OK so it's not an incredible journey, but I went out and bought a brand new 2012 pbp GSR this weekend. I've always wanted an Evo, I blame the Gran Tourismo series. Anyways, my trade in was an '08 Civic Si coupe. It was a great, reliable, fun car and I thought for my first post I would highlight some of the big differences. Keep in mind both were stock, both were bought new, and I only have ~500 miles drive time logged in the new Evo so I'm not flogging it yet.

Some unexpected Si pros
- Better stereo, and yes I have the RF upgrade in the Evo. The Si's stock stereo was great for what it was and had to fill a much smaller space. The RF stereo in the Evo is better than most stock setups but I am not blown away. I know speakers have a break in period too so they will likely improve over time.

- Engine sound, keep in mind the Evo is stock. The Si just had an awesome sounding little I4, it would howl and wail until it bounced repeatedly off its rev limiter. The fact that it was geared low meant it would rev up quickly while accelerating, which always made you feel like you were going faster than you were. Good little motor for an NA 2.0L, I will miss it.

Some unexpected Evo pros
- When I was expecting the Evo's stereo to exceed the Si's, it let me down. However I was expecting the Si's manual transmission do be superior to the Evo's. It is not IMO. Sure, the Honda's transmission felt great to operate, had very short throws, and would click into place like a bolt action rifle, but sometimes 1->2 shifts were difficult and I would grind by trying to rush the shift. The Evo's transmission surprised me! It feels just as satisfying as the Si's and the clutch take up seems to be perfect for shifting quick. I have yet to miss a gear. It makes me feel more like a race car driver and less like a noob.

- Interior, after all the magazine reviews complaining about the interior, I was expecting to be let down. Honestly it's not that bad at all. I'm comparing it to a Honda after all, not a BMW. I have cloth too, not leather. All the touch points feel good, steering wheel and shifter feel great in fact. Only the sun visor feels utterly cheap. It might be plain but it gets the job done. Maybe I just have low expectations.

- Winter driving on Yokohama's, yes I know it's a no no, but I haven't encountered snow yet, and I have a back-up vehicle if that happens. On the dry roads the car behaves just fine, better than any car I've had before, and the temps have gotten as low as 5*F. I will of course change to all seasons or winters next season, I just need to make it through February to hit warmer temps.

Sorry for the rambling long post, just excited to have the Evo finally! Can't wait until warmer temperatures

 

Congratulations on the purchase man. The EVO's drivetrain is far superior to the Honda's and Im happy to see that your satisfied, however there will be a time where your transmission will feel notchy but thats expected. The Yokohamas arn't advised in winter climate as the tires material will begin to harden but I've seen plenty of Xs go through the snow just fine with their stock tires, not the best but it does get the job done. I am however surprised to see that your not exactly pleased with the RF sound system. At over 700watts it should be blowing you away lol. Good luck and welcome to the world of AWD.

 

I didn't think my system was that great either, for the first day or two until I found the "Bass Punch" setting which was at 2. At 6 with a good song with some low end, it was very nice.

Perhaps he hasn't turned it up yet? I can't see a Civic SI system being better either.

 

The sound system in my Civic EX was better than the one in my Evo (but I have an 8 so), it was a pretty nice system. Throw a intake on the Evo though and you don't need a stereo anymore... just crack the front drivers window and the turbo is all the music you need . All windows down once the weather is nice out and you get yourself a nice exhaust too Congrats on the purchase man! Seems like most people to Si -> STi, I think you made the better transition.

 

I've messed with all the settings. I've set punch to 4 and bass to +2 and the normal music type setting. Overall it sounds pretty good, to be fair speaker take a while to break in, the surrounds and suspension need sustained high output before they loosen up. I only expect the system to improve with age. Also the cold weather probably has some effect on the speakers themselves. I wasn't trying to say the RF was bad, but I am certainly glad I have that over the basic 140 system.

The Si system was actually pretty decent. I believe it was rated at 360 watts and had an 8" driver in the back. The cabin volume it had to fill was much smaller as well. Comparing the well broken in system to a brand new system in the frigid cold isn't really fair, but it is what it is.

 

Congrats on the purchase! My best friend had an 09 Si and that car was seriously FUN to drive. The sound system in the car was really good so I agree with you on that. I did manage to get my stock RF system to sound perfect for me with about 30 mins of adjusting though lol. The problem I had was when passengers were in the backseats they complained it was too "bassy" and you couldn't hear anything else clearly. I fixed that by setting my punch at 2 and base at +4.

 

Congrats! I went from a RSX-s to a 2013 GSR Phantom Black. I beat the crap out of my type-s for 7 years and it had 180k on the odometer. Car ran solid and I sold it for $7000 which I used to put down on my Evo. Only thing I miss is being able to beat on the car all day without worrying about it. And of course the awesome sound of the K20 engine in vtec. With the Evo I am a little more concerned about beating on it but I'm sure I'll get more comfortable with it over time. Aside from that, Evo is a huge upgrade all around! Enjoy!

 

Very nice man, where at in IL?

 

Good post OP, I'm actually thinking about making the opposite transition in the near future. I love my evo but I could use the cheaper payments/maintenance/fuel consumption and I've only heard good things about the si.

 

I went from an 06 Si to an 06 MR and LOVE IT, but its apples to oranges on comparison. Both are great cars but the Evo is just a beast! Wish I had both

 

I traded in my `07 civic si sedan for a `12 gsr and it was a huge performance upgrade for me as well! I had always wanted to buy an Evo ever since they were released in the US. I do however miss the much cheaper insurance and maintenance costs but, hey, you gotta pay to play!

 

congrats on the X. I'm trying very shortly to go from acura tsx to an RA sportback!

 

Welcome to the world of Boosted AWD. A honda makes a great daily driver with good mileage but power wise and WWD leave a lot to be desired for performance.

 

Congrats man! I too traded in my 07 si sedan for my 06 mr. Always wanted an evo or sti and took me 2yrs to find the right one for me. My si was a fun car tho and i miss it from time to time but i really couldnt be happier with the upgrade!