However, change was unnecessary for the 2015 Honda Si Coupe: it’s a fantastic all-around car and it’s especially fun for the driver. Although Honda changed engines a few years ago from a 2.0-liter that revved to 8,000 rpms to a more torquey 7,000-rpm 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine, it’s still fun to run the Si through the gears. And no one, not even BMW, shifts as well as this six-speed manual Honda transmission – it’s probably the best shifting manual in the business.

Tucked sideways under the short Civic hood, the 2.4-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine produces 240-hp and 174-lb.ft. of torque. It makes it a more drivable car for every day, but still maintains a racy sensation that comes with running the engine at higher rpms.

The Civic Si accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. EPA fuel economy is estimated to be 22-mpg city, 31-mpg highway and 25-mpg combined. We averaged 26.7 mpg during the week we drove the Si.

The car is beautifully balanced and is a good tool for drivers of most experience levels. For someone with limited experience driving fast, it’s forgiving but exact – if you’re a good driver or an expert, it is one of the best-handling front-wheel drive cars on the road. It allows you to drive at the level you want while responding as it should.

Up front is an exclusive Si grille, some aggressive looking scoops and short splitter. Overall, the redesigned Coupe resembles an Italian exotic with a short hood, sharply raked windshield, sweeping roofline and short rear deck with spoiler and lower air defuser.

The two-tone interior is finished with an Si-exclusive seat fabric in a two-tone red and black and the audio panel has a carbon fiber look. The seats are firm, but still comfortable and supportive. Like most coupes, the Civic reserves the rear seat for occasional passengers, and two adults will actually fit there. But like with most coupes, getting there is best accomplished by a gymnast or yoga instructor.

Standard equipment includes Honda’s new seven-inch display audio touchscreen, which allows users to swipe, tap and pinch their way through audio, phonebook, media, vehicle information and optional navigation features. The display is also the interface for the next generation HondaLink, the application-based platform that connects customers to smartphone-provided online content both inside and outside the car.

Also standard on the 2014 Si is a Smart Entry with push-button start and Honda LaneWatch display, which shows the view from the right side of the car toward the rear on the display screen when the right turn signal is used. The rear-side camera can also be activated without turning on the right-turn signal by pressing the button on the end of the turn-signal stalk – that comes in handy sometimes in crowded freeway traffic.

The 2015 Civic Si Coupe is available with or without Honda’s easy-to-use navigation system ($1,500). Prices range from $23,710, including the destination charge, for the Si Coupe and goes to $25,410 for the Coupe with navigation and summer tires. The Si is also available as a sedan with prices ranging from $23,910 to $25,410. The Si is only available with a six-speed manual transmission.

The 2015 Honda Civic Si is one of the most popular of the compact enthusiast cars. It’s a great all-around car that’s enjoyable to drive to work but has the performance and handling that make it fun for those spirited drives in the country, or even some competitive events. We did find the (optional) summer tread tires to be quite noisy except on the freshly repaved surfaces.

For someone who wants a good-looking car that’s fun to drive, while still being practical, the 2015 Honda Civic Si Coupe is a great choice. Or if you need more family space, check out the Si sedan.

— Courtesy of Auto Digest.