6 Reasons (In HONDAS Fashion) Why I Love My Civic

These are some reasons I love my 2014 Civic Si to absolute death, and why I chose New School over Old School. Hope you guys enjoy the read.

H - Honda Honda manufactures amazing machines that are built to last, sometimes built to be fast, and (generally) daily drivers, at least how they leave the factory.

They brought to us the coveted F20C S2000 motor, a 4 cylinder 2.0L naturally-aspirated powerplant producing an incredible 237 Horses. That is almost 120HP per Naturally-Aspirated liter. Not to mention a world renowned NSX, another RWD beast sporting the infamous mid-mounted C32B, achieving 290HP in its later days.

And finally, the most common (and what many consider worst of the group), the Civic. This car receives criticism from most, despite its looks whether it be aftermarket or stock, despite its performance and ultimately, despite its potential. Many hate on this car, because it is cheap to own, cheap to ruin the looks, and cheap to build out, comparatively speaking. But no one can deny that the car from the factory must be pretty damn good to be going strong since the early 1970’s.

O - Options The options that the Civic has for trim levels is undeniably some of the best in it’s class. Starting at 18,290 USD, the Civic is a cheap, reliable option for anyone who wants to buy the car, and not have any major costs for the next 10+ years. The consumer also has the option of choosing the Si tier, which bumps the engine up to a K24Z7 and 205HP. But these aren’t the only options available…

The aftermarket that follows these vehicles is immense. Superchargers, turbochargers, all-motor, show car, race car, rice car, front-and-center car, last to leave and first to finish car, V8 eater, drag strip demon, track monster. All of these are options because of the aftermarket. Don’t believe me? The world’s quickest FWD civic ran a 7.91 @ 196 MPH. The world’s fastest FWD Civic ran an 8.00 @ 200 MPH. And if you don’t already know about the new Type-R, and how fast it is around the track, you must be living under a rock (and that was stock!).

Then there is Honda Day, where the fastest, riciest, loudest, craziest, coolest civic builds from all over the country show up for bragging rights. Please, tell me, when was the last time your car’s manufacturer had such a big following that thousands came in from around the country to participate?

N - Nimble Granted, the new civic may not be the definition of nimble anymore, but with that turbo-ed 1.5L, turbo-ed K20, and prospect of another naturally-aspirated Si, they do define quick. With the right driver behind the wheel, these vehicles can do incredible things.

Not to mention the Old School. They were the epitome of nimble. They were light - when stripped, some hatch owners reported getting the vehicle under 1700 pounds. That is incredible, especially when immense power is put down.

D - Delightful These cars are immense fun to drive. Sure you may not be able to drift it the best, and it may not be able to go the fastest in a straight line, but take it to a windy road, and you will find that this car (from my personal experience) handles amazingly.

Just picture it: A harsh Friday night. The drive; you know where you’re going, but you don’t know how far to go. You reach the bottom. There is only one way to go; up. you begin, the engine is warm, and so are you. You’ve waited all month for the perfect day, and finally it’s here. Easy at first, making sure you get past the houses, past all those leaving for the night. Then, you truly begin. Zooming up and down the mountain roads, taking corners at 35, the straights at 75, hitting the brakes, slamming the gas, banging gears, and listening to a glorious sounding N/A motor rev purely on her own to redline, waiting to be abused as you slow for the corner, flooring it as you nail the apex, and exiting the turn as you continue to climb the tac…

It really get’s your blood flowing, adrenaline pumping. doesn’t it? This is what it feels like to push it to it’s limits. It is delightful.

Now picture the opposite: A beautiful Sunday morning. There is snow falling as it has been doing so all night. It’s almost Christmas. You worry about your car being able to make it, the snow is deep and the roads are slick. But you have nothing to worry about. You know deep down that she’s capable, she can handle what the world will throw her way. You begin your Sunday drive, to the store, carrying the most precious cargo in the world; your family. All you are doing is going to the mall, Holiday shopping, nice and easy. Throughout the drive, you see more and more people understeering into medians and curbs, sliding all over the place. But you made it there safely. Your car handled the weather. You took care of it, and it took care of you. And in all, it was a delightful Sunday drive.

A - Amazing I believe these cars look amazing. Whether it be the use of aftermarket to get its current looks, or purely the way it looks from the factory, Civics can be truly amazing to look at.

S - Safe I want you to picture one last thing for me. I’ll do my best to paint the image in your mind.

I want you to picture one of the worst things imaginable. There you are, Saturday evening. It’s about 10:30 PM. You just had to get away from it all, the stress of work and all. You take out your baby, the car that has been there with you, through thick and thin, protecting you from the elements, and providing serious fun over the years. You’ve thought about getting a new car; the lease is almost up. It’s been a blast, the past 3 years have been some of the best. You still remember the day you bought her. You heard about how fun and safe she was, and you got a four door so you could haul your family. And then, as you cross the intersection, a drunk driver runs the light. He slams into your passenger side door. The car rolls, once, twice, a third time… But wait, it stopped. You are upside down. You know you’ve been in an accident, but you can’t remember what happened. the curtain airbags deployed, as did the steering wheel. You see glass on the roof, and blood on the sides of the airbags. they slowly deflate. You know you are hurt, but how badly, you can’t tell. You unbuckle your seatbelt - Thank god you remembered to put it on this time. You fall to the roof of the car, but not hard; the roof has caved slightly. you crawl out the window, which has shattered into millions of pieces. You hear sirens in the distance. The damage makes you sick; seeing it is too much to bear. You look away, you want to hurt the person who did this. And then you realize you are fine. Bumps and bruises, cuts and scrapes, but you are alright. you sit on the ground, leaning against the one thing that saved your life. Your car. You think back about the delightful times you had together, and you know this is your last moment with her. You are taken to the hospital and discharged that night, no serious injuries. The next day you go to the impound lot to see the damage. It’s worse than you remembered. And then you see the other vehicle, and you think, “How did I survive this?”

And then you remember - you bought a Honda Civic.

I know Hondas, especially Civics, receive a lot of hate, but they truly are amazing cars. And that’s all I want people to realize. The car itself doesn’t deserve to be hated on. It is usually the owner who ruins the vehicle.