2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI vs 2024 Honda Civic

The 2024 Honda Civic Si continued the legacy of compact, quick, fun, and affordable cars that have been a staple in the American automotive scene since the early 1980s. It maintained its reputation as a sport-injected version of the Civic sedan, offering enhanced performance and driving engagement. The Civic Si adhered to a stealth-mode styling formula, featuring LED headlights, a unique grille insert, a gloss-black lip spoiler, dual exhaust outlets, and 18-inch matte-black wheels. Inside, the Civic Si was more expressive with red seat and door panel inserts, metal mesh trim, and a high-quality cabin with gloss black surfaces and polished metal detailing. The base price was $29,100, with additional costs for options like the Blazing Orange Pearl paint.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI, a sporty version of the VW Golf hatchback, was available only as a five-door model in the U.S. The GTI's styling was more expressive than its predecessor, with a wide-mouth grille, LED headlights, and a light strip on certain models. The 2024 model introduced a 380 special edition package for manual-transmission models, featuring gloss black 19-inch wheels and a black roof. The GTI's interior combined classic styling with modern tech, including a digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen. The GTI was praised for its practicality, offering a balance between performance and everyday usability.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was equipped with a high-output version of a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. It featured a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with a downshift rev-matching feature, which could be turned off for heel-and-toe shifting. The drivetrain included a single-mass lightweight flywheel and a helical limited-slip differential, enhancing cornering performance. The Civic Si also had larger brakes, thicker suspension stabilizer bars, and a dual-pinion variable-ratio steering system. The car's driving modes adjusted throttle response and steering effort, and it was noted for its fun driving experience. However, the braking system showed signs of overheating during testing, which was a concern. The Civic Si achieved an average fuel efficiency of 29.5 mpg.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI used a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. It offered a six-speed manual transmission and a DSG seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GTI featured an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential and optional adaptive damping. The car was praised for its precise and stable driving experience, with a well-tuned suspension and linear powertrain response. The GTI was described as quiet and comfortable, making it suitable for daily driving. However, it lacked some excitement compared to other hot hatchbacks. The GTI was noted for its excellent balance between performance and practicality.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si offered practicality alongside performance. It featured sport-bolstered front seats and a manual transmission, with a roomy back seat providing ample legroom. The Civic Si had single-zone automatic climate control, heated exterior mirrors, and a power sunroof, but lacked heated front seats and rear-seat air conditioning vents. The car's cargo space was commendable at 14.4 cubic feet, with a 60/40-split folding back seat for longer items. However, entering and exiting the car required some effort due to its low stance.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI, with its hatchback body style, provided 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 34.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The GTI offered slightly more second-row headroom than its competitors but had less first-row headroom. It came with heated front seats, automatic climate control, and ambient lighting as standard. Higher trims added features like a sunroof, leather upholstery, and a 12-way power driver’s seat. However, the haptic controls for temperature and audio volume were criticized for hindering functionality.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The system was user-friendly, with physical controls for volume and tuning. The Civic Si's interior technology was simple yet satisfying, with easy pairing of devices and good audio quality.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI featured an 8.25-inch touchscreen on the base trim, with higher trims offering a 10-inch screen and additional features like Wi-Fi connectivity and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The infotainment system was generally user-friendly, though there was a delay in displaying satellite radio information. The GTI's Digital Cockpit Pro instrument cluster offered multiple configurations, but its design was criticized for not effectively conveying information. The GTI's technology was seen as chasing trends rather than focusing on driver-centric features.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. However, some features were found to be intrusive during testing. The Civic Si received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI had not yet received full crash test results from the IIHS or NHTSA at the time of writing. It came with standard safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The GTI also included Intelligent Crash Response and Emergency Assist for DSG-equipped models. Additional safety features were available, such as park distance control and traffic sign recognition.