Civic LX coupe Roadshow shootout vs. Golf TSI S

silverrascal

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Just a few thoughts after seeing the video:

The base Golf is exactly that: base. plain Jane. Not much to see here. Pretty much the same shape since inception and in many ways that's cool but can also seem dated. The Civic on the other hand is obviously the contemporary. Styling-wise, the Civic won hands down.

The Golf does get some credit for having a little better tech than the Civic LX. The Golf nearly has as much tech as my EX-T but I don't believe it has LED running lamps nor does it have cameras for the back or lane mitigation. But the Golf is at least $2,000 less than the EX-T though. Golf by a smidgen.

The turbo on the Golf is nice (think EX-T). Has about the same performance numbers too. So motor-wise the VW has got that going for it. But, yeah, as an owner of a MkV GTI with about 120k repairs have become more frequent and costly. Civics, I would think in either engine platform, would be less hassle down the road (fingers crossed). Civic should take this one.

Handling is a tough one, but purely based on my GTI which has a slightly improved suspension and better wheels and tires, the GTI handles very sweetly though firmer ride. The Civic handles well but not with the precision of my GTI. It's gotta be the tires to some degree. Also on long trips, I really liked the ride of the GTI though I've found the Civic feels more dampened and comfortable. Toss up for me here since I know I can improve the handling on the Civic to some degree with suspension upgrades and tire and wheel upgrades.

The new GTIs are crazy expensive, IMO, and though you get nice power and performance it's not near the "bang for the buck" as the Civic is IMHO. Of course, the Si variant will be more inline with the GTIs so that comparison can be made then. But I'd think the Civic would probably still win in this category.
 

Gavnzdad

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I love my Coupe....the Golf is a turd.

You'll get the exact opposite answer on a VW forum. :dunno:

Seriously though, could they have made the Golf look anymore 1999?
 
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Slickone

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Handling is a tough one, but purely based on my GTI which has a slightly improved suspension and better wheels and tires, the GTI handles very sweetly though firmer ride. The Civic handles well but not with the precision of my GTI. It's gotta be the tires to some degree. Also on long trips, I really liked the ride of the GTI though I've found the Civic feels more dampened and comfortable. Toss up for me here since I know I can improve the handling on the Civic to some degree with suspension upgrades and tire and wheel upgrades.
MT said the 2015 Golf did .96g on the skidpad, which is very impressive. That equals/betters Corvettes until just over a decade ago when the C6 came out.
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/volkswagen/gti/2015/2015-volkswagen-golf-gti-first-test/
Would I own one? Nope.

C&D shows the Civic EX did .84g and Touring .82g (no, those aren't mistakenly swapped).
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-honda-civic-20l-cvt-test-review
 

Rawnerve1

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I could never bring myself to buy anything but Honda..
I would have to agree. I only had Honda`s since 98 civic dx coupe in dark green.

List of honda`s I had... all new.

1.98 coupe dx
2. 01 civic ex coupe
3.02 accord SE
4.03 accord V6 4dr
5.05 CRV SE
6. 07 fit sport
7. 08 civic LX
8. 2010 honda crv exl/nav still have 60k miles I bought a house and grew up and didnt trade in my cars as much.

Used 2003 civic ex 190k mother gave me it a few years back.

2016 touring 4dr hopefully next few.weeks.
 


David Harper

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looked at a new Golf before buying my Civic. couldn't believe how plain looking it is.And what's with the Sentra? Does Nissan have some problem with body styling? What's so hard about making a good looking body style? Same for the Corolla. No performance,no looks,no nothing. Looks like they've all decided to let Honda rule.
 

Troy Jollimore

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I'm not prejudiced one way or another. The new Golf is nice, and can easily be 'dressed up' to not look so plain. Like most Euro cars, it's a timeless look, that will be just as attractive another ten years down the road when you'll be looking at the CivicX and thinking, "That's SO 2016..." I REALLY wanted to like the GTI more than I did, but there was just something 'off' about it, no matter how well it drove. Combine that with the super-high price, and... Hello, Civic Touring!
 

carlson03

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Nice to see I got my EX-T for under $20k and they are saying an lx model :)
looked at a new Golf before buying my Civic. couldn't believe how plain looking it is.And what's with the Sentra? Does Nissan have some problem with body styling? What's so hard about making a good looking body style? Same for the Corolla. No performance,no looks,no nothing. Looks like they've all decided to let Honda rule.
The only other cars I test drove were Accords...my 06 Accord coupe was bulletproof for me, so Honda won me over...loved how my older Mercedes drove, but they needed work...with my accord, it was oil changes, that was about it! I love the looks of the civic, reminds me of my old coupe, and I love driving it!
 

SoichiroSan

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The Civic LX with a manual would probably be all the car I'd ever need, but the Si beckons. It'll be a sweet, sweet day when that f*cker finally makes its debut.
 

fretsurfing

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Just got an EXT 4 door sedan for the wife to do her school/market runs. I myself have the Mk7 GTI.

The Golf is surprisingly big inside. The Civic is a bit bigger, but the Golf based from the outside, I would never expect it to be that comfortably sufficient. The Golf is also easy to manouver in tight spaces. It's perfect for packed high density cities. Parking is a breeze. But here in TX, it does feel a bit small especially compared to the F250s and the Suburbans that can be found in abundance here.

I don't think it's fair to compare the equipment level, trim, electronics and performance of the Civic vs the Golf GTI. Apples to Oranges here.

What I can say is I didn't drive the GTI for 5 days when we got the Civic.

The Civic is sufficiently competent in an everyday setting. The boot's huge enough to put all the monthly groceries and then some. The ride is comfortable and compliant, so much so that our 6 year old son and 10 year old daughter prefers the Civic more than the GTI. The power is adequate to move about in the city and merging into highways. The controls and drivability is easy that my wife (who complained because I got her a Civic instead of a Mazda CX-5 or a Ford Escape) is happy enough with it. I thought the CVT did a good job, paired with the 1.5 turbo. Not to mention, the engine's pretty quiet. It feels a wee bit more upscale than its direct competitors, except the Elantra. But then it's a Honda. Reliable. Good resale value. Terrific bang for the buck.
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