I drove the 2015 Civic SI the other day, so I needed to find the latest generation for comparison. My hopes were high for this one after loving the previous generation.
The Interior: The black cloth seats with the SI logo stitched into them are tasteful and comfortable. The space on the inside is great - it feels very big compared to the previous generation. There's plenty of legroom in the front and back seats, and a decent sized trunk.
The Tech: Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, backup camera, Bluetooth, push-button start, still the most annoying blind spot monitoring in the world, and still the most annoying volume control in the world. I won't repeat my rants on the blind spot and volume features, but you can check those out in the 2015 SI review. This one also has a button for the parking brake - RIP physical handbrake. I'll keep the rant on that one to myself for now. Standard safety features that are now available on all cars as well, but those are the highlights.
Driving: I really wanted this to be an improvement on the 2020 Civic Sport and on the 2015 Civic SI, but it just wasn't. The clutch was too light, and I just felt so disconnected from the road. It seemed more like another trim slotted between the Civic Sport and the Sport Touring rather than the enthusiasts Civic. And it felt like driving a boat compared to the 2015. The trend with cars getting bigger and bigger was very apparent with this one. The only thing I did like better than the Civic Sport was the shifter. It had a good weight to it, and felt nice and smooth to shift. But honestly, I'd rather drive the 2015 any day of the week.
The Value: 28 mpg city / 38 highway is very good. Regular gas is ok, but premium is recommended. This one is priced at $21.5k with 32k miles on it, which isn't too bad considering they're $25k-$26k new.
Overall, I really liked the look of the car and the shifter feel, but otherwise I was very disappointed. Had I not driven the previous generation, maybe I would have given this one a higher rating, but my expectations were high with this one. If you really want an SI, get one from the last generation. If you just want a comfortable Civic for a daily, and you want something somewhere between the Sport and the Sport Touring, then this one is a good option for you. Maybe get the 2019 with the volume knob though.
