drove a Civic Si yesterday/ performance review

[sfwilliams@comcast.net (Scott F. Williams)]

Guys, I had the opportunity to drive a hotted up Civic Si yesterday on some
favorite backroads of mine. The roads were smooth but twisty asphalt with
lots of elevation changes. The 1988 car was upgraded with a JDM 1600cc
non-VTEC motor and had some typical suspension mods performed (unknown
dampers/springs). Ride height was lowered about 2" (not crazy for a Honda).
The wheels were 15x6" with middle-grade 195/50/15 tires.

Okay, so with that said what did I think of the experience? Well... frankly
it was pretty damned cool:

Engine:
The motor has little torque off the line, just as I expected. However,it
keeps on pulling strong all the way up to 7k rpms. Mind you, this was on a
stock head and cam. I prefer the feel of the VW engine but really didn't
mind this car's peaky power delivery, either. Considering that this car had
a J-spec motor swapped in it, it is fair to compare it to a warmed up 16v.
We are thankfully blessed with both low end torque *and* decent upper-rpm
performance. Thus, I must rule in favor of Volkswagen in this round.

**advantage VW**

Handling:
The Honda's suspension was well suited to the road conditions. With a 2"
drop, I expected to be hitting the bump stops and lurching all over road
imperfections. Following the lines that chose without complaint, there were
no such troubles. Still, the car didn't offer much in terms of feedback
whereas the VW "talks" to you a lot more. However, never did this lack of
communication dull the driving experience. In fact, it made is somewhat
easier to concentrate while at the limit. The chassis was certainly more
composed and settled than an A1 VW but did not offer the solidity of the A2.
Its agility was nearly on par with the A1 and surpassed the A2 by a small
margin. This was an apples/oranges comparison but both cars can hold their
own.

**draw**

Transmission:
Kudos to the Japanese engineers who put that wonderful gearbox together. The
linkage felt direct and precise. Shifts were accurate and easily negotiated.
Even heel and toeing into a hairpin and downshifting to 1st at 4000 rpms was
effortless. Try that in a VW! This round was easy to score. VW should take
some notes.

**advantage Honda (by a mile)**

Overall perception:
The Honda surprised me with its competence. I have new respect for those
older cars. It was actually fun to drive and inspired confidence throughout.
However, it still felt somewhat like an appliance. The parts worked very
well together in a wholly synergistic manner.

Verdict:
I'll keep my VW, thanks. However, I'll not underestimate a Civic chasing me
through the twisties. Kept out of the hands of the rice crowd, these cars
are formidable competitors.
--
Scott F. Williams
NJ Scirocco nut
'99 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS
Mazda 323 GTX turbo "assaulted" vehicle
Golf GTI 16v "rollycar"
ClubVAC: "Roads found. Drivers wanted."