Compare the2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLIVS 2024 Honda Civic Si

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Jetta GLI has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Jetta GLI has standard Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Civic Si doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Jetta GLI and Civic Si have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Jetta GLI has Rear Traffic Alert (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Civic Si’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

The Jetta GLI has standard Car-Net, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Jetta GLI 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, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Jetta GLI	Civic Si
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	315	444
Neck Stress	152 lbs.	189 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	308/63 lbs.	275/164 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Jetta GLI is safer than the Honda Civic Si:

	Jetta GLI	Civic Si
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	195
Abdominal Force	188 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	79 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	239	260
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	627 lbs.	805 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Jetta GLI comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Civic Si’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

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

Reliability

The Volkswagen Jetta GLI’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Civic Si’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Jetta GLI has a standard 540-amp battery. The Civic Si’s 500-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 13 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Honda.

Engine

The Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (228 vs. 200) and 66 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 192) than the Civic Si’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen Jetta GLI is faster than the Honda Civic Si (manual transmissions tested):

	Jetta GLI	Civic Si
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	6.8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	14.6 sec	16.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	94 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Jetta GLI Automatic’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Jetta GLI higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Civic Si (6). This means the Jetta GLI produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Civic Si every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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

The Jetta GLI offers an optional 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.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Jetta GLI	Civic Si
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	11.1 inches

The Jetta GLI’s standard 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.

Tires and Wheels

The Jetta GLI 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.

Suspension and Handling

The Jetta GLI 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.

The Jetta GLI has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Civic Si’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Jetta GLI’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58.6% to 41.4%) than the Civic Si’s (60.6% to 39.4%). This gives the Jetta GLI more stable handling and braking.

The Jetta GLI handles at .95 G’s, while the Civic Si pulls only .94 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Jetta GLI’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Civic Si’s (36.7 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Passenger Space

The Jetta GLI has .9 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more rear headroom and 2.5 inches more rear hip room than the Civic Si.

Ergonomics

The Jetta GLI Autobahn Automatic 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 Civic Si doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When three different drivers share the Jetta GLI, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a memory system.

The power windows standard on both the Jetta GLI and the Civic Si have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Civic Si’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Jetta GLI the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Civic Si can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Jetta GLI’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 Si’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Jetta GLI’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Civic Si’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Jetta GLI has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Civic Si doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the Jetta GLI is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Civic Si’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Jetta GLI’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Civic Si doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Jetta GLI has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Civic Si.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Jetta GLI Autobahn keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Civic Si doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Jetta GLI Autobahn’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Jetta GLI’s 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. The Civic Si doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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