With the 2013 Honda Civic Si, there’s no transmission choice. The coupe and sedan only have a six-speed manual transmission option, which is a good thing. It further complements the once basic, competent Civic in its transition into its current sports car-like coupe or sedan.
My weekly driver was the 2-door, 4-seat coupe. In addition to 17-inch wheels, the re-tweaked Civic has a new front grille, a new rear design and a host of other more subtle upgrades, including better-constructed seats. The more handsome sculpted design is matched with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder, 201 horsepower engine.
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Driving the 2013 Civic is surprising since its personality — handling to acceleration — is more like its upscale relative, Acura. Which makes a lot of sense; the new Civic engine is a transplant from an Acura TSX.
The 2013 Civic Si has a healthy collection of standard and optional features, the former list including a rear view camera to a sunroof and a seven-speaker sound system to leather-wrapped steering wheel and fog lights. My weekly driver featured the options of XM Radio, navigation system and summer tires.
The new Honda Civic Si is grouped in a buying segment that includes the performance-oriented Volkswagen GTI, MINI Cooper S and Subaru Impreza WRX. It’s a competitive cast.
Videographer Bruce Aldrich, publisher of www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com, and I review the 2013 Honda Civic Si below:
Article Last Updated: March 14, 2014.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to this site, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and a monthly auto review column for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, James has co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast since 2017.