Best year Honda Civic Si for the money?

I'm looking at getting either an 8th gen or 9th gen civic si… But I'm not sure which year give me the most bang for my buck. Is the 2006 just as reliable, quick and comfortable as a 2010? Realistically I don't want to spend anymore than 12 grand on a car. But I'm mainly curious about what year will give me the best reliability, while still keeping it a flashy model do another 5+ years.

So what's the best year Honda civic si to give me the most BANG for my buck?

Well, the best civic generation was the 8th (2006-2011) according to customers. I have always been a huge fan of si's and if you want one with less than 100k milage, i perfer maybe the 2006 or 07 considering your price range but if mileage isn't really an issue, you can probably get an 09 one for about 10-12k$. Keep in mind that the civic is one of the most reliable cars and can run forever if you keep it properly maintained.

If you can afford it, get the newer one.
Unless you have some specific cars in mind, in which case go for the one with the least mileage.

Just a heads up though, I was in the exact same position (looking at VW Golfs) and I found a 7 year old one with 48 000 miles on it. That was the least I had seen out of every Golf I looked at (newer and older) so I bought it, and about a year down the line and I've had to get the brakes changed, spark plugs replaced and found that the electricals (e.g. Adjusting the wing mirrors) sometimes act up - nothing serious but still very annoying.

Moral of the story - it's all down to how lucky you get. You could buy a car that's less than a year old that will give you tenfold more problems than an old banger or vice versa.

But definitely go for a car with less mileage, and unless you really want a civic, get a German car. As frustrating as it gets sometimes with my Golf, it's a sturdy *** car and will last for years still.