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2010 Honda Civic Si Overview

Next to the pervasive Volkswagen GTI, the Honda Civic Si is the most exuberant pocket rocket this country has ever seen. Offered as both a Sedan and Coupe, the 2010 Honda Civic Si still qualifies as practical, efficient, and fun - three key features that defined the first hatchback model in 1986. While practicality takes a considerable hit in the transformation from trunk to hatchback, the loss is more than offset by an exponential increase in performance. This isn't just the best Civic Si ever; it's certainly one of the best econo-rockets of all time.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you're looking to spend around $23,000 on a new car and your top priority is performance, you're in the right place at the right time.

You May Not Like This Car If...

You may not like this manual transmission-only car if you prefer an automatic. And if you look forward to modifying your own car with special intake, exhaust, wheels and tires, Honda has already included all that. And the budget-minded should note that the 2010 Honda Civic Si runs on premium fuel.

What's Significant about this Car?

The Honda Civic Si sees no major updates for 2010. The most notable change for 2010 is that the engine cover is black instead of silver.

Driving Impressions

The sports suspension is right on the edge of being too firm for city driving, especially with our salt-ravaged roads. Handling, however, is delightful because the Si carves through turns and feels solid at high speeds. We were lucky enough to spend most of our time behind the wheel of the Honda Civic Si within the liberating confines of a 9-turn racetrack, where it impressed us as not just the most pleasing but also the most serious. A soft-shifting close-ratio transmission makes it easy to keep the needle on the right side of the tach where the i-VTEC engine does its best work. Cornering is marked by notably responsive steering and turn-in, predictable and flat grip and eager exits expedited by the limited-slip differential that transfers torque to the wheel with more traction. Deeply bolstered front seats keep driver and passenger from having to fight the lateral g-forces generated. Thankfully, all this facilities translates good onto the street, where the Civic Si offers enough low-end torque that a spirited drive isn't an all-or-nothing proposition.

Favorite Features

Limited-Slip Differential
By delivering more power to the front wheel with more grip, the Civic Si's Limited-Slip Differential (normally a $1,000+ aftermarket upgrade) delivers better acceleration, especially when exiting corners.

Two-Tier Instrument Panel
The top half of the Civic Si's smartly stacked gauge console features an effective shift indicator light that begins flashing as you approach the car's 8000-rpm redline.

Interior

Inside each 5-seat Civic Si, the driver faces a two-tier instrument panel and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. There is a multifunction center console. In the Civic you will find progressive styling along with the standart sport-model upgrades like aluminum pedals, leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum/leather shift knob and heavily bolstered cloth front seats with red stitching and red «Si» logos on the seatbacks. The Si shares 2-tier instrument panel, the most dominating feature, with the rest of the Civic lineup. Technological highlights include a high-power sound system with a broad array of digital audio functionality and an available navigation system. The rear seat is more pliant than it looks from the outside, but we wouldn't give up the front seat without first losing a game of rock-paper-scissors. The Civic Si can be outfitted in whatever interior color you'd like, as long as it's black.

Exterior

Honda's performance-oriented Si model — offered as both a sedan and coupe — features a rear deck spoiler, cladding and Si badging that's different from the coupe's rear spoiler and cladding. Honda says the Civic features an «expressive and futuristic design.» Design touches include minimal front and rear overhangs, small gaps between the fenders and tires, and a steeply raked windshield. Although the Si shares its sheet metal with the more mainstream Honda Civic models, it features elegant performance-oriented styling touches to distinguish it as something clearly special. Differences include amber headlight trim rings, unique front chin spoiler and grille, exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels (with 215/45 tires), trunk-mounted wing spoiler and oval chrome exhaust as well as tip chrome applique. Unique badging includes front and rear «Si» emblems, i-VTEC DOHC decals ahead of the rear wheels and a bigger Honda "H" emblem on the rear decklid.

Notable Standard Equipment

The Civic Si boasts an impressive list of standard equipment highlighted by an advanced 350-watt AM/FM/CD sound system with MP3/WMA CD playback capability, an auxiliary input for MP3 players and a subwoofer. Other standard equipment includes power windows/locks/mirrors, one-touch power moonroof, keyless remote entry, cruise control, air conditioning, speed-sensitive volume control, variable intermittent windshield wipers, external temperature display, steering wheel-mounted audio/cruise/navigation controls, height-adjustable driver's seat, 4-way adjustable steering column, 60/40 fold-down rear seatback and a commendable list of safety equipment such as front, front-side and side-curtain airbags, active head restraints and Antilock Braking System (ABS).

Notable Optional Equipment

Optional equipment on the Civic Si includes a XM satellite radio, navigation system and a more aggressive summer-only tire in place of the standard all-season type. In addition to voice recognition and a 6.5-inch customizable touch screen, the DVD-based navigation system includes a PC Card slot that lets you play music from almost any type of digital media card. The system also features Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity.

Under the Hood

Regular Civic coupes and sedans use a 1.8-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder. All models use drive-by-wire throttle control. By adding continuously variable valve timing to Honda's well-marketed VTEC system, the Civic Si's i-VTEC engine produces better torque output in the lower rpm range, which makes for more satisfying in-town driving. Combined with a 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, the 2,895-pound coupe will reach 60-miles per hour in just a few ticks over seven seconds. Stiffer springs, dampers and stabilizer bars front and rear result in a 30-percent increase in roll stiffness versus other Civics, according to Honda. The Civic Si requires premium unleaded fuel.

2.0-liter in-line 4
197 horsepower @ 7800 rpm
139 lb.-ft. of torque @ 6100 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/29

Pricing Notes

With six models in the Civic lineup, the Si version is estimated to be at the high end of the scale with a MSRP starting around $22,500, and $25,000 with summer tires and navigation. Competitors to the 197-horsepower Si include the MAZDASPEED3 which has 263 horsepower and is similarly priced, and Volkswagen's turbocharged Jetta GLI offer about 200 horsepower, but not the same standard content. You could also spend $20,000 (or more) on a heavily optioned Scion tC, but you'd still be foregoing a 6-speed transmission, limited-slip differential, more sophisticated audio system and 36 extra horsepower available in the Civic Si.

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