All the goodness of the Honda Civic Si coupe has rubbed off onto 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan. The same 197-horsepower iVTEC 2.0-liter engine screams to an 8,000-rpm redline, the same transmission shifts quickly through six gears, the same limited-slip differential delivers great punch exiting the corners and the same sport seats help you resist the G-forces.
The Civic Si sedan is 2 inches longer than the coupe and weighs 60 pounds more, but it has the same high-performance personality and even makes the same numbers at the test track. It just happens to have four doors. This is great news.
S'couped
Compared to the highly anticipated arrival of the 2006 Civic Si Coupe, the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan has appeared in the Honda lineup without much fanfare. But we'll tell you, the "Si-dan" is really the Civic Si to get. You might expect the Si coupe with its snarky styling to carry the dominant Si gene, but the Si sedan's four-door practicality adds a dimension of usefulness that makes this a high-performance car you can live with every day.
Our first glimpse of the thinly disguised Civic Si sedan concept came in February 2006 at the Chicago auto show, and shortly thereafter an Internet-based leak revealed the car's production appearance. Honda officially took the wraps off the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan at the 2006 SEMA show, but it was overlooked in the shadow of a gaggle of concepts based on the Honda Fit.
For us, the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan reminds us of the BMW M3 E36-series sedan. The coupe might get the billboard signage, but the sedan proves to be a more mature piece, a grown-up performance car instead of just a hot rod.
Plus 2 inches, minus 1 millimeter
Compared to the Civic coupe, the sedan's wheelbase has been stretched 2.0 inches to a lengthy 106.3 inches. To help give the Si sedan the same quick reactions as the Si coupe, its front suspension has been retuned with different damping rates and a front antiroll bar that's 1mm smaller in diameter. The sedan's long wheelbase also delivers a more balanced weight distribution of 59 percent front/41 percent rear, compared to the coupe's 61 percent front/39 percent rear.
All this helps the four-door Si sedan behave more like the stubbier two-door Si coupe by diminishing the car's natural understeer. In practice, it allows the sedan to claw its way around our 200-foot skid pad at 0.84g. It also helps the Si sedan zigzag through the 600-foot slalom course at a frenetic 68.2 mph, rocketing past the final gate and across the timing line at wide-open throttle.
The Si Civic's electric-assist power steering is just about as good as it can be, pinpoint precise and rally-car quick, although it lacks a little in communicative feedback. Overall, the Si sedan achieves virtually the same testing numbers as the Si coupe, and performs even better in some cases. The four-door's four-wheel disc brakes are very capable, providing both good feedback and better-than-average stopping power as evidenced by a 125-foot stop from 60 mph. Historically, however, we do know that these brakes (vented 11.8-inch front discs and 10.2-inch rear discs) have limited heat capacity and can overheat when pushed beyond a half-hour session of full-throttle flogging. Overall, this is still sports-car performance from a four-door sedan. Cool, eh?
For 2007, both the Si sedan and Si coupe feature electronic vehicle-stability control that now can be fully switched off, which is what we want in a high-performance car. New 17.0-by-7.0-inch cast-alloy wheels in a slightly darker shade of silver carry don't-bother-unless-it-snows Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 all-season tires. If you hand the Honda man an extra $200, you can get Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 high-performance tires. These tires are slightly noisier, but we've found that they deliver superior grip and handling in both wet and dry conditions.
Spinning class
If you think it's irresponsible to rev your engine beyond 6,000 rpm, then you've never enjoyed Honda's iVTEC 2.0-liter four-cylinder at full song. The Si sedan offers even more aural attitude for this engine thanks to a new exhaust system that gives you more of the high-winding snarl we've grown to love. Even at 2,000 rpm, the Si sedan's iVTEC sounds like it has the beans to back up the attitude. Once you stage the car, rev the engine to 4,000 rpm, then drop the clutch and modulate the throttle to maximize traction, the Si sedan is on its way to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. It reaches the quarter-mile mark in 15.3 seconds at a little over 93 mph. These numbers are virtually identical to every Si coupe we've ever tested.
Honda think
The 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan is offered in essentially one base model with two options, although Honda-think would have you believe that there are four distinct models. First, there's the base model. Second, there's the Si sedan with high-performance tires. Third, there's the Si sedan with a navigation system. And finally there's the Si sedan with high-performance tires and the navigation system. Be that as it may, Si sedan pricing begins at $21,885, or exactly $200 more than a base Si coupe. Add the high-performance tires and the price goes up $200. Opting for Honda's driver-friendly navigation system with XM Satellite Radio adds another $1,750. When you specify the high-performance tires and navigation-audio system (as our test car was equipped), the grand total comes to $23,835.
Caveat emptor
Before you grab your checkbook and hightail it to the nearest Honda dealership, be warned that the Si sedan is truly meant for enthusiasts. It's notably noisier than a standard Civic. It's tuned for crisper handling responses, and so might be less forgiving of driver clumsiness. And it has issues with ride quality, delivering a jittery ride on choppy pavement that's far harsher than any other Civic we've driven. Imagine the interaction of limited suspension travel with stiff springs and soft bushings and you'll get the idea.
To be fair, this Honda's ride would be judged acceptable if it were an S2000 sports car. So we're prepared to accept some sacrifices in a car with seating for five, 88.4 cubic feet of passenger volume and a folding, 60/40-split-back rear seat, not to mention a trunk with 12.0 cubic feet of capacity. Even the Si sedan's fuel economy is impressive, with 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. But if you're simply interested in a calmer sort of sedan experience, then the answer for you might be a Civic EX.
In the end, the Si sedan is so good that it makes the Si coupe seem faintly pointless. Sure, there will always be a market for the Civic coupe's space-pod, two-door profile. But almost everyone else will appreciate the combination of practical packaging with foot-to-the-floor performance.
To find out which Civic Si is better for you, take this quiz. You use rear seats for: A) transporting Volcom hoodies and collecting empty Rockstar cans; B) you don't know what that means but still enjoy running the tachometer up to 8,000 rpm. If you answered "B," then the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan is your ride of choice.
The 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan will make you believe that you can own a four-door car that you can use for your daily commute and yet still have fun on your favorite back roads over the weekend. The Si sedan has a raw, honest character that sets it apart from most modern cars. Yeah, it's a little rough, but it likes it rough.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
The Civic Si sedan is 2 inches longer than the coupe and weighs 60 pounds more, but it has the same high-performance personality and even makes the same numbers at the test track. It just happens to have four doors. This is great news.
S'couped
Compared to the highly anticipated arrival of the 2006 Civic Si Coupe, the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan has appeared in the Honda lineup without much fanfare. But we'll tell you, the "Si-dan" is really the Civic Si to get. You might expect the Si coupe with its snarky styling to carry the dominant Si gene, but the Si sedan's four-door practicality adds a dimension of usefulness that makes this a high-performance car you can live with every day.
Our first glimpse of the thinly disguised Civic Si sedan concept came in February 2006 at the Chicago auto show, and shortly thereafter an Internet-based leak revealed the car's production appearance. Honda officially took the wraps off the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan at the 2006 SEMA show, but it was overlooked in the shadow of a gaggle of concepts based on the Honda Fit.
For us, the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan reminds us of the BMW M3 E36-series sedan. The coupe might get the billboard signage, but the sedan proves to be a more mature piece, a grown-up performance car instead of just a hot rod.
Plus 2 inches, minus 1 millimeter
Compared to the Civic coupe, the sedan's wheelbase has been stretched 2.0 inches to a lengthy 106.3 inches. To help give the Si sedan the same quick reactions as the Si coupe, its front suspension has been retuned with different damping rates and a front antiroll bar that's 1mm smaller in diameter. The sedan's long wheelbase also delivers a more balanced weight distribution of 59 percent front/41 percent rear, compared to the coupe's 61 percent front/39 percent rear.
All this helps the four-door Si sedan behave more like the stubbier two-door Si coupe by diminishing the car's natural understeer. In practice, it allows the sedan to claw its way around our 200-foot skid pad at 0.84g. It also helps the Si sedan zigzag through the 600-foot slalom course at a frenetic 68.2 mph, rocketing past the final gate and across the timing line at wide-open throttle.
The Si Civic's electric-assist power steering is just about as good as it can be, pinpoint precise and rally-car quick, although it lacks a little in communicative feedback. Overall, the Si sedan achieves virtually the same testing numbers as the Si coupe, and performs even better in some cases. The four-door's four-wheel disc brakes are very capable, providing both good feedback and better-than-average stopping power as evidenced by a 125-foot stop from 60 mph. Historically, however, we do know that these brakes (vented 11.8-inch front discs and 10.2-inch rear discs) have limited heat capacity and can overheat when pushed beyond a half-hour session of full-throttle flogging. Overall, this is still sports-car performance from a four-door sedan. Cool, eh?
For 2007, both the Si sedan and Si coupe feature electronic vehicle-stability control that now can be fully switched off, which is what we want in a high-performance car. New 17.0-by-7.0-inch cast-alloy wheels in a slightly darker shade of silver carry don't-bother-unless-it-snows Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 all-season tires. If you hand the Honda man an extra $200, you can get Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 high-performance tires. These tires are slightly noisier, but we've found that they deliver superior grip and handling in both wet and dry conditions.
Spinning class
If you think it's irresponsible to rev your engine beyond 6,000 rpm, then you've never enjoyed Honda's iVTEC 2.0-liter four-cylinder at full song. The Si sedan offers even more aural attitude for this engine thanks to a new exhaust system that gives you more of the high-winding snarl we've grown to love. Even at 2,000 rpm, the Si sedan's iVTEC sounds like it has the beans to back up the attitude. Once you stage the car, rev the engine to 4,000 rpm, then drop the clutch and modulate the throttle to maximize traction, the Si sedan is on its way to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. It reaches the quarter-mile mark in 15.3 seconds at a little over 93 mph. These numbers are virtually identical to every Si coupe we've ever tested.
Honda think
The 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan is offered in essentially one base model with two options, although Honda-think would have you believe that there are four distinct models. First, there's the base model. Second, there's the Si sedan with high-performance tires. Third, there's the Si sedan with a navigation system. And finally there's the Si sedan with high-performance tires and the navigation system. Be that as it may, Si sedan pricing begins at $21,885, or exactly $200 more than a base Si coupe. Add the high-performance tires and the price goes up $200. Opting for Honda's driver-friendly navigation system with XM Satellite Radio adds another $1,750. When you specify the high-performance tires and navigation-audio system (as our test car was equipped), the grand total comes to $23,835.
Caveat emptor
Before you grab your checkbook and hightail it to the nearest Honda dealership, be warned that the Si sedan is truly meant for enthusiasts. It's notably noisier than a standard Civic. It's tuned for crisper handling responses, and so might be less forgiving of driver clumsiness. And it has issues with ride quality, delivering a jittery ride on choppy pavement that's far harsher than any other Civic we've driven. Imagine the interaction of limited suspension travel with stiff springs and soft bushings and you'll get the idea.
To be fair, this Honda's ride would be judged acceptable if it were an S2000 sports car. So we're prepared to accept some sacrifices in a car with seating for five, 88.4 cubic feet of passenger volume and a folding, 60/40-split-back rear seat, not to mention a trunk with 12.0 cubic feet of capacity. Even the Si sedan's fuel economy is impressive, with 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. But if you're simply interested in a calmer sort of sedan experience, then the answer for you might be a Civic EX.
In the end, the Si sedan is so good that it makes the Si coupe seem faintly pointless. Sure, there will always be a market for the Civic coupe's space-pod, two-door profile. But almost everyone else will appreciate the combination of practical packaging with foot-to-the-floor performance.
To find out which Civic Si is better for you, take this quiz. You use rear seats for: A) transporting Volcom hoodies and collecting empty Rockstar cans; B) you don't know what that means but still enjoy running the tachometer up to 8,000 rpm. If you answered "B," then the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan is your ride of choice.
The 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan will make you believe that you can own a four-door car that you can use for your daily commute and yet still have fun on your favorite back roads over the weekend. The Si sedan has a raw, honest character that sets it apart from most modern cars. Yeah, it's a little rough, but it likes it rough.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
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