Agreed! They pointed it out initially but seemed to have lost sight of that by the end, saying the only two big differences were the seats and the stereo. (Which are admittedly big differences, but they aren't the only big differences.) Hatch availability is also a consideration, and I guess the dampers, though these two seem to put less of a premium on that. Others seem to value that difference though, especially if they find the Civic Si ride to be too harsh.
Ask me when I find a readily-available Civic Si for MSRP and I'll get back to you on that.
I feel like this also warrants a more serious response. For me personally, under slightly different circumstances, the other serious contender would normally be the GTI. There's no question that it packs a bang-for-the-buck factor that warrants serious consideration, and I'd test drive one right now if I thought it would work for me. But sadly, that new infotainment system would probably drive me up a wall (figuratively, hopefully not literally); as someone who is already saddled with buggy/laggy infotainment and finicky touchscreen climate controls, I value the Integra's layout so, so much more in terms of livability. (But I also want heated seats and the bangin' stereo and the hatchback functionality, giving the Integra a leg up over the otherwise comparable Si.)
If the Civic Si didn’t exist, it would be a good value. Not in performance, but as a whole package (particularly for usability and fuel economy). Of course, anytime you go towards premium/luxury you get less bang for your buck.
Very true, though I expect they would dock points for the lack of an LSD and the 20hp handicap on an already pokey engine.
To me the hatch, the Acura name, dampers and the more premium looks are all worth it. A luxury brand is hardly ever a good value and Integra has always been Civic based. Si vs Integra is a close call, both are great. Acura without any doubt provides a great option and the extra money they charge for it is well worth it in my opinion. Also in the current market, I would be surprised if you can actually get a Civic SI. If you look around you may find that they are harder to actually buy than an Acura.
This! I looked around for an Si after I drove the Integra, thinking maybe I’d go that route, but was rebuffed. My main Honda dealer told me they had no new allocation and had a waitlist of several people ahead of me anyway. So the Integra suddenly became a sure bet!
I totally understand the "entry into the brand" approach from Acura -- nearly all automakers do it -- but for someone like me who does not care at all about any prestige associated with the badge, it's a bit of a bummer. I just want a nicer Civic, dammit!
At least the Civic SI comes with a Bose system. Honda finally caved and put something that is decent in one of their cars. The ELS system in my wife’s TLX (technology package) is night and day over my Accord’s system. I had a basic Bose system in my ‘92 Maxima - it was boomy, but still so much better than most of what was out there. The Acura Bose that came in my ‘92 Legend was much more accurate sounding so there definitely are different levels of Bose.
Could you explain? Too big? Soft? Luxurious?
The size holds the car back compared to something even a bit smaller. I have only had the one 30 minute test drive in a demo car that I was not going to push at all. It moved, turned and stopped well enough. But when I had to use a lower gear in some situations than with our Gen 9 Si it was disappointing. It is not a weak car by any measure but not getting me psyched to upgrade my present Si. On the sidelines for the moment, but if an actual car ever becomes available we’ll take a serious look.
