I have a 2004 Honda Civic with the 1.7 VTEC. What would be a decent motor to swap to get better performance? I’m hoping to get the most out of my Honda.

The only real swap would be the DOHC K-series. The best of the bunch comes from the 2004-2008 Acura TSX, but those are also the most expensive. A good budget option is any of the 2.4 engines that come in the accord, element, CR-V, etc.

It’ll run you slightly more than doing any form of forced induction, but it’ll be much more reliable, especially if you’re comparing stock to stock. A safe budget would be in the 4-5 grand range.

you will also need to convert to manual trans...

easier to find a manual car instead...

We do have a section for auto trans failures for the 7th gen cars. Care to guess why?

Turbo the D17 or Swap a K-series. Only 2 that will be "bolt in"

Swap the EM2 with an EP3.