Compare the2022 Acura ILXVS 2021 Honda Civic

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The ILX has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Civic doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the ILX’s optional cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Civic doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Acura ILX is safer than the Honda Civic:

	ILX	Civic
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	57/324 lbs.	192/350 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Acura ILX is safer than the Honda Civic:

	ILX	Civic
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	143 G’s	252 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	324	404
Spine Acceleration	64 G’s	68 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Acura ILX has a better fatality history. The ILX was involved in fatal accidents at a rate 20% lower per vehicle registered than the Civic, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Warranty

The ILX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Civic’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the ILX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Civic. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Civic ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the ILX second among small premium cars in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Civic isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 37 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

Engine

The ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 43 more horsepower (201 vs. 158) and 42 lbs.-ft. more torque (180 vs. 138) than the Civic Sedan’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (201 vs. 174) and 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (180 vs. 162) than the Civic’s optional 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 21 more horsepower (201 vs. 180) and 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (180 vs. 177) than the Civic Hatchback Sport/Sport Touring’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Acura ILX is faster than the Honda Civic (automatics tested):

	ILX	Civic Sedan	Civic turbo 4 cyl.
Zero to 60 MPH	6.6 sec	8.3 sec	6.8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.2 sec	22.6 sec	17.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7 sec	8.4 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.5 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	88 MPH	94 MPH
Top Speed	133 MPH	125 MPH	126 MPH

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the ILX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic:

	ILX	Civic
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.1 inches	10.2 inches

Tires and Wheels

The ILX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Civic LX’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ILX has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Civic LX.

Suspension and Handling

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

The ILX A-SPEC handles at .83 G’s, while the Civic Touring Sedan pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The ILX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Civic doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Cargo Capacity

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the ILX offers cargo security. The Civic’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the ILX. The Civic doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 21% lower rating, Honda is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the ILX, the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The Civic doesn’t offer a memory system.

The ILX’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Civic’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The ILX’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Civic LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The ILX’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Civic EX/EX-L/Touring.

When the ILX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Civic’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The ILX has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Civic EX/EX-L/Touring.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the ILX is less expensive to operate than the Civic because typical repairs cost less on the ILX than the Civic, including $16 less for a starter and $129 less for a timing belt/chain.