2015 Honda Civic Si Sedan Review - The FWD FR-S [Video]

BMW has M, Audi has a whole alphabet and Honda has Si. In truth, just the Civic has Si. Honda’s “Sport injection” trim started back in the 1980s but never expanded beyond its compact offerings in the U.S. Honda’s performance trim also never expanded beyond sharpened responses, a modest dollop of power and some looks-fast trim additions. The first Honda Si model came to our shores in 1985, but the first wasn’t a Civic — it was a Prelude. The Civic Si joined us a year later in 1986. But I digress.

Cars like the Civic Si are popular with journalists like me. The reason is simple, quite like the Civic itself. Unlike some performance packages, the Si treatment still favors sharpened responses and improved feel over simply jamming an over-boosted turbo engine under the hood. While the later is obviously a hoot and a half, the former is ultimately more pleasing to my peculiar tastes.

Exterior

Although the recently announced 2016 model looks more mature and better put together, there is something friendly and familiar about the awkward smile the 2015 model wears on its front bumper. Also worthy of note is what you don’t find in the 2016 press release: there’s no mention of an Si model. No, this isn’t the end of Si, but you can expect there to be a lag between the launch of the ordinary models and the reimagining of the Sport injection model and the possible U.S. availability of an insane 310 horsepower R model. [At the launch for 2016 Civic, we were told sedan, coupe, five door, Type-R and Si would roll out over a span of 18 months. –Mark]

Interior

Honda continues to put fairly exaggerated lumbar support in the front seat backs, something you don’t find in many of the competition. The extra support was perfect for my back, but since it isn’t adjustable, you should get plenty of seat time before you buy to be sure you can live with the shape. For my average six-foot frame, the seating and driving position proved ideal.

As with most cars that have families in mind, the Civic’s rear seats are close to the floor and the door openings are wide and tall making ingress/egress easy with or without a child seat in tow. Honda has a reputation for function over form, and that pays dividends in the rear with a high roofline that allows a more upright seating position that is more similar to the average hatch than the average sedan. The trunk’s 12.5 cubic feet is in line with the Focus and Jetta but the hatches are more practical.

Infotainment

Drivetrain

Although the manual-only policy is an obvious impediment to sales success, the manual and the lack of a turbo define the Civic. With the ST or GLI, you romp on the go-pedal (in any gear), wait for the turbos to start hissing like a den of vipers, and off you go. The Civic is different. The naturally aspirated engine needs to rev to the stratosphere to accomplish the same task and you’ll end up shifting twice as often in spirited driving to keep the engine in its power band. Fortunately, the 2.4-liter mill is ready, willing and perhaps even eager to spend your entire winding mountain drive above 4,500 rpm.

Drive

Of course, all the real competition is faster as well. Our tester required 6.6 seconds to go from zero to 60, which is faster than the average compact but slower than most sporty entries. The Focus ST torque steers its way to 60 in a comparatively blistering 5.9 seconds while the less powerful GLI will book it to highway speeds in 6.5 seconds, despite both being nearly 200 pounds heavier than the Honda. Expanding the comparison pool to the Mazda3, Hyundai Veloster Turbo and Forte Koup Turbo finds options that are slower to 60, but they aren’t dedicated performance models like the Si.

Fear not VTEC fans: Judging the Si by acceleration numbers would be missing the point. Also missing the point in a way would be judging the Si by skidpad numbers. Much like Scion’s FR-S and Subaru’s BRZ, the the Si is about feel and precision, not absolute grip or face-warping acceleration. The 6-speed manual is buttery smooth with just the right amount of notchiness. The clutch engagement is linear and predictable and the car and its transmission seem in perfect harmony. Manual transmission feel is something that’s hard to get right, even in our modern era where the manual is supposed to be the “enthusiast’s choice.” A good example is the Jaguar F-Type we recently tested. I never felt comfortable with that manual, the clutch engagement was awkward, the shifter’s throws were short but the “feel” just wasn’t there. The Civic’s 6-speed on the other hand gets top marks.

While the FR-S and BRZ twins are the perfect car to learn about rear-wheel drive dynamics at reasonable speeds, the Si strikes me as the front-wheel drive version of the same thing. The precise steering and well-tuned suspension communicate what the front tires are doing, even though power steering has stolen most of the feedback. The light 3,002 pound curb weight meant that Honda didn’t have to put rock-hard springs on the Si in order to get the kind of handling performance it was looking to find. This means the Si’s ride is far from punishing and completely suitable for daily driver duty in my book. While you can get optional summer tires on the Si, I actually think that misses the point. Like the FR-S and BRZ, which don’t exactly need sticky rubber. The most entertaining thing about the Si in my mind is the fact that you can break the front tires loose and explore the finer points of FWD dynamics at lower speeds. Something like a Mercedes CLA 250 handles better than the Si but the Mercedes is much less communicative, and I dare to say less engaging.

The main thing the Civic has going for it is the price tag. Starting at $23,090 (plus destination) and ending at $24,590, this Honda has the shortest price walk in recent memory. There are two mutually exclusive factory options: summer tires and navigation. Take my advice, however, get the navigation and add the summer tires later if you want them.

This places the Civic a few thousand less than the GLI, but only a few hundred behind the more powerful Focus ST when you adjust for standard feature content. While I know a few people that dismiss the ST purely because they dislike hatches, the ST is just a better performance vehicle. It’s also a special kind of hooligan. The transmission and clutch feel isn’t as perfect as the Si, the seats aren’t as comfortable (I found the Recaro seats downright torture) and, long term, the Si is likely going to be less expensive to own and operate. However, the Ford is more fun and since Ford believes in an extensive options list, you can get more goodies in your ST as well.

Of course, the biggest problem for this generation Si in my mind isn’t the hatchback Ford or the GLI — it’s actually the closely related ILX. The reason isn’t just that I prefer the luxury gadgets and gizmos that the ILX offers, but that the ILX demonstrates how modern technology trumps “VTEC yo” and a manual transmission. While that makes me die a little inside, I can’t argue with the numbers. The ILX adds leather, power seats, a pre-collision warning system (which is handy when you’re driving like an asshat) a significantly upgraded interior and adjustable lumbar support — but only adds 90 pounds to the curb weight. The modern direct injection engine and 8-speed dual clutch transmission belts out lightning fast shifts and enables the Acura to be both faster to 60 and 10-percent more fuel efficient. The modern 2-mode damper system allows the Acura, even in A-Sped trim, to yield essentially identical handling numbers, yet a more supple ride. While the ILX will cost you more than the Civic, it’s not appreciably more than a comparable GLI or ST. If you’re looking for the more civilized option, the ILX is it. Otherwise get the ST.

In the end the Si suffers from the same “problem” as the FR-S and BRZ. The driving experience is precision itself (for a front driver), but the reality is that most of us seem to prefer the “brute force” method of MOARR POWARR. Although I hang my head while I say this, that even includes me.

Honda provided the vehicle, insurance and one tank of gas for this review.

Specifications as tested

0-30: 2.4

0-60: 6.65

1/4 Mile: 15.1 @ 93 MPH