Compare the2023 Honda Civic SiVS 2023 Lexus IS

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Civic Si are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The IS doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic Si deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic Si’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The IS’ side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Civic Si’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 IS doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Civic Si and the IS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Civic Si for 1 year and 14,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the IS (2/24,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Civic Si’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Civic Si’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the IS’ camshafts. If the IS’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Si gets better mileage than the IS:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Civic Si uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The IS requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Civic Si has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The IS doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic Si higher (6 out of 10) than the Lexus IS (5). This means the Civic Si produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the IS every 15,000 miles.

The Civic Si offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The IS doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Civic Si stops shorter than the IS:

The Civic Si’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the IS 300’s standard 45 series tires.

The Civic Si handles at .97 G’s, while the IS 500 Performance pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Honda Civic Si may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 950 pounds less than the Lexus IS.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Civic Si has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The IS uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Civic Si a Mid-size car, while the IS is rated a Compact.

The Civic Si has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the IS (96.6 vs. 90.2).

The Civic Si has 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the IS.

The Civic Si has a much larger trunk than the IS (14.4 vs. 10.8 cubic feet).

The Civic Si’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 IS’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Civic Si has standard extendable sun visors. The IS doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Insurance will cost less for the Civic Si owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Civic Si will cost $2275 to $9825 less than the IS over a five-year period.

The Civic Si will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Civic Si will retain 53.1% to 53.47% of its original price after five years, while the IS only retains 44.72% to 48.44%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Civic Si will be $14588 to $48425 less than for the Lexus IS.

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

The Civic Sport was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 5 years. The IS has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Civic Si was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” for 2 of the last 26 years. The IS has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic Si as the 2016 North American Car of the Year. The IS has never been chosen.

The Honda Civic outsold the Lexus IS by almost 8 to one during the 2022 model year.