New Car Overview of the 2005 Honda Civic Si Comptact Sporty Hatchback Coupe

Description: Premium Mid-Size Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $19,220 - $19,470
Invoice Price Range: $17,562 - $17,790
Where built: USA

This one's a long and tall hatchback coupe with rakish lines, sporty manners and a high-tech engine on tap. It repeats in 2005 rolling on larger 16-inch wheels.

The name traces to 1984 in Honda lore with the Civic S hatchback. When fuel injection was added in 1986, the badge became Si, with the lower-case i indicating injection. Other innovations followed, including Honda's i-VTEC wizardry of valve control.

The current version looks cool in a three-door format inspired by diminutive European hatchbacks. It rides on a platform that also supports Honda's Civic coupes and sedans and shares suspension elements. But designers abbreviated the engine compartment and pared the wheelbase, then raised the roof.

For kicks, a high-output dual-cam 4-cylinder engine displaces 2.0-liters and supports i-VTEC technology. The plant nets 160-hp and connects to a 5-speed manual stick, sole transmission offered. The shift lever, mounted at the base of the center pod on the dash, extends upward to a point near the right side of the steering wheel. You can shift it quickly in the style of rally racers without moving your hand far off the steering wheel.