Re:(?)Honda Civic Digest

["Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@NWOhio.com>]

Why a Honda, Ephriam? I was so glad to get away from Hondas and back to my
Audis that I will even tell you all why. It will be therapeutic. And there
is some Audi content.

I just finished a wee-long driving job for an Ohio Honda dealer. He leased
a 1998 Honda Civic LX 4dr automatic to a customer in Tampa, Florida. She
had been living in Ohio and  her job took her to Tampa, and she was ending
up a lease on a 1996 Honda Del Sol. Anyhow, I drove the Civic to Tampa and
drove the Del Sol back to Ohio. Total of many thousand miles of high speed
driving on Route 75, where 80 mph is the rule. 3-4 lanes in both
directions, lots of big trucks, moving vans, motor homes and rentals towing
cars behind them, and every kind of passenger car. All kinds of traffic day
and night.

The trip down in the Civic automatic was annoying, because at 80 mph the
front end was getting skittish and jittery and the engine was reving too
high, and every time I needed power to hop on an entrance ramp or pull out
from a stop sign, the little engine felt like it was going to explode as it
reved up trying to imitate a runaway turbine. Changing lanes and adjusting
speed on the interstate at 80 mph was like asking it to do more than the
designers had in mind, and it just seemed out of its element. I am
accustomed to a 5ktq with 2.0 bar of boost, which is just settling into its
sweet spot at 90-100 mph.

The trip back from Tampa was totally different. The off-lease Del Sol was a
5 speed and had a sport suspension and about 3 levels of extra throttle
for really moving out. Fine little car...2 seats and a convertible hard top
that lifted off and stored in the trunk. Driver and passenger sat on the
floor like in a race car, legs straight out. But it wanted to run and felt
solid at 80 mph. It was a Honda I could appreciate, for an hour or two. But
i had to drive it for about 24 hours. And getting in and out was like
crawling out of a deep bathtub. Lamorghini's are worse, but not much.

We got tired and cramped on the long trip back, but enjoyed hurling that
little bomb around on the big interstate raceway they call Route 75. If you
must have a Honda, Ephriam, look into the Del Sol.

I was happy to let it go for my own 5ktq, and feel the 2.0 bar boost cut in
as all 4 tires swept me easily out of the dealership and into traffic. It
was a nice change to be sitting upright in that spacious leather
barcolounger and listening to Strauss waltzes on the very nice stock
speakers. Glad to be back home, and glad to have had the opportunity to
compare my car with a few others. Thanks for the bw.

Doyt Ecelberger
86 4kq
87 5ktq  2.0 bar with the Timmerman Knob
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 05:01 PM 5/12/98 EDT, you wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>Many thanks to all who responded on my previous post particularly to Brett
>Dikeman, Orin Eman, Randy A. Hakim, Tony Lum and Arun Rao. All your inputs
>are very valuable.
>
>Does anyone know of a digest similar to this forum for Honda Civic owners? I
>decided I'll get my hands on a Japanese car this time for my daily driver.
>
>Thank you in advance,
>ephraim
>Dublin, CA
>
>