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Honda Civic Si Coupe

Published 3:03 pm Friday, June 6, 2008

Who knew driving a Honda Civic could be so much fun?

Generally speaking, the Civic earns its button-down, vanilla image — which is actually a badge of honor. The car has delivered performance, reliability, safety and value for decades. And, the 2008 Honda Civic Si delivers all of that with a big, fat cherry on top.

The Civic Si delivers pure Honda performance with its potent four-cylinder engine and dynamic sports suspension. It has been engineered for the driving enthusiast, with everyday-driving practicality. Honda has struck the perfect balance, if you ask me.

The 2.0 liter i-VTEC engine provides 197 horsepower and an 8,000-rpm redline. It’s partnered with a six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, and delivers a 29 mpg EPA rating for highway driving.

Talk about having your cake and eating it, too. I’m a big believer in that.

For the first time ever, Honda offers an exclusive and limited production Civic Mugen Si sedan with a high-performance suspension, lightweight forged aluminum wheels, aerodynamic body kit with adjustable rear wing spoiler and a sport-tuned exhaust system.

The name Mugen symbolizes Honda performance throughout the world, and has been closely associated with Honda for more than three decades in the design and manufacture of racing and premium aftermarket performance products. The Civic Mugen Si sedan is finally being sent across the pond, with 1,000 units being made available for the North American market for the 2008 model year.

But I digress.

The Civic Si is available in coupe and sedan versions; my tester was the two-door coupe. It seats four, but even with kids, if you love them, I wouldn’t recommend the back seat. One person sitting side-saddle would be more like it.

Exterior features include a low-profile rear-wing spoiler, front and rear Si emblems, exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels and high-performance P215/45 R17 87V tires.

The transmission allows for quick, smooth gear changes with torque distributed via a limited-slip differential for enhanced traction in high-performance driving situations.

Inside, the two-tier instrument panel has a futuristic design with quick-reference meter positioning and a rev-limit indicator light. A leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel is standard, along with a leather-wrapped aluminum shift knob.

Creature comforts include a 60/40 split folding rear seat, one-touch power moonroof, red ambient console lighting, keyless entry with security system, power windows, power door locks, dual trip meter odometer, and a seven-speaker, 350-watt premium audio system with subwoofer, in-dash navigation system, speed-sensitive volume control, MP3 playback capability, auxiliary audio input jack and XM satellite radio.

Standard active safety features include an anti-lock brake system with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, dual-stage and dual-threshold driver and front passenger airbags, and front seatbelts with automatic-tensioners.

Driver and front passenger seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment.