DocM

Hey guys.

I recently had the pleasure of test driving the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan and boy oh boy was I pleasantly surprised.
My Black on black tester was sitting there in the lot and made easily recognizable by its 17 inch wheels and small deck spoiler. Everyday commuters will easily mistake it for your typical civic and only very few will realize this cars potential, and for some reason thats something I look for in a car.
Once inside you realize that this Honda has something more to offer than you might believe. The swede like sports seats are lined with red stitching and offer great level of support and remain comfortable for long drives. The steering wheel is a small, flat bottomed, leather perforated piece of work. Once on the move it feels responsive and nicely weighed. The clutch was a delight to operate, but the short throw 6 speed gear changes steal the show and perfectly match the 197 hp (at 7800rpm) 2.0 i-VTEC engine which almost achieves 100hp/L. And thats a strong statement.
As the numbers indicate the real fun takes place between 6000 and the 8000 redline. So for the everyday commute this car remains perfectly docile. On the weekend getaway however, you are guaranteed something nice to play with.
Sadly this car comes a bit short from being perfect.There are things that I'd like to see improved. The front in my opinion is not the car's best angle and the dashboard as well as the instrument layout inside the cockpit are somewhat "minivanish".
However at 22 000 USD and with the best resale value in its class, I'd swallow my pride start thinking of ways to finance this thing.
If you are looking for fun little car with more than respectable performance at a good price, then Honda is making you an offer you really can't refuse.
I'm sold!

Giannis

Thanks for the review Doc!

I agree it's nice to watch and gives a go-kart feel, but is it comfortable for every-day driving and long journeys?

Indeed the front of the car has a very strange feeling, as some lines are a bit more curvy than they should be.. But it is still looking quite good! About the instruments, i don't see that minivanish feel, but i think it looks more like a spaceship cockpit, rather than a car.

Osnabrueck

Thanks for the review!

I feel the same way about the cockpit. I think Honda made a huge leap in their willingness to push interior design with the Civic, and the SI sedan looks quite nice from the driver's seat. I much prefer the less than perfect, yet cool solution they came up with, as oppoosed to a more traditional approach, which would have probably yielded boring results.

I seriously considered the Civic SI. The only thing that stopped me was the manual transmission. Much as I love rowing gears, the reality of West LA traffic made me bend twoards the Accord Coupe, which gave me much of what I was looking for in the SI, but with leather and without the requirement to manually shift.

If Honda had a DSG / SMG type transmssion I might have thought twice.

DocM

Giannis: Very good point. From my initial impression, I felt very comfortable with the steering and it actually immediately felt like second nature. So if I had to assume, I'd say it shouldn't be bothersome on long drives, but to be 100% I'd have to try it first hand. If I ever end up getting one I'll be sure to let you know.

As for the instrument layout, I really must commend Honda on try to pull something original and it really does feel as if you were in a fighter jet cockpit. Some might find that very cool, and futuristic. But I'm a die hard old school person, give me two round dials any day of the week.

Osna: I fully understand your choice of transmission. With a manual car, stop and go traffic can become really frustrating and you'd lose pleasure in shitting gears yourself for sure.
In my case, I've been wanting a manual car ever since I started driving. And that close ratio 6 speed is just magic! Yet again, Honda should have offered a DSG-like alternative. I'm pretty sure Honda is fully aware of this and that something is in the works

Cheers guys

Osnabrueck

If Honda had the balls to release an Accord Si with a DSG-type transmission I'd poop my pants and make a deposit. As is, the ability to sit in LA traffic, sip coffee and talk on the cel phone simultaneously is a pleasure I often enjoy and wouldn't sacrifice - although I miss rowing gears like you don't know.

My buddy just bought a Subaru Forrester XT and I was green with envy watching him shift those gears. What a hoot.