Firestone Performance Tires Make the Honda Civic Si Better — and Worse

Niebuhr continued: “Most performance cars require some driving, some throttle and steering work to balance it on the edge of adhesion, but the Si simply wanted to be left alone until its tires gave up. Traction and stability control systems could not be fully disabled either, so you’ll need to steer clear of their (inevitable) intervention if you want to get the most out of the Si.”

On our handling circuit, Niebuhr had similar things to say, citing the Si’s tremendous grip but milquetoast handling. “How Honda made the Civic Si less fun and less enjoyable to drive than the Civic Hybrid is a real head scratcher,” he said.

How’s the Civic Si perform on the road?

Earlier this year, Firestone invited me to Knoxville, Tennessee, to drive the Civic Si equipped with Firehawk Indy 500 tires on the infamous Tail of the Dragon — a beautiful winding road through the Smoky Mountains. Here, the tires added tremendous confidence to the Civic’s handling, allowing it to slice through corners without the driver needing to rely heavily on the brakes. What’s more, on long stretches of freeway, the Firestone summer tires weren’t noticeably louder than traditional all-season tires, nor did they make the ride overly firm.