies off to make its own orbit. this seems to fit the fact that according to dynos, the powerband is barely dropping at redline and the stock internals will gladly rev out to 9k+ RPM with the correct tuning.
• not much torque obviously (140 lb/ft), but it hasn't bothered me although i thought it would coming from the tractor engine powerband in the 2.5RS. the torque curve is so flat its very easy to just poke around town shifting at 3k rpm. combined with the super short gearing (you're comfortably in 6th at 50mph) it never "falls flat", you just have to be aware that your leverage for getting into openings in traffic is your gear selection and just letting the rev range take care of the rest.
• shifter is super light and because its a cable linkage, you can really snick-snick through changes as fast as you want. the subaru had a very distinct cadence and didn't like being rushed, and was a much heavier shift action. i don't actually like how light it is and would prefer a more positive engagement but its just a tiny gripe that i'll learn to live with.
• visibility sucks out the back 3/4. the rear window is actually pretty tiny and high up due to the really long sloping cabin shape. the A-pillars with the little peep windows don't bother me nearly as much as i thought they would.
• the A/C is mediocre at best. it can barely cool the car upon immediate startup if its been at rest in a hot parking lot for a while. once you get moving it starts getting the temps down. i didn't expect much different for a 2L engine but you'll never mistake this for a GM A/C system.
• electric power steering is...just OK. there is no contest that its not as good for feel as a hydro system. very accurate and quick, but its got an arcade feel. shame.
• love the floor hinged gas pedal. nice touch.
• outstanding factory suspension. its perfect for a DD. just active/stiff enough but soaks up the bigger bumps perfectly. i literally can't see myself ever swapping the suspension out as long as it remains my daily. even at 87k miles the suspension is quiet and slop free.
• surprisingly loud factory exhaust. it actually burbles and pops at the lower revs and has a pronounced resonance in the cabin below 3k RPM that i don't really care for but isn't a problem. once you get the revs up it actually quiets up considerably and is much more about the intake noise (which is awesome even with the stock intake)
• i've come to love the bizarre 2-tier alien dashboard but i hate the A/C and Radio knob placement. they're backwards. i'm constantly reaching to crank up the volume but blasting myself in the face with air instead.
• amazing seats. i'm about 170lbs and they feel made for me. the bolsters are crazy but you don't notice them at all until you're really cornering hard.
• speaking of which, pretty good balance. needs more front camber which i intend to fix with crash bolts this week. its super playful at the limit...drop throttle will absolutely set the nose in and the tail out. the rear suspension geometry actually toes OUT at the limit by design so its a very interesting handling trait and i'll need to be careful with my alignment specs.
• 26mpg so far, beating it up around town and a quick jaunt up and down the interstate. it should take very little effort to stay above that rating in town and do far better on the highway.
• yuge back seat for such a small car. my 4.5 year old has a bunch of room even with the front seat back a good ways. and there's no hump in the back footwell floor, just flat the whole way across which is awesome for carrying stuff. giant trunk too.
• its incredibly tantilizing to want to screw with engine mods. I/H/E along with mild cams and a tune will put the Si at approximately 240whp and a mid 13 second quarter (full street trim). an intake and tune alone are worth half that gain. ugh...but i love how streetable and quiet it is right now and it would be fun to run FWD Stock class rallyx vs. getting bumped up to FWD Prepared. we'll see how long it takes for me to do something stupid.
anyway, overall, just super pleased. its the driving experience i was hoping for, with the practicality i need and if the reliability holds up like it should, i think i'll be keeping this for a really, really long time.
• the driving experience is basically like taking a jack russell terrier on a walk through a park full of squirrels. constant urgency, always wants to pull another gear. it just sort of pokes you constantly..."HEY SEE THAT GAP? COME ON LETS GO LETS GO JUST DOWNSHIFT ITS FINE WHEEEEE! DO VTEC AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN! HAHAHAHA DON'T SLOW DOWN COME ON COME ON!" lots of restraint to not drive like a dick even with just 200hp.
• everything has a "low intertia" feeling to it, like the entire powertrain is made from ball bearings. the K20 has an almost rotary-like character in how little it seems to care how high its revving and making a fuss about it. you get the sensation that if you don't lift your foot at redline the engine will just spin faster until it breaks free and flies off to make its own orbit. this seems to fit the fact that according to dynos, the powerband is barely dropping at redline and the stock internals will gladly rev out to 9k+ RPM with the correct tuning.
• not much torque obviously (140 lb/ft), but it hasn't bothered me although i thought it would coming from the tractor engine powerband in the 2.5RS. the torque curve is so flat its very easy to just poke around town shifting at 3k rpm. combined with the super short gearing (you're comfortably in 6th at 50mph) it never "falls flat", you just have to be aware that your leverage for getting into openings in traffic is your gear selection and just letting the rev range take care of the rest.
• shifter is super light and because its a cable linkage, you can really snick-snick through changes as fast as you want. the subaru had a very distinct cadence and didn't like being rushed, and was a much heavier shift action. i don't actually like how light it is and would prefer a more positive engagement but its just a tiny gripe that i'll learn to live with.
• visibility sucks out the back 3/4. the rear window is actually pretty tiny and high up due to the really long sloping cabin shape. the A-pillars with the little peep windows don't bother me nearly as much as i thought they would.
• the A/C is mediocre at best. it can barely cool the car upon immediate startup if its been at rest in a hot parking lot for a while. once you get moving it starts getting the temps down. i didn't expect much different for a 2L engine but you'll never mistake this for a GM A/C system.
• electric power steering is...just OK. there is no contest that its not as good for feel as a hydro system. very accurate and quick, but its got an arcade feel. shame.
• love the floor hinged gas pedal. nice touch.
• outstanding factory suspension. its perfect for a DD. just active/stiff enough but soaks up the bigger bumps perfectly. i literally can't see myself ever swapping the suspension out as long as it remains my daily. even at 87k miles the suspension is quiet and slop free.
• surprisingly loud factory exhaust. it actually burbles and pops at the lower revs and has a pronounced resonance in the cabin below 3k RPM that i don't really care for but isn't a problem. once you get the revs up it actually quiets up considerably and is much more about the intake noise (which is awesome even with the stock intake)
• i've come to love the bizarre 2-tier alien dashboard but i hate the A/C and Radio knob placement. they're backwards. i'm constantly reaching to crank up the volume but blasting myself in the face with air instead.
• amazing seats. i'm about 170lbs and they feel made for me. the bolsters are crazy but you don't notice them at all until you're really cornering hard.
• speaking of which, pretty good balance. needs more front camber which i intend to fix with crash bolts this week. its super playful at the limit...drop throttle will absolutely set the nose in and the tail out. the rear suspension geometry actually toes OUT at the limit by design so its a very interesting handling trait and i'll need to be careful with my alignment specs.
• 26mpg so far, beating it up around town and a quick jaunt up and down the interstate. it should take very little effort to stay above that rating in town and do far better on the highway.
• yuge back seat for such a small car. my 4.5 year old has a bunch of room even with the front seat back a good ways. and there's no hump in the back footwell floor, just flat the whole way across which is awesome for carrying stuff. giant trunk too.
• its incredibly tantilizing to want to screw with engine mods. I/H/E along with mild cams and a tune will put the Si at approximately 240whp and a mid 13 second quarter (full street trim). an intake and tune alone are worth half that gain. ugh...but i love how streetable and quiet it is right now and it would be fun to run FWD Stock class rallyx vs. getting bumped up to FWD Prepared. we'll see how long it takes for me to do something stupid.
anyway, overall, just super pleased. its the driving experience i was hoping for, with the practicality i need and if the reliability holds up like it should, i think i'll be keeping this for a really, really long time.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT