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There's just something cool about driving a fast hatchback. A hatch is inexpensive, holds a lot of stuff, gets good mileage and has a reputation for being a sensible purchase. It's that economy car rep that makes driving a fixed-up one so much fun. Owners of traditional sports cars tend to underestimate the potential of little cars. That underdog spirit is pretty much what got this magazine started in the first place. Since then, Sport Compact Car has grown to include turbocharged sedans and rear-wheel-drive coupes. But for some of us, a hopped-up hatchback is what a sport compact car is supposed to be.

For many old-timers, the hatch of choice was the EF Civic Si. It was light, nimble and had unprecedented aftermarket support. But it just kept getting bigger and bigger. By 1999, it had grown into a coupe. Then, in 2001, the Si emblem was slapped on an awkwardly suspended and underpowered mega-hatch. In '06, Honda needed to redeem the Si reputation and released the seriously fast coupe we have today. With its revised suspension geometry, healthy i-VTEC motor and six-speed transmission (with a limited-slip diff), the current Si really is tits.

Still, it ain't what it used to be. The Civic Si is all grown up. Nothing underlines that more than being released as a four-door sedan this year. It's now close to the same size and weight as the muscle cars we used to pick on. On top of that, the styling is so conservative you could probably drive around with an open header and no one would notice. The Civic Si is no longer the entry-level Honda. The Fit now holds that title.

View the rest of this news article at Sport Compact Car.

TAGS: 2007 CIVIC SI FIT