2024 Honda Civic vs 2023 BMW 7 Series

The 2023 BMW 7 Series introduced a bold new design language for BMW's luxury lineup, featuring a distinctive front-end with an oversized beveled grille and split lighting elements. The LED accent lights, positioned where headlights typically go, gave the car a focused squint, while the actual headlights were recessed to improve aerodynamics. Although initially jarring, the design grew on observers over time. The 7 Series offered two style themes: the standard M Sport with chrome accents and the M Sport Professional with a more aggressive blacked-out look. The profile maintained the classic 7 Series silhouette, while the rear end featured horizontal taillights and a cohesive design. Inside, the 7 Series boasted a modern, minimalistic interior with a broad horizontal layout, high-quality materials, and a futuristic curved glass housing the instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen. The leather seat upholstery added visual interest, and the available cashmere wool-blend upholstery provided a cozy feel. The rear seats exuded luxury, especially with the optional Rear Executive Lounge Seating package, which included a reclining seat and a theater screen.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si continued the tradition of compact, quick, and fun cars, offering a sport-injected version of the Civic sedan. It maintained a stealth-mode styling, with LED headlights, a gloss-black lip spoiler, dual exhaust outlets, and 18-inch matte-black wheels. The Civic Si's interior was more expressive, featuring red seat and door panel inserts, metal mesh trim, and gloss black surfaces. The cabin included a touchscreen infotainment system, metal pedal covers, and an aluminum shift knob. The Civic Si was priced at $29,100, with an additional $455 for the Blazing Orange Pearl paint, bringing the total to $30,650. The Civic Si offered a balance of performance and practicality, making it a compelling choice for those seeking an engaging driving experience without sacrificing everyday usability.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series offered two powertrains: the base 740i with a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine producing 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, and the 760i xDrive with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 delivering 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. The 740i accelerated to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, while the 760i xDrive achieved it in 4.1 seconds. The V8-powered 760i xDrive provided quick and fluid acceleration, with smooth gear changes and confident braking. The handling was sportier than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, offering an engaging driving experience. The ride quality was slightly stiffer, but not intrusive, and the Sport mode enhanced cornering and steering responsiveness.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si featured a high-output turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. It was paired with a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with a downshift rev-matching feature. The Civic Si's drivetrain included a single-mass lightweight flywheel and a helical limited-slip differential for improved traction. The car came with larger brakes, thicker suspension stabilizer bars, and a dual-pinion variable-ratio steering system. The Civic Si offered Normal, Sport, and Individual driving modes, adjusting throttle response and steering effort. It was fun to drive, with a smooth engine, precise steering, and excellent grip from the Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. However, the braking system showed signs of overheating during hot testing weather, causing vibration. The Civic Si achieved an average fuel efficiency of 29.5 mpg, slightly below the EPA's estimate of 31 mpg.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series featured power-operated doors, which could be frustrating to use due to their sensitivity to nearby objects. Inside, the front seats were comfortable and adjustable, with standard heating and ventilation. The rear seats were spacious, accommodating tall passengers with ease, and the lounge seating option added a reclining seat with massage functions. The 31.3-inch rear entertainment screen was impressive but could cause neck strain due to its central placement. The trunk offered 13.7 cubic feet of cargo space, with a wide and deep design for easy loading. Interior storage was adequate, with a wireless charging pad, cupholders, and small door pockets.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si balanced performance with practicality, featuring sport-bolstered front seats and a manual transmission. The front seats were comfortable, but entering and exiting the car required more effort due to its low stance. The Civic Si lacked heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and rear-seat air vents, but offered a roomy back seat with generous legroom. Storage space was generous for front passengers, while the rear offered adequate storage. The trunk provided 14.4 cubic feet of cargo space, with the ability to stow full-size suitcases on their sides and a 60/40-split folding back seat for longer items.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series came with iDrive 8, BMW's latest infotainment system, which could be operated via touchscreen, central dial, or voice commands. While basic functions were easy to use, the system's complexity increased with deeper menu navigation. Voice controls helped mitigate this, but could interrupt music or podcasts. The standard 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System provided excellent audio quality. The optional theater screen had inconsistent touchscreen inputs, making it challenging to use without the missing handheld remote control. Overall, iDrive 8 felt less intuitive compared to previous versions and rival systems.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and HondaLink connected services. Pairing an iPhone and using Apple CarPlay was seamless, and the system included physical controls for volume and tuning. The 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint premium audio system delivered impressive sound quality, thanks to Honda's collaboration with the audio component company during the Civic's interior design stage. The Civic Si's technology was simple yet satisfying, providing a user-friendly experience.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series had not been crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS, which is common for luxury vehicles. Standard safety features included frontal collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, adaptive headlights, parking sensors, and safe exit warnings. The optional Driving Assistance Professional package added a hands-free automated driving system for highways. The adaptive cruise control and highway driving assistant were smooth and effective, reducing driver fatigue on long trips.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si came with Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, the lane-keeping and lane-centering assist systems were intrusive, and the adaptive cruise control was slow to respond to changing traffic conditions. The Civic Si earned a Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, with a four-star rating for front passenger protection in frontal-impact collisions.