The Temple of VTEC - Honda and Acura Enthusiasts Online - Articles - First Drive: 2006 Honda Civic Si: Summary/Conclusions

In general, the Si feels pretty well balanced and quite stable. I was hoping it would rotate as well as the Integra Type Rs and Civic Type Rs that I've driven, but the only way you're likely to pivot the rear around in this Si seems to be with trailbraking. If you overcook a turn, lifting the throttle will tighten the arc of the front wheels but the rear stays put. If you're like me and prefer to be able to rotate the car with the throttle, a stiffer rear bar will probably do the trick. The standard setup is appropriate for the intended audience of the Si, but if the stock configuration isn't hard-core enough for you, the body has actually been engineered to deal with aftermarket upgrades. In particular, the rear upper arm bracket, rear bulkhead, and rear stabilizer mount brackets have all been reinforced.

This car will undoubtedly put up some pretty impressive objective numbers, but how does it feel to drive? Here's how I would subjectively rate the major components on a scale of 1 to 10:

Engine: 10 - What can I say? The sound, the fury. It's the most enjoyable engine you can get from Honda short of an NSX.
Throttle Response: 8.0 - It's the 21st century. Drive by wire lag should be imperceptible.
Transmission: 9.0 - To make this a 10, it just needs a bit more positive feedback, like the TSX.
Steering: 8.5 - This rating is a little shaky at the moment. I need more time with the car to really sort out if it deserves more or less than 8.5.
Suspension: 8.5 - For track use, you'll definitely want something stiffer. Nose dive under heavy braking could be improved. We haven't had a chance to drive the car on any mountain roads yet, so I'll revisit this rating once that happens.
Brakes: 9.0 - The brakes felt pretty solid on the track. If you need more stopping power, a simple pad upgrade will probably be sufficient.
Balance/Feel: 8.8 - the benchmark for current Honda front wheel drive cars remains the TSX, even though the Si would undoubtedly run away from a TSX on a road course, the TSX holds the edge in terms of feel. It's not just one thing that I can point to, necessarily, but the overall package.
Fun for the Dollar/Value: 11 - This car gives you more than the RSX Type S for thousands less. This car will also be poaching the Accord 6-speed. It may not be as quick, but it will outhandle it and it sounds even better than the Accord 6MT when you rip it through the gears.
Interior: 8.5 - There are a number of upscale touches and absolutely fantastic seats, but I could live without the two tiered dash design and the patchwork of plastic pieces to cover all of that acreage.
Exterior: 9.0 - This is a huge improvement over the previous Si, but the extreme cab-forward design creates problems inside the car in terms of heat transmission, headroom, and dashboard acreage.

Summary

The 20th anniversary Civic Si is poised to storm back onto the radar screen of sport compact shoppers. This car should be in very high demand for some time. While Honda has indicated that they were aiming to get back to the roots of the Civic Si, this car doesn't quite hit that mark. Yes it has an amazing performance envelope and superb value, but it weighs nearly 2900 lbs and rivals some entry luxury cars with its sophistication and equipment. That's not a knock against the new Si at all, but it has clearly grown up over the past few decades and keep that in consideration if you're looking for something to replace your B18C5-powered EG hatch. Whether you're talking about styling, engine note, or all-out performance, this is the raciest Si to date. While the car isn't perfect, it's not far off the mark and it should be easy to tweak it to suit most tastes. The great thing about the Si is that the major components are proven, and a good portion of the aftermarket is already developed for the car. Plus, Honda just killed the market for imported JDM LSDs.

Video

We actually lugged our full video gear to Chicago only to have our Canon XL2 die on us before we ever reached the track. Unfortunately the only other video camera we had on hand was a midrange Sony minidv camcorder, so the quality of video that we were able to shoot was mediocre at best, and the sound from the camera isn't so great either. Below is a short video clip where you can get a small sample of what the Si sounds like. Believe me, the audio doesn't do the car justice!

Windows Media V9 - 1.77MB
TOV Project Si!
We've just taken delivery of our own 2006 Honda Civic Si. Over the next few months, we will be preparing the car to be shown at the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Along the way we'll provide updates with respect to the progress of the car, as well as providing glimpses of it as we test it out at the track. The first update should be coming before the end of the month.

Summary

Video

TOV Project Si!