Want this car - Help me make decision

wasiu0607 · 06-23-2006, 01:48 AM

I'm having a dilemma on whether to get a '07 Honda Civic SI or '07 Nissan 350z. I'm only 17 right now, so some things I say may be nonsense, since I am new to

. Anyways, the MSRP for civic is like around 20k, and for Nissan 350z, it's around 28k. The performance of 350z (300 hp) is better than SI (200 hp). I don't think the interior of both cars are that GREAT. Anyways, that is $8k difference.

0-60 MPH for 350z is 5.4 secs (I think)
0-60 MPH for SI is 7.4 secs (I think)

What would you guys do? I need experts to help me. Anyways, I really like the black civic SI, but it doesn't look aggressive enough. Are there any body kits that will make the car seem more aggressive and not just a casual car moms drive their kids to school everyday? When I look at the front of SI, it seems so friendly. But I really love the rear, it's what caught my eyes the most. Anyways, opinions please

whitecivicsi · 06-23-2006, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasiu0607

I'm having a dilemma on whether to get a '07 Honda Civic SI or '07 Nissan 350z. I'm only 17 right now, so some things I say may be nonsense, since I am new to

. Anyways, the MSRP for civic is like around 20k, and for Nissan 350z, it's around 28k. The performance of 350z (300 hp) is better than SI (200 hp). I don't think the interior of both cars are that GREAT. Anyways, that is $8k difference.

0-60 MPH for 350z is 5.4 secs (I think)
0-60 MPH for SI is 7.4 secs (I think)

What would you guys do? I need experts to help me. Anyways, I really like the black civic SI, but it doesn't look aggressive enough. Are there any body kits that will make the car seem more aggressive and not just a casual car moms drive their kids to school everyday? When I look at the front of SI, it seems so friendly. But I really love the rear, it's what caught my eyes the most. Anyways, opinions please

Ok seems like we have a problem here. You want the SI but then again you don't because it looks friendly and also you don't think 200 HP is enough for you and you're only 17? Can I ask you something not trying to be mean or anything. Who is paying for this car and how is your driving record? You're looking at a high value price for your insurance with either car. 8k difference is alot of money if you ask me. I would probably go with the SI just like I did and use the 8k for upgrades if you have the $. Also, about the interior I love it. You can ask anybody on this site. You'll probably get 90% approval for the interior. Maybe the last 10% would say no because of the lint problems.

All I would have to say to the last 10% is do better laundry. lol

As for the body kit question...they're coming out with a few good ones. I can't seem to think of them off the top of my head but those are things you can change as time goes by and more become available for the car.

Goodluck on your choice and hopefully you join the family and get the SI. Although they might be hard to find!

wasiu0607 · 06-23-2006, 02:13 AM

My parents will buy the car for me, and I will slowly pay them back. This is exactly what I'm debating about, buying the SI and use the $8k for upgrade. Won't modding the SI engine heavily increase the insurance? Also, can the performance of a $8k mods SI be compared to 350z?

If you had the choice, why wouldn't you just get the 350z and save the energy of having to mod it?

jc21 · 06-23-2006, 02:14 AM

Unless your parents are paying for both the car AND the insurance, you're outta your mind (unless you made a boatload of money with the stock market or somethin). I couldn't even IMAGINE what i would be paying for insurance on an SI (let alone a 350z) and I'm 21 with a clean record.

If your parents are footing the bill (wouldn't hate on you, my parents bought my first car.. granted it was like 3g).... actually I was gonna say something but I changed my mind.

Here's what I think. If you were smart I'd get somethin cheap for a few months (if this is your first car and you havn't been driving for awhile). There's a solid chance you're going to get into an accident. After you get that first accident out of the way then look to get somethin nicer. This is all of course if this is your very first car and you don't have much experiance driving.

jc21 · 06-23-2006, 02:17 AM

Oh yea I forgot to finish my post.

If you have been driving for awhile, your safe and don't go zippin around corners and striaght roads at stupid speeds, then look into the SI.

Lets say your parents are paying for it all. Are they also going to pay to fix the car? I say that because if you get into an accident and they don't pay for it, you would much rather pay to repair a honda than to repair a 350z.

Gotta look at other things besides just h/p and what not. Like gas mileage. Are you paying for your gas? If so you'll be pumping a lot more with a 350z then you will for an SI. Want to mod your car? Aftermarket parts are one hell of a lot cheaper for the SI then they are for the 350z.

jc21 · 06-23-2006, 02:19 AM

ok just read your post.

If you wanna mod, then even if you get a 350, you'll still wanna mod it. Also are you paying for the insurance/mods/gas/repairs?

whitecivicsi · 06-23-2006, 02:22 AM

Yea what he said ^^^^ but then again its all up to you.

Insurance is a bitch bud. I'm telling you. Once you get the first accident or ticket you'll see what we're talking about. And and SI or a 350Z wouldn't be a good car to get it in either...as far as insurance goes. goodluck on your decision.

I'll be

my SI though.

Oh yea almost forgot. My first car was my mom's old beater 82 toyota cressida <-- I think thats how you spell it. But the first one I bought was a 89 Mazda RX7

Deamon · 06-23-2006, 02:27 AM

Si simply put, best bang for your buck.

SlabOMeat · 06-23-2006, 02:35 AM

The 350z is horrible on gas. My buddy has one he just got and is already complaining about putting gas into it. It's pretty heavy compared to the SI, its a two seater, and the interior isn't as comfortable as the SI. PLUS, it's a lot more expensive than the SI. The choice is yours but if your going to buy a 350Z, just take that money and get an STI and get a lot more car. The 350Z makes me flaccid.

SlabOMeat · 06-23-2006, 02:43 AM

Also, I hate you. Free brand new friggin' car when you're 17.
<CueOld fart lecturing voice.>
Appreciate it and take care of it. I hate seeing young punks beating the hell out of their new cars. There's somehting about paying for it yourself that makes you appreciate it all the more. :P

And another thing, horsepower is not the only consideration performance wise. You have to look at how much weight those horses have to pull, how well the car handles, torque, etc. etc. For example: My 02' MR2 only has 130 horses but it corners like nobody's business and from what I've heard the MR2's consistently gets some of the best times at the autocross.

Just sayin.'

06CivEXJon · 06-23-2006, 03:12 AM

Good luck with that "wasi".

**dentrecords** · 06-23-2006, 03:36 AM

One thing I'm surprised no one has chimed in on is that the 350Z is rear wheel drive. Newer drivers (or simply drivers that haven't experienced RWD) are FAR FAR more likely to get in trouble with RWD... add 300 HP to your rear wheels, and you've got an instant recipe for a spinout in a corner.

Si is a better car to start off with, in a big way. Keep your revs down low to break in your engine.

***Cybergypsy*** · 06-23-2006, 06:11 AM

Had the 350 when it first came out, bad on gas, high insurance and AC sucked, so spare,or room in trunk....

**J-Ro** · 06-23-2006, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlabOMeat

Also, I hate you. Free brand new friggin' car when you're 17.
<CueOld fart lecturing voice.>
Appreciate it and take care of it. I hate seeing young punks beating the hell out of their new cars. There's somehting about paying for it yourself that makes you appreciate it all the more. :P

And another thing, horsepower is not the only consideration performance wise. You have to look at how much weight those horses have to pull, how well the car handles, torque, etc. etc. For example: My 02' MR2 only has 130 horses but it corners like nobody's business and from what I've heard the MR2's consistently gets some of the best times at the autocross.

Just sayin.'

You took the words right out of my mouth :)

It angers me when people say that one car is better than another because it's got more horsepower. That's so naive... it's like saying you want to buy one house over another because it's got nice windows or something (sorry, first thing I thought of :rolleyes:)... YES, that's one part of the equation, but a small one.
I see a lot of other cars on the road (especially american cars) that would embarrass me in a straight line, but I'd beat the piss out of them in the corners. And I'm only driving an EX

cirrith · 06-23-2006, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc21

There's a solid chance you're going to get into an accident. After you get that first accident out of the way then look to get somethin nicer.

This is so true. I had my first car for a month and a half before it was totaled in a not-my-fault accident. Now, I'm 23 with a clean record, but still, there's something about those first few months where life seems to want to teach you a lesson.

specvspeedfreak · 06-23-2006, 07:43 AM

u would love both but go for the the SI from those 2 choices. SI is the bang for the buck right now in the low 20ish price range. the engine has good potential (in the future) and the suspension is killer on it as well. very well designed.. I use to lap stock 350z, evo, sti's when i my (tricked out) spec-v ..to me there nothing special about the 350 specially considering the price.. Something u realy should consider is the rx-8 .. a lil under powered but still a lil faster than the SI . rev to 9grand. better handling and more potential even when fixed up. resale value will stay firm just like the SI would ..insurance is cheap cause it considered a four door and non turbo. and u can get it 3-4 g's more than the SI. Ive pre orded a 07 SI and if by november (when its due to arrive) i get a great deal on a rx-8 (3-4grand over the SI) then im buyin the RX-8.

**J-Ro** · 06-23-2006, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by specvspeedfreak

...resale value will stay firm just like the SI would...

On an RX-8? Not really. Given the the whole fiasco Mazda went through after owners started realizing how finicky and bitchy the RX-8's engine is (and subsequently becoming understandably angry after realizing that many of them wouldn't have bought the car had the dealer actually told them about the many quirks the engine has), the resale value on RX-8's has dropped a lot. The RX-8 is an alright car, but it's not worth the hassles... oh yeah, and the engine rebuild after 100,000 km is a bit of a damper too :rolleyes:
I'd stick to the Si all the way; it's gorgeous, it's comfortable and Honda engines last forever :)

peliROJO · 06-23-2006, 11:23 AM

I'm gonna try to pull this thread back in and keep it simple for our 17 year old friend.

If you wanna mod, then go with the Si, because I think the mod crowd is larger.

If you don't want to mod, and you have TONS of dough (i.e. $$$$$) then go with the 350Z.

Best of luck to you in your choice. But, if you want some in depth analysis you've come to the right place. First, if you're going to pay your parents back the money, will the pay back include interest? Interest adds up and is a major problem for your entire life. If you can't pay for something out right, then you will owe interest, and interest is designed to keep you in debt. The longer you're in debt, the more interest you pay. This is a life lesson that you are just entering into. Make wise decisions.

Ok, so money is no problem. How about you buy the Si, and take a vacation to Europe with the other $8k. It's a lot of fun. And with $8k you will have a blast for at least 1 month. Just an idea

Back on track, you talk of performance, is an extra 100hp worth $8000? Lots of variables already mentioned. And since you are new to driving I assume you have lots of learning to do in order to make sense of those variables.

Both cars look really good, but I would bet that the 350Z will get you laid more often.

specvspeedfreak · 06-23-2006, 03:40 PM

from what ive seen on the market the rx-8 has a good resale value. Thats cause of many things. 1. its well built;interior and exterior..yes the rotary engine is wayy different but still much reliable compared to the rx-7 ( and u still see some of those around)..2. its been top 10 and won all the awards since its first year.

but either way.. no one needs to dog this guy. hes 17 let him make his own choices. lifes all about learning from your mistakes. Let him experience it on his own. dont need to hate on him. keep that to your self..

..but an SI with 8grand in mods will kill a stock 350.with all the major boltons ,hondata and all supsenion mods (thats including rims/tires) your looking at around 3-4 thousand. and with that you will stomp almost anything on a road race..though u would need some cams and such to tie or beat a 350 on a straightline.

***Celcius*** · 06-23-2006, 03:52 PM

Buy a used POS car. You will get in an accident. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but everyone ***** up their first car.

There have already been at least 4 threads with kids who had an Si as their first car, and all of them totalled it. One drifted into a tree, another rear ended some dude, and one guy FLIPPED HIS SI ON A MOUNTAIN CURVE WHILE TRYING TO PASS AN SUV GOING 60+.

Please for the love of god, get a used car, and then after you total that car, get the Si. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but everyone does it.

Please.

Seriously.

06-23-2006, 01:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
wasiu0607 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Want this car - Help me make decision I'm having a dilemma on whether to get a '07 Honda Civic SI or '07 Nissan 350z. I'm only 17 right now, so some things I say may be nonsense, since I am new to . Anyways, the MSRP for civic is like around 20k, and for Nissan 350z, it's around 28k. The performance of 350z (300 hp) is better than SI (200 hp). I don't think the interior of both cars are that GREAT. Anyways, that is $8k difference. 0-60 MPH for 350z is 5.4 secs (I think) 0-60 MPH for SI is 7.4 secs (I think) What would you guys do? I need experts to help me. Anyways, I really like the black civic SI, but it doesn't look aggressive enough. Are there any body kits that will make the car seem more aggressive and not just a casual car moms drive their kids to school everyday? When I look at the front of SI, it seems so friendly. But I really love the rear, it's what caught my eyes the most. Anyways, opinions please

06-23-2006, 03:12 AM	#11 (permalink)
06CivEXJon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Monument/Colorado Springs Colorado Posts: 4,385 Jon iTrader: 0 / 0%	Good luck with that "wasi". Last edited by 06CivEXJon; 06-23-2006 at 03:29 AM.

06-23-2006, 06:11 AM	#13 (permalink)
*Cybergypsy* Mini Me! Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 48 Posts: 7,447 iTrader: 3 / 100%	Had the 350 when it first came out, bad on gas, high insurance and AC sucked, so spare,or room in trunk.... __________________ I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. Best part of being a Mini owner....the love doesn't Fade!

06-23-2006, 07:43 AM	#16 (permalink)
specvspeedfreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 17 iTrader: 0 / 0%	u would love both but go for the the SI from those 2 choices. SI is the bang for the buck right now in the low 20ish price range. the engine has good potential (in the future) and the suspension is killer on it as well. very well designed.. I use to lap stock 350z, evo, sti's when i my (tricked out) spec-v ..to me there nothing special about the 350 specially considering the price.. Something u realy should consider is the rx-8 .. a lil under powered but still a lil faster than the SI . rev to 9grand. better handling and more potential even when fixed up. resale value will stay firm just like the SI would ..insurance is cheap cause it considered a four door and non turbo. and u can get it 3-4 g's more than the SI. Ive pre orded a 07 SI and if by november (when its due to arrive) i get a great deal on a rx-8 (3-4grand over the SI) then im buyin the RX-8. Last edited by specvspeedfreak; 06-23-2006 at 03:17 PM.

06-23-2006, 03:52 PM	#20 (permalink)
*Celcius* www.yospeed.com Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Anaheim, CA Age: 23 Posts: 4,458 David Yonehara iTrader: 17 / 100%	Buy a used POS car. You will get in an accident. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but everyone *** up their first car. There have already been at least 4** threads with kids who had an Si as their first car, and all of them totalled it. One drifted into a tree, another rear ended some dude, and one guy FLIPPED HIS SI ON A MOUNTAIN CURVE WHILE TRYING TO PASS AN SUV GOING 60+. Please for the love of god, get a used car, and then after you total that car, get the Si. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but everyone does it. Please. Seriously. __________________

06-23-2006, 02:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
wasiu0607 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	My parents will buy the car for me, and I will slowly pay them back. This is exactly what I'm debating about, buying the SI and use the $8k for upgrade. Won't modding the SI engine heavily increase the insurance? Also, can the performance of a $8k mods SI be compared to 350z? If you had the choice, why wouldn't you just get the 350z and save the energy of having to mod it?

06-23-2006, 02:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
jc21 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago/Lincoln Park Age: 23 Posts: 1,220 I Like Cheese iTrader: 2 / 100%	Unless your parents are paying for both the car AND the insurance, you're outta your mind (unless you made a boatload of money with the stock market or somethin). I couldn't even IMAGINE what i would be paying for insurance on an SI (let alone a 350z) and I'm 21 with a clean record. If your parents are footing the bill (wouldn't hate on you, my parents bought my first car.. granted it was like 3g).... actually I was gonna say something but I changed my mind. Here's what I think. If you were smart I'd get somethin cheap for a few months (if this is your first car and you havn't been driving for awhile). There's a solid chance you're going to get into an accident. After you get that first accident out of the way then look to get somethin nicer. This is all of course if this is your very first car and you don't have much experiance driving.

06-23-2006, 02:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
jc21 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago/Lincoln Park Age: 23 Posts: 1,220 I Like Cheese iTrader: 2 / 100%	Oh yea I forgot to finish my post. If you have been driving for awhile, your safe and don't go zippin around corners and striaght roads at stupid speeds, then look into the SI. Lets say your parents are paying for it all. Are they also going to pay to fix the car? I say that because if you get into an accident and they don't pay for it, you would much rather pay to repair a honda than to repair a 350z. Gotta look at other things besides just h/p and what not. Like gas mileage. Are you paying for your gas? If so you'll be pumping a lot more with a 350z then you will for an SI. Want to mod your car? Aftermarket parts are one hell of a lot cheaper for the SI then they are for the 350z.

06-23-2006, 02:19 AM	#6 (permalink)
jc21 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago/Lincoln Park Age: 23 Posts: 1,220 I Like Cheese iTrader: 2 / 100%	ok just read your post. If you wanna mod, then even if you get a 350, you'll still wanna mod it. Also are you paying for the insurance/mods/gas/repairs?

06-23-2006, 02:22 AM	#7 (permalink)
whitecivicsi Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2,550 iTrader: 14 / 100%	Yea what he said ^^^^ but then again its all up to you. Insurance is a bitch bud. I'm telling you. Once you get the first accident or ticket you'll see what we're talking about. And and SI or a 350Z wouldn't be a good car to get it in either...as far as insurance goes. goodluck on your decision. I'll be my SI though. Oh yea almost forgot. My first car was my mom's old beater 82 toyota cressida <-- I think thats how you spell it. But the first one I bought was a 89 Mazda RX7

06-23-2006, 02:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baghdad, Iraq right now. Posts: 234 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Si simply put, best bang for your buck.

06-23-2006, 02:35 AM	#9 (permalink)
SlabOMeat Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Age: 37 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	The 350z is horrible on gas. My buddy has one he just got and is already complaining about putting gas into it. It's pretty heavy compared to the SI, its a two seater, and the interior isn't as comfortable as the SI. PLUS, it's a lot more expensive than the SI. The choice is yours but if your going to buy a 350Z, just take that money and get an STI and get a lot more car. The 350Z makes me flaccid.

06-23-2006, 02:43 AM	#10 (permalink)
SlabOMeat Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Age: 37 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Also, I hate you. Free brand new friggin' car when you're 17. <CueOld fart lecturing voice.> Appreciate it and take care of it. I hate seeing young punks beating the hell out of their new cars. There's somehting about paying for it yourself that makes you appreciate it all the more. :P And another thing, horsepower is not the only consideration performance wise. You have to look at how much weight those horses have to pull, how well the car handles, torque, etc. etc. For example: My 02' MR2 only has 130 horses but it corners like nobody's business and from what I've heard the MR2's consistently gets some of the best times at the autocross. Just sayin.'

06-23-2006, 11:23 AM	#18 (permalink)
peliROJO Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: currently in Africa Age: 30 Posts: 1,242 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I'm gonna try to pull this thread back in and keep it simple for our 17 year old friend. If you wanna mod, then go with the Si, because I think the mod crowd is larger. If you don't want to mod, and you have TONS of dough (i.e. $$$$$) then go with the 350Z. Best of luck to you in your choice. But, if you want some in depth analysis you've come to the right place. First, if you're going to pay your parents back the money, will the pay back include interest? Interest adds up and is a major problem for your entire life. If you can't pay for something out right, then you will owe interest, and interest is designed to keep you in debt. The longer you're in debt, the more interest you pay. This is a life lesson that you are just entering into. Make wise decisions. Ok, so money is no problem. How about you buy the Si, and take a vacation to Europe with the other $8k. It's a lot of fun. And with $8k you will have a blast for at least 1 month. Just an idea Back on track, you talk of performance, is an extra 100hp worth $8000? Lots of variables already mentioned. And since you are new to driving I assume you have lots of learning to do in order to make sense of those variables. Both cars look really good, but I would bet that the 350Z will get you laid more often.

06-23-2006, 03:40 PM	#19 (permalink)
specvspeedfreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 17 iTrader: 0 / 0%	from what ive seen on the market the rx-8 has a good resale value. Thats cause of many things. 1. its well built;interior and exterior..yes the rotary engine is wayy different but still much reliable compared to the rx-7 ( and u still see some of those around)..2. its been top 10 and won all the awards since its first year. but either way.. no one needs to dog this guy. hes 17 let him make his own choices. lifes all about learning from your mistakes. Let him experience it on his own. dont need to hate on him. keep that to your self.. ..but an SI with 8grand in mods will kill a stock 350.with all the major boltons ,hondata and all supsenion mods (thats including rims/tires) your looking at around 3-4 thousand. and with that you will stomp almost anything on a road race..though u would need some cams and such to tie or beat a 350 on a straightline.

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