General Comments:

Very well designed car. Great driving experience.

Lots of OEM+ and after market parts available.

Many options for customizing / modifying / souping up.

Watch out for rust!

This is a great series of cars, I've owned 3 so far: Lsi, Esi and now a ukdm VTI with the B16 engine. Out of all 3, I've only had one time when it failed start at the first turn of the key.

As everyone else has said, it can be what you want it to be. It's no super car, but it holds its own and can serve up pretty good mpg.

There's loads of options for modifying if that's your thing. OEM+ and JDM style: like factory optional armrests, cup holders, Integra interior, factory fogs, parking poles etc. It's all easily available.

Engine swaps are relatively easy; fancy a K20 from a new Type R? Or just a bolt in B18 from an Integra....

When buying, watch out for rust on the rear arches and sunroof. The arches are a big job to fix; I reckon much more ££$$ than a new engine.

Faults:

Water leak on the passenger side.

Fuel pump relay switch.

General Comments:

The VTi is a very quick car.

I have owned one for 1 and a half years. I have had minor faults, but the engine makes up for all of them. 0-60 timed in 7.7 seconds. It can keep up with any of the 1.6 cars, and eat most of them for lunch.

You must put an air filter in to appreciate the sound change at 5500 rpm. It is amazing, and always puts a smile on my face.

Excellent 1st gear and 2nd gears. The downside is that you need to rev it high when driving at 40mph if you want to keep up with Subarus and Evos. The best way is to drop a gear.

Watch the 'Bradford Civic' on youtube.

You need to lower the car for handling around very sharp corners. I have raced a Civic Type R, Integra Type R, BMW 325i, BMW X5 4.6 Sport, Mercedes CLK Kompressor, Startlet Turbo, Toyota MR2, Vauxhall GSi, but I don't race Saxos and Novas. Raced a Focus. The Civic is a sheep in a wolf's clothing.

Faults:

Engine main bearing failed @ 89000 miles.

Exhaust midbox failed @ 75000 miles.

Exhaust backbox failed again @ 92000 miles.

Driver's seat slider mechanism failed @ 80000.

Suspension bushes exhausted @ 90000 miles.

Suspension shattered @ 85000 miles.

Tailgate rust excessive @ 85000 miles (8.5 years old).

Headlight connectors worn out @ 95000 miles.

General Comments:

This is another review to add to a previous one titled 'Entry level Honda that begs to be Revved!' as I have just sold it.

I'll start with the negative first. The worst thing about the car is the gearbox synchromeshes. They are absolutely useless and fail very quickly. Even though that is the case, the gears are good!

The main area for rust is on the rear tailgate, just below the number plate. Pay close attention to it!

The main bearing in the engine was unfortunate to fail. The car had a major oil consumption problem, and resulted in poor oil flow, and the bearing simply not getting enough of the stuff. It broke and I acquired a reconditioned unit. If your Honda drinks oil (>1 litre/400 miles driving), then get it checked! The engine I have in now has drank about 2.5 litres in 5000 miles!

The other failures listed can all be attributed to wear and age.

Now the positives.

There is no question that I was, for want of a better word, brutal on the car. This car was driven at over 125mph everyday and constantly revved over 7200, thrown into corners, and I had friends light cigarettes on the brake discs (set my wheel paint on fire too!) from extreme repetitive braking. No other car I have experienced could have taken 1/4 of the punishment and lasted 1/2 as long.

Get uprated suspension (G-Max springs and dampers - £250) and new bushes (£120 for front rear from Honda, £250 from Powerflex for poly items) and its handling is supreme. Understeer, oversteer, 4 wheel slide anything, just set it up on corner entry and it does whatever you want!

The brakes are fine, unless you need to use them over and over again. If you are the last of the late brakers (as in every stop is an emergency, max grip, bordering on lock-up braking) then you WILL need to fit Mintex 1155's as a minimum. For potential boy racers, standard pads are fine. As mentioned, I have set my wheels on fire and had friends light cigs off my discs!

The engine (D16Z6) is a remarkable unit. No other car engine has as many as 20 lobes on 1 cam for a start! It may not be as desirable as its DOHC brother, but it was better designed. The sound of the engine is again fantastic. Even after 3 years, it still doesn't fail to provoke a smile! Compared to rival engines from Citroen/Peugeot, Ford and Vauxhall, it is simply leagues beyond, especially in driveability. 17mph in 5th gear will drive with no complaints and I have had 133mph on the flat with a passenger. It will also cruise at 110mph forever and a day. If performance is a problem, you can turbo this car very easily (unlike the DOHC B16a) and extract over 200bhp safely, for little money. Check out www.homemadeturbo.com.

The main bonus is that it doesn't attract attention from the police, yet still looks cool, fresh and original.

Overall this car is brilliant. You can forget this until you drive another similar priced/spec'd car. Forget your VTS/GTi/GSi, if you're 19-24, get one of these and I promise you will not be disappointed!

RAW.