I have a 2017 Honda Civic EX with almost 60k miles. Is the S on the transmission “Sport mode” or Second gear? And if it is sport mode, would it make the exhaust any louder? What does sport mode on this exact car actually do to the car? Also, does the model include the turbocharger or not and how much boost does it run?
We test drove a 2018 3 years ago and if I recall, S keeps the revs higher for better acceleration and simulates gear shifts. So I guess if it keeps the revs higher by default the exhaust would be slightly louder, albeit very slightly louder. We didn't like the cvt so we chose a 6 spd manual.
The 2017 Honda Civic EX (not to be confused with EX-T or EX-L) has a naturally aspirated 2.0L I4, which is a good thing in my opinion for longevity (over the turbocharged engine found in the other trims). Honda also claims it has port injection (!!) which is doubly good since you don’t have to worry about carbon buildup on the back of the intake valves over time. I had thought it was direct-injection only but Honda claims it is port injection.
That vehicle also has a CVT transmission which has a continuous range of gear ratios unlike a conventional automatic transmission which has a finite or fixed set of ratios. The “S” is part of ‘Drive’ and Honda calls it “Second” and basically it shifts the transmission into a lower set of gear ratios for better acceleration and engine braking, good for steep hills. This should be mentioned in your owner’s manual.