As the Honda Civic 11th Generation is newly released in the market, all performance parts companies are building performance parts for it. Every day, a new part is released by different companies, like PRL, 27WON, Injen, AEM, Mishimoto, K&N, etc.
Today’s primary confusion is which one is the best cold air intake for the Honda Civic 11th-Gen. PRL, 27WON, K&N, and Injen have launched their cold air intake.
The Civic 11th generation’s design doesn’t support the long RAM air intake, as there is no air vent with the flog light.
Short RAM Air Intake Vs. Long RAM Air Intake
Compared to the 10th generation Civic, the short RAM air intake gives the best airflow and increased performance in the low end.
However, the short RAM air intake gives slightly less horsepower than the long RAM and has decreased top-end performance, as it gets heat-soaked in the longer run; however, the difference is not too much.
The Short RAM air intake in the 11th generation decreases the initial launch time, and there is no lag in the launch. Moreover, the quarter mile time is reduced a lot with the Short RAM Intake.
Furthermore, with a long RAM air intake, the chances to get your engine hydro-locked increase if you live in an area where it rains a lot as the filter is near the bumper, and water can easily reach there if you take your car in a deep puddle.
In short RAM intake, the filter is in the hood, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Which are the best cold air intakes for the Honda Civic 11th Gen 2023?
| Intake | Type | Horsepower Gain |
|---|---|---|
| PRL HVI AIR INTAKE | Short RAM Intake | 10hp |
| K&N 69-1509TC Air Intake | Short RAM Intake | 5-7hp |
| INJEN SP COLD AIR INTAKE SYSTEM | Long RAM Intake | 10-12hp |
| PRL COBRA Si Cold air intake | Long RAM Intake | 15-18hp |
| 27WON Short RAM INTAKE | Short RAM Intake | 8-10hp |
PRL just launched its High-volume air intake for the Honda Civic 11th generation.
As I said before, it is a short RAM Air intake with a significant heat shield covering the 4” filter, the same one that comes with the Cobra. And this filter lasts more than 100,000 miles easily with extended care.
If we talk about the turbo sound of this intake, it’s less than other intakes. However, the torque gained by this intake is massive; our test showed a 70-100 ft-lb torque increase compared to PRL cobra or short ram intake.
The lower end is increased a lot with this intake, and the lag is almost zero. The horsepower gained with this intake is around 10 hp.
As per tests, the only downside is that it prevents the car from making excessive power; the wheel horsepower from the FBO car with E40 blend is slightly less, like 5-10 hp less. However, the increased low end adjusts this difference.
Moreover, for better airflow, PRL has made a different product called an “extra duct” that is attached to this HVI for better airflow.
Note: If you plan on racing your car with this high-volume air intake, always unlock the locks of the hood before your race, as it gives more cold air to the turbo.
It looks like the factory intake, so there would be no issue even if you’re stopped. Also, a frequently asked question! Does this high volume air intake for the Honda Civic 11th gen need a tune?
The answer is no; an ECU tune is not required for this intake.
Here are some test results with the PRL high-volume air intake for the Honda Civic 2022:
Note: These results are of a CVT 1.5T RS Variant.
Here’s a video of our 11th generation CVT hitting the 13.2 quarter mile time with PRL High Volume Air intake:
The 2nd intake on our list is the K&N Cold Air intake, which is also short RAM. It features a custom heat shield to prevent the car from heat soaking.
However, compared to the PRL HVI’s, the heat shield is open from the top, which increases the risk of heat soak; hence, IATs will increase.
Due to its design, the turbo spool from this intake is way more than the PRL high volume. PRL HVI has a more covered filter. It gives you a gain of around 5-7 hp with 7-10ft torque.
Moreover, just like PRL, K&N has its own 4” oil-conned washable filter lasting over 6 years. It also comes with a lifetime warranty if any part becomes defective or the performance is not as stated.
It comes with all hardware, so installation will not be a problem. You can get it done in 30-40 minutes. And it does not require any tune either.
Note: This intake is not street legal in California, so beware of that before buying.
The Injen SP Cold air intake differs from the ones mentioned above; it is a long RAM Air intake, just like the PRL Cobra air intake.
It gives an increase of 10 hp with 11 lb-ft torque; due to the long RAM design, the initial will be slower than the short RAM intakes mentioned above, but the horsepower and sound will increase, too.
It features an Air Fusion Technology that helps keep the IATs low, preventing the car from heat soaking. It improves the airflow with the 3.00” aluminum intake tube with no restrictions.
Moreover, the filter differs from other intakes, which is the Injen SuperNano-Web dry air filter that can be cleaned for many years.
Overall, the design is good; increased power and sound are also some of the key features. Injen also gives a limited lifetime warranty.
Here are some results from the testing done by INJEN:
Honda Civic 2022 Si
Honda Civic 2022 1.5 Turbo
When all companies were making intake for the 11th generation, our experts tested the PRL cobra cold air intake for the 10th gen SI with the 11th generation as the housing size was the same as it was successful.
The PRL Cobra intake gave pretty good results regarding power and sound.
The fitting is identical to the Injen cold air intake; no alteration is needed. The horsepower gain is 15-18hp, higher than the HVI and other short RAM intakes.
The sound of this intake is way more than the Short RAM one’s. Moreover, if you plan on upgrading the stock turbo, a long RAM intake like this one or the Injen, one would give you more power and a turbo spool. Also, you will need a tune for this intake to function correctly.
Here are some tested results we got from this intake:
FBO with Flex kit on 92 pump gas:
Lastly, we have the 27WON Short RAM Air intake for the 11th-generation Civic. This is not a cold air intake, however, it is made for the Honda Civic 2022, which qualified it in our list. It comes with a dry-flow 4-inch filter, just like other intakes. It provides a Horsepower gain of around 10hp.
27WON has a limited lifetime warranty, allowing you to test the intake quickly.
One more advantage 27WON has is that if you buy this intake and plan on upgrading to a newly upcoming intake by 27WON, you can get 100% credit back so that you can get two intakes at one price.
Moreover, you don’t need a tune to run this tune. The turbo sound coming from this intake is very high compared to other intakes, as it is not covered.
Our experts have tested this intake and concluded that it will heat soak the car quickly as it does not have a heat protection shield.
Simply put, the intake temperatures would increase by the heat coming from the engine bay. But this intake will perform well if you live in a cold area.
As per 27WON, “While Short RAM Intakes show hotter intake air temperatures(IATs) than other options, the Front Mount Intercooler (FMIC) can compensate for this by cooling much of that hotter air coming in so that charge air temps are only moderately hotter with an SRI” which means you should have the front mount intercooler to handle the high IATs.
Furthermore, 27WON has recently launched an extra air snorkel duct for better airflow.
Conclusion
To conclude, all of these best air intakes for 11th-generation civic have been tested by our experts, so if you install any of them, you’re good to go. The best Honda Civic air intake for colder regions is the PRL HVI Air intake, and for hotter regions, the PRL Cobra Si Air intake is the best one. Let me know in the comments below what you got and how was the experience.
Read more guides that I wrote if you need any help: