The Honda Civic Si is a nameplate dripping with pus and symbolism. This car has to win. This car must win because it's the Little Mac hero for all of us.
Christopher Rogers My friend's Civic SI torque-steered a LOT worse than my Focus ST with probably half the power. I agree, they shouldn't be too bad, but at least the generation before the one in this video were terrible for it for some reason.
I have had one of these since 2007. Was in perfect, and I meant PERFECT, condition. Until some crazy old lady decided to not pay attention in her huge ass buick and rear-ended me going 30mph while I was stopped at a stop light. Car was totaled by the insurance. Cost to Repair + Salvage value was greater than what the car was worth. The cost to repair was not really that much, but because the car is hard to find it made the salvage value sky-rocket. I decided to get a salvage title. I still have it as my daily driver. It has a crunch in the back but the hatch, as well as the rest of the car, still works just fine. Of course there is no way I will ever be able to sell it in the future or trade it in for another car. Still a little pissed at that old lady.
Shane Robinson im one of the lucky that have a super engine...200+k right now and still drives and feels brand new..2002 Civic si ep3..drives dope and still funner than any other
I recall him stating that he usually informs owners not to go out and make their cars all neat, just leave them in the condition it's usually in when they drive it normally.
Watched this years ago. This was my first RCR video. Just bought a 2002 ep3 with 76,000 miles. All because of the channel. And it's the car that taught me how to drive a manual transmission. Thank you Mr. Regular
some people really like to whine about free content, but I think they probably had both videos ready from the start, there is no way he could have seen the feedback, make a decision to redo it, think of a new script, record, edit, and upload it in such a short time.
"some people really like to whine about free content, but I think they probably had both videos ready from the start, " Some other people love shitpost about people they don't even know. You, for example. :D
I have owned 7 Hondas, this was my most recent, 2002 EP3. I loved this car. I just wish it had swapped the good engine in it. Thank you for the "real" review of this guy, and I am happy that you were happy with it. I bought mine with 40k miles driven by a grandpa, it was perfect, I lucked the hell out. Now my brother owns the car, I miss it a lot! Saving up for a s2000 now.
I feel like we disheartened you on the other video, and for that I apologize. You do you Mr Regular, don't let anyone tell you otherwise because you're the only series on RUclips that I actively wait for new episodes for.
Did you use an OEM master cylinder or did you end up swapping to an EM2 master cylinder? Just curious as I’ve heard the disc inside the EP3 master cylinders tends to break at high RPM shifting but I’ve never had a personal problem with it
I really really really hope that the response to other video didn't discourage you from doing anything Mr. Regular. Please, your unique content is what makes you, you. Please keep doing things the way you want to because this is your content after all. Let all your creative juices flow, don't try and hold those juices back just because some people don't like your juice.
See, I like your regular style reviews, but I love it when you mix the two together. Like you are doing your review thing, and it seems all normal, and the suddenly you turn into harold slovinski and forget the flashlight... LETS START TAKING THIS TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL....
I used to have one of these 2002 Civic Si EP3 up to 2010, and I took care of mine very well. I owned one for 5 years and only put 15000 miles on it. I loved the car. I hope who ever owns my old car now is happy with it as I am. Thanks for the great review and the good Nostalgic moments! Oh now I have a 2nd gen Fit and I still think the SI is bigger. If it's not well wow!
These are seriously underrated. I bought a high-mileage nearly mint condition 2003 Si (for under $2000!) 6 years ago intending to run it as a beater car for a few years then get rid of it. I have long since decided that I will keep this car on the road as long as I can, I absolutely love it.
A friend of mine bought one of these new and I spent quite a bit of time behind the wheel of it. One of my best memories of the car was just how fast the engine would rev up, so fast in fact, it was hard not to hit the rev-limiter when you really got in it, especially in 1st or 2nd gear after just leaving a green light. I love the design and I wish the new Civic hatch looked more like this instead of like the Crosstour part 2. I just saw a blue Si hatch earlier today and though, wow, you just don't hardly see these anymore. Granted, when new, they didn't sell well unfortunately but you would still see them pretty commonly. You are right though, they are now very hard to come by. My only complaint about the Si was that the steering, while very quick felt pretty numb. The car did ride quite comfortably though and I have to admit I like it better now than I did back when my friend had one.
Just drove one yesterday. I loved the shifter before and love it even more now after driving one. Too bad more cars didnt have that shifter placement. It works so well
Loved both reviews! Great to see how you carried on from that earlier review! I think the haters just haven't been around long enough to know that one and don't know about the backstory.
I drive one of these that I bought from a girl who was in nursing school, who's dad worked as a mechanic at a honda dealership. It's been kept stock, is in great shape, and all the maintenance was kept up over it's lifetime. It's a fun car to drive around. My only complaint is that I can't really find anything that I would like to replace it with...
Reminds me of my first "hot" car; my (purchased new) 1986 Honda CRX Si, all 92hp 3 valves/cylinder black beauty. These little Hondas are slick as snot and are the best at making owners feel like they have touch and control, still miss it.....
Had this as my first car modified to the max. Sold it and bought a evo x. After few years bought another ep3 that had a k24a2 swap and type r 6 speed. That was awesome car. Now im looking to buy another one
I have a blue unmodified, well kept 2004 EP3 (SiR Canada Model) @ 145,000 kms. That is exactly why I bought it in 2006, because I knew it would be rare now (the amazing handling and shifter helped too). Thanks for the review!
I just bought one of these that was in mint condition and got it for cheap. I love it and feel like I got lucky on it cause it wasn't even looking for an ep3. But it's a great car. I hope your right about it increasing in value!
Had my 2004 SiR since 2008 and I love it. Best Honda I've had so far and I had seven others prior... and during. Of course, the K24 I installed sure helps :D
I just picked up a bone stock 05 si about a month ago. The car is in immaculate condition aside from minor door dings on both sides. Apparently a guy had it for about two years, traded it in and a lady owned it since 07. Did all the maintenance. ALL THE MAINTENANCE at the same dealer it was originally purchased from and eventually it had an engine problem. She didn't wanna put more into it, so when she traded it in the dealer replaced the engine and oh man it runs so nice. Originally i wanted to rice it out, but it's just too nice.
I remember when these first came out I thought they were LAAAAAAME... looked like a dustbuster, no B16, no 8,500rpm redline, looked like a dustbuster, strut suspension up front instead of double wishbones, etc. But then I got to drive one, and within one lap around the block I was ready to suck the Si schlong. All of it's differences and un-Hondalike qualities that made me dislike it in the first place were also what made it so great. The weird styling, the weird Renault 4-style shifter, the "big" engine that made power everywhere, and just the fact that it's a Euro Honda and totally unique in the U.S. (like a Sterling 827SLi!) Whatever deficiencies struts have vs. double wishbones, the '04 Si actually felt more nimble and lighter on its toes than the '99 Civic Si to me. There are some legit criticisms of this generation - namely that Honda had been cheapening the Civic out ever since 1995 and this was as crummy as their trim and assembly quality got before the (excellent) 2006 reboot... but for all the Si's unique qualities, I can live with that. The regular Civic sedan/coupe from this generation? Meh... just a shittier version of the 6th generation (which is a shittier version of the 5th generation). But the Si hatchback is special, and I'd love to have one now - if I could find one that isn't totally trashed/rusted.
I completely agree with you. The weird styling and the shifter alone is enough to make the car feel special. I was lucky enough to find one a few years ago at 3600. Going to put as many miles on as I can.
That center shifter does make me want the car, I wish we got the 12v plug in the center as well though. Also, I am so glad I get sanded instead of salted roads, old cars at least don't rot but something like a Civic Si? they just aren't around here, and the vehicles that are, are at obscene prices used.
My 2003 civic si was the best car I have ever owned. The ep3, although not fast, is a very fun and economical car. I will own one again this tax season... Or a miata... :o
the 240sx comment was so accurate. I Purchased a 1990 240sx from an older gentleman and its as close to stock as they come. however im so satisfied that it was well preserved i cant wait to start working on it,
Great video. I just sold my unmodified (previously old-man owned) 2003 civic SI with 100k miles for a couple thousand over KBB because of the rarity of finding one in good condition. Hold onto them for those nostalgic car buyers who miss this little gem.
Can anyone explain to me why Honda's get so much hate?? I own a 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 aswell as a 2007 Honda Civic Type R FN2, and am constantly seeing people on the interwebs bashing Honda's? Im pretty sure the people saying this shit have never actually owned (not just driven) a real Type R Honda, because if they did I know they wouldnt talk shit about them. Theyre incredibly reliable, comfortable and have enough power to do most people with alot of different tuning routes to go. IDK, But if I had to choose between my Evo and Type R, I think 9 times out of 10 id choose the CTR!
two reasons. A. Stupid people hate on them because they are "slow" and have no torque etc. B. US honda owners have a bad reputation for doing distasteful mods, reving at people who don't want to race constantly, weaving through traffic like idiots and in some cases following people with desirable cars(s2000, integra type R) and stealing them.
I think more of the hate is toward the shady honda community. I personally love any honda hatch/integras and obviously s2000's but civics and integras are cheap enough that anyone can get one and then see parts they cant afford on someone elses car and think that they are somehow entitled to those parts.a good portion of S2000 drivers are elitist rich kids. Love cool people and cool hondas. Dislike asshats and kids who got a car from mom and dad.
George Billy Lol well my civic wasnt cheap. Cost me £7000. I had an EP3 before and I did get alot of abuse for some reason. Now in the FN2 nobody really minds because its a more mature car, albeit a bit more boring than the EP but still alot of fun. Im in Ireland btw, not the USA
I was super bummed when I had to sell my bone stock, clean as a whistle, 2003 SI when I moved overseas. Mine was the pre-altezza lights version and had the somewhat undersized 14" alloys. I sold my ride for $7500 cash to a couple kids because I was in a rush to leave town. Sigh...I'm sure it has a ridiculous wing, some gaudy wheels, and neon ground fx now - that is if she hasn't been totalled or the kids didn't blow the engine. You're right that the handling is excellent (despite the understeer, but fwd) and the redline needs to be about 1.5-2k higher. You're wrong about the storage space - I was a regular gigging drummer at the time and I could fit my kit, plus my bass player's rig and my bass player with the seats down. It was an ideal city car. It was an easy-to-park, very reliable, cheap-to-maintain, decent-on-mileage, fun machine. My only real complaint about the SI (pronounced SIGH) was the ride on crappy surface roads. I dreaded seeing potholes and uneven surfaces because I was afraid that I would herniate a disk. Thanks for the awesome RCR. You just made me nostalgic.
I didn't like the understeer with my (long gone) 97 Civic, until I put in an Eibach rear sway bar and then the rear was free to come out and play, making the car way more dynamic and fun without being twitchy and dangerous. But my first car was a Chevy Caprice with all season tires in the Arctic in February, so I know oversteer.
i'm still driving an 02 EP3 and recently got an entire Ludwig 3 piece w/ 24" kick drum, hardware, cymbals and myself to the gig no prob. yr right about the ride but it's part of the wonderful 1:1 experience of everything about the car.
loved my 2002 civic si... great little hatchback. was my second car and owned it for six years from when i was 16-22. great memories in it (and some not so great). loved it so much i put a new engine clutch and transmission and drove it until there were 225k on the body and it drove really well through the last day i owned it. i live in minnesota and it surprisingly never got rusty? sold it to an older gentleman and hope it stays in good hands.
No kidding on the CL ads, every single one has crash damage in the 3rd or 4th pic. The type of people doing this are the type to sweep things under the rug. "Maybe they won't notice that the passenger rear quarter is biting the tire..." Thanks for the videos, cheers!
I really enjoyed this review, because I feel like this car's virtues get forgotten about when compared to other Si civics. I currently own an '03 EP3 that is silver, and I agree that it is very difficult to find one of these cars that is clean. I bought mine with a bottom-end knock in the engine with 148k miles; I now have 177k miles on my car still with the knock in it, and I have only had to replace the AC compressor and the water pump. It is a wonderful car that is so much fun to drive, and I do not mind the engine's performance at all; this car pulls relatively hard in any gear, whenever you want, and you can manage 32 mpg out of it! It's superb for city driving in Pittsburgh. Someday I will find the money to either swap another K20a3 into it or repair the current one.
Great review! Ive always thought this car looked cool, and since my acura integra LS (manual) was stolen i was looking for something to replace it. Your review played a good role in my choice, (which competed against a mazda 3 hatch 2004-9, celica gts, or the fit-which was quickly dismissed after you reviewed yours, too slow and I hate water leaks.) It freaking took me six weeks to find a clean one at a good price! Its a beautiful car, so well designed, and it rides great. Thanks for your knowledge RegularCars Also, if Strongbad owned a car, which one would it be?
Hmmm, no solid examples of EP3's left, huh? Where were you looking? Just so happens I've owned one since 2005 and I've all but logged 31,000 miles on mine and its immaculately intact, with no mods whatsoever. Mine's In Canadian spec aptly named the SiR.
Had one for 10 years!! The centre console was great for resting my long legs on. Loved it, save for a few things missing - LSD front Diff and 6th gear.
A few months ago i bought an 03 si. It had 200k miles on it, the thing was baby'd. It also was bone stock. In my area they are kind of unicorns. I had a 98 mustang v6 before. Twas my first car. I can say that i dont think i would go back to it lol.
If it's a salvage, I'd have no problem throwing the RSX Type-S engine into one of these. Those rare, untouched ones are definitely out there, and I totally agree that they're special. Are these Si enough? Not really to me-- but I love it's a hatch (albeit a tiny one), and chuckable even if the stock tires (which were even worse/smaller in the '02 release) made this car very under-tired.
I have always thought that this little hatchback Civic Si had the same engine as the RSX Type S & the newer Civic Si. But from reading your comment I guess it doesn't
When I was little I was really into Elvis for whatever reason. Thought he was the best ever, he was all I listened to. At the babysitters, everyone wanted to watch Goosebumps and I wanted to watch Jailhouse Rock or even Grease. Got to the point my mom said "no, you have to get a different CD, and that's when i found green day. Who then turned me on to the Ramones, and the Clash, and so on and so on. So I don't care what other people say about them, I have a soft spot for Green Day. I don't listen to the new stuff, but I still like em
That’s why i’m keeping mine stock and eventually getting a winter beater, because i know my 8th si coupe is gunna keep going up in value. Like a supra.
If I ever get enough money one day - I want 3 - EP3's: One with the L15B7 turbo Si engine in it - Second one with a K24 and a blower - and a third with the J35 V6...Please & Thank You!
Speaking of zits, I just popped one hiding between a couple of my lip scales much like an Ohio soybean farmer hides in that ditch by the woods when the wind picks up.
I love that little bit at the end he knows it and so do I. I got my SIR for 2000 dollars no rust!!! no dents and under 200 000 km It practically cost more to ship it to north america then i paid. had two lights one was secondary o2 sensor ans the other was idle control valve $120 bucks latter im happy
Was about to get this car but then you said this is the car for people who's girl ends up cheating on him.FUCK that shit,am getting a mustang gt.I'm tired of being the servant and not the fuckin master.
LizardKillerAdamLanza Don't get Mustang GT, that is like the poster child of kids that want to be cool. They slap a loud exhaust on it and think it's the best shit ever but in reality, they're getting passed out by a V6 accord.
As a 2004 Type-R owner from Europe, I liked this review and I like my car (I own this car 10 years now). I must admit I rarely go beyond 6500 RPM in my car, but "VTEC kicking in Yo" feeling is nice. My second car is 1998 Integra Type-R and I hope to see Your review of Integra as well.
Авто/Мото
"I want a sports car that has front-wheel drive, isn't really all that fast, and that looks like a Honda Odyssey minivan."
youtert And torque-steers into neighboring counties while sounding like a 2-stroke single.
Vinícius Braga Vilela Except WAY less cool/fun than that would be.
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney nope, still a ton of fun. I'll take the "it looks like an ugly fit" anyday for the way it revs and handles.
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney doesnt have much power to torque steer......
Christopher Rogers My friend's Civic SI torque-steered a LOT worse than my Focus ST with probably half the power. I agree, they shouldn't be too bad, but at least the generation before the one in this video were terrible for it for some reason.
I have had one of these since 2007. Was in perfect, and I meant PERFECT, condition. Until some crazy old lady decided to not pay attention in her huge ass buick and rear-ended me going 30mph while I was stopped at a stop light.
Car was totaled by the insurance. Cost to Repair + Salvage value was greater than what the car was worth. The cost to repair was not really that much, but because the car is hard to find it made the salvage value sky-rocket.
I decided to get a salvage title. I still have it as my daily driver. It has a crunch in the back but the hatch, as well as the rest of the car, still works just fine.
Of course there is no way I will ever be able to sell it in the future or trade it in for another car. Still a little pissed at that old lady.
+Siege You would happen to be selling your car, would you?
Should've hit her
Shane Robinson im one of the lucky that have a super engine...200+k right now and still drives and feels brand new..2002 Civic si ep3..drives dope and still funner than any other
NY NY what rpms you shift at for best gas mileage?
I found a completely stock one with weird off-green bucket-ish seats for a solid $4,400.
theres an 04 civic hatch down the street from me in perfect condition...now more than ever I feel like throwing money at the owner
Did you buy it
The suspense is killing me man
@@33subsnovideos35 He bought it, trashed it, met his maker lol
Did you get it?
to answer you all, I bought two volkswagens instead
Do you specifically tell people not to wash their cars before you drive them?
This was filmed in Colorado, we NEVER wash our cars. They get dirty instantly haha.
This was filmed in southbend Indiana.
*NOBODY CARS WHERE IT WAS FILMED*
oh
I recall him stating that he usually informs owners not to go out and make their cars all neat, just leave them in the condition it's usually in when they drive it normally.
@@carlojaimelizzeni2171 puntastic
Watched this years ago. This was my first RCR video. Just bought a 2002 ep3 with 76,000 miles. All because of the channel. And it's the car that taught me how to drive a manual transmission. Thank you Mr. Regular
Are you happy now, Internet?
Are you entertained!?
some people really like to whine about free content, but I think they probably had both videos ready from the start, there is no way he could have seen the feedback, make a decision to redo it, think of a new script, record, edit, and upload it in such a short time.
Yes and yes, thank you.
Behemothokun on his facebook, he said that he actually did that...
"some people really like to whine about free content, but I think they probably had both videos ready from the start, " Some other people love shitpost about people they don't even know. You, for example. :D
@Not Hitler Same.
I have owned 7 Hondas, this was my most recent, 2002 EP3. I loved this car. I just wish it had swapped the good engine in it. Thank you for the "real" review of this guy, and I am happy that you were happy with it. I bought mine with 40k miles driven by a grandpa, it was perfect, I lucked the hell out. Now my brother owns the car, I miss it a lot! Saving up for a s2000 now.
How'd that go for you?
I feel like we disheartened you on the other video, and for that I apologize. You do you Mr Regular, don't let anyone tell you otherwise because you're the only series on RUclips that I actively wait for new episodes for.
I for one miss ol' Harold Slovinsky
Just bought one for $200. 114k sitting for years with a bad clutch master cylinder. Fixed her up and now rolling...Lucky me.
Did you use an OEM master cylinder or did you end up swapping to an EM2 master cylinder? Just curious as I’ve heard the disc inside the EP3 master cylinders tends to break at high RPM shifting but I’ve never had a personal problem with it
OH MY GOD A GREEN DAY REFERENCE IN AN RCR VIDEO!!! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!!!
***** Driving this car was like Track One of Dookie
真夜中の旅団 fucking weeaboo
+Sam Berube Kerplunk was legit
Sam Berube *a
Sam Berube hummer h2
It seemed cool when we were kids but now loses it's appeal more and more every year and just seems like it's trying too hard
is it a car that the kids like?
YUS
if scion doesn't go bust then yea
Unfortunately..
Not this generation through
omg Kingck watches RCR!
so glad i managed to get one in near perfect condition last year for only $3500
It's heartening to see Mr. Regular is both willing to experiment _and_ respond to criticism.
I really really really hope that the response to other video didn't discourage you from doing anything Mr. Regular. Please, your unique content is what makes you, you. Please keep doing things the way you want to because this is your content after all.
Let all your creative juices flow, don't try and hold those juices back just because some people don't like your juice.
I wasn't crazy about this generation of the SI at first, after driving one I really liked the car. This is the one that was built in Europe.
I actually found the satire in the first review funny as hell but this one is equally as good.
See, I like your regular style reviews, but I love it when you mix the two together. Like you are doing your review thing, and it seems all normal, and the suddenly you turn into harold slovinski and forget the flashlight... LETS START TAKING THIS TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL....
"Modern cars which get a bukkake of infotainment"
Hahaha! that's the best darn perspective of a busy Japanese instrument panel I've ever heard!
I used to have one of these 2002 Civic Si EP3 up to 2010, and I took care of mine very well. I owned one for 5 years and only put 15000 miles on it. I loved the car. I hope who ever owns my old car now is happy with it as I am. Thanks for the great review and the good Nostalgic moments! Oh now I have a 2nd gen Fit and I still think the SI is bigger. If it's not well wow!
im supposed to be studying for my electrical circuits final tomorrow but i just can't get enough of these videos!
still driving my 2002 ep3 since i got it 2nd hand in 2009. love the hell out of my car!
These are seriously underrated. I bought a high-mileage nearly mint condition 2003 Si (for under $2000!) 6 years ago intending to run it as a beater car for a few years then get rid of it. I have long since decided that I will keep this car on the road as long as I can, I absolutely love it.
A friend of mine bought one of these new and I spent quite a bit of time behind the wheel of it. One of my best memories of the car was just how fast the engine would rev up, so fast in fact, it was hard not to hit the rev-limiter when you really got in it, especially in 1st or 2nd gear after just leaving a green light. I love the design and I wish the new Civic hatch looked more like this instead of like the Crosstour part 2. I just saw a blue Si hatch earlier today and though, wow, you just don't hardly see these anymore. Granted, when new, they didn't sell well unfortunately but you would still see them pretty commonly. You are right though, they are now very hard to come by. My only complaint about the Si was that the steering, while very quick felt pretty numb. The car did ride quite comfortably though and I have to admit I like it better now than I did back when my friend had one.
Awesome review guys, I've been waiting for you to do a 'golden era' Honda and you are getting there!
Just drove one yesterday. I loved the shifter before and love it even more now after driving one. Too bad more cars didnt have that shifter placement. It works so well
Whew. Here's the real review. I was worried that Mr. Regular lost it in the Harold teaser. The songs were awesome, as usual.
I can't even handle how amazing these videos are.
Loved both reviews! Great to see how you carried on from that earlier review! I think the haters just haven't been around long enough to know that one and don't know about the backstory.
I drive one of these that I bought from a girl who was in nursing school, who's dad worked as a mechanic at a honda dealership. It's been kept stock, is in great shape, and all the maintenance was kept up over it's lifetime. It's a fun car to drive around. My only complaint is that I can't really find anything that I would like to replace it with...
Reminds me of my first "hot" car; my (purchased new) 1986 Honda CRX Si, all 92hp 3 valves/cylinder black beauty. These little Hondas are slick as snot and are the best at making owners feel like they have touch and control, still miss it.....
Had this as my first car modified to the max. Sold it and bought a evo x. After few years bought another ep3 that had a k24a2 swap and type r 6 speed. That was awesome car. Now im looking to buy another one
I have a blue unmodified, well kept 2004 EP3 (SiR Canada Model) @ 145,000 kms. That is exactly why I bought it in 2006, because I knew it would be rare now (the amazing handling and shifter helped too). Thanks for the review!
I just bought one of these that was in mint condition and got it for cheap. I love it and feel like I got lucky on it cause it wasn't even looking for an ep3. But it's a great car. I hope your right about it increasing in value!
Had my 2004 SiR since 2008 and I love it. Best Honda I've had so far and I had seven others prior... and during. Of course, the K24 I installed sure helps :D
I just picked up a bone stock 05 si about a month ago. The car is in immaculate condition aside from minor door dings on both sides. Apparently a guy had it for about two years, traded it in and a lady owned it since 07. Did all the maintenance. ALL THE MAINTENANCE at the same dealer it was originally purchased from and eventually it had an engine problem. She didn't wanna put more into it, so when she traded it in the dealer replaced the engine and oh man it runs so nice. Originally i wanted to rice it out, but it's just too nice.
I enjoyed both videos, thanks for the extra content!
I remember when these first came out I thought they were LAAAAAAME... looked like a dustbuster, no B16, no 8,500rpm redline, looked like a dustbuster, strut suspension up front instead of double wishbones, etc.
But then I got to drive one, and within one lap around the block I was ready to suck the Si schlong. All of it's differences and un-Hondalike qualities that made me dislike it in the first place were also what made it so great. The weird styling, the weird Renault 4-style shifter, the "big" engine that made power everywhere, and just the fact that it's a Euro Honda and totally unique in the U.S. (like a Sterling 827SLi!) Whatever deficiencies struts have vs. double wishbones, the '04 Si actually felt more nimble and lighter on its toes than the '99 Civic Si to me. There are some legit criticisms of this generation - namely that Honda had been cheapening the Civic out ever since 1995 and this was as crummy as their trim and assembly quality got before the (excellent) 2006 reboot... but for all the Si's unique qualities, I can live with that. The regular Civic sedan/coupe from this generation? Meh... just a shittier version of the 6th generation (which is a shittier version of the 5th generation). But the Si hatchback is special, and I'd love to have one now - if I could find one that isn't totally trashed/rusted.
doctor zaius
Very true
The 827Si wasn't a Euro Honda - it was a Rover which had a Honda engine in it. Though it was related to the legend it was very much a different car.
doctor zaius you said “suck the Si schlong” lmao
I completely agree with you. The weird styling and the shifter alone is enough to make the car feel special. I was lucky enough to find one a few years ago at 3600. Going to put as many miles on as I can.
The Honda Element had that same shifter. Loved it.
Had the "honor" to drive one today. So excited I took pictures. Such an awesome shifter.
I found this channel 2 weeks ago. And now im binge watching it . I have reached 2014
That center shifter does make me want the car, I wish we got the 12v plug in the center as well though.
Also, I am so glad I get sanded instead of salted roads, old cars at least don't rot but something like a Civic Si? they just aren't around here, and the vehicles that are, are at obscene prices used.
My 2003 civic si was the best car I have ever owned. The ep3, although not fast, is a very fun and economical car. I will own one again this tax season... Or a miata... :o
the 240sx comment was so accurate. I Purchased a 1990 240sx from an older gentleman and its as close to stock as they come. however im so satisfied that it was well preserved i cant wait to start working on it,
Great video. I just sold my unmodified (previously old-man owned) 2003 civic SI with 100k miles for a couple thousand over KBB because of the rarity of finding one in good condition. Hold onto them for those nostalgic car buyers who miss this little gem.
Can anyone explain to me why Honda's get so much hate??
I own a 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 aswell as a 2007 Honda Civic Type R FN2, and am constantly seeing people on the interwebs bashing Honda's? Im pretty sure the people saying this shit have never actually owned (not just driven) a real Type R Honda, because if they did I know they wouldnt talk shit about them. Theyre incredibly reliable, comfortable and have enough power to do most people with alot of different tuning routes to go. IDK, But if I had to choose between my Evo and Type R, I think 9 times out of 10 id choose the CTR!
two reasons. A. Stupid people hate on them because they are "slow" and have no torque etc. B. US honda owners have a bad reputation for doing distasteful mods, reving at people who don't want to race constantly, weaving through traffic like idiots and in some cases following people with desirable cars(s2000, integra type R) and stealing them.
I think more of the hate is toward the shady honda community. I personally love any honda hatch/integras and obviously s2000's but civics and integras are cheap enough that anyone can get one and then see parts they cant afford on someone elses car and think that they are somehow entitled to those parts.a good portion of S2000 drivers are elitist rich kids.
Love cool people and cool hondas.
Dislike asshats and kids who got a car from mom and dad.
George Billy Lol well my civic wasnt cheap. Cost me £7000. I had an EP3 before and I did get alot of abuse for some reason. Now in the FN2 nobody really minds because its a more mature car, albeit a bit more boring than the EP but still alot of fun. Im in Ireland btw, not the USA
Casey43 You're lucky then, both of those cars are illegal to import into our country until they're 25 years.
Casey43
25 years old, my bad.
I was super bummed when I had to sell my bone stock, clean as a whistle, 2003 SI when I moved overseas. Mine was the pre-altezza lights version and had the somewhat undersized 14" alloys. I sold my ride for $7500 cash to a couple kids because I was in a rush to leave town. Sigh...I'm sure it has a ridiculous wing, some gaudy wheels, and neon ground fx now - that is if she hasn't been totalled or the kids didn't blow the engine.
You're right that the handling is excellent (despite the understeer, but fwd) and the redline needs to be about 1.5-2k higher. You're wrong about the storage space - I was a regular gigging drummer at the time and I could fit my kit, plus my bass player's rig and my bass player with the seats down. It was an ideal city car. It was an easy-to-park, very reliable, cheap-to-maintain, decent-on-mileage, fun machine.
My only real complaint about the SI (pronounced SIGH) was the ride on crappy surface roads. I dreaded seeing potholes and uneven surfaces because I was afraid that I would herniate a disk.
Thanks for the awesome RCR. You just made me nostalgic.
I didn't like the understeer with my (long gone) 97 Civic, until I put in an Eibach rear sway bar and then the rear was free to come out and play, making the car way more dynamic and fun without being twitchy and dangerous. But my first car was a Chevy Caprice with all season tires in the Arctic in February, so I know oversteer.
i'm still driving an 02 EP3 and recently got an entire Ludwig 3 piece w/ 24" kick drum, hardware, cymbals and myself to the gig no prob. yr right about the ride but it's part of the wonderful 1:1 experience of everything about the car.
That was the best review I have ever seen on this channel!!
Mine was messed up when i bought mine a year and a half ago and Ive slowly been bringing it back to life
Honda also had the same shifter placement on the Honda Element.
No point in getting a Civic Si when you can have an H22 Prelude :D
Why not both ;)
loved my 2002 civic si... great little hatchback. was my second car and owned it for six years from when i was 16-22. great memories in it (and some not so great). loved it so much i put a new engine clutch and transmission and drove it until there were 225k on the body and it drove really well through the last day i owned it. i live in minnesota and it surprisingly never got rusty? sold it to an older gentleman and hope it stays in good hands.
Just bought an 04 Silver Si that was BONE STOCK with 112k miles. After a month of ownership, I still love it!
My 5 speed 06 Honda Element has a center shifter.
Gavin St. John I want one of those so bad. Would have sought it out over my accord if I understood the complete capability of the toaster before.
I'm thinking of getting one of these and making it a type R clone. Championship white really is something else.
Just because you brought it up, we really need a 240sx review. Thanks for all that you do for cars and people who love said cars. =]
No kidding on the CL ads, every single one has crash damage in the 3rd or 4th pic. The type of people doing this are the type to sweep things under the rug. "Maybe they won't notice that the passenger rear quarter is biting the tire..." Thanks for the videos, cheers!
I really enjoyed this review, because I feel like this car's virtues get forgotten about when compared to other Si civics. I currently own an '03 EP3 that is silver, and I agree that it is very difficult to find one of these cars that is clean. I bought mine with a bottom-end knock in the engine with 148k miles; I now have 177k miles on my car still with the knock in it, and I have only had to replace the AC compressor and the water pump. It is a wonderful car that is so much fun to drive, and I do not mind the engine's performance at all; this car pulls relatively hard in any gear, whenever you want, and you can manage 32 mpg out of it! It's superb for city driving in Pittsburgh. Someday I will find the money to either swap another K20a3 into it or repair the current one.
Tom B
Nice, Ive gotten 40 mpg in my 04 Civic Si by going 55 on the freeway lmao.
What are your shift points (rpm) driving normally.?
Charles L. Ray
Me? For economy I usually go 1st, 3rd, 5th all shifting at about 2500 to 3000 RPM.
Lol you can see the guy in the back at 1:28 struggling with his turning radius.
I cannot wait until you get your hands on a new civic type-r, you do great work!
This was great, but the Harold version was a great departure for the ordinary.
I definitely like this version but i think the 1st version was much more funny !
there's a fuck ton of clean ones in Southern California
True
Your nan cant even find one decent one here in washington been looking for 3 months now
NotAsian just get a hatchback geo it's almost the same (not really though)
..just waiting for K24 swap goodness
I've only seen like 5 here in Indianapolis. One has rusty matte paint, and the other is a decked out JDM variant.
Great review! Ive always thought this car looked cool, and since my acura integra LS (manual) was stolen i was looking for something to replace it. Your review played a good role in my choice, (which competed against a mazda 3 hatch 2004-9, celica gts, or the fit-which was quickly dismissed after you reviewed yours, too slow and I hate water leaks.) It freaking took me six weeks to find a clean one at a good price! Its a beautiful car, so well designed, and it rides great. Thanks for your knowledge RegularCars
Also, if Strongbad owned a car, which one would it be?
I subscribed - keep up the unique review technique style you have!
I love my EP3!!! Enough said here!
Hmmm, no solid examples of EP3's left, huh? Where were you looking? Just so happens I've owned one since 2005 and I've all but logged 31,000 miles on mine and its immaculately intact, with no mods whatsoever. Mine's In Canadian spec aptly named the SiR.
Respect you listening to your viewers!! ...and thank you for correcting this review
Had one for 10 years!! The centre console was great for resting my long legs on.
Loved it, save for a few things missing - LSD front Diff and 6th gear.
Lol don't get rid of the other vid no matter what anyone says these are masterpieces funny too
Thank god for a watchable review! Good reupload
Drifter RX7 It was watchable..........on mute
u mad?
88jord88 Guess you're not a long time fan of rcr :/
Looks like someone didn't enjoy being given the BUSINESS!!!!!
scoutsnkniv made my day
The shifter in the Mazda5 is the same way. People usually comment negatively on the high placement, but it's awesome.
A few months ago i bought an 03 si. It had 200k miles on it, the thing was baby'd. It also was bone stock. In my area they are kind of unicorns. I had a 98 mustang v6 before. Twas my first car. I can say that i dont think i would go back to it lol.
That poor sedan at 1:28 with its sad three point u turn onto a two lane road
It's a 7th gen Corolla lol I've been in that situation before in mine
Ian Alejandro
I can make tighter turns in my minivan lol. I even seen trucks who can do tight turns perfectly.
Ian Alejandro
Lmfao true
I have a RSX Base, so I'm quite happy about this review since its essentially the same car. :)
Rsx is better imo
I like both version. One is a well-written yet humorous review...while the other is good ol' Mr. Regular weirdness!
Just traded my GSR for an EP3 today. I love how it looks euro knowing it was manufactured in England now
"Bukake of infotainment" LOL
Thanks for the 240sx comment I made the right choice I have a clean ep3 THANKS 😀👍🏻
I got a costumer with an si that looks just like this and he was told it is burning oil any ideas of what the cause is besides bad rings?
2 episodes in one day?! Oh boy! I hope you keep the other one up though
If it's a salvage, I'd have no problem throwing the RSX Type-S engine into one of these. Those rare, untouched ones are definitely out there, and I totally agree that they're special. Are these Si enough? Not really to me-- but I love it's a hatch (albeit a tiny one), and chuckable even if the stock tires (which were even worse/smaller in the '02 release) made this car very under-tired.
I have always thought that this little hatchback Civic Si had the same engine as the RSX Type S & the newer Civic Si. But from reading your comment I guess it doesn't
Love the Dookie reference. Many people who I know that say they hate Green Day (or even like it) have never even heard of Dookie
Regular cars and green day are like the best things ever!
Greenday are a bunch of cucks
Seriously? That was the album that put them on the map, how can anyone who likes them not know Dookie?
When I was little I was really into Elvis for whatever reason. Thought he was the best ever, he was all I listened to. At the babysitters, everyone wanted to watch Goosebumps and I wanted to watch Jailhouse Rock or even Grease. Got to the point my mom said "no, you have to get a different CD, and that's when i found green day. Who then turned me on to the Ramones, and the Clash, and so on and so on. So I don't care what other people say about them, I have a soft spot for Green Day. I don't listen to the new stuff, but I still like em
I miss my 2002 SiR every single day.
Were parts of the video upscaled to 60fps instead of native? Looks kind of wonky at times, maybe it's just youtube.
That was better!
You haven't watched the whole thing yet.
Finn The Creature Got 'em
Finn The Creature And how do you know?.. I did watch it and the one before..
Nothing beats Harold
Saab Sonett Broh!
But I want Harold Slovinski to review it...
saab is dead
Love every single upload from you RCR! Review sometime the Isuzu Axiom, you seem to be getting a lot of Isuzu requests lately.
That’s why i’m keeping mine stock and eventually getting a winter beater, because i know my 8th si coupe is gunna keep going up in value. Like a supra.
If I ever get enough money one day - I want 3 - EP3's: One with the L15B7 turbo Si engine in it - Second one with a K24 and a blower - and a third with the J35 V6...Please & Thank You!
Would a j series even fit?! If it can I might do that but I’m leaning towards homemade turbo kit until my a3 craters and than get a swap for it
Speaking of zits, I just popped one hiding between a couple of my lip scales much like an Ohio soybean farmer hides in that ditch by the woods when the wind picks up.
In Canada ep3 is called sir instead. is their a difference or are they the same. I want a white one so I can put type r rims on it.
Does anyone know if this is the same as the Civic Sport in the UK?
Nice save.
Dookie was their only good album.
I love that little bit at the end he knows it and so do I. I got my SIR for 2000 dollars no rust!!! no dents and under 200 000 km It practically cost more to ship it to north america then i paid. had two lights one was secondary o2 sensor ans the other was idle control valve $120 bucks latter im happy
Yay! A Civic Si review that doesn't suck!
Was about to get this car but then you said this is the car for people who's girl ends up cheating on him.FUCK that shit,am getting a mustang gt.I'm tired of being the servant and not the fuckin master.
lmao
LizardKillerAdamLanza Get an S2000.
Then you won't need a girl.
'Cause you'll have the S2000.
LizardKillerAdamLanza live axle piece of shit lol
You'll still be a servant with the mustang gt, a servant to major gasoline corporations.
LizardKillerAdamLanza Don't get Mustang GT, that is like the poster child of kids that want to be cool. They slap a loud exhaust on it and think it's the best shit ever but in reality, they're getting passed out by a V6 accord.
I really lost interest in the Civics after 2001. I love Hondas, I own a 1996 Accord but they're just not the same.
+HellaStockCD7 lol
It's the simplicity and quality that made Hondas but really every car company lost its roots :(
+HellaStockCD7 I think you would be more disappointed by the 2012+ civic even the SI is meh
Yeah after.. All Hondas before the dc5 type r were the best.
My favorite Honda is the Ef hatch sir
As a 2004 Type-R owner from Europe, I liked this review and I like my car (I own this car 10 years now). I must admit I rarely go beyond 6500 RPM in my car, but "VTEC kicking in Yo" feeling is nice. My second car is 1998 Integra Type-R and I hope to see Your review of Integra as well.
Please tell me the previous version is still up. That was genius. I'll still watch this one with love though RCR.