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Old 05-08-2020, 10:48 AM   #1
AlfredoJ
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Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

Hi!

I need to buy a new stick-shift daily driver and need some advise. I narrowed my options down to these three sedans/hatchback which are similarly priced:

1) 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn, very few miles.
2) 2018 Volkswagen GTI SE, few miles.
3) 2019 Honda Civic SI, few miles.

For me, the most important factors when purchasing a new car are: reliability, stick shift, mpg, comfort, good engine responsiveness.

In the past, I've owned a 2011 corolla, which sure was reliable, but its engine was way too sluggish. On the other end of the spectrum I have also owned a 2015 WRX which gave me a lot of headaches due to its unreliability.

I do not drive very fast, but I like to have a good engine response when I need it.

I am open to hear other options, but I just can't drive automatics; they are annoying as hell.

In your opinion, and based on these factors, which one should I buy?
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Old 05-08-2020, 11:08 AM   #2
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

If you want reliability get the Honda.
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Old 05-08-2020, 11:32 AM   #3
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

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If you want reliability get the Honda.
Yeah, that's what I thought. Although the extra hp and torque of the other two make them tempting to buy. I have not test driven any of these cars yet, but will do soon. I was 100% sure that I wanted to get the Civic SI until I saw that the other two cars were almost equally priced. Is the VW's 2.0 TSI engine that much more responsive than the Honda 1.5 turbo?
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Old 05-08-2020, 03:48 PM   #4
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

The 1.5 turbo is supposedly very responsive to mods.

As far as horsepower, the difference is minimal and when you compare weight I bet the Honda is still faster.
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Old 05-08-2020, 04:27 PM   #5
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

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The 1.5 turbo is supposedly very responsive to mods.

As far as horsepower, the difference is minimal and when you compare weight I bet the Honda is still faster.
I've never modded a car before, but the idea doesn't bother me. I've read something online about installing "hondata" on the civic to make it a little bit more responsive. What is this? Is this something that I can just buy and install myself? How much does it cost? I have experience in working with electronics by doing difficult mods on gaming consoles, but never have done mods on a vehicle before (other than basic repairs on a 2006 TJ which had very simple mechanics).

If this hondata mod is something that I can easily buy and install myself, then I might just go with the Civic SI.

I've been watching some reviews on youtube about the Jetta GLI and Civic SI and they both have front limited slip differential, which helps to correct torque steering. I think it is between the GLI and Civic SI; the GTI is a bit impractical to me because of the reduced cargo space.
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Old 05-08-2020, 04:41 PM   #6
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

Hondata makes aftermarket ECU's, but they also offer a device called Flash Pro. With it you use your factory ECU but you can tune with it and can datalog and more. There are write ups all over the place on using it to get the basics you need from it and it can be fully utilized by a tuner with more intimate knowledge of fuel maps, etc.
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Old 05-08-2020, 07:08 PM   #7
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

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Originally Posted by Stealthee View Post
Hondata makes aftermarket ECU's, but they also offer a device called Flash Pro. With it you use your factory ECU but you can tune with it and can datalog and more. There are write ups all over the place on using it to get the basics you need from it and it can be fully utilized by a tuner with more intimate knowledge of fuel maps, etc.
Thanks man! I looked into it on their website. Is it street legal? can I just do the +6 psi tune as a long term solution and leave it that way? would it affect reliability?
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Old 05-08-2020, 07:28 PM   #8
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

Its not technically "street legal" but as long as you don't go doing stupid things the chances of getting in trouble for it are slim. My cousin runs the Flash Pro on his 07 Si. He set up a launch control with it and was going to use it to help tune a turbo build, but that got reversed due to turbo placement not being ideal with the set up he initially got. He's hoping to have it turboed either later this year or early next year though.
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Old 05-09-2020, 04:25 AM   #9
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

That is kind of a deal breaker for me. Is there anything else that I can easily install which would be street legal? I don't want massive amounts of power, just a bit more torque and power would be nice. Is this one street legal?
https://www.hondata.com/flashpro-2017-civic-si-carb

They say on their website that it is emissions compliant and can be legally used on highways. Am I reading it correctly?
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Old 05-09-2020, 09:44 AM   #10
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

It looks like that one would be okay.
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Old 05-09-2020, 04:43 PM   #11
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Re: Which new sedan, hatchback daily driver to buy? - Stick-shift only

Great thank you!
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