Honda Civic Si Sedan

Honda Civic Si Sedan

You would have to purchase a full-size pickup truck to face the tsunami of decisions confronting Honda Civic buyers. Whittling down the grocery list of choices comprised of trim levels, engines, transmissions and body styles is a daunting endeavor indeed. Honda lists 12 sedan trim levels and 10 for the coupe before tossing transmission choices and alternative fueling setups into the mix. Nine grand separate the entry-level $16,165 DX Coupe with manual transmission from the $25,165 Sedan Si with navigation and performance tires. If you opt for either the natural gas GX or the Hybrid, you'll pay even more.

Toward the upper level of the $9,000 price spread is the $22,765 Coupe Si, the version Honda recently supplied for this evaluation. Honda lists three additional Si trims as more expensive. One includes high performance tires, one has a navigation system and XM satellite radio, and the third features a combination of all three with a bottom line $2,200 more than the plain-Jane Si.

If you prefer ordering ala carte and picking features from an options menu, you are out of luck. Factory-installed content is strictly determined by the trim level. The good news is that once you land on a trim level and transmission, there are really no other decisions to be made. There are no factory options. If you want cruise control, you have to buy at least an LX; if you want leather seating, you need to buy at least the EX-L, and so forth.

While most Civic versions rely on a 140-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder for their motivation, the Si gets a notably more potent 197-horsepower 2-liter four-cylinder engine. Civics with the 1.8-liter can be fitted with either a five-speed manual or a five speed automatic transmission. Only a six-speed manual is available for ushering output from the 2-liter engine to the front wheels. Si acceleration is brisk and invigorating. The six speed shifts smoothly. Dashing to 60 miles per hour from a standstill eats up about seven seconds.

What is gained by the Si's fun-to-drive quotient, however, must be paid for at the gas pump. The EPA-estimated 26 city mpg and 34 highway mpg for Civics with the 1.8L and manual transmission drops to 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway for the Si. A small price to pay, I say, for a car that is considerably more fun to pilot.

Beyond the more powerful engine and more sophisticated tranny, choosing the Si gets you 17-inch alloy wheels and better tires in place of the 15-inch or 16-inch wheels on the other versions. Moreover, the Si's four-wheel independent suspension with its MacPherson struts in front and multi-link setup in the rear receives additional tuning for sportier performance. This includes beefier stabilizer bars both fore and aft.

Four-wheel disc brakes monitored by an antilock system reel in Civic's forward motion. Unavailable on DX, LX and EX versions, stability control, traction control and brake assist are standard on the EX-L and Si. All Civics offer electronic brakeforce distribution. Other safety features such as six airbags, driver and passenger active head restraints, and daytime running lights are standard across the board.

For this segment, interior and trunk space is about average; though the Civic coupes only have about 30 inches of rear-seat legroom. That's pretty tight. In comparison, the Volkswagen Golf has 35.5 inches. The bottom line is that you can shoehorn some folks into the backseat for short outings, but full-size adults exiled there aren't going to fare well on extended overland cruises.

Despite Civic's place low on the pecking order of Honda's lineup, its instrument panel and dashboard are a pleasant conglomeration of curves and sweeping lines. As might be expected in at this price point, a lot of plastic goes into the finished product, but the pieces integrate well and are carefully assembled. Civic newbies may find the location of the digital speedometer requires some getting used to. Although the large, round analog tachometer is stationed directly above the steering wheel column, the speedometer, and gauges for the water temperature and fuel are situated in their own little pod in front of the driver at the top of the dashboard. In theory this reduces the time a driver's eyes dart from the road to check the vehicle's speed. Otherwise the controls and gauges are logically placed.

The seats are comfortable with adequate side support. Adding to passenger enjoyment is the Si coupe's seven-speaker audio unit that includes a subwoofer, CD player and iPod integration. Creature comforts are generous, but fairly standard for this price point. Full power accessories, air conditioning, cruise control, tilt-telescoping steering wheel with redundant audio controls, and a split-folding rear-seat back are the standard equipment highlights.

Ponying up nearly $23,000 for the Si may seem like a lot for a subcompact and, for some, might not appear in the spirit of entry level. But remember while relatively small in size, the Civic is no longer the anchor for Honda's lineup. That role has fallen to the Fit. Think of Civic as an affordable next step from the Fit that is priced and equipped to appeal to practically any small-car intender. From stripped down (DX) to souped up (Si), Civic has it covered.