Every year, automakers anxiously await their annual report cards from widely followed and revered Consumer Reports. Unlike a fifth-grade math test, however, the scores are never graded on a curve. Rather, they are carefully calculated based on the company's predicted reliability rankings, its current model lineup, and the performance of the models evaluated by Consumer Reports' very own engineers. Proving their consistency in excellence, Honda did not disappoint. According to Consumer Reports' April auto…

With a 197-horsepower (hp) 2.0-liter engine that delivers 139 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2011 Honda Civic Si is nothing to scoff at. However, the perfectionists at Honda have dropped a larger, more powerful 2.4-liter engine in the new 2012 model.

Available starting this spring, the new Honda Civic Si offers a boost in hp, and significantly more torque. Expected ratings are 200 and 170 respectively. For torque, that's a 22-percent increase…