1993 Honda Civic VTi from UK and Ireland - Comments

Faulty ABS controller at 55000 (replaced by the dealer).

Cracked manifold at 60000.

Wow! This car is a serious hot hatch. Forget your GTi's and RS turbos, this car is much quicker. 0-60 (mph) comes up in 7.0 sec and will do 135+ (mph).

The car will rev to a 8000rpm red line (or 8500rpm before the limiter cuts in). It sounds superb, especially when the the Vtec system takes over at 5700 rpm.

The handling is also pretty good with double wishbones all round and the strut brace up-front, keeps the car flat through the bends.

The engine is superb. Some people complain that the car lacks torque, but if you know how to drive the car and use the gearing correctly, dropping a gear and nailing the throttle beats having torque any day.

Drive the car below 4000 rpm and it will return 35mpg and 40+ on the motorway.

The car is also very reliable. My car was off the road (working away) for 3 months and when I returned it was covered in 2 ft of snow, but it started first time and was running perfectly.

Going to the dealer for parts and servicing is a little costly, but a full Honda service history will give you a good selling on price.

The only down side is the insurance for the car. It falls into Group 15 and being only 21, it does cost a bit, but it's most definitely worth it.

Good detail, I have a pearlescent blue metallic 93 vti and I absolutely love it. I bought it last year and it looks and drives excellent! My only criticism is that it does seem a bit slidy at the back when thrown in to the corners.

A person Wrote: I'm sure your Honda is a good car. But your figures are wrong and exaggerated.

For a start, the VTi variant used a 1.5L VTEC engine, not the B16A (1.6L) which was reserved for the SiR.

Secondly, there is no way the car will get to 100 km/h in 7 seconds. For example, the brand new Subaru WRX 2 Litre 4WD turbo does it in 6.8 seconds. The civic is front wheel drive, and a lack of grip alone will prohibit you from launching at 8000 rpm.

There IS a lack of low end torque. The small displacement of the engine alone supports this fact. However, it can be helped by investing in a VTEC controller. This device remaps the ECU in the Civic, and engages the 3rd stage of VTEC (the real power zone) lower down in the rev range.

I'm really sorry, but you don't know what your going on about. I expect that you don't live in the UK. The UKDM VTi does indeed have the 1.6 (1595cc) DOHC 16v VTEC B16A engine. You are correct in saying that there is a 1.5 VTi and a 1.5 VEi also.

Yes, the 0-100Km/h time is around 7 seconds. It achieves this because it weighs 1050kg's and has 160bhp. It is only 2 wheel drive and has no propshaft (cos it's an FF car) which means that you'll lose 25 of power to transmission losses. This gives the UKDM VTi 115bhp/tonne at the wheels. The UKDM 2003 WRX has 215bhp and weighs in at 1430kg's. It is 4 wheel drive and as such loses about 30% of its power through transmission losses. This means the UKDM Subaru WRX has 105bhp/tonne at the wheels. This means that the two cars performance's would be VERY similar and the extra grip of the WRX, would be almost offset by the increased power of the VTi.

People go on about lack of torque on Honda engines. Compare them to other engines of equal displacement from other manufacturers. Honda torque values will be highest. The b16a engine only has 2 stages of VTEC. Low cam and High cam (where the pin slots through the rockers to allow the High lobe profile of the cam to be followed). A VTEC controller can alter the engagment of the High cam, but it is best not to alter it by too much, because don't you think that Honda chose the near enough optimum switch over point?

Very good argument. you really know your cars. you are also very correct. I own a 93 1.5 vt i civic and believe me my car has beaten BMW's and Lexus's off the lights and all through the gears. it has a 131bhp and the flywheel and even though I'm used to the power (looking for an integer vt i), I will never forget the fun and memory's from this car. Brian in cork.

I have to agree on the vti's engine size. It is the B16A as my registraion document quite clearly says so. They produce 160BHP and no torque. If you are after torque an Calibra V6 would probably be a better choice. If you however want an anonymous car that will not attract attention and drives like a racing car then this is the one for you. I would stress again that you have to be a maniac to own one of these, nailing the throttle is the only way!

JUST A REMINDER "HONDA CIVIC'S" are NOT race cars and never will be... they will always be economy cars so the more you drive it hard the less reliable it will be. if you want a sports car this is not one and most people think it is. If you want real power? try AMERICAN MUSCLE. Our cars may not be as reliable, but will smoke your tires off.

"JUST A REMINDER "HONDA CIVIC'S" are NOT race cars and never will be... they will always be economy cars so the more you drive it hard the less reliable it will be. if you want a sports car this is not one and most people think it is. If you want real power? try AMERICAN MUSCLE. Our cars may not be as reliable, but will smoke your tires off."

LOL... priceless.

Someone's completely missed the point, methinks.

Hi I nail mine day in day out and have done for the last 3 years and it still runs good and if serviced always will.

Ps, for the vti owners try driving a mondeo 1.8 td for two weeks then get back in your honda it feels like a pure bred racing car.

The civic VTi is a very good car, however I feel Honda slightly missed the 'point and shoot' factor of a 'Hot Hatch'. The vtec engine needs to be worked far too hard to get the car going, and the vtec scream becomes annoying after a while. Also the civic does 0-60 in just under eight seconds not seven. The prelude vtec, a much faster car, only does 0-60 in 7 seconds. Infact the 205 gti, Astra GTE and the clio 16v all compare favorably to the VTi in performance terms. And for whoever thinks a Civic VTi is faster than a Subaru Impreza must have that vtec scream ringing in their head.

Honda Vtec engines sacrifice Torque, fuel economy and weight in the quest for BHP/l. In the end its just better to use a larger displacement motor to get the power. For example compare the 1.6 vtec engine to the 2.0L Astra GTE 16v lump. Both produce similar power and economy, but the Astra has none of the lack of torque drawbacks and therefore is simply a better engine to have.

My name is tommy, I'm 20 and I drive a honda civic vti.

I think that, the car is perfect in any way.

Performance:158/hp at 7600rpm. and it does run 7.2 sec (0/100) and runs 15.7 at1//4 mile. there is no other car like it. And if it's not enough for you (spend 2500$)turbo

Comfort:This car is not about comfort, it's not about luxury. (It's about power) if you want something smooth,

buy a 4 door car.

Handling:The vti with the double bunk wishbones, coil springs. longitudinal arms, and with the transversal arms

it makes a very good handling car.

I like the car,I think it's a good machine. (and I like the car,not for the comfort or the handling. i love it for the power!!!)

it's faster then gti's /rs turbos thats it.:))

I Like the look of the civic (Not the newer version with crap lights). The power is great, but the revs are too high. that's the only reason stopping me from getting one. apart from that its awsome.

Performance:158/hp at 7600rpm. and it does run 7.2 sec (0/100) and runs 15.7 at1//4 mile. there is no other car like it. And if it's not enough for you (spend 2500$) turbo.

Get real a 15.7 quarter mile is right around 85 mile's a hour. So how can it go 0 to 100 in 7.2 when in the quarter it only goes 85 or so???

'Get real a 15.7 quarter mile is right around 85 mile's a hour. So how can it go 0 to 100 in 7.2 when in the quarter it only goes 85 or so???'

I suspect he meant 0-100km/h.

Going over a lot of comments on this car, people obviously love them, but you can't use maths to win races, no matter what you add up a WRX will leave you behind, from the lights or on a roll. There are too many grey areas to be explained by maths alone, the whole car and the sum of all its parts, and the resulting race of course is what matters.

If you double clutch it in first gear you can gap the wrx, but then it just passess the vti.

I have a 94 4 door vti, I have raced audi tt's and kept up with them, this car is awesome, its so discreet and goes like a bullet, I would never sell this car, awesome machine

the car just screams when in vtec,