2020 Honda Civic Si Coupe Performance

We've never been able to fully comprehend why so many people like to make fun of fast Hondas. Sure, slapping a loud exhaust on a 25-year old Civic isn't going to win you any track day awards, but true performance models such as the Integra GS-R with its high-revving 1.8-liter VTEC engine and beautifully responsive chassis is still one of the best front-wheel-drive sports cars ever produced. Just because your Fox-body can gap one from the lights doesn't make it slow - try keeping up with one through the canyons. The 2020 Si Coupe stays true to its predecessors; a low curb weight and free-revving engine with mild outputs come together to deliver an incredibly satisfying driving experience. With 205 horsepower to haul along only 2,889 lbs, the Si feels quick, especially at low to mid-speed driving, which is where it will spend most of its life. The zero to sixty sprint times is measured in the mid to low six-second range, which is slower than the likes of VW's GTI, but again, straight-line speed is not the Civic Si's forte; it loves carrying speed through corners and has enough torque available from its 1.5-liter turbo engine to mask small driving errors. Even lovers of big American muscle will find something to like about how the Si performs.

New technologies bring new possibilities, and in general terms, cars have been getting better with each passing year, but one thing that technological advancement sometimes neglects to take into account is a little bit of soul. Ask any fan across the globe what they think makes a fast Honda great, and they'll respond in a unanimous roar, "It's the engine!". It's only in recent years that small-displacement turbocharged engines have made their way into performance Honda cars; before that, Honda was one of the last bastions of high-compression, high-revving peak-power motors that had to be pushed beyond what any person would deem sane in order to enjoy their full potential. This characteristic of having to work for every horsepower, every mile per hour, and every split second, is what has traditionally made driving the Si Coupe so much fun, but we're happy to report that throwing a turbocharger in the mix hasn't made things worse, it has just made it more balanced.

The turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine found under the hood of the Si produces 205 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque from only 2,100 rpm. Thanks to all that low down torque, the cost of making a mistake when entering or exiting a corner is reduced, so the Si Coupe is more comfortable to drive than its peaky predecessors, but the fact that it can't rev into the stratosphere, and sounds like a jetski at full tilt makes us want to shed a little H-shaped tear. And what about the transmission? It's a six-speed manual from Honda, so you get ultra-crisp and positive shifts up and down the range, and the shortened final drive means you get even more in-gear acceleration - a pleasure.

Trust Honda to build a turbocharged six-speed manual sports coupe that can still deliver economy car gas mileage figures. The combination of a light curb weight and a small capacity turbocharged engine allows the 2020 Honda Civic Si Coupe to provide a gas mileage figure of 26/36/30 mpg city/highway/combined, which deserves a round of applause. The VW Golf GTI, which is powered by a larger and more powerful 2.0-liter four-pot engine and carries around a few more pounds, still manages a respectable 24/32/27 mpg. The Civic Si's 12.39-gallon fuel tank gives it an estimated maximum range of 371 miles.