2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe Full Test and Video

We like the 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe. We really do, but we just don't love it the way we want to — or the way we used to.

Since the fourth-generation (1999-2000) Civic Si, we've had a hard time believing Honda's heart was in it anymore. Sure the zinging, high-revving VTEC engines have been inspiring and entertaining, but far from top-in-class. On the other hand, the snickity-snick shifters (with the exception of that "bent-nail" shifter jutting from the fifth-gen Civic Si's dash) have been the benchmark of "how to do it right."

Offering various body styles (coupe, hatch and sedan) over the years has kept our attention. And the limited-slip differential finally came back on the sixth-gen (2006-'11) Si and remains part of the 2012 Civic Si's exclusive, performance-oriented equipment.

"Sí" or "No?"
This time around, in the Si's seventh generation (and the Civic's ninth) the sum total of all that is "Civic Si" adds up to a shoulder-shrugging "meh" for us. What happened? Did the water line rise or did the 2012 Honda Civic Si sink to the bottom, dragged down by a risk-averse Honda? Indeed, a handful of other sporty coupes — all better-looking, some with lower prices, others with turbocharged four-cylinder or V6 engines, and even a couple with rear-wheel drive — prove the Honda Civic Si has grown old, soft and irrelevant.

Here's why.

K24Z7
We like the Civic Si's "new" 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine, which is rated at 201 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. If its bore/stroke, compression ratio and output sound familiar, you'll find this engine belongs to the K24 engine family. In this state of tune, it is essentially the same power plant found in our long-term Acura TSX Sport Wagon, which has proven that a good four-cylinder engine can, indeed, take the place of a mediocre V6. This one also earns ultralow-emissions vehicle (ULEV-2) status.

To Honda's credit, the 2012 Si's new mill offers about 20 percent more torque than the 2.0-liter 197-hp K20 inline-4 and it arrives 1,700 rpm lower on the tachometer. It's true that it's a whole lot easier to build speed below 5,000 rpm and with the light-action clutch, you'd have to be a total newbie to stall the 2012 Honda Civic Si from a stop. And despite ever-so-slightly different gears ratios on 2nd through 6th (a six-speed manual is the only tranny option), 3rd gear doesn't feel like overdrive like it once did, and was a generally good choice for everyday driving through a neighborhood and on the twisting road we used for the photo shoot.

In fact, imploring actual acceleration with the throttle at 20 mph and 2,000 rpm resulted in, well, actual forward motion accompanied by a now lower, more authoritative exhaust note. The 2012 Si is slightly quieter at idle, louder at wide-open throttle, and despite spinning at 3,000 rpm, quieter at a 70-mph cruise. We call these improvements, but not the kind we expected of an all-new Civic Si that's been significantly upgraded for 2012.

The K24 also produces peak output at 7,000 rpm (rather than 7,800), and is incrementally more fuel-efficient compared to the outgoing, higher-revving K20. The car's fuel economy improved slightly (by 1 mpg in the EPA's realistic combined category to 25 mpg) and we validated that claim with our own identical average over 662 miles of mixed driving.

The thing is, we'd happily trade some of the K24's more accessible torque and negligible fuel efficiency for more power; 240 hp would seem about right and that 100 hp-per-liter output would actually make it competitive rather than merely competent.

On the other hand, your mom would not object to the 2012 Civic Si's highway ride.

Any Quicker?
To exactly nobody's surprise, we confirmed that the 2012 Honda Civic Si's 0-60-mph time and quarter-mile were nearly identical to the last 2006 Civic Si Coupe we tested. We recorded a 6.9-second best time to 60 mph (6.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout as on a drag strip and a 15.1-second quarter-mile at 93.1 mph — just like we did five years ago. The shifter is still as we had hoped — well oiled, light and precise.

Civic Si stopping distances have been notoriously inconsistent depending on tire selection, pad wear and surface conditions. In past tests, we've recorded between 116 and 125 feet from 60 mph. It seems our test car's optional Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tires ($200), properly bedded pads and fresh asphalt were in harmony. With some initial idle stroke in the brake pedal, this car's first stop was its best at 120 feet, and by the sixth and final attempt, that distance grew by only 5 feet. We experienced none of the notorious brake fade so common in other Hondas, and "jump-in" (sensitive initial response) actually improved with the added stops.

Nimbler or Softer?
Compared to last year's car, the 2012 Honda Civic Si's wheelbase decreased by 1.1 inch, the rear track width grew by 0.2 inch and official curb weight dropped by 18 pounds. One would hope these changes would yield improved handling. Once more, hit the rewind and play buttons. This car's best skid pad performance again exactly matched our 2006 Si Coupe's at 0.86g and essentially tied the slalom speed with 67.3 mph versus 67.5 mph.

In the past, we've paid well-deserved compliments for the Civic Si's electric-assist power steering, but this time it feels less alert; more "gooey" as one editor described it. Perhaps to compensate for (rather than take advantage of) the 2012 car's shorter wheelbase, the steering ratio was changed from 13.62:1 to 16.08:1. It's a small change, and while the steering responds as precisely as it did, it also seems to have lost some of the feel in the process. Seeing a pattern develop yet?

On the other hand, your mom would not object to the 2012 Honda Civic Si's highway ride. There were very few surfaces or impacts that upset the car's smooth ride or cornering attitude. If you think about it like this, "improved ride with no loss in handling," then we concede another overall improvement, but not a performance improvement, per se.

Better Interior?
We like all the added standard features: Bluetooth (phone and audio), a crisp 5-inch LCD infotainment display and a 360-watt audio system with USB and auxiliary jacks. We tested it all, and it all worked flawlessly and intuitively. Acoustically, this is an excellent "base" stereo by the way. We just wish the interior that surrounds the upgraded electronics had been upgraded as well. There is not one soft-touch surface to be found, only hollow plastics in various shades of gray/black and with at least three different manmade textures. Although covered in fabric, even the armrests are not what we'd call padded.

The front seats are still high-tech cloth-covered, well-bolstered and easily adjusted manually. They even seem more substantial, though no more comfortable or supportive. A tilting-and-telescoping steering column ensures a good driving position and the new leather-wrapped steering wheel with excellent satellite controls is outstanding. The brake and throttle pedals are properly placed for heel-toe downshifting, and the electronic throttle response allows this to happen without pause.

Outward visibility is challenging with the combination of a giant A-pillar, rising beltline and obscuring C-pillar. As with most coupes, second-row ingress/egress is problematic, and repositioning either front seat so a normal human may sit in it could be improved with a "mechanical memory" of where the front seat was previously set. Legroom in the rear seats is passable, but headroom may not be for some. These are all small-coupe compromises not particular to the Civic Si.

Finally, the controversial split instrument panel drew predictably divergent reviews. Some like it and say that the steering wheel would block anything between the two displays anyway, and others say it's too distracting having two displays in two different planes. Either way, the addition of a VTEC power meter (available in two different I.P. locations) seems like a "jump-the-shark" moment to us — as if to say, "Hey guys, you might not be able to feel the cam come on, but we can show you when it does with this neat-o bar graph."

On the other hand, that new LCD multi-information display is a good addition. It cycles through various screens for audio, trip, maintenance, fuel economy, and when equipped with navigation, also provides turn-by-turn instructions. It's crisp, well shaded and very useful, especially since many of the functions can be controlled with the steering wheel's backlit buttons.

Conclusion
When the last overhaul occurred for the 2006 model year, the Civic Si initially won its debut comparison test against a VW GTI. Only eight months later, it promptly fell to 3rd place behind a Subaru WRX TR and a Mazdaspeed 3.

Today, the turbocharged 263-hp Mazdaspeed 3 is still kicking ass and taking names, while the rear-wheel-drive Hyundai Genesis Coupe (turbo-4 or V6) has appeared on scene, and the Mini Cooper and Scion tC soldier on with fans of their own. Even the highly anticipated Ford Focus shows promise if SVT can get involved. All those cars are priced at or below the 2012 Honda Civic Si. But most recently and perhaps most significantly, the 2012 Ford Mustang V6 impressed the hell out of us at the racetrack with its 305-hp engine.

You can buy a 2012 Mustang V6 for $22,995 (before incentives and/or discounts), or this 2012 Honda Civic Si (with summer tires) at $23,155 — a mere $160 difference. We know they might seem like cars for two completely different drivers, but the performance-coupe bang-for-your-buck case in favor of the Mustang cannot be denied.

For 2012, it appears all the improvements bestowed upon the high-performance Civic Si were to drivability, functionality and fuel economy (sort of), and not one of them did a thing to enhance performance where it counts. The reason for the Civic Si's existence is to carve out a place in the sport compact world. Yet the 2012 Honda Civic Si shows no measurable performance gains over its 6-year-old predecessor. And given that this is the performance-focused trim level, it's hard to make a case for this being a change that matters.

In our book that means Honda isn't trying. And it's hard to love a Civic Si that Honda itself seemingly ignores.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.

Price and Build Your Own 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe at Edmunds.com