When we first tested the Honda Civic Si back in 2017when it became available in the current generation, we loved it. It went on our I’d Buy It list just as the previous generation had. The combination of grin inducing driving fun, great quality and good looks is hard not to love.
For 2020, the Honda Civic Si got a healthy freshening in both the Coupe and Sedan in some tweaks to the styling and interior as well as a few mechanical and feature upgrades to improve on what was already quite good.
To styling, the 2020 Honda Civic Si Sedan we tested showed off some handsomely redesigned LED headlights with more detail and lighting elements. The lower front fascia and grille also get massaged with and updated grille and trims in gloss black as well as new LED fog lights.
It now rides on matching gloss black 18-inch wheels which match all the gloss black trims that also extend to the redesigned rear bumper on our sedan.
The interior got updated starting with the heavily bolstered cloth sport seats featuring red accents top and bottom to go with the red trim across the dash. The faux carbon fiber look trim still isn’t real but at this price it still looks plenty handsome.
Control upgrades since we last tested the Civic Si also include a real volume knob and buttons on the audio system, replacing the old touch sensitive slider adjustment I hated with a passion. Proof Honda does listen to customer and journalists complaints.
Performance is still lead by the 1.5 liter turbocharged engine with 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque that I loved before. While power didn’t increase much over the last generation Civic, torque band livability did which is golden.
To take further advantage of this, Honda shortened the final-drive ratio in its mandatory 6-speed manual transmission to enhance the accelerative feel and allow the aforementioned torque band to be better felt. It is something I noticed in my short time in the 2020 Si Sedan.
The multi-mode adjustable dampers continue to allow you the opportunity to set up the car depending on your mood. Around town with potholes, expansion joints and speed bumps it’s nice to dial it back. Out on the back roads it’s nice to bump it up. I call this livability.
Honda Sensing safety features are also standard for 2020, a suite of semi-autonomous nannies and braking controls that might save your life or someone else’s on their own if you aren’t paying attention.
While it’s not the fastest and craziest car you can get in this class, I love its all around goodness and balance for the money. As tested, the 2020 Civic Si Sedan came in at $26,130 which is well below the price of the Toyota Corolla XSE I tested last fall – a car that while nice is nothing close to the Si in performance and handling.
This is likely why the 2017 Civic Si made my I’d Buy It list and it remains a car I would put in my garage without debate if I needed a compact sedan.
