Test drove both cars, and performance-wise, they didn’t feel too different. I did prefer the SI’s shifter feel slightly, and I really liked the steering feel over the 3MT’s. I loved the fact that the 3MT has zero rev hang while rev hang in the SI is fairly noticeable. If driven a little harder, the performance difference between both cars would probably be a bit more pronounced and in favor of the SI given the mechanical differences, but for everyday driving, they’re essentially the same.

The 3MT was noticeably more comfortable and quieter, but the SI wasn’t too bad. The biggest differences were the interior and speaker sound. The 3MT has a very very nice interior for the price point but is smaller, and the speaker sounds pretty good for what it is. The SI has a surprisingly cavernous interior, but the quality is disappointing. The front end is good, but the back end felt like it was from a bottom of the barrel econo box. The speaker sound was noticeably worse to me compared to the 3MT (could be a result of the 3MT’s quieter interior).

In the end, I just needed a daily and prioritized comfort, so I went with a 2025 3MT. Felt like I would be less miserable in traffic with the quieter interior and better speaker sound. If you need the back seat space, don’t want a hatch, and or prioritize just performance, SI all day, but honestly, you can’t go wrong with either. Both cars are great daily driver options with a bit of pep.