The 2018 Honda Civic Si is the perfect choice for people who like their cars hot.
Honda has grown the Civic from just an econobox to a line that has something for everyone. You can still buy a no-frills Civic to get you to and from work or school with no muss and fuss, but you can also get a car with a little zing or a fiery blast as well.
Last year, Honda introduced the Civic Type R, a track-ready car masquerading as a mild-mannered Civic. While it might still be the ultimate giant-killer, its road manners and $41,000 sticker price make it a non-starter for most budget-conscious car enthusiasts.
That’s the reasoning behind the Si (Sport injected) trim, which occupies the middle ground between basic transportation and an all-out sports sedan.
For 2018, the Civic Si is available in either a four-door sedan or two-door coupe. I drove the coupe, which comes with a $28,990 list price.
Just like the Goldilocks story, the Si’s powerplant is more powerful than the regular Civic but less than the Type R, with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing a respectable 205 horsepower and 192 foot-pounds of torque.
Although the Si is geared for performance, it remembers its economy roots, beating the Volkswagen Golf GTI in both city and highway fuel consumption.
The roar of the engine as revs increase is like music to the ears of an enthusiast — until it hits about 4,000 r.p.m., when an annoying drone sets in. It goes away at higher speeds, but for a span it is distracting. It’s unknown if it was just my tester, and the fact that it had only about 600 kilometres on the clock means it was hardly broken-in.
One nice feature of the powertrain is the inclusion of a limited-slip differential, which makes torque steer a thing of the past.
The package includes a six-speed manual transmission and — gasp — no automatic-transmission option.
The Si also has a Sport button that, when engaged, firms up the car’s electronically adjustable shock absorbers for even more fun on back roads.
Keep in mind that the Si comes with summer-only performance tires. While the grippy rubber no doubt adds to the planted-on-the-road feel, not everybody appreciates having to buy winter tires. For me it is a worthwhile tradeoff, but that’s just because we don’t get much (if any!) snow compared with the rest of the country.
Decades of tuning has resulted with a suspension that is both forgiving for day-to-day driving and is taut when the twisties are introduced. It ranks as one of the most satisfying to drive, with only a handful of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive setups superior in execution.
The Si’s nemesis is the GTI, the sporty version of the Golf. Like the Si, the GTI is smack in the middle of the group, with a more potent Golf Type R available.
While Honda offers a coupe, the GTI is only available as a boxy five-door hatchback. The Civic Si is also about $1,000 less.
If rear-seat headroom and not having to contort to get to the back seats is more of an issue, simply opt for two extra doors. The rear seat backs fold 60/40 and the trunk holds 289 litres of cargo.
But my pet peeve with the Si coupe comes down to a missing clip on the front seats. The seatbelt is mounted to the B-pillar in the coupe. Owing to a large door, the belt is a long reach to retrieve every time. A solution employed by many manufacturers is to integrate a clip or clasp on the upper part of the front seat. The seat belt is then always at hand, a simple solution that has evaded Honda engineers so far.
The rest of the cabin naturally borrows heavily from the rest of the Civic line, with clear gauges and controls. I would have liked to see a return to a knob for the audio system instead of a slider (one on the dash and one on the steering wheel) for the volume control.
Unlike the Type R, creature comforts abound, including heated seats, dual-zone climate control, power sunroof, navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Audio.
The standard sport seats feature beefy thigh and torso bolsters. While most will find them comfortable, I guarantee some will find the side bolsters a challenge to overcome getting out of the car. The young and limber among you won’t have any clue what I am referring to. But for those of you with a few years under your belt — you have been warned.
Another young/old feature is the integrated rear-wing spoiler in the back of the Si. It is a wildly popular badge of honour among the young but not so much for others, who just find it like waving a red flag to law enforcement.
Still, there is no denying the Honda Civic Si is one saucy ride.
THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Compact two-door coupe, front engine, front-wheel-drive
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four cylinder, 205 hp at 5,700 r.p.m., 192 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,100 to 5,000 r.p.m.
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Dimensions (mm): Length, 4,505; width, 1,878; height, 1,390; wheelbase, 2,700
Curb weight (kg): 1,330
Price (base/as tested): $28,990/ $30,745 (includes $1,655 freight and PDI and $100 AC tax)
Options: Nil
Tires: 235/40 R18 on alloy wheels
Fuel type: Premium
Fuel economy (L/100km): 8.4 city/ 6.2 highway
Warranty: Three years/60,000 km new car, five years/100,000 km powertrain and roadside assistance
