My roommate is considering buying the 2012 civic. After test driving the DX we were both very disappointed in the handling over the CR-Z and Si. It felt very spongey and disconnected from the road - not helped by the excessive power steering and drive by wire throttle.

The man at the dealership claims most of this poor handling is attributable to the low-rr tires that they come with from factory.

Is it true that changing to better tires can overcome the poor handling?
Can the electronic power-steering be turned down a notch?
What are the actual technical differences between the Si and the base model in terms of suspension setup, tires, brakes and handling?

 

tires wont do it all, but a good set of tires do help. Lower profile also helps as there is less wall flex.
You want good handling? add a rear sway bar. My sister just bought a civic and she wants a rsb for her car.

 

u should just just tried driving the si model and the dx model so you can feel the differences. thats the best way to go about it.

 

If you want an increase in actual handling, meaning maximum cornering speed, then tires is the only answer. However, grippier tires and no suspension changes will make the car feel worse while it goes faster.

If you want a change in feeling that most idiots would call handling, then you just want a reduction in body roll. Swaybars are the cheapest and easiest way to do this.

 

Tires and sway bars in the answer... but tires make a huge difference from the get go!