On that note, recently I tested out the Honda Civic Si coupe and before, the 2004 Si sedan. The Acura EL drives and feels exactly

The EL Touring is powered by the same 127-hp 1.7-liter 4-cylinder engine found in the Honda Civic Si sedan and coupe. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

the same. The car is as stable as can be whether inching forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic or zipping along the open highway. Despite being underpowered and a little soft in the corners I still feel the Civic/EL is excellent for its market. The interior and exterior of the Honda and Acura have an almost identical layout, in fact the only difference that kept me from calling it a Honda was the big "A" staring at me from the centre of the leather wrapped steering wheel.

So why opt for the EL when a Civic looks, drives and feels exactly the same? Good question. The Acura 1.7 EL Touring (or base model) offers almost identical standard features

The interior and exterior of the Honda and Acura have an almost identical layout. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

as the Si with only a slight difference in price. The Touring delivers four-wheel, front ventilated and rear solid disc brakes, while the Si only offers discs in the front. The Si, however, comes standard with a sunroof. It's a tradeoff, safety for vanity. Both cars come standard with 195/60R15 all-season tires and 15-inch alloy wheels, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and a four-wheel independent suspension. It's a toss up between the Si sedan with the automatic transmission starting at $22,500 and the Acura El with automatic transmission at $23,200; a difference of only $700. There's also the difference of freight and PDI to consider, which is $1,010 for Honda and $900 for Acura, another $110 savings.