As a long-time enthusiast of Honda’s sporty offerings, I recently traded in my 2024 Civic Sport Touring Hatchback for the new 2025 Civic Si, marking my second foray into Si ownership after my beloved 2005 model. With over 2,000 miles clocked in just a month, I’m eager to share my in-depth review of this exciting new iteration. While the Sport Touring Hatchback was a practical and comfortable daily driver, it lacked the driving engagement I craved. The 2025 Civic Si, with its focus on performance and driver connection, promised a different experience altogether. Having spent considerable time behind the wheel, here are my detailed thoughts on the 2025 Civic Si, comparing it to my previous Civic and evaluating whether it truly delivers on the promise of affordable driving fun.
What I Love About the 2025 Civic Si
The 2025 Civic Si truly shines in several key areas, making it a standout in its class and a joy to drive every day.
Exceptional Handling and Driving Dynamics
The handling of the 2025 Civic Si is simply outstanding. It’s hands-down the best handling front-wheel-drive car I’ve ever experienced. The combination of the sport-tuned suspension, enhanced chassis stiffness, and the limited-slip differential (LSD) creates a driving experience that’s genuinely rewarding, even on mundane commutes. This was a critical factor in my decision to move on from the Sport Touring Hatchback, where driving dynamics felt lacking. The Si delivers the engaging and responsive handling I was searching for. While there’s a touch of understeer and minimal body roll, it’s perfectly acceptable for a street car and doesn’t detract from the fun. The ride quality remains surprisingly comfortable, avoiding harshness, although it can feel a tad “bouncy” on uneven roads.
Refined and Responsive Engine Tune
Under the hood, the 2025 Civic Si shares the same engine as the Civic I traded in, but the Si’s powertrain feels significantly more potent and refined. While horsepower and torque figures are higher in the Si, the real difference lies in the torque curve, which feels far more linear and eager to rev. In the Sport Touring, the torque delivery was strong off the line, but the engine didn’t encourage high-revving driving. In contrast, the Si’s engine builds torque progressively and loves to be pushed higher in the rev range. Where I found myself short-shifting in the hatchback to maximize fuel economy and suit the engine’s character, the Si’s sportier mapping encourages exploration of the higher revs, enhancing driving enjoyment.
Just the Right Amount of Power
The power output of the 2025 Civic Si is, in my opinion, perfectly judged. While I don’t frequently drive at high speeds, I appreciate spirited cornering, and the Si delivers ample power for real-world driving scenarios while maintaining excellent handling on twisty roads. I desired a slight power increase over my previous Civic, but not at the expense of fuel efficiency, and the Si strikes an ideal balance.
Impressive Fuel Economy
Speaking of fuel efficiency, the 2025 Civic Si excels in this area. Over my first five tanks of fuel, I’ve averaged an impressive 37.53 mpg, even with occasional spirited driving. This level of fuel economy is remarkable for a car with this level of performance and driving engagement.
Subtle Yet Sporty Aesthetics
The 2025 Civic Si boasts a sporty aesthetic that’s both subtle and appealing. Initially, I wasn’t enthusiastic about the Urban Gray Pearl paint, but it has grown on me considerably. The combination of the gray paint with black accents and wheels creates a “sleeper” look that I find quite attractive. When clean and in sunlight, the Urban Gray Pearl truly shines, enhancing the car’s visual appeal.
Alt text: 2025 Civic Si in Urban Gray Pearl showcasing sporty wheels and tires, emphasizing its land vehicle design.
User-Friendly Technology
The technology package in the 2025 Civic Si is carried over from the Sport Touring Hatchback, which is generally well-equipped and intuitive. The Si adds a few performance-oriented gauges and helpful shift lights, enhancing the sporty driving experience without overcomplicating the interface.
Enhanced Sound Experience
While subjective, I appreciate the enhanced engine sound within the cabin of the 2025 Civic Si. Although it’s acknowledged to be artificially augmented, the sound is pleasing and encourages revving the engine further before shifting, contributing to the overall driving enjoyment.
Simplified Drive Modes
A minor but welcome change is the elimination of the ECO mode in the Si. I often used ECO mode in the Sport Touring on highways, and it’s a relief not to have to remember to switch modes. The Sport mode in the Si is readily accessible and enhances the driving experience whenever desired.
Practical Trunk Space
The trunk space in the Civic sedan is surprisingly generous. The cargo area is actually longer from front to back than in the Civic hatchback. While the hatchback offers more overall cargo volume with the seats folded down, I rarely utilized that feature, making the larger sedan trunk a practical advantage for my needs.
Quieter Cabin Environment
The 2025 Civic Si sedan exhibits noticeably reduced road noise compared to the hatchback variant. This quieter cabin environment is a significant improvement for daily driving comfort, especially on longer journeys.
Minor Disappointments with the 2025 Civic Si
While overwhelmingly positive, there are a few aspects of the 2025 Civic Si that I find less appealing.
Seat Comfort for Larger Drivers
The front seats in the 2025 Civic Si, while sporty and supportive, can be snug for larger individuals. The thigh bolsters are quite pronounced and tend to dig into the back of my legs. While I am adapting and plan to address this with weight loss, for now, the seats are somewhat restrictive on longer drives. To mitigate this, I use a thin foam stadium seat cushion to raise my seating position slightly, which alleviates most of the pressure from the bolsters.
Overly Tall Third Brake Light Housing
A minor design quirk is the excessively tall housing for the third brake light. It protrudes significantly into the rearward view through the rearview mirror, creating a minor but persistent annoyance. While seemingly a small complaint, it does impact rear visibility.
Stiff Rear View Mirror Adjustments
Another minor gripe is the stiffness of the rearview mirror adjustment. Repositioning the mirror feels less refined and somewhat cheap, which is a minor letdown in an otherwise well-built car.
Incandescent Lighting in Certain Areas
In a 2025 model year vehicle with a price tag exceeding $30,000, the continued use of incandescent bulbs for the rear turn signals, reverse lights, trunk light, and interior lights feels like a cost-cutting measure too far. I promptly upgraded these to Lasfit LEDs, as I did with my previous Civic. Full LED lighting should be standard at this price point.
Features Missed from the Sport Touring Hatchback
In trading the Sport Touring Hatchback for the 2025 Civic Si, I knowingly relinquished certain premium features. While not essential, I do miss a few of them:
- Power Seats: The power seats in the Sport Touring offered a wider range of adjustability and were notably more comfortable and softer than the manual seats in the Si.
- Auto-Dimming Mirrors: Auto-dimming mirrors are a feature whose value is truly appreciated once it’s absent. They were a welcome convenience in the Sport Touring.
- Homelink in Rear-View Mirror: The integrated Homelink garage door opener in the Sport Touring’s rearview mirror was a convenient touch.
- Google Integration: While the Google integration in the Sport Touring was present, its inconsistent performance and occasional conflicts with Apple CarPlay made it less of a loss.
- Boost Blue Pearl Paint: The vibrant Boost Blue Pearl color of my hatchback was a personal favorite, and the more subdued color palette of the Si is a slight disappointment. Hopefully, Honda will introduce more vibrant color options for the Si in the future.
The Intangible Si Factor
Having watched numerous reviews of both the pre-refresh and refreshed 2025 Civic Si models, one comment from Matt Maran Motoring particularly resonated with me. He noted an intangible quality to the Si that elevates it beyond its specifications on paper, making it a truly exceptional car and daily driver. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. There’s a special feel to the 2025 Civic Si that’s hard to quantify.
Final Verdict: The 2025 Civic Si is a Winner
Despite a few minor shortcomings, the 2025 Civic Si is an outstanding car that delivers on its promise of fun, engaging, and affordable performance. It’s a blast to drive, handles superbly, looks great, achieves excellent fuel economy, and offers just the right amount of power for daily driving enjoyment. In an era where affordable and genuinely fun new cars are becoming increasingly rare, the 2025 Civic Si stands out as a true gem. I am incredibly happy with my purchase and anticipate enjoying this car for many years to come. If you’re looking for an affordable, fun-to-drive car that excels in all the right areas, the 2025 Civic Si should be at the top of your list.
