Compare the2023 Honda Civic SiVS 2023 Mercedes AMG CLA

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic Si are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Mercedes AMG CLA doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 AMG CLA 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 AMG CLA’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Civic Si’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the AMG CLA.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Civic Si the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The AMG CLA has not been tested, yet.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Civic Si 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the AMG CLA. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the AMG CLA ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Civic Si for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the AMG CLA.

There are almost 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Civic Si’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Civic Si’s reliability 34 points higher than the AMG CLA.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Mercedes.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 19 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Civic Si uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The AMG CLA requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 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 AMG CLA 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 Mercedes AMG CLA (3 to 5). This means the Civic Si produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the AMG CLA every 15,000 miles.

The Honda Civic Si may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the Mercedes AMG CLA.

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

The Civic Si has 7.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the AMG CLA (96.6 vs. 89).

The Civic Si has .5 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the AMG CLA.

The Civic Si has a much larger trunk than the AMG CLA (14.4 vs. 11.6 cubic feet).

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 AMG CLA 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 $10150 to $12520 less than the AMG CLA 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 AMG CLA only retains 43.32% to 43.79%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Civic Si will be $35164 to $43861 less than for the Mercedes AMG CLA.

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

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023 and 8 more times in the last 39 years. The AMG CLA has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2022 North American Car of the Year. The AMG CLA has never been chosen.

The Honda Civic outsold the Mercedes CLA by over 15 to one during 2022.