2021 Honda Civic vs 2022 Volkswagen Jetta

The 2021 Honda Civic continued Honda's tradition of releasing segment-defining models every decade or so. The 10th-generation Civic, introduced in 2016, was a polarizing design that people either loved or hated. Despite its divisive looks, it sold over a million units, making it a familiar sight on American roads. The 2021 model was available in sedan, hatchback, and performance-tuned Type R formats, but the two-door coupe was discontinued, and the sporty Civic Si was on hiatus. The Civic sedan came in five trims: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring, with prices ranging from $21,250 to $28,300, excluding a $995 destination charge. The Touring trim, with its Cosmic Blue Metallic paint, cost $29,690.

The Civic's design, once daring, had aged, especially the interior with its maximum 7-inch infotainment screen. However, the cabin still featured quality materials and thoughtful detailing. The Cosmic Blue paint and 18-inch wheels on the Touring trim made the car look appealing from certain angles, though opinions varied. The interior, while not as dramatic as it once was, remained functional and comfortable, with quality materials and a trend-setting design.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen's best-selling vehicle for three decades, received a mild makeover. Despite overall sales declines, the Jetta remained a steady performer, accounting for a significant portion of VW's U.S. sales. The 2022 model featured an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, more features, and a new Sport trim. The SEL Premium trim was dropped, simplifying the lineup to four trims: S, Sport, SE, and SEL. The Jetta's exterior changes were subtle, with more chrome on the front fascia, bumper, and grille, and new wheel designs and paint colors.

The Jetta's interior updates were equally subtle but appealing. The standard cloth seats featured a new rhombus pattern, and all interiors had contrast stitching for a premium look. The 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster was standard across the lineup, with the SEL trim getting a 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro. The Jetta's cabin was comfortable and driver-centric, with buttons for quick access to climate control, audio, and seat controls. The center storage bin, while not large, was usable, though it lacked a latch.

The 2021 Honda Civic offered two engine options. The base LX and Sport trims came with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels. While adequate, the real excitement came from the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine available in EX, EX-L, and Touring trims. This engine delivered 174 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, making the Civic more spirited and enjoyable to drive. The sophisticated four-wheel independent suspension and precise steering added to the driving pleasure, especially with the Touring trim's 18-inch wheels. However, the CVT was a drawback, with a sloppy gear lever and droning noise. Despite this, the Civic's fuel economy was impressive, averaging 34.8 mpg on a 140-mile loop, beating the EPA estimate of 33 mpg combined.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta featured a single engine: a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbo-four. This engine produced 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, with transmission options including a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic. The Jetta's fuel economy was a highlight, with the manual version rated at 29 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. Automatic models had slightly different ratings, with S and Sport trims achieving 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined, while SE and SEL trims were rated at 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. On a long road trip, the Jetta averaged an impressive 46.9 mpg on the highway. The Jetta's ride quality was comfortable, but the powertrain had some drawbacks, including touchy throttle response, turbo lag, and tepid dynamics. The steering was accurate but lacked feedback, and the drive modes offered limited improvement.

The 2021 Honda Civic sedan sat low to the ground, making entry and exit a bit of a workout. Once inside, the driver's seat offered eight-way power adjustment, but the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Leather upholstery was standard from the EX-L trim onwards. The rear seats were roomy and comfortable, with excellent thigh support, though the lack of rear air conditioning vents was a drawback. The center console provided ample storage space, with trays, cupholders, and a deep center bin. The trunk was spacious, offering 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space, though the Touring trim's premium sound system reduced it to 14.7 cubic feet.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, despite its compact size, offered ample passenger space for four adults, with the option to accommodate five. The front seats had a slightly inclined edge for thigh support, which might not suit shorter passengers. The cabin was driver-centric, with buttons for climate control, audio, and seat controls conveniently located. Storage space included door pockets, a center console bin, a slot next to the cupholders, and a sunglass holder. The center storage bin, while not large, was functional, though it lacked a latch.

The 2021 Honda Civic's technology was showing its age. The base LX trim had a 5-inch LCD screen, Bluetooth, and a 1.0-amp USB port. The Sport trim upgraded to a 7-inch high-definition touchscreen, an eight-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, text-messaging support, and a 1.5-amp USB port. The EX trim added HD Radio and SiriusXM satellite radio, while the Touring trim included navigation with voice recognition, digital traffic, and a 10-speaker premium audio system. The Touring's voice recognition system was unsophisticated, requiring specific prompts, and the premium sound system was nice but not essential.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received a technology upgrade with the Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster standard across all trims. The S, Sport, and SE trims had an 8-inch display, while the SEL trim had a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro. The standard infotainment system in S, Sport, and SE trims was a 6.5-inch MIB2 system with capacitive-touch sensors, App-Connect for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and MirrorLink integration, Bluetooth, two USB-C ports, and an SD card multimedia interface. The SEL trim featured the 8-inch MIB3 system with navigation, wireless App-Connect, wireless device charging, multi-phone pairing, enhanced voice recognition, HD Radio, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Car-Net Hotspot, and a Plus Nav package. The premium Beats Audio sound system and remote start were also available. The voice activation and navigation commands were not intuitive, often requiring manual input for accuracy.

The 2021 Honda Civic came standard with Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) that included adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist System. Additional safety features included automatic high-beam headlights and a multi-angle reversing camera. The Civic offered LaneWatch, a camera-based blind-spot monitoring system, starting with the EX trim. However, LaneWatch had limitations, such as susceptibility to damage and only covering the right side. The Civic lacked a traditional radar-based blind-spot warning system and rear cross-traffic warning. Despite these drawbacks, the 2021 Civic earned a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS and five-star ratings from the NHTSA in all assessments.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with IQ.Drive, Volkswagen's suite of driver-assistance technologies. The Jetta S and Sport trims included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian recognition. The Driver Assistance package, available for automatic transmission models, added adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, while Emergency Assist monitored driver attentiveness. The full IQ.Drive safety list was standard on SE and SEL trims. The 2022 Jetta had not yet received crash safety ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, but the 2021 model received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and mostly "Good" grades from the IIHS, with some shortcomings in headlight tests and LATCH use.