Honda gets Civic Si back on track

Sometimes fast, popular cars drift off track.

That's what happened to the Honda Civic Si line, which after its launch 20 years ago helped give us a fast and furious nation of quick compacts.

But the Si was softened in a mid-1990s tempering, as Honda reached for a broader market share.

Today's test car, the 2006 Civic Si coupe, puts the vehicle back on track, in looks and in performance.

There are those, of course, who will not like its softer wedge shape, who will long for the boxy look of the older Si. And there are those who will say that 197 horsepower just isn't enough to pull a ton-and-a-half load.

The first reaction is subjective; the second, as my driving showed, can be disproved.

This sixth-generation Si romps readily over even the fifth-generation hatchback version of the Si: It's bigger, faster, and more stable.

At the heart there beats a 2.0-liter drive-by-wire engine with a high-volume intake manifold and a stainless-steel sport exhaust system.

It is linked to a six-speed manual transmission that exhibits short, snappy throws as you rev it to redline (8,000 r.p.m.) from shift to shift. In performance terms, however, sixth is not a gear that many will reach for -- it is more suitable for quieter, highway cruising.

This is a quick car, but one that takes some getting to know.

It tends to understeer in corners (a front-wheel-drive trait), and I sensed a solid bit of torque steer in certain instances of heavy acceleration.

Also, I found the steering a bit lighter at touch than I prefer, particularly during early acceleration. Once up to speed, some of its weight returned.

And I'm confident that once I become familiar with this edginess, it is a car I could drive very fast in the proper (safe) setting.

The suspension, noticeably stiffer than what's on the other 2006 Civic models, is an asset at fast speeds, even as it makes for smooth cruising during normal driving.

As for the Si's looks, I'm sold.

I know some people will always be nostalgic for the angular hot box that was the CRX Si.

But automotive design is now sleeker, and this model's sloping hood, big and sharply raked windshield, and low roof line -- which drops back to the quick flip of a spoiler atop a short trunk -- make the car look like it's moving, even when it's parked.

From the front, its wide stance, slitted-eye headlight look, sharp-edged lower fascia, and recessed fog lamps say aggression.

Inside, firm, tight sport seats give great grip (though the lower roof line I like so much makes getting into them a bit of a contortionist's act).

Legroom up front reaches into cavernous tunnels, while the rear legroom, even if modest, is surprising for a performance subcompact car.

Arched, twin-gauge pods -- one atop the dash, the other behind the steering wheel -- are futuristic.

The optional navigation system is displayed on a screen atop a center control pod with intuitive knobs (even if they are a bit small and delicate) and buttons below for controlling sound and climate.

The Si features such standard safety equipment as an antilock braking system, dual-stage front air bags, side-impact door beams, front-side passenger air bags, and front- and rear-side curtain air bags.

What's missing is stability/skid control.

Honda is trying to regain traction for the Civic Si -- at a time when the automobile market is far more competitive than it was in 1986.

After all, there are 300-horsepower Subarus out there.

But the Si is a key part of the Japanese automaker's bid to recapture the youth market, and without this snappy model of the Civic, that effort would be hindered.