cars news 10: Feature Flashback: 1986 Honda Civic Si

The rectilinear third-gen Civic with its box-back hatch variant made its debut for 1984, and as usual Honda reserved the choicest cuts for its Japanese domestic market. In those pre-Type R days, JDM Si models (hatchbacks and sedans were available) got a 122-hp DOHC engine necessitating a bulge in the hood. We poor slob Yank Civic buyers had to make due with an S model powered by a 76-hp/84-lb-ft 1.5-liter SOHC EW1 engine, unless we could live without a back seat, in which case the bob-tailed two-seat CRX Si featured the comparatively rip-snorting 91-hp/93-lb-ft hot-rodded EW4 version of the same SOHC engine upgraded with PGM-FI “programmed fuel injection.” A CRX took home Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year calipers in 1984, and the Civic S placed third in that competition (behind Honda’s Prelude). Well, to keep the pot boiling late in the model cycle, the fun engine migrated to the five-seat Civic hatch for 1986, launching the Civic Si franchise that has proven so popular throughout the years. We first strapped our gear to a Civic Si in our January 1987 issue.

Read more about the 2017 Honda Civic Si sedan in our First Test review HERE.

Kinda Fonda Honda

That was the subtitle of author Michael Brockman’s road test, professing our budding love affair with a brand that had truly sloughed off the “cheap Jap crap” reputation that once tarred most imports. “Few cars on the market today even come close when you consider the overall quality of the product. Honda does seem to do it a little better. It doesn’t take a magnifying glass to see the quality control, and a quick trip around the block convinces you the little Si is a rock-steady runner.”

Into the 10s!

Mirroring almost exactly the 10.7 percent increase in torque PGM-FI bestowed on the Si, our example reduced the 1984 Civic S ICOTY test car’s 0-60-mph time from 11.82 to 10.57 seconds. (And if these numbers sounds slow, be aware that a BMW 318i tested in the same ICOTY field barely kept pace with the Civic S.) Brockman also noted: “The test track numbers for the Civic Si are a little slower across the board than the CRX Si’s, but that’s directly attributed to the squareback’s additional 105 pounds, 5.3-inch-longer wheelbase, and slightly narrower tires.”

Slim Suspenders

In the late ‘80s Honda made a name for itself with go-kart-low hoods, cowls, and instrument panels largely by switching to unequal-length control arms. The third-gen car doesn’t get that setup, but it breaks from strut tradition by using more space-efficient torsion bars instead of concentric coil springs. Out back was a beam axle to which Si models added an anti-roll bar. The combination yielded a nimble-feeling chassis that left Brockman lamenting Honda’s choice of wimpy 175/70R-13 tires, which maxed out at just 0.78 g lateral grip and delivered a so-so 147-foot stop from 60 mph.

Never a Numbers Car

The original Civic Si was more about sophisticated performance than outright speed. The added power was greatly appreciated, but as Brockman noted: “Combine this with the butter-smooth five-speed transmission and superb handling characteristics, and you’ve got a package that’s so much fun to drive it’s got to be against the law.” He also appreciated the way the “rack-and-pinion steering gives the driver feedback and the precision feel of a race car.”

Fix it in Post

We noted that “almost anyone buying an Si will soon be a performance-minded driver, if he’s not at the time,” pointing out that if and when the factory-supplied performance should prove inadequate, “a near endless number of post-purchase options are at your disposal. Quite a few reputable aftermarket outlets specialize in Hondas and offer everything from wheels, fenders, and spoilers to bars, shocks, and springs to turbos and superchargers. And, considering how inexpensive the Si is to start with, you can easily put together a killer-thriller for around $11,000.”

Quietly Capacious

“The interior is surprisingly quiet, but the biggest surprise is the amount of interior space. The front bucket seats offer ample room and fair support for a 6-ft-plus frame. It’s stretching it somewhat to call this a five-passenger model, but it is a good, useable four-passenger unit. The key is the individually adjustable split rear seats that allow you to lean back and stretch out, if only a little bit. The seat backs also flip forward easily, offering a flat area for utility purposes.

Bottom Line

In his “Second Opinion” sum-up, Daniel Charles Ross gushed: “If Honda stopped selling all other cars in this country tomorrow, the Civic Si is a car that, by itself, could adequately shoulder the responsibility for Honda’s continued success in America.” Fortunately for all of us, the Civic Si has always had plenty of worthy siblings to help shoulder that responsibility.

Feature Flashback: 1986 Honda Civic Si