Honda suits up the lower-end Civics with its 158-hp 2.0-liter inline-4. Power goes through a CVT to the front wheels, and though it’s a more free-wheeling and rev-friendly transmission than most of its kind, these Civics have pedestrian acceleration and a fair amount of drivetrain noise, which CVTs exacerbate (they keep engines revving in the middle of their powerbands). 

Step into the 1.5-liter turbo-4 that slots into the Civic EX and higher-end models (though not the Sport), and the 180 hp on tap eggs the Civic on through confident highway passes and merging onto highways. Gas mileage improves somewhat, too—as if you needed the justification. The turbo zaps some of the CVT’s lethargy, but the 6-speed manual’s a delight like the most old-school of Hondas, with a light clutch uptake and shift action.

In the Civic Si, Honda dials up the boost to make 200 hp, which pushes the car to 60 mph in under seven seconds. Torque peaks low at about 1,800 rpm, and the manual transmission (the only transmission offered) takes full advantage of that. Still, we’d choose the 315-hp version of the same engine as it’s installed in the bawdy Civic Type R. Good for 310 lb-ft here, the engine can sear off pavement in 60-mph, five-second chunks like good ribeye.

On the handling front, all the base Civics comport themselves like polite citizens, just as you’d suspect from the name. They’re attuned to all kinds of road surfaces, and deploy balanced suspension tuning with great steering feel to give all degrees of drivers confidence. The front strut and multi-link rear suspension can handle larger wheel and tire combinations with ease, though the last Civic’s adaptive dampers and hydraulic bushings delivered a more purely isolated ride.

Move into the Civic Si and Honda firms up the suspension and steering all around, turning the Civic into a rapid-fire corner-cutter. But to experience Honda’s ability to transform ordinary running gear into something mythic, drive a Civic Type R. It gets adaptive dampers to quell its very firm ride, while it dials in unflappable handling that’s at home on an amazing variety of roads. Bomb down a canyon road or cruise a coastal highway; either way the Civic Type R has your back, and your seat, and your fingertips, all at once.