2011 Honda Civic User Reviews

The 2011 Civic Si Sedan: The Best Choice For The Practical-minded Enthusiast — - superb engine sound and exhaust note - grin-inducing acceleration - neutral and balanced handling - excellent interior space for class - decent fuel economy (21/29) - holds value - quirky electronic throttle makes engine RPM 'hang' for a few seconds when switching from rapid acceleration to deceleration - jittery acceleration and jumpy gearbox behavior on cold mornings - squeaky, creaky front seats - pillars on either side of windshield severely limit visibility around corners - interior materials are acceptable, but not up to usual Honda standards The 2011 Civic Si Sedan: The Best Choice for the Practical-Minded Enthusiast Let me start off by saying that I lease, rather than own this car. I drive it 14000 to 15000 miles per year. My commute to work is a handful of miles on mainly straight roads, with lots of traffic signals. Overall, I average 26 to 27 mpg. The Si has been through, rain, snow, ice, flooding, and every other condition that New England weather can produce. It has even been driven through foot-deep water without any problem. It has a few weaknesses, but despite them, I have bonded with this car more than any other. The Si is a car that can satisfy all of your needs. Had a hard day at work? The Si will soothe your soul on twisty back roads with its grip and invigorating engine noise. Picking up IKEA furniture, family members, or vast amounts of groceries? It responds with an open trunk and doors. Driving through a bad storm and just want to arrive home safely? The Si will get you there. Feeling tired and unprepared for the day? The Civic will cradle you in its quiet, comfortable interior. What I like about the Si Sedan is its mix of performance and practicality. It gives you horsepower (nearly 200), and yet sips fuel conservatively. It can seat 5 people rather comfortably, which is impressive for a car in this class. It is much more spacious than previous Civics. To put this in context, I have sat inside a Scion FR-S, which is a great car, but the rear seats are absolutely useless! When I adjusted the driver's seat in the FR-S to exactly where I would like it, there were only a couple inches of space left for the rear passenger's legs, so no one would have been able to sit behind me. I have also driven two different MINIs. A MINI Cooper S can seat several passengers without much trouble, but: (a) the rear passengers have to crawl through to the back seat, because of the lack of rear doors, and (b) with a full load of people, there is nowhere to put cargo and luggage! For those reasons, I absolutely love the Civic. The shortcomings I have observed in the Si Sedan are as follows. It doesn't like to behave properly on cold mornings. The acceleration and transmission are jittery and jumpy, more so than in any other cars I have driven. This lasts until the engine begins to reach operating temperature. The front seats are creaky, and the driver's seat has an active safety mechanism in it that squeaks as you move and go over bumps. If you rapidly accelerate (throttle to the floor), and then switch to quick braking, the engine RPM 'hangs' in place for a few moments, before dropping down to idle. This is because of the cam phasing and electronic throttle programming in the car's ECU. I've been told that it's completely normal, and it's part of the reason why fuel economy is so good. It's just something you have to learn to live with. In summary, the Civic Si is not the best at everything. It does not accelerate as fast or fit as much furniture as a GTI. It does not handle or brake as well as a BRZ. What it does instead is give you the best mix of all categories: performance, practicality, fuel economy, and value. I would definitely recommend this car.

Great Handling Car With Efficient Fuel — Great space for friends and family inside the car. Nice clean inside and good traveling car due to low cost of gas and good room for luggage. Trunk space is just right. Used this car mainly for transporting and worked just fine. Never had any me mechanical issues and never had any accidents. Gas pedal and brakes are responsive.

Primary Use: Commuting to work