Compare the2024 Honda Civic SiVS 2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic Si have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Jetta GLI doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

With its standard Collision Mitigation Braking System, the Honda Civic Si is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Civic Si	Jetta GLI
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-12 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	-22 MPH	-18 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	-21 MPH	-18 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	2 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-18 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.1 sec	No Warning

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Civic Si and the Jetta GLI have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Honda Civic Si is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI:

	Civic Si	Jetta GLI
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	31.7%
Neck Stress	241 lbs.	354 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	58 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	41.6%
Neck Compression	61 lbs.	141 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Civic Si is much safer than the Jetta GLI:

	Civic Si	Jetta GLI
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD

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 Honda Civic Si is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI:

	Civic Si	Jetta GLI
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	286 lbs.	317 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	268	306
Hip Force	516 lbs.	554 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda Civic Si is safer than the Jetta GLI:

	Civic Si	Jetta GLI
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	205	226
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Deflection Rate	10 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis Force	1138 lbs.	1182 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	162	274
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.89 in	1.97 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.61 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	1049 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Civic Si, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 3.6% less likely to roll over than the Jetta GLI, which received a four-star rating.

Warranty

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

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

There are over 65 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.

Reliability

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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 22 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Civic Si
	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
Jetta GLI
	Manual	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/35 hwy
	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/36 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a downshift rev synchronizer.

Brakes and Stopping

The Civic Si stops much shorter than the Jetta GLI:

	Civic Si	Jetta GLI
70 to 0 MPH	156 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic Si has larger tires than the Jetta GLI (235/40R18 vs. 225/45R18).

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 Jetta GLI’s standard 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic Si’s wheelbase is 2.1 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (107.7 inches vs. 105.6 inches).

The Civic Si handles at .97 G’s, while the Jetta GLI Autobahn pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Honda Civic Si may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

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 Jetta GLI uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

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

The Civic Si has 2.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta GLI (96.6 vs. 93.9).

The Civic Si has 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

Cargo Capacity

The Civic Si has a larger trunk than the Jetta GLI (14.4 vs. 14.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

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 Jetta GLI can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

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 Jetta GLI’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Civic Si owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Civic Si will cost $1045 to $1170 less than the Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI only retains 51.86% to 52.14%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Civic Si will be $4075 to $4975 less than for the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

Recommendations

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

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its March 2022 issue and they ranked the Honda Civic Si higher than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn.

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 9 more times in the last 40 years. The Jetta GLI hasn’t been picked since 2021, and the Jetta GLI has only been chosen twice.

The Honda Civic outsold the Volkswagen Jetta by over four to one during 2023.

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