So I've been thinking a lot recently about how the new civic is winning all the car of the year awards and stuff. I mean, I'm sure its a nice car, aestetically I'm not too crazy about it but...

Just makes me wonder...I bet if the tc didn't have so many [relatively] minor ticks (aka rattles, squeaks, etc...) it certainly could have contended for the award. As far as looks, its definitely HOT! Mechanically, its pretty sound. Standard features out the wazooo. Very reasonable base MSRP. Good MPG and its pretty fun to drive. Plus, its a scion...not a honda. Overall, its definitely a nice base level car. It certainly seems to appeal to a broad base of consumers.

Its really a shame that toyota/scion didn't take an extra 6 months and few hundred bucks (per unit) to work out some of the well publicized "tc ticks". Otherwise, they (and we) could have been sitting on (or in) the Car of the Year.

 

I don't think any of those minor issues would have kept the tC from becoming COTY. I think the Civic got the nod because it offers such a diverse, forward-thinking model line. There's everything from a gas-frugal hybrid to the everyman's cheap sedan to a high performance coupe. In that regard, the tC is rather limited.

 

I don't really know who picks "car of the year". I mean so many people name cars that, like road and track a few years back named the subaru WRX STI that, and then this year they named the corvette C6 (not sure if it was the Z06 or not) this years car of the year. now I know most people go by motor trend's car of the year standard, but I stopped subscribing to them simply because they don't really give any newcomers a chance. Daewo was shunned by them, and when the box and doorstop came out from scion (xB and xA) there wasn't really much hype. They choose favorites toward the cars that have a foothold and a history IMO. But when it all boils down, frankly I don't care what they say cause I love my tC (fun to drive, pretty good handling, easy to customize and work on, pretty quick and zippy, etc), and I'd rather be caught in a mary kay cadillac that be caught in a civic, Si or not!

 

You've got to remember... Honda ---> Civic has been around for years. It's a long standing tradition that the "Civic" carries everytime it is release. This time around, it happens to come out @ 197HP & LSD. I mean the design of the body runs the limes of a Acura TL(In my opinion).

Scion is what 2 years old, and a cult following... that my friends is special. Anyways, I have regrets on choosing the tC over the SI. We don't need a "Car of the Year" award to make us feel better, it's just one of those hell look what we have in our trophy case things.

 

I agree Kevinxb...this is probably exactly rite. I mean, I'd def like to drive an Si (i'm sure it handles MUCH better than the tc) , but for the extra 5K i don't think its worth it...PLUS, i hate how everyone (including on this forum) make such a big deal about the civic's LSD! I don't think most people even know what that means, they just think it sounds cool! Its really not THAT oustanding or necessary of a feature in a street car (unless you're doing a lot of hi speed cornering!) VTEC, now THAT is something to brag about...making 200HP out of 2.0 Liters of displacement. Thats certainly COTY engineering

 

Yeah, an LSD would not make or break a car purchase for me. Only if I was buying it just to go racing, which most people aren't.

 

Really all an LSD does is allow the drive wheels to spin at different speeds ie while turning, cornering, or driving over road debris. When going thru a turn the outside wheel(s) travel a longer distance and therefore need to be rotating faster than the inside wheel(s) or else they will spin. The limited slip differential allows the transmission to redistribute power to the nonslipping wheel to maximize traction, handling, and stability. Will make a BIG difference on a road course. Barely noticeable difference on the drag strip. And almost no difference on the street...unless you drive over a patch of ice with one drive wheel.

 

Just buy it, drive it and like it. Simple as that. With the release of the Civic Si, everyone is just making it sound like it's the next super car or something. It's no different from the RSX-S except for the LSD. Everything else is pretty identical.

 

yup. That motor is def the baddest 4 NA four banger in production though. Plus its got a HONDA badge on the front...as opposed to a SCion

 

the baddest NA 4Cylinder belongs to the S2000.

 

With car critics and the like one of the big grievances were scion's lack of "trims".

Also the civic has a predecessor. and the 2006 was such a leap in design and performance it had to be recognized.

 

I dunno. My favorite is still the 1998 Acura Integra type r.

1.8 liter 198 hp.... I don't remember the torque numbers, but it is Far superior to the z3 motor in the civic.

 

you bastered you beat me to it

 

ummm not realy the type r was great handaling and made masive power for a n/a 4 banger at the time and still does but 195 hp 130 ftlbs of torque cant compete with the new civic but luckly for the type r it weights like 250lbs less then the civic and i dont think 9 ftlbs of torque and a 2 hp can make up for that



one more thig rumor has it the jdm type r civic will be a 4 door monster according to some mags it should have power comparible to a s2k so lets hope for a f22c1 civic that would be awsome but very unlikely

 

That LSD means nothing without torque.

 

Sorry 195 hp, But for pure engineering. that power comming from a 1.8 liter NA out of the factory is what impressed me so much about that engine.

 

thats not true.

at 20mph, when you are going through a corner, youre going to be reving that civic up to around 5 or 6k rpm, when its all horsepower, and you will need that LSD for traction.

 

Umm...Did everyone forget about the Toyota XRS motor? 180 out of a 1.8 isn't bad...and it could be bumped up to close to the 200 mark with the right tuning, CAI, better exhaust, etc.
I only bring this up because everyone is SO impressed by Honda's ability to get 200 HP out of a 1.8, but we have pretty close to that in OUR stable. We just need to find the right car for it and I guess thats what Honda has done that Toyota didn't. The elise managed 200 with a new computer AND lower lift range...definitely more driveable than the stock 2ZZ.
PS...LSD WILL help in the drags too. It will allow for more traction than without...hence the old musclecars with posi VS. without.

 

yeah i still bust one every time i see this yellow one in aurora its so nice and the only real type r i have ever seen

 

no one forgets about the 2zz and as a matter of fact the action package celicas were rated at 190hp atleast to the best of my recolection but the 2zz has no where near the potential to be a n/a monster like a b series or k series honda

although a 2zz action package gts is one of my dream cars not number 1 dream car lol but its up there