TO THE POINTWhat’s New? With 197 horsepower flowing through a six-speed manual gearbox to a helical limited-slip differential and 17-inch Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 summer tires, does it matter what else might be new on the 2006 Honda Civic Si? Selling Points: Sleek styling, sophisticated engineering, comfortable front seats, lots of standard safety equipment, reputation for reliability, amazing performance Deal Breakers: Cramped back seat, funky dash design Our Advice: Honda unleashes a redesigned 2006 Civic Si, equipped with enough performance hardware that it sets the new standard by which sport compact cars must be measured.
For the first time in North America, Honda installs a six-speed manual transmission in the 2006 Civic Si. Power flows to the front wheels, where, in tight turns, a helical limited-slip differential transmits torque to the outside wheel to decrease the tendency for the inside wheel to spin and break traction. An automatic transmission is not available on the 2006 Honda Civic Si.