Compare the2024 Honda Civic SiVS 2024 Audi S4

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 S4 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 S4’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Civic Si has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the S4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Civic Si has standard Cross Traffic Monitor, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the S4.

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 S4 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Civic Si and the S4 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, 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 and rearview cameras.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Civic Si 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the S4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the S4 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Civic Si for 2 years or 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the S4.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Audi 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 15 points higher than the S4.

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 14 places higher in reliability than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Si gets better fuel mileage than the S4 (27 city/37 hwy vs. 21 city/29 hwy).

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 S4 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 Audi S4 (5). This means the Civic Si produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the S4 every 15,000 miles.

The Civic Si offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The S4 doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Civic Si stops shorter than the S4:

The Civic Si handles at .97 G’s, while the S4 Prestige pulls only .95 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 900 pounds less than the Audi S4.

The Civic Si is 3.5 inches shorter than the S4, making the Civic Si easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 S4 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 S4 is rated a Compact.

The Civic Si has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S4 (96.6 vs. 92).

The Civic Si has .3 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the S4.

The Civic Si has a much larger trunk than the S4 (14.4 vs. 12 cubic feet).

The Civic Si’s standard Smart Entry allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Engine Start/Stop standard on the S4 only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

Insurance will cost less for the Civic Si owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Civic Si will cost $5155 to $6925 less than the S4 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 60.14% of its original price after five years, while the S4 only retains 54.86% to 55.98%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Civic Si will be $27632 to $35357 less than for the Audi S4.

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 2024 and 9 more times in the last 40 years. The S4 has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Civic outsold the Audi A4/S4 by almost 15 to one during 2023.