5 Cheaper Alternatives To The Honda Civic Si

Honda's Civic lineup spans a full range from the economy-minded Civic LX through the electrifying, 315-horsepower Civic Type R. However, the $45,000 base price ($1,195 destination fee) of the Type R is a bit more than many Civic buyers are comfortable with. For them, Honda makes the Civic Si, a sporty model featuring a six-speed manual transmission, limited-slip differential, and a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine with 192 lb-ft of torque. Our review of the 2025 Honda Civic Si concluded that its performance is so good that "you really don't need the Type R."

The Civic Si also checks nearly every box that would be optional on lower-level Civics. Its exterior features 18-inch matte-black alloy wheels, a black rear spoiler, and prominent Si badging. The cabin features lightweight heated front seats with red stitching, lighted by the glow of a standard power moonroof. Built-in Google offers access to Google Maps, Assistant, and more, and comes with 3 years of unlimited in-vehicle data use. A 12-speaker premium Bose sound system features Centerpoint surround sound. All this comes at a base price of $30,995 ($1,195 destination fee) for 2026. However, some of the Civic's competitors offer comparable models for less.

The Sentra is one of the Civic lineup's cheapest competitors at every comparable trim level. The Sentra SR is the top-of-the-line model, and our 2025 Nissan Sentra SR review found it to be surprisingly well-equipped for its base price of $24,590 ($1,140 destination fee). However, there is a downside to this reasonable window sticker: It's the least powerful of our alternatives to the Civic Si, with 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque. This modest output does have the benefit of excellent fuel economy, to the tune of 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, compared to the Civic Si's 27 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

Moreover, as our reviewer noted, the Sentra offers a distinctive exterior with "an array of fun hues," including two-tone paint schemes with contrasting roof and body colors. The Sentra's interior offers a swoopy and futuristic cabin with available tan quilted leather seating. Features include Zero Gravity seats, 60/40 split folding rear seats, and technology such as an Intelligent Around View Monitor, Intelligent Cruise Control, and a forward collision monitoring system. The Sentra SR's Premium Package also matches the Civic Si with a power moonroof and a premium Bose sound system. This adds $2,590 to the price, but even so, the Sentra SR still undercuts the Civic Si by almost $4,000.

One year ago, our review of the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX declared it to be "a good first-pick on the draft board." The FX trim level is available only on the Corolla hatchback for 2026, but the Corolla XSE offers a comparable equipment level in the same sedan form factor as the Civic Si. It's noticeably less powerful than the Civic Si, as the Corolla has 169 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque, but it undercuts the Civic Si in price by a few thousand dollars at $28,440. Stepping down a trim level gets the mechanically similar but slightly less well-equipped Corolla SE for only $25,165. Every model also has a $1,195.

Fuel economy is quite good, with the XSE getting 31 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, while the SE trim tacks on an additional 2 mpg on the highway. Yet neither version is a Spartan econobox. The SE comes with premium sport seats, three selectable driving modes, and 18-inch alloy wheels with a graphite finish. The XSE adds heated, SofTex-trimmed front sport seats and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with selectable gauges. Plus, the XSE comes with a power moonroof and an optional JBL Premium Audio system, making it the model that's most comparable to the Civic Si, for almost $6,000 less.

While the Mazda 3 2.5 S base model starts at a very affordable $24,150, to get equipment levels comparable to the Civic Si, you'll need to step up to the 2.5 S Preferred, which comes with a standard power moonroof at only $26,540 (not including the $1,235 destination charge). The Preferred trim also offers heated front seats and an eight-way power driver's seat. Our review of the Mazda 3 2.5 S Preferred hatchback found that, despite this being a somewhat older design, it still offers great handling and classic charm.

The 2.5 S designation refers to Mazda's SKYACTIV-G 2.5 four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. This power plant generates 191 horsepower while getting up to 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. This makes it slightly less powerful but noticeably more efficient than the Civic Si. The Preferred trim adds 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a power moonroof, and Mazda's SKYACTIV Vehicle Dynamics and G-Vectoring Control Plus, all of which make it competitive with the Civic Si for several thousand less.

Subaru's Impreza RS, like all Subarus, brings the element of all-wheel drive (AWD) to a segment in which AWD is rare and usually reserved for the priciest, top-of-the-line models. Our review of the 2024 Subaru Impreza RS, featuring essentially the same engine as the 2026 model, found that this tough little Subie's all-wheel drive added a "value beyond price." Yet the price is still pretty good, at only $29,495 for the 2026 model. This is the only hatchback-specific model in our comparison, as the Impreza is not currently available as a sedan.

For 2026, the Impreza RS features a 2.5-liter, 180-horsepower boxer engine that gets 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard, of course. 18-inch alloy wheels are also standard, while a power moonroof is optional. Subaru's Multimedia System and EyeSight Driver Assist Technology are both standard. A Harmon Kardon premium audio system is optional, although the $2,070 option package that includes it (and the moonroof) would bring the Impreza RS to a few hundred dollars above the Civic Si's price. Skip the option package, and you still have AWD. The Civic Si can't match that.

There are two GT-Line trims for the 2025 Kia K4. The higher of the two is the GT-Line Turbo, which features a 1.6-liter, 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder — only 10 hp fewer than the Civic Si — at a starting price of $28,090. Each comes with a $1,195 destination fee. Our first drive of the 2025 K4 GT-Line Turbo found it to be not quite as much fun as the Civic Si, largely due to the lack of a manual transmission option to match the manual-only Civic Si. Yet for almost $3,000 less, it could be a compelling alternative for budget-minded shoppers.

Just be careful when checking the option boxes. Our tester with the Tech Package topped out at $31,455, putting its price just a hair above the base price of the Civic Si. Still, even without the Tech Package, the GT-Line Turbo is very well-equipped. It includes 18-inch black alloy wheels, LED cube projection headlights, a wide sunroof with a power sunshade, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a sport steering wheel with paddle shifters. The interior features a Harman Kardon Premium Audio System, a 10-way power driver's seat, dual 12.3-inch panoramic display screens, and driver assist technology.

We selected five compact cars whose base prices undercut the Civic Si's by at least $2,000, as this amount is significant in the affordable segment. For this article, we chose trim levels comparable to the Civic Si, which features 18-inch wheels, a standard power moonroof, and an excellent level of equipment. Each alternative model has roughly comparable performance in the 150- to 200-horsepower range. Where 2026 models were available at press time, we chose those; Otherwise, we picked 2025 versions.