2008 Honda Civic Si Sedan

It happens without warning. You awake one day to the shocking reality that you’re a grown-up. Or, at least, people—like your spouse, kid(s), boss, parents and banker—expect you to act a lot more mature than you feel. With the Honda Civic Si Sedan, you can fool most into believing you’re a responsible adult: What says “good citizen” better than a four-door Civic? Yet, when they’re not looking you can snap off a couple of screaming redline upshifts and hustle around a freeway on-ramp or down backcountry roads. In those moments, you can be a kid again, dreaming that Formula 1 or Indy car stardom is your destiny. Calculating mortgage refinancing—or whatever it is that grown-ups do—can wait. The Civic Si is also available as a two-door, but your anonymity is harder to maintain.

Power

The biggest difference between the Civic Si and its mundane siblings is a 197-horsepower, double overhead cam 2.0-liter four cylinder engine. Regular Civics come with 140-hp, single overhead cam 1.8-liter fours. The 2.0 engine revs to an impressive 8,000 rpm, some 1,200 rpm higher than the 1.8. The rev limiter doesn’t kick in until an indicated 8,200 or so: Most other non-racing engines would start scattering parts if revved that high.


This is one sweet engine if, that is, you keep it above about 5,500 rpm. At low rpm, the variable valve timing on both its cams focuses on fuel economy and low emissions: It’s downright sluggish below about 4,000 rpm. But it comes to life just before 6,000 rpm: Peak torque of 139 pound-feet happens at 6,100. From there, there’s little time until its racecar-style upshift-needed warning light, located next to the large digital speedometer, is glowing red. The engine likes to be shifted right at redline: Peak horsepower happens just 200 rpm shy of redline. For the first three upshifts, if you change gears right at 8,000, revs fall right to just 6,000 rpm. That’s right in the sweet spot of the torque band. Keep your foot planted and that shift light will quickly again be red. Its higher 11.0:1 compression ratio also helps performance, but means premium fuel is required.

Performance

Another difference between the Si and other Civics is its close-ratio six-speed manual transmission; an automatic is not offered in the Si. The engine’s need for high rpm and the fact that both fifth and sixth gears are overdrives means the Civic Si requires a lot of shifting. Those who take their Civic Sis autocrossing or participate in the unsanctioned mountain-road Grand Prix will either become adept at downshifting into first gear or learn how to keep road speed high enough so the engine doesn’t fall much below 6,000 rpm in second.


The Civic Si’s exhaust system is designed to open up at higher rpm: You get a punch in the back from the acceleration and the beautiful song of a high-revving DOHC. To keep secret your inner boy racer, agree with your neighbors when they complain about kids in loud cars.


Something that reduces the performance potential of the Civic Si Sedan: It is heavier than all other Civics, coming in about 140 pounds more than a Civic EX-L with an automatic.