Compare the2024 Honda Civic SiVS 2023 Volkswagen Golf R

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 Golf R doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda Civic Si has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Golf R doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

Both the Civic Si and the Golf R have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 54 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Golf R has not been fully tested, yet.

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

The Civic Si’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Golf R’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 67 percent more Honda dealers than there are Volkswagen 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 38 points higher than the Golf R.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 59 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 18 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

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

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 Golf R 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 Volkswagen Golf R (5). This means the Civic Si produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Golf R every 15,000 miles.

The Honda Civic Si 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 Golf R doesn’t offer a downshift rev synchronizer.

The Civic Si stops shorter than the Golf R:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic Si’s wheelbase is 4.2 inches longer than on the Golf R (107.7 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Civic Si is 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Golf R.

The Civic Si handles at .97 G’s, while the Golf R pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Civic Si’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Golf R’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

The Honda Civic Si may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Volkswagen Golf R.

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 Golf R 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 Golf R is rated a Compact.

The Civic Si has 4.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Golf R (96.6 vs. 91.9).

The Civic Si has 1.1 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Golf R.

On a hot day the Civic Si’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Golf R can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Civic Si’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Golf R’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 Golf R hasn’t been picked since 2021.

The Honda Civic outsold the Volkswagen Golf/GTI by almost 16 to one during 2022.