Would you track a Civic Si?

[CivicDisobedience]

Yep, you can definitely track an Si. You can track it stock, and you can add quite a bit more zip for under $500.

An Si with a KTuner is an entirely different beast. Especially with the Phearable 1.5R tune, which gets you near 250 hp and up to 300 torque. That's without doing any additional mods! Here's what it looks like with the 10th gen Si. The 11th gen is essentially the same thing.

I track my FK7 (non-Si 10th generation Hatch Sport 6MT) several times a year. And it's a blast! I'm running the Phearable 1.5R, and I've made some handling mods, added Brembo front brakes, etc. I don't have the usual bolt-ons that guys throw a bunch of money into (but don't yield a lot in gains), likecold air intake, downpipe, larger turbo, blah blah. Start with a great tune, and you'll be utterly charmed. Take it to the track, and you'll be totally smitten!

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[MooMoo]

the best track car is the one you currently have

but yes for track the Elantra N is a far superior car

 

[VarmintCong]

I'll be honest. I test drove a '23 Si today and I really liked it. I test drove a '22 Elantra N and a '23 Civic Type-R and they were great but felt almost too much power for someone starting out with HPDE events. I don't know why I love that sucker so much.

Is there an upgrade path to get even more track ready for the newest Si? For any car I would do high-temp brake fluid, pads, and high-performance tires. I'm not sure what the main track limiters for the Si because I haven't honestly seen a ton of complaints about it. Possibly because it's not a popular car to track. I am aware of cooling issues with the Civic Type-R on another thread.

If it's got all seasons on it, definitely get rid of those, the limit is likely to be you if you've never done a track day. I wouldn't change anything but tires. If the brakes get too hot as a noob you're probably overbraking the car.

 

[RedlineAddict]

If it's got all seasons on it, definitely get rid of those, the limit is likely to be you if you've never done a track day. I wouldn't change anything but tires. If the brakes get too hot as a noob you're probably overbraking the car.

I have one track day under my belt (with an S5) and the limiting factor is for sure me.

 

[CivicDisobedience]

I can get an Elantra N for about $3k more than the Si. Really tough choice. I think that car seems comparable to a CTR but there must be some kind of Hyundai discount to get it down to that price.

The "Hyundai discount" is because it's a Hyundai. There's no doubt that Hyundai continues to improve their offerings, but they're still a long way from the history of quality that Honda's established. I'm basing this largely on anecdotal evidence, Hyundai's history of "value" offerings with dodgy reliability, and the Car Wizard's urgings to never buy a Hyundai. Admittedly, that's not an opinion based in objective facts.

Sure, I'd love to rip an Elantra N around a track. I thought the Veloster N looked pretty cool, especially in that light blue "N" livery they've established. Maybe I might even buy one sometime at a really deep discount, but I just can't see it holding up like a Honda. And every time I look at that slanty "N" on the hood or the back, it's just going to feel wrong.

 

[MooMoo]

The N is ugly but its just a better car than the SI, it is what it is. If you care about is looks then no reason to consider the N, the SI will probably be more reliable of course but the N is a fun car that performs above the price. That said if I was to spend 30ish something I would get a GR86 probably unless I really needed the extra doors/space

 

[AZCWTypeR]

My neighbor just had their Sonata engine replaced under warranty. So no thanks, I'll stick with Honda.

Honda's been auto racing since the 1960's, so they've learned a few things kept close to the vest. Note Honda designs everything in house, unlike other manufacturers (newest electric car excepted).

 

[Dmorrow]

Having owned a 22 SI and 21 Type R I will say I had more fun overall tracking the SI because I never had overheating issues and ran all day. Never finished a full 20 min session in the Type R due to cooling issues .

 

[qingcong]

My neighbor just had their Sonata engine replaced under warranty. So no thanks, I'll stick with Honda.

Honda's been auto racing since the 1960's, so they've learned a few things kept close to the vest. Note Honda designs everything in house, unlike other manufacturers (newest electric car excepted).

My buddy's Stinger shat its engine at 60-70k. This falls under anecdotal evidence, but I've heard enough Hyundai/Kia stories to scare me away. You just don't hear about Honda engines crapping out, unless people are doing crazy stuff.

 

[Cueyo]

I think the SI's L15 blowing up was all started when that one guy on YouTube made a video about how the engine is poorly built. Aside from that it's all been anecdotal evidence.

 

[RedlineAddict]

Having owned a 22 SI and 21 Type R I will say I had more fun overall tracking the SI because I never had overheating issues and ran all day. Never finished a full 20 min session in the Type R due to cooling issues .

How serious were the cooling issues? I'm surprised I'm not hearing about this more.

 

[CivicDisobedience]

I can't speak to any Type R cooling issues, but I had no problems until I stayed on the track longer than 20 consecutive minutes. ECU started cutting power, and I noticed my engine temp was getting up there. It wasn't a hot day. When I came in and mentioned it to the more experienced guys, they suggested a performance radiator. I put in a Koyorad, and everything's been fine.

My research suggested I'd be better off with an upgraded intercooler as well. I put in a Greddy IC and charge pipes, and I've never had anything but full boost out on the track. Stock turbo.

 

[Dazzling2394]

Long story short, I wanted a FL5 CTR but my wife is giving me grief over the price. She seems to be more amenable to the Si for whatever reason.

Does anybody here have experiences with that? I'm not seeing many online. From what I've researched the consumables will be cheaper which is nice and the my money I would have spent on the CTR would go to that and track days.

Yup, I end up classing with NB miatas generally. Tend to get beat in dry, and take the class in wet.

It's about $550/year for me on pads, rotors & fluid. I've burned one set of tires, but if you're smarter than me you can get significantly more life.

This is all on ~12 track days. Stock wheels & tires are trash, use em as your commute or winters. Get RPF1 or similar.

Brakes are overboosted, and cook easy. But very stable platform, and (I) feel it's pretty responsive to throttle input for correcting mid-turn.

I had to get some adjustable ball joints for camber, but it's really not enough. I think that track-focused coilovers would be biggest bang for buck, but would cost so many points I would be out of my class.

But, yknow. I'm just some jackass online.

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