Hot take: I think cold air intakes on daily drivers are a waste of cash

Overheard a guy at the shop yesterday bragging about his $400 K&N intake, but my 2010 Civic has the stock box and still hits 38 mpg on the highway. Why drop that money for maybe 5 hp you'll never feel on your commute? Anyone else think most bolt-ons are just noise?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_reese3d agoMost Upvoted

Did your buddy @faith_price7 ever hear about my friend Mike? He dropped $350 on one of those fancy intakes for his 2008 Mazda 3, swore it sounded like a rally car. First week it was all grins, then he hydrolocked it driving through a puddle in the Target parking lot. Insurance wouldn't cover it because it was a "non-factory part." Cost him more than double what he saved on the intake to get the engine dried out and running again. Just saying, that extra noise can come with some real quiet weekends without a car.

faith_price74d ago

Why are you acting like a tiny power gain is the only reason people modify their cars? Even if a cold air intake only adds 5 hp, it also makes the engine sound better and can look cleaner under the hood than a bulky stock box. Some folks just like making their daily driver feel a little more fun, even if it doesn't change the gas bill.