Costly to insure?
However, the insurance rates can be pretty high; these companies also know darn well what 'Si' means. And I'm convinced that a 20 year-old would have trouble finding a company that's willing to insure him at all.
By asking for insurance price quotes for the Civic Si coupe, half of the companies I checked out turned me down, despite a clean record. The addition of a Boomerang can lower the premium in some cases, but not all. And one company in particular proposed the same rate for all Civic coupes, from the DX to the Si, which probably signifies that their numbers rely more on the person than the car. Obviously, the sedan costs substantially less to insure than the coupe.
Today, I'm 32 and father of two, so the 2-door Civic Si isn't really a logical choice for me, since it's not very practical with the kids and all. A sedan version of the Civic Si is now available for 2008, which is more user-friendly; no doubt, it will probably sell more than the coupe. Come to think of it, although I miss my dear Integra, it also wouldn't be a logical choice for me right now...
Inaccessible for the young people, an engine that's too high-strung and not very practical for the older people... who could possibly be the Civic Si's target audience?
As for competition, here's what can be measured up to the Si:
2007 Hyundai Tiburon GT, 172 hp and 181 lb-ft, $25,495
2007 Mini Cooper S, 172 hp and 192 lb-ft, $30,600
2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS, 162 hp and 162 lb-ft, $25,998
2008 Volkswagen GTI 3-door, 200 hp and 207 lb-ft, $29,575
2008 Volvo C30 2.4i, 168 hp and 170 lb-ft, $27,495
Obviously, if we consider other models such as coupes and hatchbacks, we could also include the Dodge Caliber R/T and SRT4, the Mazda3 GT and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V.
Conclusion
I'm not getting any younger, but I really like the Civic Si. It's youthful, but has a mature side that will please many people. It's quick, good-looking inside and out and has a reasonable price tag.
But since the Si sedan is now available in Canada, the coupe is less interesting for me.
I'd rather be enticed by a high-performance Civic that's stripped off all luxury and non-essential features; take a DX, drop the 197-hp engine and 6-speed manual in it, and add A/C and alloys. The result would be a $21,495 Civic Si, ready to be modified by the younger crowd that will be able to actually afford it.
Interesting performance
Excellent seats
Reasonable price
Requires super unleaded
Engine is too high-strung
Like the VW GTI, the Civic Si has matured too much
photo:Philippe Champoux
However, the insurance rates can be pretty high; these companies also know darn well what 'Si' means. And I'm convinced that a 20 year-old would have trouble finding a company that's willing to insure him at all.
By asking for insurance price quotes for the Civic Si coupe, half of the companies I checked out turned me down, despite a clean record. The addition of a Boomerang can lower the premium in some cases, but not all. And one company in particular proposed the same rate for all Civic coupes, from the DX to the Si, which probably signifies that their numbers rely more on the person than the car. Obviously, the sedan costs substantially less to insure than the coupe.
 |
| For 2008, the Si will be available in coupe or sedan. |
Today, I'm 32 and father of two, so the 2-door Civic Si isn't really a logical choice for me, since it's not very practical with the kids and all. A sedan version of the Civic Si is now available for 2008, which is more user-friendly; no doubt, it will probably sell more than the coupe. Come to think of it, although I miss my dear Integra, it also wouldn't be a logical choice for me right now...
Inaccessible for the young people, an engine that's too high-strung and not very practical for the older people... who could possibly be the Civic Si's target audience?
As for competition, here's what can be measured up to the Si:
2007 Hyundai Tiburon GT, 172 hp and 181 lb-ft, $25,495
2007 Mini Cooper S, 172 hp and 192 lb-ft, $30,600
2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS, 162 hp and 162 lb-ft, $25,998
2008 Volkswagen GTI 3-door, 200 hp and 207 lb-ft, $29,575
2008 Volvo C30 2.4i, 168 hp and 170 lb-ft, $27,495
Obviously, if we consider other models such as coupes and hatchbacks, we could also include the Dodge Caliber R/T and SRT4, the Mazda3 GT and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V.
Conclusion
I'm not getting any younger, but I really like the Civic Si. It's youthful, but has a mature side that will please many people. It's quick, good-looking inside and out and has a reasonable price tag.
But since the Si sedan is now available in Canada, the coupe is less interesting for me.
I'd rather be enticed by a high-performance Civic that's stripped off all luxury and non-essential features; take a DX, drop the 197-hp engine and 6-speed manual in it, and add A/C and alloys. The result would be a $21,495 Civic Si, ready to be modified by the younger crowd that will be able to actually afford it.
 |
Excellent seats
Reasonable price
 |
Requires super unleaded
Engine is too high-strung
 |
Like the VW GTI, the Civic Si has matured too much
photo:Philippe Champoux
Article Gallery