After flying into Dallas recently
to experience the restyled 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, I found myself
with the opportunity to extend my trip a little to enjoy some of the latest and
greatest trucks and SUVs – the unofficial vehicles of Texas. The only thing
standing in my way was a 300-mile (482 km) drive from Dallas to San Antonio. It
looks like it’s time for a road trip.
My first choice in transportation was obviously one
of the Ghosts I had just spent a day familiarizing myself with, but Rolls-Royce
shot that idea down pretty quick. So for Plan B, I found out there was a 2015
Honda Civic Si Coupe available for me to test out for the rest of the week. As
the final day of the Rolls-Royce event wrapped up, I was going to have almost
an entire day to make the trip down to San Antonio, so being in no rush and
having a passion for avoiding interstates whenever possible, I pointed the
Civic Si’s nose south and instructed the navigation system to minimize
highways. To the back roads!
Now, in all of my driving endeavors as an automotive journalist, I don’t think
I’ve ever stood out as much as I did while being part of a 10-car procession of
$300,000+ Rolls-Royce Ghosts driving through downtown Dallas and its outskirts,
but when it comes to driving through rural Texas, a bright red Honda Civic Si
also stands out against the hordes of pickup trucks, tractor trailers and farm
equipment sharing the roads. And this car flashiness all starts with its bright
Rallye Red paint job, which is visible from outer space and is only slightly
less visible than the Civic Si’s obnoxious Orange Fire Pearl hue.
The Honda Civic camp has been extremely busy over the last three years with the
ninth-gen Civic having been introduced for the 2012 model year followed shortly
by an updated sedan in 2013 and then an equally updated coupe in 2014, which
carries over for 2015. Through a series of nips and tucks, Honda has managed to
get rid of the Civic’s wedge-shaped doorstop look thanks to an all-new front
end.
It isn’t hard to miss the key changes made to the Civic’s face, which included
the larger grille, reshaped headlights and a completely redesigned front
fascia. The new fascia alone might make the biggest difference on this car’s
styling, but Honda also added pronounced fender arches and a power dome hood
that finally creates a little visual separation between the Civic Sedan and
Civic Coupe allowing this 2015 Civic Si to have a look that matches its sporty
personality.
Freshening up the Civic Si’s face was just part of the change introduced last
year. The rear end of the Civic Si Coupe also contributes to the more athletic
styling with squared-off rear fascia and a new decklid that creates a wider and
taller stance. It’s hard to argue with the smoked taillights or the blacked-out
diffuser with a chrome exhaust outlet, but the boy-racer spoiler did seem a
little excessive.
Still, the only major complaint we found some people making about this Civic Si
Coupe (which we agreed with) were the oddly styled five-spoke, 18-inch wheels.
“Overall, the current design might make for one of the best-looking Civic
Coupes since the 1990s.”
Along with this new exterior styling, the 2015
Honda Civic Si Coupe also has an interior that is noticeably better than the
2012-13 model years. Right off the bat, Honda has injected a healthy dose of
color into this interior with flashy red inserts in the dark cloth seats, and
there is also a new faux carbon fiber trim to spice up the instrument panel
where there was previously only cheap-looking matte grey plastic trim.
Carried over from previous Civic Si interior designs are the signature round
shift knob, the abundance of red contrast stitching and the 7,000-rpm
tachometer still staring at the driver through the leather-wrapped,
thick-rimmed steering wheel. The Civic Si has always had a sporty interior, but
the recent update brings a little extra attention to detail like softer touch
points and standard cabin tech like push-button start and the Honda LaneWatch
blind-spot monitor. This latter feature uses a small camera underneath the
passenger-side door mirror, and when the right turn signal is activated, it
shows a live display of the lane on the right side of the car with colored
lines to show approximately how close a nearby vehicle is.
Finally, the techies out there will appreciate the standard seven-inch touch
screen that offers smartphone like controls – pinch, swipe and tap – for the
infotainment system. This might be one of the easiest to use interfaces in the
entry-level market, and it does so with a touchscreen that somehow avoids
attracting fingerprints. The only option available inside the 2015 Civic Si
models is the navigation system as a $1,500 option, which our tester had.
As much money as Honda has pumped
into restyling the Civic over the past few years, the average consumer checking
out the 2015 Honda Civic Si Coupe probably isn’t going to care too much
(although they should definitely appreciate it).
Rather than its looks, comfort or technology, these
buyers are going straight for the Si’s high-revving 2.4-liter inline-four that has
received a retuned exhaust system helping the i-VTEC engine pump out a little
more power to the tune of 205 hp that peaks at 7,000 rpm, to go along with 174
lb-ft (236 Nm) of torque – marking increases of 4 hp and 4 lb-ft over the 2013
Si Coupe. That torque figure may seem a bit low with today’s growing trend
toward direct-injected and turbocharged engines, but the low torque actually
means the Civic Si doesn’t have to worry about torque steer under heavy
acceleration off the line.
Hands down, the best part of driving the Civic Si is Honda’s close-ratio
six-speed manual gearbox, which thankfully is the only transmission offered.
This gearbox makes driving the Si even more fun than you might imagine with its
short, precise throws, perfectly weighted clutch and, oh yeah, that amazing
shifter.
Despite its sporty nature, the Civic Si is still a decent daily driver with
decent fuel economy rated with EPA estimates of 22 mpg (10.7 l/100 km) city, 31
mpg (7.6 l/100 km) highway and 25 mpg combined (9.4 l/100 km) running premium
fuel only. My trip consisted of mostly highway driving, so my 28.5 mpg (8.2
l/100 km) average came up a bit short of the EPA estimates, but I also spent
plenty of time testing out the digital VTEC power meter to let you know exactly
when VTEC kicks in.
“Considering how much driving time I spent pushing this car to its sky-high
rev limit on my extended drive, I was impressed with my observed fuel economy.”
While the idea of the current horsepower wars that
have resulted in ridiculously awesome engine outputs such as the 707-hp Dodge
Hellcat Hemi, there’s still something to be said for smaller cars with low
horsepower and low weight like the Civic Si, Mazda Miata and Scion FR-S.
Matching the slight power increase, the updated Civic Si Coupe also received a
sportier suspension tuning bringing higher rate springs, new dampers and a
stiffer rear stabilizer bar. And that’s on top of the already beefier front and
rear stabilizer bars that the Civic Si boasts over the standard Civic.
It’s not very likely that any drivers will be able to tell that the engine
output has been increased, but they will surely notice the updated suspension
tuning. Instead of the somewhat floaty suspension tune exhibited by the 2012
Civic Si, the latest Si models feel more confident in tight corners without
giving up too much in the way of everyday ride quality.
Starting life as your typical economy-minded compact car, the 2015 Honda Civic
Si Coupe feels nothing like the entry-level counterpart. This is all thanks to
the suspension bits, the bigger wheel/tire combo and the slightly different
tune to the electric power steering system, which makes this model noticeably
tighter and more responsive than the non-Si Civic models.
The one upgrade that the Civic Si could stand to receive a little more
attention is to the brakes. They are carried over from the Civic EX consisting
of four-wheel disc brakes with 11.1-inch rotors up front and 10.2-inch rotors
at the rear. The brakes have a good pedal feel and didn’t exhibit any fade
during some impromptu autocross-style maneuvers in an empty parking lot, but it
lacks the same level of sportiness that the rest of the car exudes. One of the
coolest features that Honda gave the Si is its exclusive helical limited slip
differential.
These
Texas back roads were made for small, sporty cars like the Civic Si with
two-lane highways that offer 75-mph speed limits while the hills of Texas’ Hill
Country mixed in beautiful scenery with plenty of winding roads.
Through all of the driving, I kept saying to myself
how well-balanced the Civic Si felt, so I was more than just a little surprised
to see some of the numbers on the spec sheet. As tends to be the case these
days with just about all cars, the Civic Si also packed on a few extra pounds
for the 2014 model year. The previous curb weight on the 2013 Civic Si Coupe
with Navi was 2,966 pounds (1,345 kg), while this 2015 model with the same
equipment and options tips the scales at 3,002 pounds (1,361 kg).
This puts the Civic Si at its portliest curb weight ever, but the bigger
eye-opener was the nose-heavy weight distribution of 61/39 front-to-rear. This
is a common problem among any front-drive car, and, again, Honda worked its
magic to help limit the excessive understeer that plagues most sporty
front-drive cars.
“Even after factoring in its heavier weight, the 2015 Civic Si Coupe still
lives up to the name that this sport compact has established with its fun,
nimble and responsive driving dynamic.”
This should help make the Civic Si even more
popular among those who like to take their car to the occasional track day or
autocross event without having to give up their daily driver (this is a Honda
Civic after all).
Considering the price of the standard 143-hp 2015 Civic Coupe is $18,290, the
Civic Si Coupe makes you pay to play with a starting price of $22,890. You
really only get three choices to make when it comes to selecting your 2015
Honda Civic Si Coupe: a choice of seven exterior colors, upgrading to
navigation and choosing whether or not you want the $200 summer tires (our
tester did not have those), which left this particular car – Si Coupe with Navi
– with an as-tested price listed at $25,210.
This price range puts the Civic Si Coupe into the same price range as other
sporty compacts such as the Ford Focus ST, Volkswagen GTI and even the Subaru
WRX. And although it has far less tuning, we would be remiss to fail mentioning
what is perhaps the sole true rival to the Civic Si Coupe, the 201-hp Kia Forte
Koup SX that is bargain priced for this segment starting at $20,590. This
selection and variety of vehicles available in such a niche market is
definitely a good thing for enthusiast buyers.
Wrapping up my Texas trip five days after it
started, I still had to make my way back to Dallas from San Antonio. With an
early-morning flight and a long commute back to Dallas, I decided to forgo the
back roads and head straight back up Interstate 35. Overall, it took an hour
and a half longer to take the back roads (including stopping at a beautiful
overlook to photograph the Civic) versus the interstate, but Texas’ state
highways definitely provided the most driving enjoyment.
As for the Civic Si, few cars combine fun and fuel economy so well. Honda has
finally given the entire Civic lineup a sporty look that matches its peppy
performance, but based on the Civic’s typical four to five year life cycle, it
probably won’t be too long before we see even more changes to this car.
Car key
spec:
Engine 2354 cm3 I4
Fuel petrol
Power 153 KW/205 BHP @ 7000 RPM
Torque 174 Lb-Ft @ 4400 RPM
Gearbox 6-speed manual
Traction FWD
Length 178.8 in
Wheelbase 103.2 in
Width 69 in
Height 55 in
Weight 3002 lbs
Seating 4
Cargo Volume 11.7 CuFT
Fuel
Efficiency (mpg)
OFFICIAL OURS
City 22 23.5
Highway 31 36.7
Combined 25 28.5
