Singaporeans may be known to have an eye for a bargain, but some of the best deals are occasionally still missed. Take the recently-launched eighth-generation Honda Civic, for instance. The 1.8 VTi-S has been by far the best-selling variant, even though the more powerful, better equipped 2.0 Si is available for as little as $2,500 more.

Even going purely by on-paper specifications, the 2.0-litre model is a real steal. For the small premium, you get 15 extra horsepower, 14Nm more torque, bigger brakes, side airbags, cruise control, variable intermittent wipers plus a sportier design for both the alloy wheels and front seats. That's a long list of goodies for the same amount of money you'd spend on, say, a 32-inch LCD TV.

But that's not the main reason why you should stick with your bulky old TV for a while and plump for the range-topping Civic. On the road, even the most disinterested of motorists won't fail to notice that the 2.0 is significantly better to drive than the 1.8.

Don't get me wrong-the 1.8 is no dud. On the contrary, it's a real class act, being superbly resolved in all the important areas while having precious few flaws. And yet the 2.0 manages to turn two of the 1.8's weaker points-steering feel and engine note-into its own strong suits.

The 2.0 has electric power steering in place of the 1.8's hydraulic system, so it's a bit of a surprise to discover that there's so much more feel at the helm. After all, electric assistance and good steering feedback are usually as mutually exclusive as fire and water.

A higher-geared steering rack makes the 2.0 feel even more darty than the already nimble 1.8, but this is never a problem because you can always tell exactly what the front tyres are up to.

The Civic slices through bends with a zeal quite unexpected of such a spacious, sober-looking sedan, and it also treats passengers on board to a ride that's free from motion sickness-inducing pitching or rolling. Tyre roar over rough surfaces could be better suppressed, though.

The road noise is brought into prominence by the fact that the Civic 2.0 is otherwise so refined. Its i-VTEC engine idles in near silence and remains amazingly smooth when revved hard, issuing a lovely deep growl at the same time. The 1.8 sounds tinny in comparison, especially above 4,000rpm.

Thanks to the 2.0's solid slug of mid-range torque, you can afford to be lazy with the gearlever and still make brisk progress. Mind you, it's not that you wouldn't want to play with the stubby shifter at every opportunity, for it has a wonderfully slick action through its gate. If only all manual gearchanges were this good.

The Civic 2.0 is one of those cars that feels just right the moment you get into it, and the more you drive it, the clearer it becomes that its deep-seated talents will continue to please many years down the road. Take its sub-$80K price into account, and it's hard to make a case for any other car in this class.

NEED TO KNOW

Model Honda Civic 2.0 Si
Engine Type 1,998cc, 16V in-line 4
Max Power 155bhp at 6,000rpm
Max Torque 188Nm at 4,500rpm
Gearbox 5-speed manual
Top speed 214km/h
0-100km/h 8.9 seconds
Price $80,000 with COE
Warranty 3 years/100,000km
Contact Kah Motor at 6841-3333 / 6339-9880

SIMILAR CARS WE HAVE DRIVEN
Mazda 6 2.0 $78,988 with COE
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