The Honda Civic Si has long held a special place in the hearts of driving enthusiasts. As the performance-oriented version of the ever-popular Civic, it promises a blend of fun, practicality, and affordability. After owning a 2005 Civic Si and recently trading in a 2024 Civic Sport Touring Hatchback, I was eager to experience the latest iteration. Having now clocked over 2,000 miles in my new 2025 Civic Si within the first month of ownership, it’s time to share a comprehensive review. This isn’t just a car; it’s an experience, and here’s why the Civic Si continues to impress.
What Makes the 2025 Civic Si a Standout Sport Sedan?
The switch from my 2024 Civic Sport Touring Hatchback to the 2025 Civic Si was driven by a desire for a more engaging and fun driving experience. While the hatchback was practical and comfortable, it lacked the spark that makes driving truly enjoyable. The Civic Si, however, immediately reignited that passion. Here’s a breakdown of what I love about this sporty sedan:
Exceptional Handling: A Driver’s Delight
The handling of the 2025 Civic Si is, without a doubt, its most compelling feature. It’s hands down the best front-wheel-drive (FWD) car I’ve ever driven. Honda’s engineers have masterfully tuned the sport suspension, enhanced chassis stiffness, and incorporated a limited-slip differential (LSD) to create a truly rewarding driving dynamic. Even my daily commute becomes an enjoyable experience thanks to the Si’s agility and responsiveness.
Coming from the Sport Touring Hatchback, the handling difference is night and day. Good driving dynamics were non-negotiable for my next vehicle, and the Civic Si exceeds expectations in this area. While there’s a subtle hint of understeer and minimal body roll, it’s important to remember this is a street car, not a track-focused racer. For everyday driving and spirited cornering, the balance is perfect. The ride quality is also commendable – firm enough to feel sporty, yet surprisingly comfortable and not overly harsh, although it can feel a tad “bouncy” on uneven road surfaces.
Rev-Happy Engine Tune: Sportiness Unleashed
Under the hood, the 2025 Civic Si shares the same engine as the Civic Sport Touring Hatchback, but the similarities end there. The Si boasts increased horsepower and torque, but more importantly, the engine tuning is significantly different. The torque curve feels much more linear in the Si. In the Sport Touring, the torque delivery was front-loaded, providing strong initial acceleration but lacking the eagerness to rev higher.
The Civic Si’s engine, in contrast, builds torque progressively and genuinely enjoys being revved. This encourages a more spirited driving style. In the hatchback, I often found myself short-shifting, partly for fuel efficiency and partly because the engine’s character seemed to favor lower RPMs. The Si’s sportier mapping transforms the engine’s personality, making it feel more alive and engaging. I find myself exploring the higher rev range more often and thoroughly enjoying the engine’s responsiveness.
Just the Right Amount of Power: Performance Meets Practicality
The power output of the 2025 Civic Si is, in my opinion, perfectly judged. While I don’t constantly drive at high speeds, I appreciate having enough power for confident overtaking and spirited driving on winding roads. The Si delivers on both fronts. It provides ample power for everyday driving scenarios while offering enough punch to make twisty roads genuinely exciting.
My priority was finding a balance between increased power and maintaining good fuel economy. The Civic Si strikes this balance admirably. It offers a noticeable step up in performance from the standard Civic without sacrificing real-world fuel efficiency.
Outstanding Fuel Economy: Efficiency Without Compromise
Speaking of fuel economy, the 2025 Civic Si is remarkably efficient. Over the first five tanks of fuel, I’ve averaged an impressive 37.53 mpg. This is despite occasionally driving the car with enthusiasm and enjoying its performance capabilities. This level of fuel efficiency is exceptional for a sporty car and adds to the Si’s appeal as a practical daily driver. It proves you don’t have to sacrifice economy for an engaging driving experience.
Subtle Yet Sporty Aesthetics: Understated Aggression
The styling of the Civic Si is spot-on. It exudes a sporty vibe in a subtle and refined way, perfectly complementing its performance-oriented nature. Initially, I wasn’t entirely sold on the Urban Gray Pearl paint, which is essentially a primer gray. However, the color has grown on me significantly. The Urban Gray Pearl, combined with the black accents and black wheels, gives the Si a stealthy, almost sleeper-like appearance.
When clean and under sunlight, the Urban Gray Pearl paint truly shines, revealing its depth and subtle metallic fleck. The black trim elements, including the grille, mirrors, and rear spoiler, provide a tasteful contrast and enhance the sporty aesthetic without being overly aggressive or attention-seeking. It’s a design that appeals to those who appreciate understated performance.
Familiar and Functional Technology: User-Friendly Interface
The technology package in the 2025 Civic Si is largely carried over from the Sport Touring Hatchback, which is a good thing. It’s a user-friendly and well-featured system. The Si adds a few performance-focused gauges and cool shift lights, enhancing the sporty driving experience. The infotainment system is responsive and intuitive to navigate, with essential features readily accessible. It’s a practical and functional setup that doesn’t overwhelm the driver with unnecessary complexity.
Enhanced Sound Experience: Engine Noise Amplified
The sound experience inside the Civic Si is, admittedly, a somewhat contentious topic, as it incorporates artificial engine noise. However, I personally find it enjoyable. While it’s not a purely natural engine sound, it is well-integrated and actually sounds quite decent. The amplified engine noise subtly encourages you to rev the engine a little higher before shifting, further enhancing the sense of driving engagement and fun. It adds to the overall sporty ambiance of the cabin.
Simplified Drive Modes: Less is More
The drive mode selection in the Civic Si is simplified compared to the Sport Touring Hatchback, which, in my view, is a positive change. The Sport Touring included an ECO mode, which I often used on the highway. The Si eliminates the ECO mode, streamlining the choices to Normal and Sport. This means less menu-diving and a more focused driving experience. It’s a minor detail, but I appreciate not having to remember to switch drive modes for different driving scenarios.
Surprisingly Spacious Trunk: Practicality Uncompromised
The trunk space in the Civic Si sedan is remarkably generous. Surprisingly, the cargo area is actually longer front-to-back than in the Civic hatchback. While the hatchback offers greater vertical space and the flexibility of folding rear seats, the sedan’s larger trunk floor is more practical for everyday use. Since I rarely utilized the hatchback’s full cargo volume, the sedan’s trunk is more than sufficient and a welcome feature.
Quieter Cabin: Refinement on the Road
One of the most noticeable improvements when switching from the Civic hatchback to the sedan is the significantly reduced road noise in the cabin. The 2025 Civic Si sedan offers a noticeably quieter and more refined driving environment compared to the hatchback. This reduction in road noise is a welcome enhancement, especially for longer drives, contributing to a more comfortable and less fatiguing experience.
Minor Drawbacks: Areas for Potential Improvement
While the 2025 Civic Si excels in many areas, there are a few aspects that are less than perfect:
Seat Comfort: A Tight Fit for Some
The front seats in the Civic Si, while sporty and supportive, can be a bit snug, particularly for larger individuals. The prominent thigh bolsters tend to dig into the back of my legs. While I am adapting to it and plan to address it through fitness and weight loss, the seats are undeniably tight. For longer drives, I’ve found a workaround by using a thin foam stadium seat cushion to raise my seating position slightly, which alleviates much of the pressure from the thigh bolsters. This is a minor inconvenience, but something to be aware of, especially for those with a larger build.
Third Brake Light Housing: Obstructing Rear Visibility
The design of the third brake light housing is puzzling. It protrudes excessively high, unnecessarily impeding rearward visibility through the rearview mirror. This is a somewhat minor but consistently annoying design flaw. While seemingly a petty complaint, it is a legitimate ergonomic concern that impacts daily driving.
Stiff Rearview Mirror: A Flimsy Feel
Another minor gripe is the rearview mirror’s stiffness when attempting to adjust its position. It feels somewhat cheap and resistant to adjustment, lacking the smooth and refined feel expected in a modern car. This contributes to a slightly less premium feel in certain tactile aspects of the interior.
Incandescent Lighting: An Outdated Cost-Cutting Measure
In a 2025 vehicle with a sticker price exceeding $30,000, the continued use of incandescent light bulbs in certain areas is disappointing. Specifically, the rear turn signals, reverse lights, and trunk light are still incandescent. Similar to my previous Sport Touring Hatchback, I almost immediately upgraded these to brighter and more modern-looking Lasfit LEDs. The interior lighting also uses incandescent bulbs. While understandable as a cost-saving measure, it feels out of place in a car of this caliber and price point. Full LED lighting should be standard across the board.
Features Missed from the Sport Touring Hatchback: Trade-offs Considered
Trading in the Sport Touring Hatchback for the Civic Si inevitably meant relinquishing some desirable features. These were conscious trade-offs made for the enhanced driving dynamics of the Si, and while I don’t deeply miss these features, they were nonetheless appreciated in the hatchback:
- Power Seats: The power-adjustable seats in the Sport Touring offered a greater range of customization and were noticeably softer and more comfortable than the manual seats in the Si.
- Auto-Dimming Mirrors: Auto-dimming rearview and side mirrors are features you don’t fully appreciate until they are gone. They significantly reduce glare from headlights at night, enhancing driving comfort and safety.
- Homelink in Rearview Mirror: The integrated Homelink system in the Sport Touring’s rearview mirror was a convenient feature for garage door operation. While a garage remote is a simple alternative, the integrated system was a touch of luxury.
- Integrated Google Technology: While the Sport Touring’s Google-integrated infotainment system was sometimes buggy and didn’t always seamlessly integrate with Apple CarPlay, it offered some potentially useful features. However, given the occasional glitches and my primary reliance on Apple CarPlay, this loss is minimal.
- Boost Blue Pearl Paint: The vibrant Boost Blue Pearl paint of my previous Civic hatchback was a visually striking and appealing color. The more subdued color palette of the Si, while sophisticated, lacks the same playful vibrancy. It would be fantastic to see Honda offer the Civic Si in more adventurous and fun colors in the future.
The Intangible “Si Factor”: More Than the Sum of its Parts
Before purchasing my 2025 Civic Si, I watched numerous online reviews of both the 2022-2024 and the refreshed 2025 models. One review, in particular, from Matt Maran Motoring, resonated deeply. He articulated that there’s an intangible quality to the Civic Si that transcends its specifications and makes it a truly exceptional car and daily driver. He captured a sentiment that many spec-sheet comparisons might miss.
I wholeheartedly agree with Matt Maran’s observation. There is an undeniable “Si factor” – an intangible element that makes this car feel special. It’s more than just the sum of its parts. It’s the way it engages you as a driver, the fun it injects into everyday commutes, and the feeling of connection it provides to the road.
Final Verdict: A Resounding Yes for the 2025 Civic Si
Despite a few minor shortcomings and some features sacrificed compared to higher trim levels, the 2025 Honda Civic Si is a resounding success. It’s an engaging, fun-to-drive, and aesthetically pleasing sport sedan that delivers excellent fuel economy and practical everyday usability. Affordable and genuinely enjoyable new cars are becoming increasingly rare, making the Civic Si a true gem in the current automotive landscape.
I am incredibly happy with my new Civic Si and anticipate enjoying it for many years to come. If you’re seeking a sporty, affordable, and practical sedan that puts the fun back into driving, the 2025 Honda Civic Si deserves your serious consideration.
