EG VTi Hatch: the cold, hard facts!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Gday guys...after a bit of consideration I'm interested in picking up an EG VTi hatch (as the topic suggests!). I admit I know stuff-all about the car, other than what I've sourced from this site and redbook.com so I'm begging for some info from those in the know.
1. Exactly how 'zippy' is the VTi, 96kw seems alright for a car that weighs only a shade over a tonne. (in comparison to my VL Commonwhore)
2. Would the performance difference between the EG Vti and a 95 GSi Integra be great? (I've looked at 'Tegs also)
3. I'm assuming I'm looking around the $11-$13k bracket; is this about right?
4. I read the Civic model-info sticky, but redbook states that the EG VTi hatch is a "DOHC with VVT"?!? I thought it was SOHC?

Finally, (this is embarassing to admit) I havent had much manual experience at all, although I've been driving auto for around 5yrs. Do you think I'd get the hang of driving the Civic manual after a few manual lessons? I'd imagine the auto would suck (assuming they make an auto VTi). I also considered the Si although they seem pretty scarce, anyone noticed any for sale in Vic?
Thanks!

[fusion_VTi]

hey mate, nice choice on car! i own one myself and i love it, the si seems to be more favoured on this site so dont expect any crash hot reviews ;)

1. I dont reckon they go too badly, i've beaten non turbo 33's, lancers and new corolla's, they go alright but nothing compared to a B16a / 18c
2. Not sure about the teg's performance, i'd assume the teg is a bit quicker as it has more torque, however the civic is lighter so i dunno..
3. Price you get one around 10-12k these days, maybe find a bargin under 10 but be careful its not 2 good 2 be true.
4.Civic SOHC vtec
5. ur driving shouldnt mater too much with em, they're designed for road use so they're not too tricky to drive, i'd stay away from the auto tho as i reckon it'd take the fun factor outta it.

all in all theyre not a bad package, sunroof and power everything and airbag, however u gotta rev em to get any decent speed out of them. personally i'd prefer somethin with some low down power like the Si so i didnt have to rev it out all the time but thats just me. happy hunting :D :D

[bennjamin]

EG5 Vti is a great little car mate - altho the 11-13k bracket soudns alittle too high IMO....

Good nippy lil engines , typical japanese build quality = :):):)
Being small displacement , revvy engines - there are a few mods you can do to make her considerably quicker ;)

Get it with a clean body and clean record- and Ill bet you will spend less in 1 year than you spent a month on that commie ;)

I have a Si myself ( older, faster model ) so i cant exactly explain the ins and outs of vtis - Im sure the next few threads lots of vti owners will accept you with open arms ;)

Enjoy ur honda mate.

[SIKCVC]

Tuff one man... if you want more performance i'd say go for the Si, more options in the future and after seeing the performance of my friends Turbo VTi I'd stick with Si :P but then again the VTi is cool cos it has features like sun roof. and yeah about that price i wouldn't pay more than say $11,000 for it, although you can get them with very low Km's so yeah maybe a bit more for that.

Took me 2 weeks to get used to the manual trans. Doesn't take too long and you'll be fine, although i was stalling for a fair bit after that ahaha, just dont put a zorst on it until your used to it otherwise it looks really bad ahahha. Do'h

[Weq]

my first manual experience was driving my first/current car, a EG VTi sedan. 2 weeks is about right for learning to drive it confidently. that was with only lessons from my friends.
Comfort wise, the VTi has it all over the Si. It has better trim, a center console, sunroof, and other small things. I beat VL commys with my VTi so ur looking at something that can get about 2-3 car lengths on it at end of 3rd gear.
id say 11k should get u a fine example. they keep value well but u can easily bargin them down to <10k - mine cost $12.5k over 1.5years ago now.

SIKCVC - ur friend mustn know how to drive. SOHC'ers are vietsy little things.

[SIKCVC]

nah as in power wise... he put 9K into a turbo set up and only made 112 at the wheels. compared to people who put 6-7 into Si's for similar results... or from what i was told by the guys who worked on his car...

I dont really know though so dont grill me, just going passed on facts :P

But yeah got it right when it comes to comfort.

[[[d a n n y]]]

VTi great car great engine...

but really cant b comapred to the DOHC VTEC models

[**Ghost**]

Vtis feel significantly slower than dohc vtec models... not really the 0-100 times i'm talking about... more the responsiveness than nething.. .

if i were u i'd get the GSI teg, there are a few floating around for ur price range, and in the end u'd get a twin cam 1.8 which would pretty much own the 1.6 SOHC vtec... i had the same dilemma as u a few motnhs ago... i DEFINITELY would have gone for the GSI if my parents didnt decide to open a bank loan for me so i could get a vtir

[MR-VTEC]

yeah i reckon the teg has it all over the vti. i should know. lol. although sunroofs are the sh#t!

[Jai-VTi]

Hey mate, i got a VTi hatchy and i love it...

If your after performance dont buy an Si or VTi its that simple...(if u still want honda, DOHC VTEC the only way)

The Si will go better than the VTi but they are both zippy lil cars(the Vti has about as much tourque as a bicycle)but VTEC is fun.

If you want a cruiser definately the VTi, SUNROOF!Power everything and a awsome build quality!great fun...

In the end its up to u mate, good luck!

Jaiza 8)

[Mitch M]

hunt out an Si man ;)

i picked up my Si sedan manual for 9k ... paid a little more than normal but it was in real good condition ;)

very nice car :) oh ... and they can handle a thrashing :D just make sure you check your oil regularly because when you thrash em, they burn up the oil pretty damn fast !! i would know ... mine ran dry and has just been rebuilt lol

[[[d a n n y]]]

hunt out a SIR man 8)

u wont regret...

it's got everything...sunroof all power options..

and it looks better too :P

[Mitch M]

]]hunt out a SIR man 8)

u wont regret...

it's got everything...sunroof all power options..

and it looks better too :P

we have an ideas man :P

[Setanta]

]]hunt out a SIR man 8)

u wont regret...

it's got everything...sunroof all power options..

and it looks better too :P

EF9s look better :twisted:

[Nuttz]

Do u want to buy a EG Vti with a smashed frontend?? easy repair :)

[Ralph Wiggum]

Thanks guys, its great to see so many different opinions!
As I said, I really havent seen many SiR's around, I'd definitely be interested so if anyone sees or hears of any (online, tradingpost whatever) PM me.
I dont know whether or not its 'politically correct' to discuss someones ad in the For Sale section, but the VTi hatch that 'raff' is selling sounds alright, for $12k.
Haha, just my luck: found a 93, sounds good...auto (damnit), is this a huge no-no?

[**Ghost**]

theres a EK VTIR for 13000 on Firesport

[Weq]

hunt out an Si man ;)

i picked up my Si sedan manual for 9k ... paid a little more than normal but it was in real good condition ;)

very nice car :) oh ... and they can handle a thrashing :D just make sure you check your oil regularly because when you thrash em, they burn up the oil pretty damn fast !! i would know ... mine ran dry and has just been rebuilt lol

looks like ur Si wasnt in as good condition as u imagined. When u thrash they will burn oil(very very little), but u could go for a year and not burn enough oil to spin a bearing.

[toE]

Do u want to buy a EG Vti with a smashed frontend?? easy repair :)

how much?? ;)

[Ralph Wiggum]

**Ghost** I saw that 97 VTiR EK on carsales.com and supposedly it has 200,000kms's on the clock!!! Nice car, but thats a fair amount of km's...

[[[d a n n y]]]

i'm selling my car soon 8)

[ginganggooly]

]]i'm selling my car soon 8)

what the!?

i thought you only just got it going!

[VTEChnique]

VTi is faster than Si - i dont care what you say HAHAHAH

VTi interior is better too.. VTi has rear stabliser cbar - Si doesnt.. VTi has sunroof - Si doesnt..

plus the VTi replaced the Si in the model line-up so they VTis are newer than Si's.. if that makes a difference..

the VTi is a tiny bit faster than the GSi - have only been beaten by one GSi - OAS !!

[Nuttz]

Hell yeah!! go the Vti!!!
hmm my car sell for....$8000 :)

but if i sell i cant be in Ozhonda any more :)

[Nuttz]

Hell yeah!! go the Vti!!!
hmm my car sell for....$8000 :D

but if i sell i cant be in Ozhonda any more :)

[ts0nda]

Haha, just my luck: found a 93, sounds good...auto (damnit), is this a huge no-no?

Hmm yes it is a big no no!! you wont have any fun in an auto learning manual isnt too big of a deal once you learn its just normal

[bennjamin]

VTi is faster than Si - i dont care what you say HAHAHAH

VTi interior is better too.. VTi has rear stabliser cbar - Si doesnt.. VTi has sunroof - Si doesnt..

the VTi is a tiny bit faster than the GSi - have only been beaten by one GSi - OAS !!

I suggest you actually research the true facts...and race more than one car...before amounting to those assumptions . . . .

:roll:

:D :D :D

[Civic Type R]

I agree bennjamin,

[vtechnique], you beat 1 GSI with your stripped for weight, mildly tuned Vti. How can you say the Vti is faster than a GSi because of that 1 little intersection indiscretion ?

Stock for stock. I would believe the GSi is faster. The extra torque from the B18A can match it with a VTiR civic with accelleration. In which also out excellerates the VTi.

Cold, hard facts ! :D

[wynode]

Agreed. The b18b integra will be quicker than the vti.

However with the si vs vti debate this is what I think stands out.

Vti
---
- Better interior (Ie the material used on the seats/door panels, everything else is the same)
- Better on fuel consumption than the Si
- Sunroof


Si
---
- Better low end torque for driving around town.
- DOHC = better potential for tuning/modding (if you go that far)

Don't go by the number of points i've listed, but rather think about what matters more to you. I.e. things like interior/sunroof or power (esp when driving around town).

[[[d a n n y]]]

DOHC RULZ YO~

[egSi]

vti vs si?
what the ****?
the si will munch vti
sunroof?
si's too bust eatin vti's to worry bout the sun

Si for sure man

[wynode]

Sounds more like "Cold Hard OPINION"!

[mo]

Sounds more like "Cold Hard OPINION"!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~ehor/smileys/werd.gif

[egSi]

wynode is right.
opnion will be the end of us all
haha ;)

[[[d a n n y]]]

vti or Si they r both good cars..

but Vti is more economy based..and the Si is the performance based..

Vti will neva b able to match a Si in power wise..the way they deliver the power is different...

VTi rushes on from VTEC which gives it shitall low rpm power..
Si has no vtec and the power band is spread out..giving it more punch on low revs...
eventhough..the peak power is the same..
Si will crush the Vti..no matter how hard the Vti tries..

[egSi]

Si, yeah rite on [[danny]]

[fusion_VTi]

Si will crush the Vti..no matter how hard the Vti tries..[/quote]

LOL, who would of thought the same cars with the same power would CRUSH one another, i know what u other dudes been saying though, vti is a bit lacking in the low rpm department for sure!

[[[d a n n y]]]

Si will crush the Vti..no matter how hard the Vti tries..

LOL, who would of thought the same cars with the same power would CRUSH one another, i know what u other dudes been saying though, vti is a bit lacking in the low rpm department for sure![/quote]

heheh i've seen it happen 1 too many times...

Vti engine is not a performance based engine..

[MTX BOY]

Si, yeah rite on [[danny]]

But yor Si is a SNAIL trav! hahaha jokes :D

[egSi]

yeah its a ****ing snail because my gf is driving!!! haha i get my licence back in 76 days, look out cheech! :evil:

ill just have tune the nos done and ill run 10s

[MTX BOY]

yeah its a ****ing snail because my gf is driving!!! haha i get my licence back in 76 days, look out cheech! :evil:

ill just have tune the nos done and ill run 10s

Excuses excuses! 76 days till you lose it again haha :)

[egSi]

your days are numbered................ :evil:

[justinfox]

I just took delivery of my 95 Civic VTi today. It's only done 75,000kms, fresh as. So new and black too. Stock as a rock, no mods apart from window tinting have ever been done to this car.

1st thing I did was play with the sunroof! Sydney is a sunny place afterall. So I'm glad I have a sunroof on my little daily driver.

Brakes are pretty damn bitey stock. I am impressed. Gearbox feels mushy, must get a quick shifter in there. Acceleration is pretty good for a little car, definitely doesn't feel slow.

I threw it through some of the corners I'm used to around my local area (my test track!) and damn, understeer to the max. Tyres love to screetch for no real reason.

I just bought some 15inch rims through off Wing and some new semi slicks off Z10 so this should help a little bit, and then I'll fit new suspension/swaybars/strut bars and hopefully that will fix this understeer up.

I just installed a big pod filter at the end of the intakje pipe where the box used to be and DAMN! Just took it out for a spin and it's so damn growly now. Loud and deep and revs much faster in 1st gear... revs are flying up almost too fast now! And the sound is great. Very loud and manic. Feels a little bit try hard though as it i s a little car now with a big sound :) I'll see how the pod goes... liking it for now and can't see that it's sucking in too much hot air as the dodgey intake pipe that led to the stock airbox also takes it's air from within the engine bay and definitely felt slower off the mark than the pod does now + the car was granny quiet before.

[mo]

Hehehe congratulations on such a good purchase aye? Can't wait to see the wheels from Wing's old car on your car...white mugen replicas on a black eg!! Good stuff!!

[Weq]

yeah the vti is the pick of the bunch.. good performance vs style :)
gotta love the sunroof. all u need now is a few minor boltons and u'll be a type-r killer!

[Nuttz]

yeah the vti is the pick of the bunch.. good performance vs style :)
gotta love the sunroof. all u need now is a few minor boltons and u'll be a type-r killer!

bolting a turbo on isnt quite so minor :D

[egSi]

aewsome man, white 15s on black eg, bitchin.

get a nice intake with a heat shield, best thing to do. get some headers and a hi-flo cat witha 2.25 straight through.
then get some adjustable cam gears and dyno it.
sweet as man. ;)

[MTX BOY]

yeah the vti is the pick of the bunch.. good performance vs style :)
gotta love the sunroof. all u need now is a few minor boltons and u'll be a type-r killer!

bolting a turbo on isnt quite so minor :D

While your bolting on stuff just bolt on a b18c with a turbo :nod:

[justinfox]

Man I have been reading many posts here and I don't know what you guys are on about with the little SOHC not having any torque down low.

I'm primarily a city driver, and there are many steep hills around where I live and the car's very nible, light and nippy in town. I think there's plenty enough. It gets to 60km/hr damn quick enough if you ask me and only today have I begun to stretch it's little SOHC. It's pretty fun to hear the vtec kick in. I read a lot of posts from people who have said it's audible with a pod and yup, it sure is but it's not that loud or anything, just a different tone when it kicks in... nice but nowhere near as nice sounding, or feeling as my old AE86 Levin GTV (4AGE). Damn I miss that car.

The semi-slicks are now on. They make a bit of road noise... not too into that but it's the price for super grippy tires I suppose. Already there's so much more grip. The roundabouts I threw the car through the other day, where I was getting almost dangerous understeer are now just too easy and the tyres aren't even beginning to break traction.

Impressed. Hope they last me more than 10,000kms!

Need to lower it a little though. Looks absolutely crap on stock height at the moment.

[[[d a n n y]]]

Man I have been reading many posts here and I don't know what you guys are on about with the little SOHC not having any torque down low.

I'm primarily a city driver, and there are many steep hills around where I live and the car's very nible, light and nippy in town. I think there's plenty enough. It gets to 60km/hr damn quick enough if you ask me and only today have I begun to stretch it's little SOHC. It's pretty fun to hear the vtec kick in. I read a lot of posts from people who have said it's audible with a pod and yup, it sure is but it's not that loud or anything, just a different tone when it kicks in... nice but nowhere near as nice sounding, or feeling as my old AE86 Levin GTV (4AGE). Damn I miss that car.

The semi-slicks are now on. They make a bit of road noise... not too into that but it's the price for super grippy tires I suppose. Already there's so much more grip. The roundabouts I threw the car through the other day, where I was getting almost dangerous understeer are now just too easy and the tyres aren't even beginning to break traction.

Impressed. Hope they last me more than 10,000kms!

Need to lower it a little though. Looks absolutely crap on stock height at the moment.

hehe glad to see that ur happy with the car...but if u drive a Si and compare it to your VTi

you'll know what people r saying...

[ABZY]

hey all, after reading this i think i'm goin to get an Si they seem to be evry1's choice, and down the track do a conversion... but nothing does beat the noise of v-tech mmmmm :D

[Ralph Wiggum]

Wanna hear something funny? After starting this thread weeks ago when I was considering buying an EG or some sort of small hatch with a little 'go', I test drove an Si (and EK GLi, not worth mentioning) and needless so say I was disappointed (sporting the mighty 'pod'). So many ppl had talked the DOHC 1.6 up and I couldnt see what all the fuss was about...so I went back to the drawing board. Soon after a Pulsar SSS (n15 serII) came up for a decent price, so I took it for a spin and compared to the Si, this thing was a rocket and it was stock as the day it rolled off the production line. I bought it, and although I'd hardly describe it as 'speedy', any Honda below a VTiR has no hope. Moral of the story: its amazing to see how a preference for a particular manufacturer or model can blind you to performance reality!
PS. By no means do I mean to rubbish Honda's/Civic's/Si's, they're an attractive package, but rather I think some owners get carried away with their potential in relatively stock-form.

[bennjamin]

Wanna hear something funny? After starting this thread weeks ago when I was considering buying an EG or some sort of small hatch with a little 'go', I test drove an Si (and EK GLi, not worth mentioning) and needless so say I was disappointed (sporting the mighty 'pod'). So many ppl had talked the DOHC 1.6 up and I couldnt see what all the fuss was about...so I went back to the drawing board. Soon after a Pulsar SSS (n15 serII) came up for a decent price, so I took it for a spin and compared to the Si, this thing was a rocket and it was stock as the day it rolled off the production line. I bought it, and although I'd hardly describe it as 'speedy', any Honda below a VTiR has no hope. Moral of the story: its amazing to see how a preference for a particular manufacturer or model can blind you to performance reality!
PS. By no means do I mean to rubbish Honda's/Civic's/Si's, they're an attractive package, but rather I think some owners get carried away with their potential in relatively stock-form.

You dont see me laughing at all :)

Good points from a "opened-minded" perspective for once.
Its true - even a top end Hyundai will be faster than Teh mighty Si ( and yes...i do own her). But I could continue on about how the SSS is 400cc's more displacement , and thus more Nm's and so more Kw's etc etc...if i drove a SSS compared to my lil noisy Si - i would definitley think it would be faster too. But...who cares lol.

Who cares about VTEC or DOHC or whatever...either be a follower or a leader. Just drive coz we all know we love it :):):)

[Weq]

yeah true. the Si is a different car altogetgher i think. if u wanted any 'hot hatch' there are plenty out there -- but u wanted a Honda so we kinda gave u the low down on what to expect. I dont think it was ever mentioned that a Si was a Type-r killer or anything!