Civic Si or Cobalt SS?? Help!

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From least desireable to most:

Supercharged Cobalt SS
Honda Civic Si
Neon SRT/4
Volkswagen GTi
Mazdaspeed 3
Turbocharged Cobalt SS

yep. I ranked a GM car above the Mazda.
shocked.gif


The Neon SRT/4 would have ranked higher but that party ended in 2005. Chrysler rated it at 230hp but there are several reports that number may have been sandbagged. My version of that same engine certainly feels like it pulls a lot harder than the 220hp it's rated at.

The GTi and 'Speed3 are a toss-up. The GTi is a more civilized well rounded car but the 'Speed is "strap in, shut up, and hang on!" hooligan fun. I probably should rate the GTi higher than the MS3 but I am admittedly biased.

It's not that I dislike the supercharged Cobalt SS. It's just not as well rounded as the turbocharged variant. In spite of the regular Cobalt cheap interior, GM engineers certainly got their act together on the turbo car. Left us salivating for a 260hp Cruze SS.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
I'd rather buy the Civic Si because of long term durability.


What are the longterm reliability problems of the SRT/4?

I ask because I have basically the wagon version of that car sitting in my garage.

Virtually all the reports I read where the engine has blown have had a list of add on performance parts three pages long running 30psi boost....hmmmm, wonder why it was so short lived.
21.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: artificialist
I'd rather buy the Civic Si because of long term durability.


What are the longterm reliability problems of the SRT/4?

I ask because I have basically the wagon version of that car sitting in my garage.

Virtually all the reports I read where the engine has blown have had a list of add on performance parts three pages long running 30psi boost....hmmmm, wonder why it was so short lived.
21.gif


The suspension parts on a Civic Si outlast those of a Neon or PT cruiser
The K-series Honda engine uses a timing chain, the Neon and PT cruiser do not. Timing belts are expensive to replace and outrageously expensive if maintenance is put off.
 
Having driven both....

The civic handles very well...but the SS is just flat out more fun to drive.


A few upgrades on the SS can make it quite fun....
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
I'd rather buy the Civic Si because of long term durability.



Not sure how long a "fun" car lasts anyways...
 
Originally Posted By: cchase
Wow, was that 10 posts before a Panther recommendation? That must be a record!


As often as they are recommended here on the forum, I've often wondered if the software doesn't have some sort of automated widget that slips a Panther mention into every "which car should I buy" thread.
 
Originally Posted By: SLCraig
SI for sure.
The Honda K20 is a screamer, that engine is way too fun to keep near redline as often as you can.


But until you get near redline, you can probably outrun it on foot.
 
^^^hahaha^^^

That is so true of some of the Hipo Hondas. In my friends first gen S2000 you need 5 grand plus just to keep up with traffic. Sure it'll go like stink when it gets up on that second tier of valve timing but it's quite a dog at anything approaching normal revs.
 
Personally, I'd agree with the one recommendation I saw to look at a 3 series. I'd also look at Mustangs and F-bodys. Then again, I'm terribly biased against anything front wheel drive.
 
So I think I have narrowed my choices down between an 06 white Si coupe with 60k miles for $11,500 or a 07 silver Si sedan with 30k miles for $12,700.
Do these seem like fair prices? I was thinking of offering 10,800 for the 06 and 12,000 for the 07.
Both have clean titles of course. 06 needs tires and needs a few cheap cosmetic fixes, 07 has minor scratches on the bumper and by the fuel lid.

Any recommendations and advice is welcome!

Also, which of the 2 would you go with?
 
I'd go with a sedan for putting a car seat in the back, but that might not be a factor for you... Also the sedan might be structurally stiffer, but the coupe might be easier to sell to the young punks in a few years. Maybe do some real detailed research on a civic site, there might be some shock or spring differences between the two?
 
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I'd go with a sedan too, in a heartbeat. There should be practically no handling differences between the two. The sedan is a touch heavier but not much. I believe the spring rates, shocks, and sway bars are the same between the two.

I love the shape of the 8th gen Civic coupes -- I had an 07 EX previously. But 07 was the first year of the Si sedan, and if I'd gotten one of those instead I'd probably still be a Honda owner
smile.gif


I'm not sure on the prices because I haven't done much comparison in that area, but used Honda prices always strike me as kind of high. How much were you finding Cobalts for?


Out of curiosity, what tuned you to the Civic instead of the Cobalt?
 
Originally Posted By: rationull
I'd go with a sedan too, in a heartbeat. There should be practically no handling differences between the two. The sedan is a touch heavier but not much. I believe the spring rates, shocks, and sway bars are the same between the two.

I love the shape of the 8th gen Civic coupes -- I had an 07 EX previously. But 07 was the first year of the Si sedan, and if I'd gotten one of those instead I'd probably still be a Honda owner
smile.gif


I'm not sure on the prices because I haven't done much comparison in that area, but used Honda prices always strike me as kind of high. How much were you finding Cobalts for?


Out of curiosity, what tuned you to the Civic instead of the Cobalt?


Yes, the sedan is a bit heavier, but the weight is distributed 2% more towards the rear and the wheelbase is 2 inches longer.

The SS s/c was going for around 12k here with 60k+ miles. The Si's go for around 9.5k-13k for models with around 30-90k miles. The one I am thinking about is $12700 with 30k miles.(What should I offer the guy??? No accidents, clean title, 2 minor scratches)

In the end I chose the Civic just because I work at a Honda dealership. Just makes getting parts and service easier and cheaper and the techs know the Si like the back of their hand. Some coworkers helped convince me. Also, interior and exterior styling.
 
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Originally Posted By: BigBuck

Yes, the sedan is a bit heavier, but the weight is distributed 2% more towards the rear and the wheelbase is 2 inches longer.

The SS s/c was going for around 12k here with 60k+ miles. The Si's go for around 9.5k-13k for models with around 30-90k miles. The one I am thinking about is $12700 with 30k miles.(What should I offer the guy??? No accidents, clean title, 2 minor scratches)

In the end I chose the Civic just because I work at a Honda dealership. Just makes getting parts and service easier and cheaper and the techs know the Si like the back of their hand. Some coworkers helped convince me. Also, interior and exterior styling.


Ah, I didn't know the prices worked out that way. If the car's well cared for and in good shape then around $12k doesn't sound like a bad deal to me with only 30k miles. Like I said, though, I don't know the first thing about what these are going for. I can say that my 07 EX coupe was listed for something like $11-12k at the dealer that I traded it to, IIRC, which seemed like a ripoff to me at 75k miles.

I do think the 8th gen Civics are great cars overall. I would've liked to keep mine forever but the fun factor just wasn't there for me and I was constantly on the lookout for something else. The Si is a good solution to that problem though!
 
8th gens are great.
Civic SI sedan was the exact car I wanted but couldn't justify the added cost both in purchase and fuel etc. Sadly.
I love the SI sedan and would still get one in a heartbeat if my life allowed it right now.

I'd take an 09-11 Taffeta white SI sedan.. Yum.
 
Those white SI sedans are beautiful. It took me a LONG time to get used to the styling of the 8th generation Civic, but I really like it now. I even like the sedan more than the coupe.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Those white SI sedans are beautiful. It took me a LONG time to get used to the styling of the 8th generation Civic, but I really like it now. I even like the sedan more than the coupe.


Ditto!
As far as an "economy" car goes, they sure do look class.
 
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