Some new tech and driver assists go along with its fun-to-drive attitude, but all these features add up to a lofty price tag
What’s new with the Honda Civic Si for 2025?
While most of the running gear and safety equipment is the same as last year, it’s all been refined and tweaked to give the 2025 Si a more modern and grown-up feel, though owners of the 2024 likely won’t turn green in envy of any one feature.
Tech and safety in the 2025 Honda Civic Si
In addition to the safety gear, the new Civic Si boasts a nine-inch infotainment system that integrates Google services like Google Assistant and Google Maps. The system also supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ensuring everyone can enjoy the system, not just those locked into Google’s ecosystem. The Si also has a nice digital gauge cluster which is easy to use and customize with the steering wheel buttons. Above the gauge cluster is a shift light made up of several bright LEDs which come together as you reach the rev limiter to remind you to shift. It looks right out of a race car or racing sim-rig and is a nice touch for those picking an Si for its approachable performance.
The automaker claims that the Si has a best-in-class audio system. I didn’t get to test it on every SiriusXM channel, but the few I did listen to sounded solid, thanks to the standard 12-speaker Bose setup.
Is the 2025 Honda Civic Si practical?
With exterior proportions in spitting distance of the BMW 3-Series Sport Sedan, it’s clear that the Civic Si is a bit more accommodating for daily commutes than it once was.
Is the 2025 Honda Civic Si fun to drive?
However, we used to believe the Si trims were meant to prioritize fun-to-drive characteristics over everything else. That’s getting harder to believe, thanks to the addition and focus on things like technology, safety and practicality, but the Si still has a few elements that enthusiasts will appreciate.
It’s one of the few manual-only models on the market today, and the six-speed is very nice to row through. I never had any concerns about vague gears or uncomfortable pedal placement, the Si was a joy to shift, and watching the light bar illuminate to redline was a fun gimmick. Furthermore, the Si includes a rev-matching downshift feature, which feels seamless. It’s been upgraded this year to operate during the harrowing 2nd to 1st downshift, which is typically a weird, occasionally rough downshift to perform in motion. This setup is much smoother.
Honda hasn’t revealed fuel consumption figures for the 2025 model, but it shouldn’t be far from the 7.7 L/100 km combined that the 2024 model offered.
2025 Honda Civic Si’s value and competition
The Civic used to be known for fairly basic transportation, and the Si was the sportier edge of that classification, but today the Civic is so much more. It’s loaded with safety, space, and tech and is still enjoyable to drive, but it all comes with a serious cost.
With a starting price of $37,816, the Si doesn’t feel like the bargain it used to be. That’s how things change though. A similarly performing Hyundai Elantra N-Line is slightly cheaper ($33,905), as is the Mazda3 GT ($36,426), though those don’t offer manual transmissions. The Mazda3 even offers shoppers with deeper pockets to swap in all-wheel-drive and a 250-hp turbo engine, which makes it stand out in the segment.
Final thoughts
We’ve all grown up, the Honda Civic included, and unfortunately that means a Civic can’t just be a Civic anymore. It needs to be a bit of everything, and the Si adopts that mentality, acting as a commuter car, a family car, a sporty car and one loaded with cool tech. That helps justify the relatively high price, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. For a do-it-all sedan with a stick, there are few better choices.
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