Here's a review of my new 2025 Civic Si. This is actually my second Civic Si, having owned a 2005 for a couple years. (I loved that car!) I've already put just over 2,000 miles on my new Si since buying it new a month ago, so I figure this was a good time to post a review.
I purchased this Si a month ago. I traded in my 2024 Civic Sport Touring Hatchback 6MT for this car. I had put 22,000 miles on that Civic in less than a year. I liked the hatchback very much and it's a great car, but it was just never fun to drive. Having the manual transmission made it more engaging to drive but it was never actually fun, which is very important to me. Because the cars are so similar, you'll see a lot of comparisons between them below.
Likes:
Handling -- This is the best handling FWD car I've ever owned. The sport suspension, chassis stiffness, and LSD make for a pretty rewarding driving experience, even during my short work commute. Handling was a huge factor in my wanting to get out of the Sport Touring Hatchback. Basically, good driving dynamics were an absolute must-have in my next car, and the Si meets that need very well. There is a hint of understeer and a little body roll, but this is a street car and not a more track-focused machine, so it's fine. The ride quality is very good and not harsh at all, but a little "bouncy" on some uneven road surfaces.
Engine tune -- My new Si has the same engine as the Civic I traded in, but the Si obviously has more hp and torque. But also, the torque curve seems far more linear in the Si. In the Sport Touring, there was a lot of torque off the line, but it didn't seem like the engine really wanted to be revved up. By contrast, it seems to me the Si's engine builds torque more steadily and loves to be revved. I found myself short-shifting most of the time in the hatchback, in part to maximize fuel economy but also because it felt more natural with that engine's tune. The Si's mapping is different, sportier, and I'm revving the engine up more and really enjoying it.
Power -- Just enough in my opinion. I don't drive fast all that much, but I like to corner "spiritedly," so the Si delivers on having enough power on the road while handling very well on a twisty road. I wanted a little more power but without sacrificing good fuel economy. Speaking of which...
Fuel economy -- It's outstanding. I only have five tanks through my new Si so far, but I'm averaging 37.53 mpg, even driving the car kind of hard once in a while.
Looks -- The Si looks sporty in kind of a subtle way that seems perfect for the package. I wasn't thrilled about getting a primer gray car, but the Urban Gray Pearl has grown on me. Plus, I do like the looks of the black accents and wheels in combination with this paint. It makes it kind of a sleeper IMO. And when clean, it looks gorgeous in the sun!
Technology -- The tech in this car is the same as I had in the Sport Touring Hatchback, with the addition of a few performance gauges and the cool shift lights.
Sound -- I know this is a divisive thing, but I like the sound inside the car. Yes, I know it's fake, but I think it actually sounds decent, and hearing the engine noise encourages me to rev the car up a little more before upshifting, adding to the driving enjoyment.
Drive modes -- This is a minor thing, but I always used to put the Sport Touring in ECO mode when I got to the highway. It's nice not having to remember to do that since the Si doesn't have an ECO mode, and of course to put the car in Sport mode anytime I want.
Trunk size -- The cargo capacity of the trunk is terrific. The cargo area in the Civic sedan's trunk is actually longer front-to-back than in the Civic hatchback. Yes, you can put the seats down in the hatchback and have way more open space room, but since I never did that, just having a larger cargo area is great.
Quieter cabin -- There is a noticeable difference in the road noise volume in the Civic sedan vs. hatchback, and the reduction is very welcome for me.
Dislikes:
Seats -- I'm a big guy, and the thigh bolsters in the front seats dig into the backs of my legs. I'm getting used to it, and I'm planning to start working out again to lose weight (again) this winter, but for now the seats are very tight. For longer drives, I have a small foam rubber stadium seat cushion (like you'd use on bleacher seats) that I put on top of the Si's seat bottom, and this raises me up enough that it alleviates most of the pressure of the thigh bolsters.
Third brake light housing -- It's way too tall. Why on earth does the third brake light's housing need to stick up that high?! It impedes the sight in the rear view mirror. Very annoying. I know that seems like a petty gripe, but it's a legitimate one.
Rear view mirror -- Another petty gripe, but it's too stiff when I try to reposition it. It makes it feel cheap, which it is.
Incandescent light bulbs -- I almost immediately upgraded the rear turn signal lights, reverse lights, and trunk light to Lasfit LEDs, just as I did with the Sport Touring Hatchback. But a 2025 car that stickers for over $30K should already have LEDs all around. Same goes for the interior lights by the way. I know it's a cost-cutting move, but c'mon, Honda.
What I lost from the Sport Touring Hatchback -- Okay, so I knowingly and willingly gave up some nice features when I traded in my hatchback for a new Si. I don't miss all of them, and it's not like I can't live without all that stuff, but it was nice to have. So from the bells and whistles I lost, here's what I do miss:
--Power seats, which are way more adjustable than these manual seats. They were also softer and more comfortable.
--Auto-dimming mirrors, which is a feature you don't realize how much you love and rely upon until you don't have it anymore.
--Homelink in the rear-view mirror. Yes, I have a garage remote, but it was nice having it built into the car. The mirror was also nearly frameless, a neat luxury touch.
--Technology. It's neat having Google integrated into the new car, but it always doesn't work and play well with Apple Car Play, which I use all the time.
--Boost Blue Pearl paint color. I loved the Boost Blue color of my Civic hatchback. Please, Honda...please make the Si in more fun colors in the future.
I watched a number of car reviews on YouTube on both the 2022-24 Si and on the refreshed 2025 before I bought my car, plus I've watched a few since buying it. One of the best comments about the car was on the last review I watched - just last week - by Matt Maran Motoring. He said there's an intangible to the Si that makes it a much better car and daily driver than how it appears on its spec sheet. As far as I can remember, Matt is the only person who really captured that thought during their review of the refreshed Si.
Yes, I'm biased, but I absolutely agree with Matt Maran. This car feels special to me and it's a blast to drive. It's engaging, fun to toss around, looks great, gets great fuel economy, and has just enough power to be a fun daily driver. Affordable new cars like this are unfortunately getting to be rare, so I'm glad to have this one. I'm very happy with my new Civic Si, and I think I'll love this car for years to come.
![Image]()
I purchased this Si a month ago. I traded in my 2024 Civic Sport Touring Hatchback 6MT for this car. I had put 22,000 miles on that Civic in less than a year. I liked the hatchback very much and it's a great car, but it was just never fun to drive. Having the manual transmission made it more engaging to drive but it was never actually fun, which is very important to me. Because the cars are so similar, you'll see a lot of comparisons between them below.
Likes:
Handling -- This is the best handling FWD car I've ever owned. The sport suspension, chassis stiffness, and LSD make for a pretty rewarding driving experience, even during my short work commute. Handling was a huge factor in my wanting to get out of the Sport Touring Hatchback. Basically, good driving dynamics were an absolute must-have in my next car, and the Si meets that need very well. There is a hint of understeer and a little body roll, but this is a street car and not a more track-focused machine, so it's fine. The ride quality is very good and not harsh at all, but a little "bouncy" on some uneven road surfaces.
Engine tune -- My new Si has the same engine as the Civic I traded in, but the Si obviously has more hp and torque. But also, the torque curve seems far more linear in the Si. In the Sport Touring, there was a lot of torque off the line, but it didn't seem like the engine really wanted to be revved up. By contrast, it seems to me the Si's engine builds torque more steadily and loves to be revved. I found myself short-shifting most of the time in the hatchback, in part to maximize fuel economy but also because it felt more natural with that engine's tune. The Si's mapping is different, sportier, and I'm revving the engine up more and really enjoying it.
Power -- Just enough in my opinion. I don't drive fast all that much, but I like to corner "spiritedly," so the Si delivers on having enough power on the road while handling very well on a twisty road. I wanted a little more power but without sacrificing good fuel economy. Speaking of which...
Fuel economy -- It's outstanding. I only have five tanks through my new Si so far, but I'm averaging 37.53 mpg, even driving the car kind of hard once in a while.
Looks -- The Si looks sporty in kind of a subtle way that seems perfect for the package. I wasn't thrilled about getting a primer gray car, but the Urban Gray Pearl has grown on me. Plus, I do like the looks of the black accents and wheels in combination with this paint. It makes it kind of a sleeper IMO. And when clean, it looks gorgeous in the sun!
Technology -- The tech in this car is the same as I had in the Sport Touring Hatchback, with the addition of a few performance gauges and the cool shift lights.
Sound -- I know this is a divisive thing, but I like the sound inside the car. Yes, I know it's fake, but I think it actually sounds decent, and hearing the engine noise encourages me to rev the car up a little more before upshifting, adding to the driving enjoyment.
Drive modes -- This is a minor thing, but I always used to put the Sport Touring in ECO mode when I got to the highway. It's nice not having to remember to do that since the Si doesn't have an ECO mode, and of course to put the car in Sport mode anytime I want.
Trunk size -- The cargo capacity of the trunk is terrific. The cargo area in the Civic sedan's trunk is actually longer front-to-back than in the Civic hatchback. Yes, you can put the seats down in the hatchback and have way more open space room, but since I never did that, just having a larger cargo area is great.
Quieter cabin -- There is a noticeable difference in the road noise volume in the Civic sedan vs. hatchback, and the reduction is very welcome for me.
Dislikes:
Seats -- I'm a big guy, and the thigh bolsters in the front seats dig into the backs of my legs. I'm getting used to it, and I'm planning to start working out again to lose weight (again) this winter, but for now the seats are very tight. For longer drives, I have a small foam rubber stadium seat cushion (like you'd use on bleacher seats) that I put on top of the Si's seat bottom, and this raises me up enough that it alleviates most of the pressure of the thigh bolsters.
Third brake light housing -- It's way too tall. Why on earth does the third brake light's housing need to stick up that high?! It impedes the sight in the rear view mirror. Very annoying. I know that seems like a petty gripe, but it's a legitimate one.
Rear view mirror -- Another petty gripe, but it's too stiff when I try to reposition it. It makes it feel cheap, which it is.
Incandescent light bulbs -- I almost immediately upgraded the rear turn signal lights, reverse lights, and trunk light to Lasfit LEDs, just as I did with the Sport Touring Hatchback. But a 2025 car that stickers for over $30K should already have LEDs all around. Same goes for the interior lights by the way. I know it's a cost-cutting move, but c'mon, Honda.
What I lost from the Sport Touring Hatchback -- Okay, so I knowingly and willingly gave up some nice features when I traded in my hatchback for a new Si. I don't miss all of them, and it's not like I can't live without all that stuff, but it was nice to have. So from the bells and whistles I lost, here's what I do miss:
--Power seats, which are way more adjustable than these manual seats. They were also softer and more comfortable.
--Auto-dimming mirrors, which is a feature you don't realize how much you love and rely upon until you don't have it anymore.
--Homelink in the rear-view mirror. Yes, I have a garage remote, but it was nice having it built into the car. The mirror was also nearly frameless, a neat luxury touch.
--Technology. It's neat having Google integrated into the new car, but it always doesn't work and play well with Apple Car Play, which I use all the time.
--Boost Blue Pearl paint color. I loved the Boost Blue color of my Civic hatchback. Please, Honda...please make the Si in more fun colors in the future.
I watched a number of car reviews on YouTube on both the 2022-24 Si and on the refreshed 2025 before I bought my car, plus I've watched a few since buying it. One of the best comments about the car was on the last review I watched - just last week - by Matt Maran Motoring. He said there's an intangible to the Si that makes it a much better car and daily driver than how it appears on its spec sheet. As far as I can remember, Matt is the only person who really captured that thought during their review of the refreshed Si.
Yes, I'm biased, but I absolutely agree with Matt Maran. This car feels special to me and it's a blast to drive. It's engaging, fun to toss around, looks great, gets great fuel economy, and has just enough power to be a fun daily driver. Affordable new cars like this are unfortunately getting to be rare, so I'm glad to have this one. I'm very happy with my new Civic Si, and I think I'll love this car for years to come.
