Car Gazing
Honda Civic Si back, better than ever
By Derek Price
Like a Michael Jordan comeback, Honda's hot hatch has returned – and it was
worth the wait.
The Civic Si took a one-year hiatus while it was completely redesigned to
add more refinement, better performance and a new style in its racy
hatchback body. And, just like Jordan's legendary returns to basketball, the
Civic Si has come back to a world with new players and more competition that
leave questions about whether it can remain on top.
An influx of cheap, zippy compact cars – Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus
ZX3, Nissan Sentra SE-R and Mini Cooper S, to name a few – recently arrived
to crowd the marketplace started primarily by the Civic Si back in 1986.
With so much new competition, it's hard not to wonder how the Civic can
remain the leader of Pocket Rocket Kingdom.
A new torquey, four-cylinder engine is one of the Si's best selling points.
The 2.0-liter powerplant makes up to 160 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of
torque, enough to send the front tires spinning if you're not careful at
stoplights. It uses iVTEC technology that continuously adjusts camshaft
timing to crank out big horsepower while keeping emissions and fuel
consumption in check.
That fancy engine is mated to a slick new five-speed manual transmission
that's a blast to shift from its rally-style position. The shifter is
mounted on the Si's dash – not the floorboard – to bring it closer to the
driver's hands for quick shifting without ignoring the steering wheel in
turns. Even if you never use it in races, it looks really cool.
Compared to other cars in its class, the Si's suspension is as good as they
come. It has firmer dampers and springs than other Civic models along with
substantial front and rear stabilizer bars to give it added tautness and
precision through corners, although the front engine/front-wheel-drive
layout induces understeer.
For highway rides, the suspension is surprisingly smooth and quiet. At 70
mph, nearly all the noise in the cabin comes from the wind and engine, which
even at 3,500 rpm isn't annoying. Virtually no road or tire noise enters the
cabin, which is surprising for a car with such a sporty suspension setup.
When it comes to looks, the Civic Si is an original. The hatchback body
seems to be from "Honey, I Shrunk the Minivan," while the swoopy side
windows look like those from an early water-cooled Porsche. Its little hood
is barely big enough to cover the engine, while it slopes at such an angle
that you can't see it from the driver's seat. All in all, it's one of the
most unique designs around, if only for its simplicity.
While some other pocket rockets have obnoxious, boy-racer interiors, the
Civic Si's cabin is pleasantly subdued while still providing a hint of
aggression. Controls and gauges are located perfectly – it's a Honda, for
goodness sake – and the seats are comfortable while providing lots of side
support for tight turns.
And, let's not forget practicality. While it only comes with two doors, the
rear seats fold down to expose a huge, SUV-like cargo area with plenty of
room for most small families. The back seat has ample head and knee room,
while the front seats are equally spacious – really surprising for such a
small car.
So, will this hot hatch still be the athletic superstar that it was years
ago, or will it limp out of the automotive world with a bad knee, a victim
of changing times?
Most likely, we can count on this veteran to be around for a long time to
come.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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