2020 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2021 BMW 5 Series

Half a decade ago, Honda redesigned the Civic, positioning it against competitors like the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla. For 2020, Honda made subtle styling tweaks to the Civic Hatchback, including new body-color crossbars on the air intakes, a refreshed grille, and smoked headlights. The Sport Touring trim, with its Platinum White Pearl paint and glossy black detailing, garnered admiration from onlookers, who mistook it for the high-performance Type R. Inside, the Sport Touring trim featured stitched leather on the steering wheel and quality materials, though hard plastics were still present. The six-speed manual gearbox, now available with the Sport Touring trim, added to the driving experience, and the overall price was competitive compared to the Type R.

The 2021 BMW 5 Series had a more restrained design compared to other BMW sedans. For 2021, it received a minor styling refresh, including streamlined LED headlights and a larger twin-kidney grille. The M Sport Package added trapezoidal tailpipes, L-shaped taillights, and new bumpers. The 5 Series was 1.2 inches longer than before, with a drag coefficient of 0.27. Inside, the familiar BMW layout remained, with details like the touchscreen positioning and unique shifter contributing to the brand's identity. The 540i xDrive test car featured Nappa leather and aluminum trim, enhancing the high-end feel, though the sport steering wheel felt out of place.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, produced 174 horsepower in LX, EX, and EX-L trims, and 180 horsepower in Sport and Sport Touring trims. Torque was 162 lb-ft with the CVT and 177 lb-ft with the six-speed manual transmission. The engine was quiet and refined, and the car offered a softer, more compliant ride compared to the Civic Si. The Civic Hatchback was fun to drive, with a confidence-inspiring feel, and achieved an EPA rating of 32 mpg in combined driving, with the test car achieving 32.7 mpg.

The 2021 BMW 5 Series offered a range of powertrain options. The base 530i had a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 248 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, achieving 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The 540i featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, producing 335 hp and 362 lb-ft of torque, and achieving 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds with rear-wheel drive. The M550i xDrive had a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 532 hp, and the M5 had a more powerful V8 with 617 hp, achieving 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds. The 530e plug-in hybrid combined a 2.0-liter engine with an electric motor, producing 288 hp and achieving 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The 540i xDrive test car offered precise handling and a smooth engine but felt more like a luxury car than a true driver's car.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback offered 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly more than the Honda HR-V Touring. While it couldn't match the HR-V for maximum volume, the Civic's performance and fuel efficiency were superior. The driver's seat provided ample thigh support, though the passenger seat lacked a height adjuster. The center console storage area was versatile, with a sliding armrest, tray, and cupholders. Rear-seat comfort was good, but the lack of air-conditioning vents and dark tinted rear glass made it less comfortable for passengers.

The 2021 BMW 5 Series, available only as a four-door sedan in the U.S., offered spacious front seats and adequate rear-seat room. The 540i had 14.0 cubic feet of trunk space, more than the Audi A6 or Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with a 40/20/20 split-folding rear bench. The test car featured 16-way power front seats with heating, ventilation, and driver memory. Forward visibility was poor due to the long hood, but the surround-view camera system helped with parking.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and a 12-speaker premium sound system in the Sport Touring trim. Automatic climate control and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock were standard. However, the infotainment system lacked a tuning knob, a larger screen, and reliable voice-recognition technology.

The 2021 BMW 5 Series came with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM 360L, and a WiFi hotspot. The infotainment screen's location made it easy to read, but the instrument cluster layout could be confusing. The rotary knob for infotainment functions was user-friendly, and voice control and gesture controls were available, though the latter was less precise.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback included the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driving-assistance and collision-avoidance features, such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. However, the lane-keeping assist lacked smoothness, and the adaptive cruise control occasionally braked for no reason. The Civic lacked a blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert, relying on LaneWatch for the right-side blind spot. The 2020 Civic Hatchback did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS due to poor headlight performance.

The 2021 BMW 5 Series had not been crash-tested by the IIHS, but the 2020 model received a "Top Safety Pick+" award. Standard safety features included lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams. The Driving Assistance Plus Package added adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, lane-keep assist, and emergency stop assist. BMW's driver-assist tech was sophisticated and smooth, with the traffic-jam assist feature allowing for stop-and-go driving on highways.