Acura ILX

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Had a 2010 Civic Si, great car and I still miss it. If 30K is really your limit and you're looking for new, then you could do worse than an Si. Hate the 2014 wheels though, the 2013 ones were way nicer.

Or you can let someone else take initial deprecation and afford the WRX..
2012 Subaru Impreza WRX Hatchback -- 21,250kms

But if you like the SI, go for it.

I'm sure the Mazda3 GT has enough power at 185hp/184tq or something around that, unless you strictly want a manual. I am sure you can talk a Ford employee/manager down to get some incentive that is worth your dime for a Focus ST.

Watch YouTube comparisons to see what this car compares to. Focus/Fiesta ST, WRX, Mazdaspeed3, GTI. All have been mentioned in this thread, but personally I would go for a Focus ST or WRX for more power and fun to drive factor (Focus is track proven and WRX..symmetrical AWD) and the GTI or Si for a more subtle machine. Downside is that the Si has no leather. For that, I would suggest a used 2013 TSX or ILX. Those also fall just under $30k.

Well that just changed my opinion on the ILX :accepted:

No one likes the Golf GTI? :<

Price similar (maybe a tad bit more expensive than SI), 4 door hatch, decent power etc.

Or Jetta GLI if you want 4 door sedan instead of hatch (looks great imo, but I never looked into their prices)

are they not coming out with new MazdaSpeed3? The new Mazda 3s look pretty nice :)

The 2014 SI is pretty good value for money, decent materials on the inside and lots of features like lanewatch, backup cam, hondalink, sunroof, nav all standard. The fact that you can't get better seats or leather is a bummer. Shifter feels great but redline is low and the car doesn't make the right noises and doesn't feel fast when you put your foot down IMO.

Realistically you won't get a GTI out the door for under $32k probably, if you're looking for a (new) good daily that'll be reliable/practical and comes very well equipped I don't think you can beat the SI

Something totally outside the box but I quite like


Another one might be the Veloster turbo which also comes very well equipped and is a unique looking car. It's not a great chassis but I heard the engine is decent

I don't think the Focus ST is expensive for what it is (just under $30k before tax with the leather seats pack) but I'd be tempted to shell out a bit more for the WRX now

Test drove the Mk7 GTI and simply put, it sucks to drive in comparison. No performance pack in Canada either, the chassis is understeery and it can't put down the power. I had a Mk6 GTI and it drove better, best in class interior IMO and you will definitely notice the extra power over the Civic. It's also one of the few cars in this range that has a nice automatic gearbox.

This x1000, the engine was fantastic but i ended up selling mine because of how bad the gearbox was... 2nd/thirs gear grinds, high rpm lockout, popping out of gear at speed etc etc. One you overlook those issues/fix them though, it's a very good car.

i'd still love mine back, though!

it's a pretty glaring deficit on this car, but everything else about that car (06 for me) was AMAZING.

the chassis, the engine, the interior, the exhaust note... that car was just amazing! i still miss it to this day, 8 years on.

I ended up buying all the stuff to supposedly fix the issue, the Hybrid Racing CMC, Syncromesh manual trans fluid, new bushings etc. but i never ended up installing any of it... I still regret selling that car to this day. I truly wish i had kept it and threw a big brake kit, coilovers, sticky rubber and a Kraftwerkes blower on the thing...

remember the seats? :sweetjesus: best seats EVER. :megusta:

I miss mine...

i did all that. made it better. didn't fix it.

what's broken cannot be fixed - the fundamental flaw is the linkage, it's too weak and flexes. it's such an obvious flaw.

I think a Fiesta ST would be a good option for a 30k budget... I think they're ~27k all in so that leaves 3k for mods. :fullofwin:

On the Veloster Turbo note, it's... Shockingly good... Chassis is good, gearbox is very good, only issue i have with it is that it has so much torque/low-mid range power, but runs out of steam at ~4500rpms... :concentrate:

*cough* RIP OFF *cough

You can score an 10+ STi for roughly the same price with a wee bit more mileage

ford may have employee pricing but i highly doubt they would give that deal on cars like the fiesta or focus st... likewise with the 5.0 mustang... you have to read the fineprint to find out which cars apply. my buddy works for dams ford in slurrey and he is using a red/orange fiesta st as a demo. if u are still interested in it despite the safety ratings you could probably pick his up for a bit of a deal considering it has some mileage. also with what hes been telling me it appears that you can get an almost fully loaded st for well under 30. i drove his and its pretty peppy. managed to shirp third. although i found the seats despite looking awesome were too snug for my fat ass and the headrests in almost all fords now make your head lead uncomfortably forward.

I think the lack of factory xenon headlights for the Si is more of a bummer than no leather option.

The Performance Pack on the MK7 GTI is currently unavailable for the USA too, but it's coming to North America this Fall I believe.

I have a '12 Si sedan and honestly it is a great car. Before buying one, I was also considering veloster turbo, mazdaspeed 3, FRS/BRZ and GTI. Took me awhile to decide and ended up getting the SI. I maybe biased but I think it's the best bang for your buck. It is cheaper than the cars I mentioned above and probably the most reliable as it is a Honda. It's fun to drive minus the light steering and clutch but overall a really fun car to drive. it is amazing on gas as well. Compared to my old 2011 Mazda 3 sport 2.5, the SI gets way better mileage than the Mazda. I got about 720 kms straight highway and around 560 kms highway and city in a full tank on the SI and the Mazda 3 won't even hit the 450 mark. The K24 does rev lower but the extra torque is nice to have. I also used to have a RSX type S (K20) and you really can tell the difference in torque.

I would really recommend the SI specially the 2014 as a daily driver. The 2014 comes with so many features over my 2012 and for the price, you're getting a lot. I test drove the 2014 and Honda did an awesome job with the car. It corners so much better and the interior and features are awesome. If you like the car if I'll say go for it. You can not go wrong with a civic SI.

ILX Dynamic is the Civic Si with xenons/leather/navigation/smart key etc.

Xenon headlights and leather are the only thing missing on the 14 SI. It has NAVI standard here in Canada and also has smart key. It even has backup cam and lane watch cam. From what I remember ILX dynamic didn't come with a NAVI option. I don't know if that is an option now. ILX dynamic also doesn't have LSD and has thinner sway bars and no sport exhaust system. It really comes down to what you prefer (luxury vs. sport).

Ilx dynamic has navi now

Ended up going with the Si sedan in the end. Picked it up today!

I test drove the Focus ST and it was nice but I felt more comfortable in the Si. Plus I'm not sure how the ST motor will fare 5-10 years down the line in terms of quality and reliability.

Overall I'm really happy with my decision, appreciate everyone's comments.

Most of the cars will look much better with a set of nice wheels and a drop.