2022 Honda Civic Si | First Drive

For the latest Honda Civic pricing and information:

The Honda Civic is new, this is the sporty Si version of that car. On paper this thing looks like a ton of fun to drive, but paper is no good here.


Specs out of the way first. There’s a 1.5-liter high-flow turbo under the hood. (200 hp/192 lb-ft torque @1800-5000 rpm). It’s the same engine as before but tweaked slightly for more efficient performance even though there’s a small drop in horsepower. But engineers have expanded the power band so you get to the meat of the torque earlier.


The previous model Si got 205 hp, but as far as that’s concerned who cares. I don’t feel any drop in power or fun. This Si is quick, spirited, effervescent. You get the drift.

thanks to that new torque curve you can rev the engine nice and high or is you’re not exactly in the right gear then that low-end torque and the improved throttle response get you up to speed without a problem.


Of course that means the Si comes with a manual transmission that has the same rev-matching as the Civic Type R.


That’s such a great feature. If you’re not one to do all the heel toe practice all the time and are looking for good acceleration when you’re downshifting it’s fantastic . And if you want to shut it off you can do that in Individual mode.


The gearbox on the manual has been improved. The throws are even shorter, making it super quick to shift.


The Si gets a standard limited slip differential that gives this front wheel driving car with plenty of grip.

Around the corners out here it feels great. Good balance. Feels solid. Confident. Those are all great things. And it’s got a new exhaust system that sounds really good. Even if some of that is manufactured and pumped in, yes. It’s a great noise for a sporty car.

There have been a lot of structural enhancements made to the Si too, making it stiffer and stronger, less flex and rigidity is going to help out with handling. The front and rear bushings and upper and lower rear b-arms are all taken from the Type R. And has stiffer spring rates than the standard Civic.


Speaking of handling, it’s got a 1.4-inch longer wheelbase and it’s a bit wider in the rear track. Both of those help keep the Si close to the ground.

Steering is heavy and solid feeling and I love that! I feel as though I am actually doing the driving. It’s precise and there’s even a bit of feedback.

Some Goodyear Eagle F1 tires are available as an option, and you know that tires make a huge difference with grip and overall performance of your car. I haven’t gotten a squeal out of these yet.

And the brakes on the Si are larger in both the front and the rear than the sedan.

There are a couple of drive modes. Sport and Normal But you can also customize for the first time with that Individual mode I mentioned earlier. That’s new.

There are some clues on the exterior of your superior Civic including the honeycomb grille and the Si badge up front. In back you get the rear spoiler and the chrome exhaust tips. And check out the black mirrors and 18-inch Si wheels. Cool.


The interior is excellent. I love what Honda’s done with the new Civic. It’s got some great lines and shapes and is user friendly. The pulled back and thinner a-pillars make visibility even better.

The Si gets a sassier interior with some red pinstripe accents and gauge trim. A fancy shift nob based on the type R’s and some great looking and feeling sport seats. Yeah, take another second on those. Sport inspired and sexy looking.


The instrument panel is fully digital and it’s really easy to see. The 9-inch touchscreen is great, it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a volume knob and other controls. Thank you, Honda.

To add to your auditory driving experience please enjoy the Bose audio system with 12 speakers.


Of course Honda’s going to keep you safe with Honda Sensing with all kinds of driver assistance software and an improved front facing camera that gives you a wider field of vision so you can see trouble coming.


Adaptive cruise control gets smoother braking and quicker reaction times. Same with lane-keeping assist.


The Civic Si can be yours for $27,300 not including destination. Uh, with car prices skyrocketing, that is a lot of car for a very affordable price. Also, helping out the bottom line is improved fuel economy. (27 city/37 hwy/31 combined)

The Civic Si is pretty darn great. And it’s on sale now.

OC: What’s not on sale yet is the Civic Type R, but hold on to your popcorn because it’s coming. In the meantime, let’s enjoy more driving footage of the quick, agile, and well-priced Si.

00:00 2022 Honda Civic Si
0:20 Engine
0:55 Driving Impressions
3:50 Exterior
4:06 Interior

[tww]

I bought I 10th gen in July 2017 with a sticker price of $24, 475. No problems and a decent driver at 56k miles. Have read a few of the reviews of 2022 can't see any good reason to trade. The Si was a compromise given the R model's prices at the time which exceeded 50k because of markups. Had previously an S2000 and a slew of other sports cars over the years -- Sunbeam Tiger, XKE, early C3 Corvettes, 5th gen Prelude etc. The Subaru WRX might be a reasonable upgrade, but at age 80 I seek to slow down a little.

[llwellyn]

Great job Lyn. In addition to your expert review, I sense the genuine joy of someone clearly in their element.

[pushslice]

I LOVE that you get to driving impressions before the tedious blah blah blah (no offense) of reviewing the static features, like everyone else seems to do. Priorities. Thumbs Up on your review!

[logobot]

Thanks Lyn. Always an honest outlook. Also worth noting, fun music! Can’t wait to see the Type-R.

[Fools_Requiem]

"Pumped in engine audio". Words I never want to hear.

[pm]

God I love Hondas.
Have had three Hondas and Acuras. See no need to buy anything else.

[LJ_SK]

I love the "mature" look of the new generation civics. The previous generation was doing too much in my opinion.

[scottallison]

The civic in Australia has gone up from 31k to 47 2k with the release of new model. Only one trim spec. Honda are kidding themselves

[mattspeer]

The Civic Si has always been a good deal for a semi-sporty car at a reasonable price. The upcoming Acura Integra is just a re-skinned, pricier version of this (same as the pathetic ILX in previous generations).

[The_Notorious_CRG]

hmmmm...i think i found my next car! Thanks for the review Lyn!

[competitiveautomotive]

Those of you complaining that the civic si is disappointing should know that this is still infinitely better than any modern Toyota Corolla 😆 including the nonexistent apex performance model

[gengstar]

I don’t know why there’s so much hate for this car. Motortrend praises this like it is the second coming of Christ.

[edwardinvegas]

Waiting for the greedy dealers to drop the anywhere from $5, 000 to $10, 000 above M.S.R.P. "mark-up" really sad. Disappointing that the fog lights were omitted from the US version but in the Honda Canada one. I am seeing with the 2022 Honda Civic lineup the only one with fog lights is the touring model. I will need to see if these can be added to the Si...

[theforestisdark]

I like the length of the videos not too long but not too short either just long enough to get the information needed! Great host as well!.

[boy]

I would take this over the new "Integra".

[fleemos]

This car looks great, so much better than the last gen. One thing that seems to be the trend nowadays but I just don't like it too much, the move to black painted wheels on a lot of cars. Silver wheels give a nice contrast that just looks better to me.

[frederickcharley]

Can't wait for the new Civic Type R to come out.

[tyhyhh]

the only people that hate on this car are people that expect a race car for under 30k lol

[Alwayshungry]

Great base car to tune and customize the car how you want it.

[ericecho]

Thanks for the driving review! One thing I haven't heard any reviewers mention yet though: does this new Civic come with the "Idle/ Stop" feature?
Cutting off the engine every time you come to a full stop?