This year brought us many new models and plenty of redesigns. Honda was no stranger to this. The Civic was redesigned to give it a sporty, more youthful look in search of high sales volumes nationwide trying to keep up with the Jones’ err Toyota. The small, sporty looking 5-passenger coupe comes as a base model in the low teens to the SI-Navi model which I drove in the mid 20’s. Yes that’s right a Civic with full navigation. Overkill, well maybe. Nice? Absolutely. My week in the sporty coupe was a blast with plenty of power and handling that is way beyond its predecessors.

From first look, walking up on the car you notice a low aggressive stance perched nicely on 17’ with semi low pro tires. The front end rolls back over a long slanting windshield across the hatchback to the small and unassuming wing. The lines are sharp and sleek and definitely on the mark to regain popularity amongst the young sport coupe buyer. Inside you find a nicely laid out cockpit with more than enough gadgets and nice touches to keep your senses occupied. The front bucket seats have the monogrammed “SI” accented with red stitching. The red theme shines through on your displays with red backlit lighting throughout. In keeping with the racy side of things Honda used plenty of aluminum from the control dials on the AC to drilled aluminum pedals on the floor. The gear shift is also aluminum and nicely accentuated by leather to keep your hand happy as you rip through the close-ratio six-speed. The 350-watt stereo system can be controlled through the touch screen monitor located directly in the center of the dash and has more than enough power to rock your favorite music. Redundant stereo controls also allow the driver to pay more attention to the road and less on the screen.

On the performance side the SI is no slouch either. The 197 h.p. I-vtec motor propels the 2877 pound car around the streets with enough oomph to keep even the sportiest of drivers happy. Edmonds reports that the little rocket will do 0-60 in a whopping 6.0 seconds and its slalom times rivaled the Viper! Impressive for a 20K car with no mods what-so-ever. The suspension held well and allowed the coupe to corner with ease and confidence. The Honda motor redlines at 8000 allowing the driver to really push it in sportier situations, such as curvy roads outside of town. In the city you will still enjoy it with minimal torque steer and a relatively smooth ride. As far as safety is concerned the SI comes equipped with four-wheel disc brakes with EBD, full-length side curtain airbags, front seat airbags, and active front-seat head restraints.

Overall this is a wonderfully equipped car with plenty of high-tech gadgets and amenities to keep even the pickiest of the Gen Y youth happy. The performance lacks little if anything and the price tag, given Honda’s years of stellar performance and resale values, leaves little to question as to the value of it. If you’re in the market for a 2 door speedster with reliability and accessories do yourself a favor and drive this thing today.