VW Golf vs Honda Civic

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  thegraduate Member Posts: 9,731

  July 2008

  Can we rename this Rabbit vs Civic instead of Golf?

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  yardjass Member Posts: 1

  December 2010

  I have an automatic 1994 Civic EX with the 1.6 liter. I got 32 mpg average during combined highway and city driving last summer. With the AC on, it drops down to about 27 or 26 and these are the figures I typically get in the winter (you can't drive it without AC and heat in the winter or it fogs up). Note that this is the "sport" vtec engine for that model year, the same engine that they put in the Civic Si. I have heard of the regular ones, 1.5 L I think, getting over 40 highway and if you want a real shocker, check out the Del Sol and CRX mileage.
  
  Other thoughts on the car. Handling is amazing. It drives like a sports car even though it isn't. The power moonroof, locks, windows and all of that other stuff still works. I bought the car with 128,000 when I was 16 for $3,000. It now has 165,000 with under $500 worth of repairs the entire time I have owned it. This includes an O2 sensor that was bad when I bought it. It has been great but like a Honda, the road noise is annoying like any Honda. Anyway, that's just my experience and my take. No disrespect to VW. I am actually choosing between a new Golf and Civic right now.

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  sportflyer1 Member Posts: 13

  May 2011

  This was a real battle of the two cars, a 2012 civic LX and a 2011 Golf 4 door 2.5PZEV, both automatics. I was close to buying the civic as a second car, but the attitude of the Honda sales that they are doing you a favor by selling MSRP. not a couple of thousand over msrp, really sours the deal. I decided to test drive lots of othe alternatives, I used to own a 1992 Golf GTI 15 years ago, so I went and test drove a 2011 Golf 2.5. This car has trully grown up. It has the same interior as my 2006 C class mercedes and drives like it too. And they will sell it at invoice price. Brings it down to only $700 more than a Civic LX, but I get blue tooth w/c is not available on the Civic LX, the Golf just feels more car, and more value, the Civic a bit tinny. Tomorow afternoon, we are picking up the car, a shark blue metallic Golf 4 door PZEV

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  sportflyer1 Member Posts: 13

  May 2011

  We got the car last weekend, paid $100 over invoice, 2.9% for 60 months and I acutally got what I wanted for my old trade a 1996 Mercedes Benz C220. The Golf matches the ride of the C220 and also has better handling. The interior is Audi like, the 2.5 I-5 growls like a W203 Mercedes too.

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  ajomiii Member Posts: 2

  July 2012

  Hi,
  
  My 17 year son lives about 800 miles away from me. I am looking to get him a safe reliable car. Two possibilities are the Golf and the Civic. One think that I worry about is the size of the Golf and it's wheelbase only being 165in long; the passengers rear passengers seem really close to the rear bumper. Should I be concerned about this? Consumer reports doesn't seem to like the 2012 Civic too much this year; but it does get good safety ratings from IIHS and the NHTSA.
  
  Some (including some of the people who write for Edmunds) say that a mid-size car is the best choice (like an Accord). Consumer reports also says the TSX is a good choice for teens.
  
  He'd probably be just driving my car if he lived here, but he doesn't have access to one at this home at the moment.
  
  Any opinions or thoughts on these choices?
  
  Thanks
  Ajomiii

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  highdesert50 Member Posts: 3

  July 2013

  These are two very different vehicles. The VW is a hatch and will be way more useful when carrying larger objects than a sedan with a trunk. For example, with the rear seat folded, he will be able to fit his bike into the hatch. If you look at publications that track reliability, e.g. Consumer Reports, you will find the Golf and Civic are both above average in reliability. Typically the manual transmissions will be more reliable than the automatics and will reduce the cost of the vehicle by about a thousand dollars. Note that the 2.5 in the VW is a five cylinder engine and will probably not provide as good fuel economy as the Honda four, but will provide more performance. The VW interior is much more upscale than the Civic. And, when comparing the two, you will find the VW to be more capable and much quieter on the highway. As far as accidents are concerned, the real issue is accident avoidance so opt for the better handling car ... that is the one element you can control.

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