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DRIVEN: Honda Civic Si Loses Its Way
One-time sport-compact leader gets softened for 2012 as Honda struggles with complaints about Civic's ninth-generation models.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted December 08, 2011   Phoenix, AZ
Honda refined the wedge styling of the Civic coupes for 2012, with Si getting some aerodynamic and stylistic tweaks. (Photo: Honda)
Honda updated its popular Civic lineup for 2012 with mixed results, and the automaker is reportedly going back to the drawing board for another stab at it for 2013 after a wide-ranging round of pans from auto reviewers, including the influential Consumer Reports.

Dulled driving dynamics and a cheapened interior lead the complaints, but Honda deserves some kind of sympathy after several crushing blows from the world economy, rising yen values and the earthquake/tsunami disaster. Still, the onetime builder of lively and enjoyable cars with modest price tags needs to look to its past to regain its composure.

The 2012 Civic Si's more-civilized suspension takes its toll on handling. (Photo: Honda)
Honda’s long-lived pocket rocket, the Civic Si got a bigger 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine for 2012, still enhanced by intelligent variable valve control dubbed i-VTEC, that gains some power, fuel mileage and tractability over the frenetic 2-liter that it replaces.

But alas, the new bigger powerplant loses some of the aggressive spark of the old engine, traded off in favor of better lower-rpm response. That seems to represent what has happened to Civic Si in a nutshell. The new car is easier to drive with greater comfort, but the sporty edge that made it so beloved by sport-compact aficionados is pretty much gone.

I hate to pile on to the criticism of the new Civic, but the Si Coupe was for me a sad disappointment. Not only that, but I took a look at my own review of the Si from 2006 when the car received its last major update, and I see that my key complaints from that time have not been improved for the latest version.

A new 2.4-liter i-VETC DOHC four banger, Honda's biggest four ever, adds some horsepower and improved fuel mileage. (Photo: Honda)
To whit, between upshifts with the manual transmission, the engine rpm still gets hung up for a second before dropping, making quick and smooth transitions nearly impossible. I don’t get why the new engine continues with the same problem as the old one, but it is something that I found supremely annoying. You have to just shift through the rpm hangup, dragging the engine speed down as you release the clutch. Not at all how I like to drive.

Also, the ride may feel firm and poised, but the handling and body control are pretty ordinary, hardly the crisp, agile response of the old models. Body roll is pronounced and initial steering response is unimpressive. Honda seems to have wrongly favored comfort over sportiness, but even that is thwarted by the high level of noise and harshness that come through.

For hard-core Civic enthusiasts, the lackluster cornering would be a fixable problem because of the mountain of aftermarket parts available for suspension tuning and other Civic enhancements. Still, it would be nice if Honda recognized that those drivers who choose the Si over the standard Civic EX want the edgier handling, even if it means a compromise in comfort.

Honda has taken some hits for cheapening out on the interior, but the carry-over two-tiered digital dashboard is its worst feature. (Photo: Honda)
As for the interior, my biggest beef is not with the cheapened materials that Honda seems to have chosen compared with the previous model. Dull but not awful. What I still object to is that bi-level digital nightmare of a dashboard that carries over to 2012. Ugly, ugly. Honda touts the improved functionality and intuitiveness of the unique setup, but I just don’t see it. All I see is ugly.

The highly bolstered sport seats are quite supportive, but climbing over that stiff edge gets old after awhile. I’m pretty big but still fit into the tight confines of the bolsters, but just. Anyone carrying some extra pounds might feel squished.

In my 2006 review, I did have some lofty praise for the Si despite its warts. “Si is rockin' fun to drive, and that's what this compact is all about,” I wrote. I’d be hard-pressed to say the same thing about the 2012 model.
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