2006 Honda Civic Review

Specifications

The “Si”zzle is Back

Am I the only one who thinks that the legendary Si badge has been a little mistreated in recent years? Once it was revered among hot-hatch aficionados, placed right beside VWs GTI designation, but now, after fitting the alpha badge to the jellybean shaped, slab-sided, merely zippy instead of out-and-out fast British-made Civic hatch, Si has lost some of its “si”zzle, so to speak.

Honda shouldnt have any trouble putting such lackluster memories and poor sales to rest, now that its all new Civic Si is available. Not only does it look better, and more distinctive than any previous Civic coupe, but it also boasts a monolithic improvement in performance.

The new Si poses an entirely new threat in the super-compact segment, with a much more respectful 197-horsepower under the hood, a 23 percent upgrade over the previous Si. Torque is improved too, but not so dramatically. At 139 lb-ft, it now shows a clear edge when shown side-by-side with last years car, which could only muster 132 lb-ft. While a four-cylinder engines peak horsepower is expected to arrive at high revs, especially a Honda four-cylinder, the Sis 7,800 rpm peak is heady indeed. Peak torque doesnt exactly come on too quickly, however, being that it isnt maximized low down in the rev range, but instead needs 6,300 rpm to achieve full thrust. Still, theres a lot more available throughout the rev range than there used to be, giving the Si much greater pull no matter the speed.

The high-revving i-VTEC equipped engine is mated to a short throw six-speed manual transmission that is a dream to shift, and connects through to a helical limited-slip differential that is ideal for getting all the power to the tarmac.

That power, as expected, was immediately noticeable on the street, making Hondas PR team both kind and wise to have rented out a private racetrack for journalist use during the models Chicago introduction.

The track, filled with a wonderful combination of low-speed turns, high-speed corners and long open straights, was exactly the right size for pushing the little Si to its limit, and the added luxury of doing so in safety, without the constant worry of oncoming traffic or police regulation, made the experience all the more fruitful.

Out of the pits, its near 200-horsepower maximum is adrenaline inducing, especially when factoring in the 2.0-liter engine only needs to motivate 2,881 pounds of total mass - my 165 lbs not included. According to Road & Track magazine 0 to 60 mph flashes by in a respectable 6.8 seconds while the quarter mile needs 15.1 seconds. The engine revs to a stratospheric 8,000 rpm, not as otherworldly as the old 2.0-liter four in the S2000, which managed a cool 9,500 rpm at full song, but high-revving just the same. And making the Si even more enticing, it should deliver extremely good fuel economy for its class - although at the time of writing not even estimates have been made available. What we do know, however, is that it achieves the same ULEV-2 (Tier 2, Bin 5) emissions rating as its less powerful Civic siblings.

The ride is both sportier than the outgoing Civic Si and more rigid than its four-door siblings, which helps it manage corners with less body lean while braking in a more controlled manner thanks to a fully independent control-link MacPherson strut front and reactive-link double-wishbone rear suspension setup with a thicker 1.10-inch stabilizer bar up front and 0.67-inch one in the rear (compared to 1.00- x 0.14-inch front and 0.43-inch rear in other Civics).

In case you were wondering, Road & Track magazine had some pretty impressive handling stats on hand too, including the standard slalom in 68.6 mph and 300-foot skidpad at 0.85 Gs. This test was done on the standard 17-inch rims and P215/45R17 tires too - the optional 18s could have helped it to achieve even better results.

I should mention, though, that despite its sporting pretensions, the Si rides smooth enough to satisfy older, softer enthusiasts. And to those “Civic Nation” tuners who will be flocking to the new car before upgrading it beyond reason, a more compliant suspension is also important for keeping a tires contact patch on the road rather than in the air, which believe it or not aids in real-world handling. Total rigidity only improves handling on babys-butt-smooth surfaces, and in my town at least, no such road exists.

Suffice to say that in stock form the little Si took to the racetrack in fine form. The boost from its adrenaline inducing engine and six-speed manual gearbox was intoxicating, and the fact that that the car maneuvered so effortlessly around the courses tight corners, even at high-speed, built confidence with each passing lap.

The Sis stock four-wheel disc brakes were much appreciated in this situation. Large 11.8-inch rotors, the front discs of which are some 1.5 inches larger than the standard 10.3-inch discs on either the base DX/DXG, LX or EX coupe models, and the rear discs that are almost twice the diameter of the 7.3-inch units offered in the DX/DXG and LX, and slightly larger than the 10.2-inch rear rotors fitted to the EX, pull the car down from high speed in a quick and controllable manner. ABS is standard, as is electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA), making the little Si one of the safest cars in the compact segment, and combined with its overachieving chassis allows for rock solid stability at all speeds, enhanced by the cabins relatively low wind and road noise.

Speaking of that cabin, its a visual feast of excitement for the automotively bored. Truly, theres nothing common about any of Hondas new Civic models when comparing them to compact rivals, but the Si adds a sportier flavor to the already unique double digital instrument pods, which include a special Si-only rev-limiter indicator within the tach, and distinctive center console design. The first thing I noticed was the wonderfully supportive drivers seat, mirrored on the passenger side with deep bolsters and red stitching adding a spicy contrast to the dark gray cloth.

The standard leather-wrapped steering wheel is ideally shaped for performance driving, complemented by an aluminum-leather shift knob that conforms to the shape of the hand. Even racier is its set of drilled aluminum foot pedals, textured for grip. At low light, an ambient red glow radiates from the overhead console, the only Civic to offer this color, and for extra lighting or what-have-you, an extra 12-volt power outlet is added to the center console.

Other features, such as a standard one-touch powered sunroof give the little coupe an upscale appearance, while a 350-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 player connecting through to seven speakers and a subwoofer, or at the other end, to your personal MP3 player or iPod, delivers much better sound than this segment normally gets right out of the box.

The comfortable front seats are augmented by a reasonably roomy set of rear seats that also fold flat in a 60/40 configuration to make loading in longer items possible. Getting in and out of the back is made more convenient for all involved due to a front passenger memory seat function that literally remembers the exact position it was in prior to being folded forward.

On the outside, a unique body-color rear decklid spoiler sets the visual tone, which combined with the Sis exclusive red and chrome on black badging should get raise the heart rates of performance-oriented drivers.

On the safety front, like all Civics the Si gets dual stage, dual threshold front driver and passenger airbags, front occupant side airbags, as well as side curtain airbags for front and rear outside passengers; in total eight standard airbags. Dual seatbelt pretensioners and active front head restraints are also part of the package, as is Hondas Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Body Structure. The Sis combination of safety features helps it attain top marks in the NHTSA NCAP crash safety tests.

Despite its top-tier performance and thrifty expected fuel economy, I have to knock it a bit for needing premium unleaded in the tank. My guess is that it can work on either regular or premium unleaded, which is normally the case, but that going the cheaper, regular route will decrease the engines output slightly. Id opt for the latter unless on the way to the track, being that the pump price of premium has become a very real issue.

Such is a small issue, mind you, when weighing the Civic Sis overall goodness. From its daring exterior shape, filled with complex curves and radical angles, to its unorthodox dash and console design, the little sports compact is a real treat for those previously bored with conventional Japanese styling. Without doubt the cars long-term reliability will once again be a strong suit, bolstering its future resale value into top-of-class territory.

So, if youre in the market for something reliable that backs up its racy styling with smile-a-mile driving dynamics, the Civic Si is a sure bet.