Just like a black cup of coffee, the Honda Civic has always been a practical and dependable choice. But if you want to add a little spice to that cup of Joe, then the Honda Civic Si is the way to go. Since 1986, the “Sport injected” variant of the Civic has been the go-to car for enthusiasts and general consumers alike due to its fun-to-drive nature and unrivaled reliability.

It’s gone through multiple changes throughout the years and was typically known for its high-revving engine and athletic handling prowess. In 2016, the tenth-generation Civic line brought about a new turbocharged 1.5-liter powerplant for the regular Civic, which then found its way into the new Civic Si that arrived in 2017.

Albeit the engine in the Civic Si was more powerful than ever before, but the turbocharged layout and lack of VTEC took away it’s high-revving powerband. But this makes us wonder, is the Honda Civic Si worth buying?

Refreshed for 2020

Available in coupe or sedan form, the Honda Civic Si has been refreshed for 2020. It now has new full-LED headlights and fog lights taken from the Civic Type R, a shorter final drive for better acceleration, darker wheels, standard Honda Sensing safety features, and lastly, a volume knob. As stated before, the Honda Civic Si does share the same size 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, however, it’s more powerful.

The Civic Si put out 205 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, which is 31 horsepower and 30 lb-ft more than the standard Civics. All of this power is routed to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, which is the sole choice for this model.

The Civic Si can sprint to 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds and do the quarter-mile in about 15 seconds. Not the quickest car in a straight line, sure. However, the Civic Si has always been meant for a windy road or track, as opposed to the drag strip. This 2020 model is no exception, as it also comes standard with a two-way adjustable suspension and quick-steering ratio; couple these parts with nicely bolstered seats that hold you in when the g-forces increase and you have yourself a reliable little pocket rocket.

Is there anything bad about it?

We already know that the car is reliable, as the experts and consumers on Edmunds.com have even given it a 4.1 out of 5 stars, and Honda is known for building reliable cars. And we also know that the car was built for fun. But is there anything bad about it? The review for the new Civic Si on Motortrend.com specifically pointed out the “rev hang” issue, which they define as, “when you let off the throttle, it takes a long time for the engine speed to drop.” This is a minor annoyance at best, but considering the car is meant to be sporty and quick-shifting, we would think that Honda would address this issue.

So is it worth buying?

The 2020 Honda Civic Si carries a price tag of $26,130 (including destination), which is about $5,000 more than the base Civic LX and about $1,000 less than the top-trim Civic Touring. But is it worth it to go with the Civic Si, despite the rev hang? We think so. While the new Civic Si might not be the same as it once was back in the 1990s with its high-revving nature and nimble handling, the new iteration carries the “Sport Injected” torch just fine.