Anyone lucky enough to take a spin in a new Civic Si knows just how much Honda guns for the Civic’s target demographic. I wonder why they bother because they already own it. The words Honda + Civic sell themselves faster than a cheerleader on prom night and Honda wants to rub it in a-la Mazda Rev-It-Up and Zoom Zoom Live flavor. I recently attended one of the Civic Live events and here's what I took away from it.

How To Party:
Much like the Rev-It-Up events of yore, Honda gives you the opportunity to test-drive its cars in a closed-track environment. The premise behind this is so you can throw around the cars in a setting that can show off the car’s capabilities. This opportunity is also used to show off vendors, sponsors, as well as the entire lineup of their current vehicles. You can climb into an Element, or check out the seats of an Accord. In addition to driving the new Civics, you get the chance to test drive the Accord Coupe and Hybrid, the Element, the Ridgeline, and Odyssey. The great part about all this is the fact that none of the staff are sales associates.

Unfortunately for the cars, the closed track they set up greatly hinders the maneuverability of the cars. You don’t have room to accelerate too hard, and you don’t nearly have enough room to brake early, clip the apex, and accelerate in the follow through. The width of the track is enough for the cars to fit through but not enough to toss the car in the corners. If you like high-speed cornering you will find yourself squealing tires all the way through. But in all fairness, this will probably vary with your driving style and the vehicle’s tires also play an important role in keeping you planted. And because of the tight spaces of the track you will rarely find yourself outside of 2nd gear or going fast at all.

They only offered 2 laps around the track in the Si. On the first lap I took it grandma slow, as I didn’t know the track or what the car could do. I was a little perplexed by the staff at the event. They warned you about your squealing tires, yet if an attendant forgot their license or couldn’t drive, they would take them out in the car and squeal away and make as much noise as they could. A far cry from the attitude they gave to a young and brainless 18-24 male who probably isn’t responsible enough to have safe fun. If you ever wanted to know what its like to fear for the lives of passengers, watch any one of the staff members take out attendants in the Ridgeline as it careens all over the course. I suppose in the name of safety; they can and we can’t.

The Star Of The Show:
First thing that you notice as you get into the car is a placard that states that aftermarket equipment featured in the cars won’t be available when they go on sale in December. It was odd because it was very hard to notice anything “aftermarket” about it. Did they upgrade the tires or brakes? Or perhaps it was rubber with more grip? The first thought that entered my mind was the exhaust note. It appeared that they had affixed a buzzy, mosquito-sounding muffler with a noise only matched by Fran Drescher. But apparently the Si was tuned with a special intake to create a “unique” exhaust note. So I guess its back to square one.

One thing you don’t always see is the use of manual transmissions in events like these. Organizers and manufacturers typically want the event to be accessible to a wider audience. But the Civic Si is offered in 6-speed manual transmission only, which is a nice treat. Again don’t expect to go through more than 2nd gear because of the layout of the track. There is also a nice LCD display for the XM-ready premium radio, something not found in many cars of the same class. The seats are heavily bolstered for the added grip around the corners and aluminum pedals in addition to the aluminum shift **** add some snazzy class to the interior. You feel good in the inside the car, you feel safe, and you feel like you’re in something very special.

Power delivery is smooth and almost instantaneous. Putting that power to the wheels was no sweat for the Si and pulling out of each corner felt like a burst of excitement at the pedals. The Civic Coupe that had the automatic transmission was a noticeable decrease in performance and throttle response. What would liven up the Coupe is an available SportShifting or Manu-matic (depending on which marketing drone names it) transmission. This way the kids could have their cake and eat it too.

Some of the drawbacks are the huge A-pillars. The huge sweeping windshield of the car already draws out the depth of the dashboard unnecessarily (think Volkswagen New Beetle), but the thick & chunky A-pillars block nearly all your peripheral vision. I found myself wanting to stick my head out the window to watch for cones in the corners. A leather-wrapped steering wheel is usually a favorite of mine, but for some reason it didn’t feel up to par. Granted the steering wheel is much more stylish, but its not as grippy as the Mazda3 and feels more flimsy than the RSX. The shifting is also not precise at all. Very wobbly and unsure of itself; we found it easy to accidentally go into 4th gear. Remember, this is the track that rarely lets us get it out of 2nd. Even being used to the base Protegé, the shifter felt too soft and rubbery. The throws of the RSX (and the Focus) are much more precise and confident.

The exterior styling gets a mixed reaction from me. While its still a completely bold new redesign from the previous generations, you can start to see the “playing it safe” game take hold. The new shapes and curvature of the sheet metal on the hood and fenders harkens that of my mother’s Accord. The quickly tapering boot lid echoes the boot lid of the Accord Coupe. Even the headlights borrow its looks from the TSX. Think Mazda3 vs. Mazda6. You can obviously tell where the borrowed looks came from, but it tries very hard to be its own boss. Like the little brother who wants to look like the bigger brother but still retains his own characteristics.

Overall, the chassis of the Si felt significantly stiffer, but also much heavier than the stock Protegé. And while that stiffness translates to a tighter suspension, you could still feel the weight of the car in each corner. Now you might say that’s intrinsic to the nature of FWD cars, but with the Si badge one would think the handling of the car would feel a little nimbler. Here’s where we come in with my major disappointment with the Si; my stock Protegé feels lighter, nimbler, and more fun around the corners. While it lacks the power and sophistication of the Si, it does not fall short of that fun factor that keeps you coming back to the brand you love.

Springer’s Final Thoughts:
Oddly enough I was more thrilled by the Accord Coupe than the new Civic Si. Much more refined, though still heavy—quite a surprise in the corners, and a better feeling shifter, the Accord Coupe is so much more and a boat load of fun. But it is also out of the price point of the Civic Si buyer. I could give you a faux Top Gear Top Tip: if you have to get an Si, make it an RSX. Of course this is a very limited environment with very limited time to get fully acquainted with the car. Maybe it handles differently for your driving style, or maybe drawbacks don’t bother you as much. What about my impression of the car? Honda’s not losing any sleep over it, and I encourage you to take a spin in it for yourself. This is by no means a professional review and nor is Civic Live a good way to fully test what the car can do. But it does remind me of why Mazda has a smaller but very enthusiastic following: it’s in the excitement and thrill of the drive.
-wanna3

 

wow.... It sounds like you were as dissappointed in the new Si I was impressed with the new Mazda5.

p.s. MS6 > all

 

on the way to the civic live event was where i saw the black ms6 ^_^v, it was the best part of going to the civic live event hehe.

 

hahaah, zoom zoom live was great I thought. I loved being able go from the mazda3 to the mazda5 to the mazda6 o the RX8 to the mx5 all within 5 minutes of each other. Gives you a great sense of the different feel of the cars

 

Drive a new Civic & get lost in the vinyl Sea of Dashboard


Something about these wheels looking like oversized flower petals doesn't do it for me


Friend takes the Coupe for a spin, you might get the same kick that you get from the Si


Ready...Get Set...DON'T HAVE FUN!


Free give-aways liven the small crowd on Sunday's tour