Honda Civic Si 2011 Review

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
X-Factor: 3.5

About our ratings

When Honda first introduced its UK-sourced Civic Si, the pricey five-door hatch faced stiff competition, much of it from its quicker but almost equally priced Type R sibling. Learning from previous mistakes, and chasing sales, Honda has updated the Si and, more importantly, lowered the asking price.

Starting at $29,990 for the cloth trimmed, manual model, and up to $34,490 for the leather-clad, auto-equipped version, Civic Si isn't the cheapest option in its class, but backs itself with a quality finish and good levels of comfort.

The near-$10,000 drop in price from its original variant has moved the Si into a different playing field where it can at least compete. At first glance, however, you'd still be forgiven for assuming you're looking at a full blooded Type R.

The Si hatch retains much of the angular aggression of its quicker family member, including such notable design cues as the triangular exhaust and sweeping narrow headlights. The rear doors are cleverly disguised with door handles integrated, a la Alfa 156, into the window frames.

A welcome change to the latest version is the substitution of a more subtle black-finished grille. Gone is the 'glazed' unit of the older model.

It's obvious once behind the wheel, though, that this is not hot hatch material. The Civic Si packs a modest 103kW and 174Nm and the 1.8-litre engine needs to be worked hard to derive any real entertainment from it. One wonders why Honda didn't elect to put in the slightly larger and more powerful 2.0-litre from its other (sedan) siblings.

One reason might be that the smaller engine rewards in fuel savings. Honda claims a reasonably prudent combined consumption figure of 6.9L/100km and CO2 emissions of 163g/km. On test we recorded around 7.5L/100km with combined city/highway driving, which is still pretty good.

Inside the Civic Si presents as a premium hatch. The test car's cloth trim seats are quite comfortable, and the interior plastics solid without the flimsiness that plagues some small cars.

The steering wheel is small and firm, its chunky grip providing ample communication. The only gripe is that the manual transmission stick both looks and feels too dainty – somehow out of character with the rest of the car.

Audio capabilities are reasonable -- a single-CD tuner offering auxiliary inputs and USB connectivity that works in conjunction with iPod and other MP3 players. Navigating the audio controls is at times tedious, but most operations are reasonably intuitive. Bluetooth telephony is standard.

Oddly, we found the audio was clearer when listening to radio and CD than to a connected peripheral. The bass also leaves a bit to be desired.

Operating the rest of the car is a breeze, the stacked instrument panel a particular ergonomic highlight. The blue dash illumination adds to the techno styling and its excellent clarity is only sometimes obscured from sunlight through the rear glass.

Vision out front is clear, though the pinched rear end and spoiler obscure some of the view out back. In the rain, rear vision is poor, to say the least.

These issues aside, Civic Si is a fun car to drive. The test car's six-speed manual transmission is fuss-free, the car's taut chassis also providing some entertainment, cornering with willing agility. Those who prefer to let the car change the gears can opt for the automatic version which starts at $32,290.

The added amenity of five doors is a real plus (compared to the Type R's three) yet its clever design retains the visual appeal of a hot hatch. And thanks to its clever Jazz-sourced 'Magic' rear seats, there's a degree of versatility that many other small cars struggle to match.

With the split fold rear seats out of the way, there are acres of luggage space. Even when packing the boot with a load of passengers up front, Honda's 415 litres of space offers a notable 75 litres more than the Mazda 3 hatch.  

Honda's 2011 sales story so far hasn't set the world on fire, with VFACTS figures showing sales down 26.5 per cent year-on-year. The brand clearly is in need of a new hero to resurrect its fortunes.

It's too long a bow to suggest the Civic Si will be that hero in isolation, but its revised pricing makes it a significantly stronger contender in the small car market.  

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