2024 Honda Accord Hybrid vs 2024 Honda Civic

The 2024 Honda Civic Si carried forward the iconography of compact, quick, fun, and affordable cars that Americans had embraced since the sporty 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI redefined driving joy. More than four decades later, the Civic Si continued to build on this legacy with its signature “sport-injected” elements. First introduced as a sporty variant of the 1985 Honda Civic CRX, the Civic Si remained celebrated for its balance of performance and everyday functionality. Approaching its 40th anniversary, the 2024 Civic Si still adhered to the stealthy styling that characterized early “pocket rockets,” avoiding overt displays of speed capabilities.

Visually, the 2024 Civic Si featured a range of design elements aimed at a modern sporty yet understated look. It came equipped with LED headlights, an updated upper grille insert, a gloss-black lip spoiler on the trunk lid, dual exhaust outlets, and 18-inch wheels with a matte-black finish. Discreet “Si” badges and a selection of eye-catching and subtle paint colors added to its visual appeal.

Inside, the Civic Si was more expressive, boasting red seat and door panel inserts with matching accents and stitching throughout the cabin. The cabin design included a metal mesh strip of trim hiding the dashboard air vents, gloss black surfaces, polished metal detailing, and straightforward digital instrumentation paired with a touchscreen infotainment system. Features like metal pedal covers and an aluminum shift knob further enhanced its sporty interior.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid presented a different kind of visual appeal, prioritizing a clean and technical look aligned with its sophisticated persona. Available in Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring trim levels, the Accord Hybrid catered to a range of preferences from the value-focused Sport to the luxurious Touring. The Sport and Touring models particularly stood out with their machined-finish 19-inch wheels, reducing the visual bulk and adding a touch of elegance.

Our test car, the Accord Hybrid Touring, donned Canyon River Blue metallic paint, paired with a black leather interior. The interior featured a gray headliner, gray contrast stitching, metallic finishes, and an artful mesh trim strip that hid the dashboard air vents, lightening the overall mood. Despite some overly shiny plastics, the Accord Touring’s interior, often dubbed ‘Acura Lite,’ impressed with its refinement and sophistication.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si delivered a lively driving experience, thanks to a high-output version of the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. This engine produced 200 horsepower (+20 hp) and 192 pound-feet of torque (+15 lb-ft), paired exclusively with a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission featuring a downshift rev-matching function. The Civic Si employed a single-mass lightweight flywheel and powered its front wheels through a helical limited-slip differential, enhancing cornering performance and minimizing wheel spin.

The Civic Si’s dynamic package included larger brakes, thicker suspension stabilizer bars, and a unique dual-pinion variable-ratio steering system. Our test car’s 18-inch wheels came shod with 235/50 Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires, contributing to its grip and stability.

Driving modes like Normal, Sport, and Individual adjusted throttle response and steering effort, while Active Sound Control enhanced the engine note. Despite some urban noise and a slight braking vibration in high-stress conditions, the Civic Si proved to be a versatile performer, capable of both spirited drives and daily commutes. Fuel efficiency was also commendable, with an observed average of 29.5 mpg against an EPA rating of 31 mpg in combined driving.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid showcased Honda’s latest two-motor hybrid powertrain, pairing a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors. This setup generated 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque, primarily driving the front wheels without a conventional automatic transmission. The result was a smooth and seamless driving experience, with programmed simulated gear changes adding to the traditional feel.

The Accord Hybrid shined in city driving with its quick, responsive acceleration, thanks to the instantaneous torque from the electric motors. While freeway merges presented no issues, the engine noise at high revs was less pleasing. During our Southern California test, the Accord Hybrid handled the local mountain grades effortlessly. Though it fell slightly short of its EPA estimates, with our Touring model achieving 43.1 mpg compared to the official 44 mpg, it remained remarkably fuel-efficient for its size.

Dynamic performance was a strong suit for the Accord Hybrid, blending ride comfort and handling precision. Its touch points, including steering, braking, and road feedback, felt natural and responsive, making it an excellent daily driver.

In terms of interior packaging, the 2024 Honda Civic Si struck a balance between sportiness and practicality. The cloth-wrapped, sport-bolstered front seats were designed to hold occupants securely during spirited drives, facilitated by a manual driver’s seat height adjuster for the optimal driving position. However, the low seating position posed a challenge for easy ingress and egress.

Standard features included single-zone automatic climate control, heated exterior mirrors, and a power sunroof. However, lacking heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and rear air conditioning vents or USB ports fell short of expectations for its youth-oriented market. Despite these omissions, the Civic Si offered surprising rear-seat comfort with ample legroom and a supportive cushion.

Cargo capacity was generous at 14.4 cubic feet, accommodating full-size suitcases upright—an uncommon feat in compact sedans. The 60/40-split folding back seat and hidden storage beneath the trunk floor further enhanced its practicality.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid prioritized comfort, particularly for rear passengers, though tall drivers might find the seating position restrictive despite the 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat included across all trims. The Accords equipped with leather (EX-L and above) included heated front seats, while the Touring trim added ventilated front and heated outboard rear seats. Generous legroom and headroom, supportive seating, and rear amenities like air conditioning vents and USB ports ensured rear passenger comfort.

The Accord’s interior offered excellent storage solutions, though the driver’s seatback pocket was notably absent. The cavernous trunk boasted 16.7 cubic feet of cargo space, far surpassing the Civic and accommodating extensive luggage loads effortlessly.

When it came to technology, the 2024 Honda Civic Si featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, albeit without a native navigation system. It supported Bluetooth, text-messaging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, HD Radio, and basic HondaLink connected services. Pairing devices and using CarPlay was seamless, aided by physical controls including a volume knob and tuning buttons, and steering wheel controls for managing media and data panels within the digital gauge cluster.

Sound quality was elevated by the standard 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint premium audio system, integrated early in the Civic’s design phase to optimize speaker placement and acoustics.

The 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid offered a more advanced tech suite, featuring a 10.2-inch digital instrument display paired with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Standard across all trims were wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Alexa Built-in, Wi-Fi hotspot capability via HondaLink, and an eight-speaker audio system (exclusively upgraded to 12-speakers in the Touring trim).

The Touring trim also included added luxuries such as a wireless smartphone charger, a 6-inch head-up display, and Google Built-in with Google Maps, Assistant, and Play Store, accompanied by a complimentary three-year subscription. During testing, the voice recognition via Google Assistant proved inconsistent, pushing us to revert to the more reliable Apple CarPlay and Siri.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite packed with advanced driving assistance systems. It included forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, 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. Additional features were driver monitoring, traffic sign recognition, and a rear seat reminder.

The Honda Sensing tech, however, had its quirks. Lane-keeping and lane-centering assist felt intrusive, especially in urban driving. Adaptive cruise control struggled with responsiveness in rapidly changing traffic conditions. Eventually, we found driving more enjoyable with many of these features disabled.

For safety ratings, the 2023 Civic sedan received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, although revised crash tests yielded Acceptable ratings in the moderate overlap frontal-impact and new side-impact evaluations. The NHTSA awarded the 2024 Civic sedan an overall five-star rating, with a four-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal collision.

The 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid, too, included Honda Sensing, with features such as automatic high-beam headlights, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist. Higher trims added parking sensors and low-speed automatic braking.

During testing, the Accord’s safety suite experienced challenges, particularly with sun glare interfering with lane-assist features and adaptive cruise control leaving hefty gaps that invited other drivers to cut in, thus, occasionally triggering minor nuisances.

The Accord Hybrid earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, establishing it as a secure choice within its class.