When I heard that Honda had fattened up the midrange torque to 170 ft/lbs on the 9th generation Si, I began to wonder if there was actually a reason why a sane person might buy the new Camry look-alike instead of the older 8th generation.
I won't lie: today when I grabbed the keys to a practically brand new 2012 Si I was REALLY excited about the test drive; I was determined to punish this new civic. Not much really seems different about the interior at first glance: it's still quirky, it's still different, and it still works wonderfully. I started it up and cruised around the parking lot. The clutch engagement and shifter are still brilliantly honda, but the revs felt like they were hanging a bit. Hey, it's cold out and the engine wasn't warm yet, I figured it would work itself out when the car warmed up fully: WRONG. For something that tachs up so quickly, the needle falls as slowly as a party balloon without quite enough helium to stay afloat. Seriously, I've sank into a soft mattress faster than these revs drop; what gives, Honda?
Alright: so the car is warm, my hands have finally unfrozen, and I'm ready to see what this new honda has in it, here goes nothing! An overly quick clutch release leads to copious wheelspin in first gear, and when it finally remembers it's manners it's already time to shift! Definitely a weird feeling to spin like that in a stock Honda Civic, but there is no doubt that honda wasn't kidding about the torque figures. Drive the car slowly, never going past 5500rpms, and it's really quite good! You have enough muscle to get you around and you don't notice the hanging revs quite as much. The problem is, that's not what a Honda Civic is supposed to be. In a Honda Civic, you're never supposed to want to go below 5500 rpms. It's that intoxicating buzz/howl/scream we so fondly know as vtec that made the old civic so charming. This new civic doesn't have that at all because there's moderate torque before the car hits vtec, then what feels like 1500rpms to little up top. A 0-85 burst was in order, and this time I figured I would try driving the Si a bit more like a mustang: progressive with the throttle to avoid overpowering available traction in first gear. This actually felt alright (although a mustang has a lot more torque, so it was strange having to be ginger to avoid upsetting traction with so little.) Second gear was much the same as first, but the 2-3 shift really unsettled me. There seriously must be a 50 pound flywheel in this car, the revs just cling to where you left off rather than dropping down allowing for smooth up changes. It seems like this is a design to make low rpm shifts smoother rather than high rpm shifts pleasurable. Another mark for the old civic.
I drove the car like a sane person for a little bit and noted the really smooth ride. This car soaks up bumps like a 5,000 pound Buick! I would love it, if it were, I don't know, a 5,000 pound Buick or something. The problem is that even though the car still handles fairly well, it feels so much more numb than the old one. I never felt encouraged to throw the car into a turn because I never knew what was happening under the front tires. The old car encouraged you to take turns faster like that one friend who always pours you another drink, and even though you know better you always take it. Unlike that friend, though, the old civic would always have your back because it was so easy to throw into turns, and even when it started to slide you could tidy it up with a bit of throttle. Taking turns in the new Si is like going out drinking with your mom; "Why don't you just take it easy this time."
Now I know that I've pretty much spent the entire time bashing the civic, and I don't mean to say it's a bad car. With the new engine and tweaks to the suspension the 9th generation civic has really grown up. Even though you have the power to spin the tires, you don't ever really want to. In one statement I can define the 9th generation civic: If you're looking to replace that old Buick park avenue you've been so fond of with something that feels exactly the same, but with a manual transmission: I present to you, the 2012 Honda Civic Si.
