Compare the2020 Hyundai VelosterVS 2020 Honda Civic Si

To help make backing safer, the Veloster Premium/R-Spec/Turbo’s cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Veloster (except N)’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Veloster and the Civic Si have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems and blind spot warning systems.

The Veloster comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Civic Si’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Veloster 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Civic Si. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Civic Si ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Veloster’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Civic Si’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Veloster for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Civic Si.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Veloster has a standard 550-amp battery. The Civic Si’s 500-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Veloster second among compact sporty cars in their 2019 Initial Quality Study. The Civic Si isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in reliability, above the industry average. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ December 2019 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 6 places higher in reliability than Honda.

The Veloster N’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (250 vs. 205) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 192) than the Civic Si’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Veloster N’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 70 more horsepower (275 vs. 205) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 192) than the Civic Si’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Veloster Turbo/R-Spec 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda Civic Si (manual transmissions tested):

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Veloster uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Civic Si requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Veloster offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

The Veloster offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an SMG.

The Hyundai Veloster N manual has a downshift rev synchronizer that automatically raises engine speed to make downshifts perfectly smooth. This keeps the car from lurching during downshifts, preventing loss of control during cornering. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a downshift rev synchronizer.

For better stopping power the Veloster N’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic Si:

The Veloster N’s optional front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Civic Si are solid, not vented.

The Veloster stops much shorter than the Civic Si:

The Veloster Premium/R-Spec has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Civic Si; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Veloster has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Civic Si’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better maneuverability, the Veloster’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Civic Si’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.8 feet).

The Veloster is 10.4 inches shorter than the Civic Si Coupe, making the Veloster easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Veloster N is quieter than the Civic Si Coupe (81 vs. 84 dB).

The Veloster has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more rear headroom and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Civic Si Coupe.

The Veloster has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Civic Si Coupe (19.9 vs. 11.9 cubic feet).

The Veloster Premium/R-Spec/Turbo/Turbo Ultimate/N Auto has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Veloster Turbo Ultimate has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Veloster and the Civic Si have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Veloster is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Civic Si prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Veloster Turbo Ultimate’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Civic Si’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Veloster has a standard rear wiper. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Veloster Turbo Ultimate’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Civic Si’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Veloster Premium/Turbo/Turbo Ultimate has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Civic Si doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the Veloster owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Veloster with a number “3” insurance rate while the Civic Si is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Veloster is less expensive to operate than the Civic Si because typical repairs cost much less on the Veloster than the Civic Si, including $7 less for a water pump, $275 less for a starter, $23 less for fuel injection, $96 less for a fuel pump and $206 less for a timing belt/chain.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Veloster and the Honda Civic Si, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Veloster second among compact sporty cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Civic Si isn’t in the top three.

The Veloster N was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2019. The Civic hasn’t been picked since 2017.