Those of us of a certain age will remember fondly the heyday of the imported sport sedan. Four doors, five seats, six speeds and a whole lot of fun.
Sixteen years ago, Gary and Genie Anderson sampled four of them in one review: the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Lexus IS 350 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class (“On the Road,” February 2009). There was quite a price spread in that quartet – from $44,430 for the Lexus to $68,080 for the Benz – and their 2025 equivalents cost substantially more.
So, may I recommend the logical spiritual successor – the 2025 Honda Civic Si?
Heresy, you say? Well, hang on a second. This is the 200-horsepower, six-speed manual, summer sport tire-wearing Civic – capable of zero to 60 in 6.6 seconds while still returning an EPA fuel economy average of 27 miles per gallon city, 37 highway. And the Civic has good bones – being essentially the same car as the Acura Integra Type S (“On The Road,” March 2024), just with 120 fewer horses under the hood.
The Civic Si is an eager, feisty companion that loves winding roads so much you’ll start shopping in Ben Lomond just for the 60-mile roundtrips on Highway 9. Credit the limited-slip differential, four-wheel disc brakes, front MacPherson strut and rear multi-link suspension and selectable drive modes.
And it’s a bargain. The base price is $30,250 ($31,345 with destination charges).
For that money, it’s a long list of standard equipment. In addition to what we’ve already discussed, there’s a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, front sport seats, sport pedals, a Bose premium audio system with 12 speakers, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and Google Built-In, automatic climate control with air filtration, heated front seats, floor mats, a one-touch power moonroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, heated power door mirrors, a smart entry system with security, variable intermittent windshield swipers, and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
In fact, the only extra-cost option available is premium paint colors – including our test vehicle’s Urban Gray Pearl, which added $455 to the tab for a total of $31,800.
(A word about pricing: There’s still a lot of uncertainty about tariffs as I write this. The Civic Si is assembled in Ontario, Canada, and only 55% of its parts are from North America. The price at our local dealer could be higher by the time you read this.)
If you think about it, a performance Civic makes every bit as much sense as Volkswagen’s GTI (“On The Road,” January 2019). A well-built compact car with more power and the suspension bits to back it up is a great way to achieve performance without the price penalty.
Mike Hagerty, past vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews at MikeHagertyCars.com.
