2020 Honda Civic Si loses fuel economy in pursuit of acceleration

The 2020 Honda Civic Si is getting an update that comes with fresher styling and more safety features. It also gets a shorter final drive gear ratio to help its 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque deliver quicker acceleration. Unfortunately, the change also appears to have sacrificed fuel economy.

The EPA just released the numbers on the new Civic Si, and fuel economy has dropped by 2 mpg in all driving scenarios for 26 in the city, 36 on the highway and 30 combined. The reason for the drop is likely because the shorter final gear ratio means the engine will be running at higher rpm for any given speed, and thus be using more fuel at any given speed.

Despite the dip in fuel economy, the Civic Si is still about the most efficient sporty compact with a manual (the Si’s only transmission) on the market. Among similarly priced and powered small cars, the Fiat 500 Abarth ties the Civic’s combined fuel economy of 30 mpg, but with better city fuel economy at 28 and worse highway mileage at 33. The Veloster Turbo with a manual gets 29 mpg combined followed by the Jetta GLI at 28, the GTI at 27, and the Mini Cooper S at 26.