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The original was posted on /r/cars by /u/Nitrothacat on 2025-05-19 18:44:04+00:00.
I recently bought a new 2025 Civic Si after trade in values spiked and I was able to get close to what I paid for my 2023 F150 18 months ago. I liked the truck but didn't utilize it's capabilities very often and missed having something fun to drive. In 2019 I owned a 10th gen Si for eight months and always regretted getting rid of it but never considered another Si because of the pricing madness surrounding these cars. That has passed and they can easily be had at MSRP now. I'll just say it now, an Si is in no way worth paying a markup for.
The main reason I went with an Si besides nostalgia is the cost of ownership. I don't keep cars very long and try to pick ones where I won't lose a ton a money to depreciation. I traded my '19 in for exactly 2k less than I paid and looking at used 11th gen values, it shouldn't be too much of a hit when I eventually dump this car.
I traded a Charger Scat Pack in for my original Si then had an S550 GT, 6th gen SS, Silverado 6.2, F87 M2 DCT, C7 Z51, CT4 V Blackwing (lemon law or Id probably still have this one), F150 5.0 and now this Si. Just for an idea of where my opinions come from here.
Compared to the 10th gen, the 11th gen Civic is a huge improvement in most ways. I've only driven the Si variant of each, but at least for those two the chassis is much stiffer. Which makes the car feel much more solid going down the road. Helping that feeling is the fixed suspension. The adaptive dampers in the 10th gen were great for daily driving. In Normal they were downright soft and comfortable. Sport firmed up nicely but didn't do much as far as the car being more composed. There was still a bit of body roll. The fixed suspension on the 11th gen is rougher and firmer than the Sport setting on the 10th but there is barely any body roll and it feels a lot more sports car like suspension wise instead of a warmed over economy car with nice adaptive dampers. Not that the Si is a sports car, just the suspension tuning is amazing considering what kind of car it is. I can take a cloverleaf on ramp at 55 to 60 mph and it just hugs the pavement and grips while feeling like it has more to give. It could be considered borderline too rough depending on road surface for a fun commuter but I like it. Definitely the standout performance aspect of the 11th gen Si along with the steering feel. I'm not sure I'd rate the steering as well as on the GM Alpha cars but it's close.
The other big thing you get with the Si is a real LSD up front. When you're taking one of those cloverleaf ramps you can continue to press the throttle and feel the LSD pull the car through the turn. I'm very interested to see how this is on track later this year closer to the car's limits. I haven't felt the car understeer but admittedly haven't pushed it beyond 7-8/10ths yet. Handling feel and capability feels like a nice step up from last gen. Torque steer is present if you go WOT in 1st.
The most controversial aspect of the Si is the engine. I'll be the first to admit I wish this car had a detuned version of the 2.0L from the Type R. VW does it with the GTI and R. I couldn't fault anyone for passing on this car because of the 1.5L engine. It's okay considering it's a tarted up eco motor. Gets stellar fuel economy. It can easily touch 40 mpg on the highway and I've been getting 32-33 mpg average while driving it like a rental car. It's tuned better than the 10th gen engine as well. The turbo spools quicker and lower in the rev range. You still need to be over 2,500 rpms for any power though. It pulls harder up top too. The 10th gen really died off at 5,500 rpm. The 11th, pulls solidly all the way to redline. In 3rd and 4th it feels like there's a small boost in pull starting from 5,500 to 6,500. It's barely noticeable but still a big improvement over the last car. Even with the improved tuning the Si is easily the slowest in class. It doesn't feel like an absolute dog like my Forester but you also are never impressed by the power at full throttle. It simply feels not slow. A large step down from the VW and Hyundai 2.0Ls. As well as much less power than the 2.4L in the WRX.
Another standout aspect of the Si is the shifter. It is one of the best I've ever felt. An improvement over the 10th gen's already great shifter. I'd rank it up there with the ND2 Miata and TR-6060s I've owned as far as shift feel but the clutch holds it back. It's extremely light, literally no effort has to be exerted to depress the clutch, but there's also very little feel through the pedal. Enough so you know where the bite point is but it's a far cry from an ND2 or Camaro SSs clutch. It makes stop and go traffic a breeze, not fatiguing at all besides going through the motions. The gearing is also insanely short in the 11th gen Si. 4k rpms comes up before 20 mph in 1st and just over 30 mph in 2nd. That with the low power can be annoying especially when the engine is cold. Once rolling though the gearing is great for winding it out on public roads. 2nd red lines at 54 mph, 3rd at 73. Not sure where 4th and 5th end but 110 mph is over 5k rpms in 5th.
Another improved from the 10th gen, but not improved enough aspect is rev hang. It's just ever so slightly noticeable under 4k rpms but not enough to be annoying. Full throttle to red line and it's still very present. It seems to be worse in the lower gears. I haven't measured the time but when you clutch in from 1st it feels like at least 2 or more seconds before the revs drop enough to let the clutch out into 2nd. I tuned this out on my 10th gen and am considering doing it here as well. The car felt and was significantly quicker post tune going from a 92 mph to 99 mph 1/4th mile trap speed.
Overall I'm really enjoying this car considering it cost 32k otd. While it is a big downgrade from the other performance cars I've owned I can't say I'm having any less fun while commuting to work with traffic, stop lights etc. If anything I'm enjoying it more while getting double the mpg, shifting much more and not being frustrated trying to constantly use 450+ hp. Now, taking it down an empty back road on a weekend drive it's a far cry from a 6.2L Corvette but for a daily driver and all that entails it's a solid choice.
Plans for the Si are to track the hell out of it at HPDEs. I have two scheduled this year for Summit Point and VIR and plan to do more in 2026. I also plan on picking up a Miata at some point in the near future because while I like the Si for a daily, it doesn't scratch the rwd two seater with an NA engine itch at all.