The Honda Civic has been one of the best-selling sedans in America for decades. It’s also been a station wagon, coupe and tuner special during its time on sale, and now comes in standard, hybrid, Type R and Civic Si, the second-fastest in the range, tested here.
Every Civic Si, at least for the past 20 years, has been just a little sportier, a little sharper and a little cooler than the competition from Nissan and Toyota.
The 2024 Honda Civic Si is equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that produces 200 horsepower, which is about the same output as the last generation model. It’s bigger than ever before and offers plenty of room for four or five, along with a standard six-speed manual transmission. It’s really made for enthusiasts who also need some sort of daily driver tool.
After a week with the vehicle that included grocery shopping and home improvement, meetings and dinners, there wasn’t much to complain about. We needed to pick up the Christmas tree and even though it could probably have been attached to the top, we used the other car in the household instead.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
KEEP: Derailleur
Honda and Acura have had the best shifter and linkage for a long time. The chiseled metal cylinder cap on top is freezing in the winter but warms up when you start rowing and has a strength not felt in much more expensive vehicles.
A close variation of the setup is used on the Civic and Acura Integra, the old Honda S2000, and several others in the family. The offsets (distance between the gears) are small, so shifting is quick and easy. And unlike some others, it doesn’t bend when it gets stuck on a freeway or overtaking.
CHANGE: Clutch pedal force
Complaints are minor, but in a sportier vehicle like this, enthusiasts usually want more feel from the clutch pedal. The Civic’s pedal is very undemanding, takes time to get used to and is difficult to modulate when needed.
KEEP: Unreasonable dashboard
Since its last redesign, the entire Civic family has used a hexagonal grille as a design element across the dash, which also hides the heating and cooling vents. It’s an attractive, simple solution and gives an inexpensive vehicle a more durable and industrial look.
It extends to the far side of the steering wheel and is the dividing line between the touchscreen above and the heater controls below. They all use physical controls, which are usually more convenient than scrolling through on-screen menus.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
CHANGE: Slightly noisy cabin
Again, these are minor gripes, but the Civic Si has more road noise than its rivals, partly due to its sporty character. There is some wind noise in the cabin even with the windows down, although this is not unexpected in a vehicle of this class. There’s also engine and exhaust noise, but it’s not that annoying or noticeable.
KEEP: Dancer’s feet
As I said, the Civic has always been slightly sportier than its competition in most trims. This larger but still compact sedan feels light and agile in traffic thanks to the steering wheel, among other things. The front moves quickly in any direction you nudge it; entering the four-leaf clover expressway is easy, as is moving between rows.
The brakes make the Si feel like a lightweight, with short pedal travel and firm grip during the first few inches of travel. This allows for safe stopping at all speeds, but especially when rush hour traffic slows to a crawl on fast surfaced streets.
