Honda Civic Si 2013, Sports Coupe Under $23000 For Young Drivers
2013 HONDA CIVIC Si COUPE. Since its release in 1973, the Honda Civic has been one of the most popular compact cars in America.
The front seats are very comfortable. The driving position is nice, and there is enough space to feel at ease.
The Honda Civic is and has been a product widely accepted. Its driveability, design, resale value and good equipment have led it to earn the trust of the consumer.
The exterior design is a subtle evolution to the rounded times of today, with body sides more clearly chiseled.
Recently I was testing the Civic sedan 2013, the model that Honda decided to revise after the negative criticisms received with the release of its new generation in 2012, with which I strongly agree. Now again I had the opportunity to test a new model of the Civic. This time it was the coupe version in its sportiest variant, the SI model, which features the 2.4 liter 4 cylinders engine with 201 horsepower, and a single six-speed manual transmission available.
The first thing you notice once you have it in front of you, is its image. Elongated, pointed, juvenile, aggressive, enhanced with the red color of the body and its alloy wheels of 17 inches. It is much more aesthetically pleasing than the sedan, which, in terms of shape, it looks a bit dull.
The Civic success can be attributed to the awesome reputation of Honda vehicles in terms of long life and reliability, besides the low running costs.
Behind the wheel, the visual sensations are confirmed. In general it is a fun to drive model despite its front-wheel drive and its 201-HP, somewhat scarce to compete fully with most sports coupes.
Even so, it has very good handling thanks to an inspected chassis of firm suspension with communicative electric power steering, and to the 170 lb-ft of torque (31 more than the 2012 model) of its engine that improves the acceleration from standstill. The manual gearbox, of quick and effective integration, is another ingredient that helps to accentuate the sportiness of the Civic Si Coupe.
The dashboard separates instruments into two parts, placing the tachometer and warning lights in the part that is closer to the driver.
However, a little bit of more power would have been preferable to fully enter to compete with the cream of its segment, the Subaru BR-Z, FR-S Scion, Hyundai Genesis Coupe and the Mini Cooper S. The 201-HP of power that it includes, are still very limited for those seeking sports sensations and match the benefits of the chassis.
In the cabin control of the Civic SI Coupe, its sports seats feel great and fit perfectly to the body. They are solid and have a good grip in all circumstances. In its sporty handling, a limited slip differential, standard on this version, works admirably distributing the power to the front wheels according to the turning radius. The steering wheel does its job properly and the wheels point exactly where we want to go.
It comes equipped with a wide range of safety features such as antilock brakes, full-length front seat airbags, side curtain airbags, and stability contro.
In non-sports driving mode, the new Civic Si gains in comfort. It is easy to handle, with a smooth steering wheel and a precise manual gearbox. Obviously, in the market of sports coupes there are much faster and radical models, but this Civic also provides a wider range of uses, with its decent fuel consumption of 22 mpg in the city and 31 on highways.
Enhaced Interior
It's inside where you can appreciate changes made in respect to the 2012 failed model. The quality of materials has been improved and in some ways this new Civic Si looks like a model from a upper segment. Its clean and functional design facilitates the handling of the different devices, as well as the intuitive Honda navigation system with voice recognition. Some carbon fiber imitation finishes, further improve the aspect of the cabin.
The steering wheel design makes you fell you if you were driving a top sports car.
Regarding the 2012 model, it keeps the dual-screen system for the instrument panel, with the top reserved for the on-board computer,audio system,Bluetooth and the new text messaging system, and the lower one, which is huge, for the tachometer.
Fair Price
The initial price of a Honda Civic Si is $22,515 dollars, rate that easily could surpass $25,000 with the addition of navigation system, upgrade and bigger wheels and other extras that help to raise the overall quality of the model.
What is most striking:
- - Its sporty and aggressive appearance
- - The manual gearbox
- - Its nice and sophisticated interior
What would make it great:
- - More horsepower
- - Optional rear wheel drive available as an upgrade
Competitors
As mentioned above, they are all the sports coupes available in the market, from the Subaru BR-Z and Scion FR-S, to the Hyundai Genesis coupe, passing through the Nissan Altima coupe or even the premium Infiniti G37 coupe.
According to Consumer Reports, the Honda Civic is in second place in terms of fuel economy in its segment, one position below the Toyota Corolla.
In summary
The rectification of Honda with its Civic has been effective. The new 2013 model regains the confidence of criticism by minimal but accurate changes. The Honda Civic Si coupe, as the sportier model in the range, is no stranger to these changes, especially in the interior. But not only, with more amount of torque, obtained at low revs, the sporting behavior of this version, improves greatly. It remains a model less radical than its major rivals, but in return it offers best fuel consumption and a wider range of use.