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2007 Honda Civic Si Coupe Road Test

It was a torrential downpour on a muggy spring evening when I pulled up tothe sharp electric blue Civic Si parked along the street of my editor's home. This Fiji Blue Pearl Si, as Honda labels it, was a refreshing radiance amidst the gloomy gray weather. The 2007 Honda Civic Si Coupe is near identical to the previous year, with its short hood, long raked front windshield leading to the short roofline before steeping towards the functional rear “combat wing” spoiler. This car has presence. Styling wise, either you like it or hate it, but please admit that there's a distinctive personality with this 8th generation Si that conjures emotions. Frankly, I've always been lukewarm when it comes to Civics, partially because they're a dime a dozen. Everyone knows somebody who drives one. Whether it's the econo-minded commuter or the tuner enthusiast behind the wheel, it seems like owning a Civic is as much of a must-have as owning an iPod. There's a reason for this success, and the Civic formula is quite simple: design a sporty yet practical compact, price it affordably yet pack it with value features... and finally make this reliable platform tunable with an abundant supply of aftermarket goodies. See why the Civic appeals to the masses?

Unfortunately, these days the sticker price of the Civic Si creeps past$21,000 before taxes

The Civic Coupe's styling is one that divides. It's unusual to find this on such a mass-produced car. (Photo: Jason Mak, American Auto Press)

and therefore not everyone is willing to spend so much for an economy car anymore, even one as sporty as this. With a myriad of competitive sport compacts like Nissan's Sentra SE-R Spec V, Mazda's Mazdaspeed3 GT, Ford's Focus, VW's GTI, Hyundai's Tiburon SE, and the list goes on and on ..., consumers have more to choose from. Passing by the Si would be a shame, however, as it's technologically value-packed to the max with influential touches from Honda F1 racing technology and often viewed as a benchmark by other manufacturers. The well rounded Civic Si has the mild mannered daily driving demeanor of a Clark Kent, but when tasked to push its i-VTEC limit, can quickly transform into a Superman.

Step inside the cockpit and you'll find just that, an interior designed for the driver. Honda has always been a leader in functional interior layout and ergonomic design, so I expected the Si to be good. As I stepped in and gazed at the two tiered dash, I was greeted by the

The Si might not have much more by the way of displacement than the lesser models, but oh what a different character it's got. (Photo: Tony Kan, American Auto Press)

pre-lit tachometer and above it on the second tier, a red glow that reminded me that the car was awake and ready for action. It actually was kind of like K.I.T.T., the talking car full of personality from the '80s TV show Knight Rider. The only thing missing on the Si is a verbal “Hello” greeting.

The black sport bucket seats are made with acombination of ultra-suede fabric used on the headrests and side bolsters, while the seating area has a perforated sporty fabric similar to dry fit sport clothing. The red “Si” emblem is proudly embroidered on the seat backs and red stitching is used throughout to emphasize its athletic superiority over more common Civics. The aluminum pedals and the leather wrapped aluminum shifter are both functional and pleasing to the eye, and overall the fit and finish is commendable. A blend of hard and soft dash panels assembled in graphite and metallic hues work well in harmonizing the car's sporty yet sophisticated nature. My only concern is the overuse of painted plastic pieces

Honda's had quite a bit of success with its new futuristic design theme. We wonder if the next Accord will be like this. (Photo: Tony Kan, American Auto Press)

on high contact areas such as the parking brake handle, inner door handle, and audio buttons that will inevitably be scratched or rubbed off. With my test car, the silver painted e-brake handle was already showing signs of wear and tear. On the other hand, there are ample storage pockets and cupholders for all passengers, so life with the Si is enjoyable for more than just its performance. Back seat passengers even get their own adjustable headrests.

The car feels solid; the heavy doors are equipped with side impact beams and close with a confident thud. Front occupants are protected by dual stage front airbags as well as side bolster bags, and curtain airbags are available to alloccupants. Each of the four-wheel disc brakes (11.8-inch ventilated discs in front and 10.2-inch solid discs in back) are enhanced by a four channel ABS braking system with Electronic Brake Distribution that controls the amount of braking force with each wheel based on dynamic weight. The overall result is phenomenal braking power for a relatively light vehicle. With our minds on safety, let's not forget Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body

A duct below the bumper ensures that the brakes get enough air so they don't overheat. (Photo: Tony Kan, American Auto Press)

structure that has been designed to accommodate frontal collisions of varying vehicle sizes in order to distribute the collision energy around the passenger compartment. In case of a rear collision, active head restraints up front help minimize neck injuries by tilting upward and forward.

There are a number of hi-tech mechanical innovations that Honda designers included in this new Civic Si, starting with the marvelous K20Z3 2.0-liter dual overhead camshaft i-VTEC powerplant that produces 197 horsepower at 7,800 rpm and 139 lb-ft of torque at 6,100 rpm. It's the same one used in the now defunct Acura RSX Type-S. Mated to a close ratio six-speed manual and an electronic drive-by-wire throttle, this fine piece of mechanical engineering thrives in the high rev range. The i-VTEC kicks in at 6,000 rpm with a sudden adrenalin rush ofsound and power. The car suddenly comes alive with a different cam profile that produces that extra gnarl and kick that goes all the way to the 8,000 rpm redline. Keeping it all in check is no less than Honda's Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control.

With that power comes speed, therefore aerodynamic considerations are even found underneath the car, including functional air dams such as air inlet rubber

i-VTEC: don't mess with it. (Photo: Jason Mak, American Auto Press)

trim in front of each front tire that directs air to cool the brakes. Also worth noting, multiple under mount panels are added to stream air through the undercarriage, minimizing air turbulence underneath the car. You can bet these performance design elements are a direct result of Honda's F1 racing heritage (not that we want to bring up their dismal on-track performance this year - Ed.). To be reminded of this, you just have to look ahead at the top tiered digital speedo display along with the gas and temperature displays to give a hint of what it feels like behind the wheel at the Grand Prix. Though many have complained about the awkwardness of these gauges, I actually found the two tiered layout quite easy to read and not distracting at all.

Turn the car on and the LED temperature and gas gauges light up withan “equalizer-like” light show. A “Welcome” message appears on the radio clock display area and the best music to my ears, a throaty exhaust note. Before letting me drive off for the week, Trevor, my editor took me up to his backyard mountain "road course" for a spirited orientation drive. The Civic definitely can hold its own on the curves with minor tones of understeer that can easily be corrected by the throttle. The expression “riding on rails” is an understatement when talking about the Civic Si's cornering

Dash layout is peculiar, though it does give you all the info you'd ever need to know very quickly. (Photo: Tony Kan, American Auto Press)

abilities. Combined with the firm suspension and rib hugging seats, I never felt out of control during high speed cornering, even though I'm a hopeless backseat driver. For greater driver feedback, the steering is equipped with Electric Power Steering (EPS) that provides less power assist during high speeds.

Controls mounted on the steering wheel make adjusting the crisp seven speaker 350-watt sound system with a built in subwoofer easy when on the fly. Also included are multiple power supply ports and an auxiliary jack to plug and power your MP3 player into the sound system. If you must, a satellite navigation system is available for $1,750. Climate controls are within easy reach and very easy to use without being too distracting. I actually like the old school manual controls over some of the digital gadgets in today's automobiles, which tend to come with instruction manuals the size of textbooks. And after selecting a radio station the arm naturally rests on the sliding center armrest draped in the same ultra-suede material with red stitching; especially nice on long highway drives.

For day to day city commuting the ride can be quite harsh, especially in some of the bumpy construction laden roads where I live. At times I found myself being jostled a tad too much for my liking, most notably when approaching a stoplight on a well worn intersection. Taking the Si to the highway or on mountain twisties,

Metal pedals with rubber studs are functional, yet cool to look at. (Photo: Tony Kan, American Auto Press)

however, is another story. In these conditions it rides with confidence and embraces high speed cornering thanks to the MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link double wishbone suspension in the rear wearing grippy 215/45R17 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 V-rated all seasons. Even grippier are the optional Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 W-rated summer tires of the same size for $200. The leather wrapped steering wheel diameter was perfect, not too small and not overly large, allowing a good grip for feeling the car's great feedback and crisp steeringresponse.

The clutch action is smooth and effortless, while the shifting, albeit with long shift throws, is like a hot knife slicing through butter. One interesting note while shifting gears, the revs remained constant as my foot got off the throttle, most likely due in part to the drive-by-wire electronic delay. This is great for gearing up during hard acceleration, but makes for a jerky ride when trying to upshift or downshift during normal cruising. I was thoroughly impressed to see that Honda designers thought through to combine fashion with function by installing rubber pads on the sleek aluminum pedals to minimize any misguided steps or slip ups, especially if the shoes are wet. Throughout the week, I found myself addicted to feeling and hearing the i-VTEC kick in at 6,000 rpm and despite some high rev driving around town, mixed in with some moderate highway driving, my Si averaged a respectable 20 mpg fuel consumption rating. Official figures are closer to 23 mpg city

Spoiler looks big, but in reality it doesn't harm the view out the back. (Photo: Jason Mak, American Auto Press)

and 32 mpg highway. I'm sure the figures would be better if I was lighter on the pedal, especially after realizing that the Si only likes to sip premium grade gas.

Forward visibility is excellent with the longer than usual front windshield.Side visibility, however, took some getting used to. The C-pillar is rather “thick”, making right lane changes less than confidence inspiring, so I found myself shoulder checking twice. On the driver's side, the extra long A-pillar made left turns somewhat challenging as well. While we're on the subject of visibility, I must mention that with the car's low hood, parking the Civic is like parking with your eyes closed. I'm sure that after living with it for a few months I'd get used to it, but even during an entire week I just couldn't see where the front of the car ends from the driver's seat. A tiny cost for the greater benefit of stellar aerodynamics. On the other hand, the rear wing really came in handy as it was a point of reference that helped when backing up.

Honda has taken the step to pre-tune the Civic Si with key chassis, engine, and bodywork components that tuners would otherwise have to purchase separately and over a period of time... not to mention without a warranty. Take for example the intake, headers, and exhaust. Once you take this Civic to the open highway, the car comes alive with a sporty but not annoying exhaust note, due in part to factory tuned cold air intake ducting that tunes the resonance within the inner front fender giving that aggressive intake growl during acceleration. Matched with equal length headers and

Inspired by racing... (Photo: Tony Kan, American Auto Press)

a sport tuned exhaust, the combined harmonic affect is what tuners aim to achieve after spending thousands on aftermarket bolt-on parts. Another nice tuning touch is the built in shift light that flashes once you spend a tad too long at redline.

The Civic Si exterior, although not overly flashy, does let people know that it's more capable than its weaker EX sibling. First off, the red Si badges on the front and rear, the rear wing spoiler, and the 17-inch graphite colored wheels are the not-so subtle hints of its potential. Then there are the dressings like the i-VTEC stickers on the rocker panels, body colored door handles and mirrors, the body colored grille, orange rings around the headlights, and the exclusive oval chrome exhaust tip. The Si packaging really leaves me quite satisfied without the urge of further customization. It makes for a great sleeper, yet it has enough charisma to represent the tuner community.

I had a lot of fun with this car for one week and was a little disappointed to return it so soon. At $21,090, the fully tuned Civic Si is actually quite a good bang for the buck. Considering if you bought the EX at $18,710 and attempted to personally finance your own tuner coupe by building up the engine with bolt on items like intake, header, and exhaust upgrades, you're better off paying for the Si straight from the factory with an additional 57 ponies to boot. If I was many years younger, I'd look forward to bolting up parts and adjusting the suspension to really customize my ride. These days, I'd rather have the factory do all this tuning for me and not void the warranty. Fortunately, the Civic Si is geared for the young and for the young at heart.

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