If one were to edit the Honda Civic recipe down to only its most essential ingredients—a pantry-dinner version of Honda\'s classic compact car—what would make the cut? First to hand would be quality
The original Civic, which came to America in 1973, was neither ground-breaking nor a scorching performer, but was above all a good small car—well-built, reliable, affordable, and drama-free
Charisma is also key: even before it earned its tuner-friendly hot-hatch stripes, the Civic had a reputation as a relatively eager-to-please driver\'s companion among otherwise dull econoboxes
Last into the pot would be innovation, and often of the quirky variety, whether stylistic (think of the third-generation \"tall boy\" wagon or the hovering secondary instrument panel of the mid-Aughts) or technological, as with the clever and fuel-efficient Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) engine in \'75 or the model\'s early adoption of compressed natural gas
But since 1986 Honda has also offered a version of the Civic recipe that added a healthy dash of extra power in the form of an Si-badged variant; the resulting cars became enthusiast favorites, because an enthusiast\'s favorite ingredient is \"more
\"Of course, the new 2017 Honda Civic Si now lives in the shadow of the fire-breathing, 306-horsepower Civic Type R, a car available for the first time to American buyers and one that comes with its 07:43
80 Nürburgring lap time practically tattooed on its hood
In other words, the hardcore American buyer now has a new favorite Civic
But that hardly makes the Si an also-ran; it instead becomes the mid-range driver\'s option for those who don\'t value each of the Type R\'s hundred extra horsepower at $100 per
(Obviously there\'s more to the Type R than just the extra ponies, but whether the upgrades are worth $10,000 over the 205-hp Si\'s $24,775 sticker is a matter of personal taste, and depth of pockets
)The 2017 Honda Civic Si in action in Mojave
It should be acknowledged that the last couple Si models were not the performers that enthusiasts hoped for
But then, the base Civics on which those cars were based weren\'t exactly the quality vehicles on which Honda had built its reputation, either, so it stands to reason
Just looking at the spec sheet here shows several improvements over the outgoing model: the newly turbocharged inline-four engine, while smaller at just 1
5 liters compared to the previous model\'s 2
4, is both more powerful (at the aforementioned 205 hp) and packs more torque, with 192 lb-ft delivered from 2,100 to 5,000 rpm; the car is lighter, too, with the coupe weighing in at just 2,889 pounds and the sedan a mere 17 lbs extra; and even the steering is more decisive, with 2
1 turns lock-to-lock compared with the outgoing model\'s 2
8 The track we used to test the Si was not a racing circuit, which would more befit the Type R, but Honda\'s own development course at its proving grounds in the Mojave desert—low-speed, technical, and tightly packed with elevation changes, blind crests, and cambered turns of various stripes
The better to suss a vehicle\'s composure
You can run the whole thing between third and fourth gears—and you\'ll navigate that route between cogs yourself, since the Si only comes with a manual
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