2020 Honda Civic vs 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The 2020 Honda Civic was a standout in Honda's lineup, offering a compact car with a level of engineering excellence typically found in more expensive brands. It came in three body styles—sedan, coupe, and 4-door hatchback—each showcasing a sharp design that belied its small footprint. The sedan featured a sleek roofline similar to the coupe, with body panel creases and wide, arcing headlights accentuating its low and wide stance. The 2019 model year brought upgrades to the grilles, bumpers, and wheels, which carried over into 2020. The Civic Si sedan and coupe received new matte-black 18-inch wheels, LED fog lights, and an updated grille, while the hatchback got new bumpers, light changes, and new wheels in gray or black.

Inside, the Civic's simple interior was built with soft-touch rubbers and high-quality switchgear. The 2020 model introduced three new dash accents on the hatchback and a thin red line accenting the instrument panel on the Si. The Si also featured revised sport seats with red bands woven into the fabric. The interior was visually stimulating without a hint of cheapness, with more gloss-black trim on the steering wheel and dash, a metal shift knob, and a pulsing red glow of the start button adding to its appeal.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI, on the other hand, was the latest in a long line of hot hatches that began with the 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI. The GTI shared most of its basics with the regular Golf but included subtle enhancements that elevated it to the performance category. Small red GTI badges, a red horizontal strip across the grille, and painted brake calipers were some of the distinguishing features. The GTI was lowered by 0.6 inches compared to the regular Golf, with subtle side skirts and stainless-steel exhaust tips completing the look.

Inside, the GTI built on the already-good Golf with sporty enhancements. Red ambient lighting, illuminated door sills, and a race-inspired flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in leather with red stitching were some of the highlights. The foot pedals had a shiny, aluminum-look surface, and the heated front sport seats came in Clark plaid cloth for the S trim and leather for the SE and Autobahn trims. Overall, the GTI had a quality feel inside and out, with first-rate paintwork and high-quality interior materials.

The 2020 Honda Civic offered a range of engines and transmissions, all front-wheel drive. The base LX and Sport trims had a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or an optional CVT. The EX and above trims featured a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 engine making 174 hp and 162 lb-ft, with the hatchbacks in Sport or Sport Touring trims making 180 hp. The Civic Si, with a boosted 1.5-liter engine, delivered 205 hp and 192 lb-ft, while the Type R, with 306 hp and 295 lb-ft, was the most powerful. The Si and Type R came exclusively with a stick-shift. The Civic's engines were smooth and quick to rev, with the CVT responding well without hesitation. The Si featured adaptive dampers that removed body roll, making it a thrill to drive without overwhelming the car's steering or grip. The EPA rated the Si at 26 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI was all about performance, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The GTI came with a DSG seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or a standard six-speed manual transmission. The GTI's handling was a major attraction, with four-wheel independent suspension, DCC adaptive damping, and variable-ratio steering delivering crisp turn-in and great feel. The GTI's ride could be rough on ordinary roads, but its performance-oriented handling setup made it a joy to drive on the right road or track. The GTI's fuel economy was 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined with the manual transmission, or 24 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined with the dual-clutch automatic.

The 2020 Honda Civic's interior featured a three-spoke steering wheel with controls for the central display and instrument panel, a conventional PRNDL shifter, and a deep storage bin in the center console. The Civic felt roomy for rear passengers, with two-stage heated outboard seats but no rear air vents. The trunk offered 15 cubic feet of cargo space in the sedan, 12 cubic feet in the coupe, and 26 cubic feet in the hatchback, expanding to 46 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI's hatchback form made it incredibly useful for carrying passengers and cargo. With a 103.6-inch wheelbase, the GTI was 168.0 inches long, 70.8 inches wide, and 57.8 inches tall. It offered 17.4 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats, expanding to 24.8 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. The GTI's dimensions and sharp steering made it easy to maneuver in tight spaces, and the cabin featured clever storage options, including big front door pockets and grippy center console cupholders. The mechanical handbrake was a bit of a throwback but added to the GTI's charm.

The 2020 Honda Civic's infotainment system was outdated, with a 7-inch touchscreen standard on all models except the base LX. It included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with Garmin-based navigation on top-end trims. The Civic Si featured Active Sound Control, push-button start, keyless entry, a power moonroof, and heated front seats. LaneWatch, a camera mounted on the right-side mirror, provided a live feed of the blind spot. Automatic climate control was standard, and Honda Sensing included active lane centering, adaptive cruise control, and auto high beams.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI featured the VW MIB touchscreen infotainment system, with a 6.5-inch screen on S models and an 8-inch screen with navigation on SE and Autobahn models. The system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink, with Bluetooth hands-free and streaming audio. Volkswagen Car-Net offered Remote Access, Safe & Secure, and Hotspot portals, with Amazon Alexa skills linking to Car-Net accounts. The GTI also featured LED daytime running lights, fog lights, and taillights, with adaptive front lighting and dynamic cornering lights on SE and Autobahn trims. Keyless access with pushbutton start, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and heated exterior mirrors were standard.

The 2020 Honda Civic came with Honda Sensing, which included forward collision warning, emergency forward braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for all body styles except the Type R and received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with four stars in the passenger frontal crash rating on the coupe.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash-test categories, with "Acceptable" scores for small overlap front; passenger side, and headlights. The GTI included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and more. The Autobahn trim added adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, park distance control, park assist, and high-beam control.