2020 Civic Sport Manual or Si?

Bob.

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I've been shopping Civics. I really don't want much to do with the CVT trasmissions. There are only 2 2020 Civics with the 6 speed manual shift in my area. One an Si sedan, the other a Sport sedan. All others are CVT. I've been researching the Si, and like what I see, but I'm not sure if it might be overkill for my purposes.

I generally want a daily driver that has get up and go, is comfortable for road trips and is a well performer.

I test drove the Si today (nice!) and will drive the Sport at the beginning of next week (the Sport is at a dealer 50 miles away). I think the specs of the 2020 Si are probably known here. The Sport is a 2.0L Manual @158 HP. The Si a 1.5T Manual @205HP, and also an LSD (I like that).

I am willing to pay for good performance and reliability...not for 'racing', but for power when needed and good performance.

Price aside, what's my best bet? Do I want the Si, or will the Sport serve me well? Thanks for any input.
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olesaintnik

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Definitely Si, in my opinion. The Si has great performance and handling out of the box, without being overkill. The LSD and adaptive dampers make the handling of the car a dream. And if you decide you want to make it faster in the future, off the shelf tunes are widely available and reliable :)
 
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Bob.

Bob.

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Wow! That was fast. Thanks for the response. I do like the Si a lot, but haven't had a chance to drive the Sport. The Si handles better than the sport? Any other differences (besides HP performance)?
 


charleswrivers

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I’m going to say Si... but I’m also an Si owner. Functionally, an Si even on the stock tune makes nearly 2x as much torque at 1/2 the RPMs in a marginally heavier package (2.0s dyno a shade over 100 ft-lbs at ~4000 TPM, 1.5ts close to 200 ft-lbs at ~2000 RPM). Power delivery is just very different. You’ll need a manual in a 2.0 and give it the beans if you want to be sporty. Neither car is fast... but an Si is easier to drive quicker w/o having to drive the car for all it’s worth.

The Sport is very much an appearance package... and has been for Honda’s for awhile. Just like the older Accords that kept the 4 cylinder engine but got big wheels and dual exhaust tips. Some of the bits, like using similar sized (heavy!) 18” wheels are more of a hinderance to the low-torque NA engine than anything else, IMO.

Here’s a good comparison. It discusses some of the differences the sport has over an LX.

https://www.cars.com/articles/2019-honda-civic-sport-quick-spin-sport-you-say-2-402441/

Do a very thorough drive on that Sport... then drive the more local Si one more time. Either car is good... and the Sport is a bit more tightened up suspension-wise than an LX... but it really is just a tightened up appearance package car.

If you have any thoughts of modding first more power, you can snag over 50 whp for about $450 on a reflash alone on an Si. You will never, ever get that bump in power on a K20C2 car with its reflash and every bolt on you can throw on it. So if mods are even a thought, I’d pass on the NA car. It is *not* the ~200 hp performance version of the K-series engine we’ve enjoyed from Honda in the past. If you like it... and it’s enough for you as it is... then at its lower price point, it’s still a decent option.

For my money, it’s Si or no Civic at all... but that’s me.

Good luck! Enjoy your test drives!
 

jimmyreal

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The Sport is basically the LX with slightly different styling. The Si is a slightly upgraded EX options-wise, and a different car than all the other Civics performance-wise.

$3,400 more for the Si gets you sunroof, heated seats, upgraded sound system, LED headlights, nicer wheels... then you start talking the performance upgrades: bigger turbo, bigger brakes, adaptive suspension, LSD, etc. etc.

I still think $25,000 is a steal for what you get with the Si.
 

arpypat

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As an Si owner, I'm probably biased, but definitely should strongly consider an Si. It comes with a lot more power and nearly the same fuel effiency on paper. Hwy mileage in real-world situations is better than the EPA rated 38. You also get a lot more standard features - LSD, heated seats, keyless entry, moonroof, "premium" sound system w/ 7" screen, bigger brakes, bi-mode suspension. I may be missing some things, but it's a helluva steal at ~$3k more. The Si will also hold it's value better!
 

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I’ve driven both, own an si and still like the sport myself. Sure it’s not as fast, but the NA k20c2 engine sounds nice to rev out and still has vtec at the very top though almost non existent without a ref lash to lower the vtec engagement. The sport felt a little more comfortable than the Si even with the sport mode off on the Si as well. The Si feels better in city driving since it has very good mid range torque. I think both cars have their place in this. If you can get the Si for sticker it’s very much worth it, but it really depends what you like better engine wise. Definitely drive both before making a decision. Both are very solid cars, I was having trouble making a decision myself with these two. Sure $2500 more over the sport for an si with all its features is nice but if they sold you a sport for say $20k OTD to make room for 2021 models that’s a whole different argument at that point. Right now is a pretty good time to buy a car.
 


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Don't forget the Sport hatch, which has the 1.5T so the power is pretty close to the Si.

I went from Sport hatch to Si, and just compare the seats cause they're very different, there's less headroom in Si if you're 6' or taller your head may touch. Si is a little louder on the highway. Otherwise it's a really nice improvement and the shifter is great in Sport but even better in the Si. The LSD is a huge plus in bad weather. LED headlights are a huge plus. The base headlights suck.
 

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I have the Sport Hatch 1.5T and is fun to drive, would've like to have the Si but at the time I needed to get the car, was none around. I had to settle with the CVT as well.

in any case, you should always default to the car with the better engine. Everything else is cosmetic. I would rather take a plain car with the better engine then something with all the geegaws any day. I was lucky that the Sport Hatch has some of both. Definitley get the manual. Just my 2 cents.
 
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Bob.

Bob.

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Thanks for all the responses....it's helped make the decision easier. I wanted the Si anyway, so the Si it is. I'll go back to the dealer on Monday ready to buy (I hate dealing with car lots!).

I've noticed that the two Si's in this area are both manufactured in Canada. Does that present any problems for US residents as far as getting parts, etc goes?
 

2020CivicSI

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Don't bother with the sport. Go SI. My SI is my DD, it gets awesome gas mileage, is comfortable and easy to drive, and has good performance. SI all the way, don't even bother test driving the sport.
 

WOPSiWOT

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Thanks for all the responses....it's helped make the decision easier. I wanted the Si anyway, so the Si it is. I'll go back to the dealer on Monday ready to buy (I hate dealing with car lots!).

I've noticed that the two Si's in this area are both manufactured in Canada. Does that present any problems for US residents as far as getting parts, etc goes?
All of the Si’s are manufactured in Canada (Alliston, Ontario). As are a bunch of other Hondas (my wife’s 2016 CRV the same). No, that is not a problem.
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