Comparison review: five compact sporty sedans (Second place)

September 24, 10:46 PMAutos ExaminerBrady Holt

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The Honda Civic Si is the sportiest sedan you can get near $20,000, but it feels like a normal economy car if you aren't driving it hard. See more photos of the Civic Si in today's slideshow. 

More than the other four vehicles in this comparison, the Honda Civic Si is a sporty car first and a compact economy sedan second. It competes more directly with the higher-performance versions of some of the cars in this comparison – such as the Subaru Impreza WRX and Volkswagen Jetta GLI – even as it’s priced among their mainstream variants. 

Looking at that information alone, it would seem this Civic should walk away with this comparison as a higher level of automobile still selling for around $20,000. 

And for some types of buyers, the Civic Si is above and away the best of these five. Though its steering could use more heft and feedback -- especially at low speeds and directly off-center -- it has a different level of handling precision than the others, and while its engine offers just 2 liters of displacement against the 2.4s and 2.5s of the others in this comparison, it easily trumps them all by returning 197 horsepower. 

But unlike either the winner of this comparison, or the Si’s more traditional pricey competitors, this Civic is only especially rewarding to drive if you’re really pushing it. The engine offers no more performance than the average econobox unless you keep it near the redline; my salesman, who owns a 2008 Civic Si, said you don’t really get anything special before 6500 rpm. The light, almost numb steering, too, keeps drivers from truly appreciating the car’s handling potential in normal daily-use cornering situations. 

The Civic Si does include some strong points that can be enjoyed however you’re driving it, including slick short-throw six-speed manual transmission and exceptional driver’s seats. A roomy interior also adds to the car’s practicality. 

But even though you can’t really enjoy the car’s ride and handling on a daily commute – at least, not without getting numerous tickets, as my salesman said he had in his Si – you still deal with the tradeoffs that spark them every time you drive this car. You get the stiffest ride of these five. You get an engine that drinks premium fuel instead of regular – and guzzles it down if you drive the car the way it’s designed to be driven, at 6500 rpm and up. 

The Si has another flaw that shared across the entire Civic line – an unfortunate dash layout that compromises functionality for style with dubious success. Most noteworthy is a digital speedometer that sits well above an analog tachometer, with various other indicators spread out around each. 

SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE CIVIC SI IN TODAY'S SLIDESHOW

If you are a driver who keeps a car at its limits, or if you’re looking to get more than an enjoyable daily driver for your $20,000, you’ll likely appreciate the Civic Si. You can fling it into a high speed corner and have it hold you firmly in place, and you can feel its engine wake up and deliver excellent power at a point where most engines are running out of steam.

But if you’re really just looking to get an enjoyable daily driver for your $20,000, you’ll likely be disappointed by the driving experience the Civic Si offers you – which is pretty much like a base-model Civic, except for the lesser ride quality, the higher price, and the premium fuel requirement. 

To summarize: you want the sedan in the low $20,000s that has the highest handling limits and the most power near redline, you want this Civic Si. But if you want the sedan in the low $20,000s that’s fun to drive whether you’re at its limits or not, you’ll want the car that won this comparison. 

Vehicle tested: 2009 Honda Civic
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $15,455
Version tested: Si
Version base price (MSRP): $22,105
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $24,775
Estimated transaction price as tested: $22,494
Estimated transaction price as comparable:* $20,659
Test vehicle provided by: Herson's Honda of Rockville, Md.

Key specifications: 
Length: 177.3 inches
Width: 69.0 inches
Height: 56.5 inches
Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
Weight: 2,959 pounds
Trunk room: 12.0 cubic feet
Turning radius: 17.7 feet
Engine: 2.0-liter I4 with 197 horsepower
Transmission: 6-speed manual
EPA city mileage: 21 miles per gallon
EPA highway mileage: 29 miles per gallon
EPA mixed driving: 24 miles per gallon

For more information: Honda website

Coming up Saturday: FIRST PLACE

*Note on pricing: when possible, the vehicles tested for this review were equipped comparably to the tested Forte SX, with leather interiors, sunroofs, and manual transmissions. It wasn't always possible. The five vehicles in this comparison are offered with most of the same features in the required price range, but the specific cars available to drive for this comparison ranged from base models with no options to fully optioned vehicles. These discrepancies will be noted in each review and corrected for as much as possible.