Honda showed off the 2025 Civic Si to the public earlier this week. Some changes will be made to the base sports sedan next year, but there was one thing that interested me—maybe not for the reason you think—Honda will let buyers switch from the standard Goodyear Eagle Sport all-season tires that come with the Si to Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 summer tires. I think it’s great that Si owners can pay a fair $300 to get tires with more grip from the factory. But I think it’s even better that all those seasons will stay. The people who usually read Invoice Pricing Dot Com will still give us strange looks but don’t worry about it. Let me explain. When I was a lot younger, I bought a new Ford Fiesta ST with only Bridgestone Potenza R3050A summer tires. Ford didn’t give us a choice. As a young adult living in New Jersey, I didn’t know much about tires. Summer tires, in particular, seemed pointless and, to be honest, awful. And I wasn’t worried that the 197 horsepower in my Orange Spice sneakers would get away from me. I wasn’t going to buy an EcoBoost Mustang or a Focus RS. (All I cared about was getting home without getting stuck.) I wish the car loved me as much as I did. That not only made me want to learn to stick, but it also made me a better driver. Having the normal tires, on the other hand, didn’t make driving the car any more fun while I had it. In the winter, I liked riding on steelies with Michelin X-Ices. It was fun even when there wasn’t snow. After damaging both sets, I moved to Sparco Terras, which were a size smaller and all-season Continental DWS06 Plus tires. It felt great that way, and I didn’t worry about being caught off guard by the October surprise rush. Someone who really likes cars would want to spend that much money on a second set or wouldn’t be too lazy to switch them out every year. Part of me agrees, but let’s remember that we’re talking about money. To be clear, I’m mostly talking about cars like the Volkswagen Jetta GLI, Civic Si, and Fiesta ST. All of this goes away when you move up to the next high class and have 300 horsepower and rear-wheel drive. Of course, if I lived somewhere colder, I would need winter tires on every car I owned. Based on performance alone, it’s not fair to think that someone who wants to buy a Civic Si will buy new tires and wheels for six months. When it’s made a factory choice, everyone is happy because those kinds of cars don’t need them, even though they can make the experience better. Good ultra-high performance all-season tires like the Contis will work as a base rubber. Even though I haven’t used Eagle Sports myself, they’re not the best in their class. What really makes the Civic Si great is that it can be changed to fit different needs. That’s why we need more hatchbacks and compact cars with similar styles. This is the right product for you if you want something that can be tracked and doesn’t cost too much. On the other hand, it’s great if all you want to do is spice up your daily routine. Honda has shown care by offering a range of tires that can be used in a variety of situations where they are still acceptable. A lot more companies should take note.
