2019 Jetta GLI vs 2019 Civic Si

SichuanHot

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The GLI seems to be a great package but for the price and if 2 extra rear doors aren't needed, I'd go with the Mustang Ecoboost or V6 Camaro 1LE. They seem to get comparable fuel economy for a huge upgrade in power and drivetrain.
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VarmintCong

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This is on my short list to replace my Civic Sport hatch.
The GTI does feel nicer inside, but I need the bigger trunk of the Jetta, and 2" rear legroom is nice as well.
I like the Si sedan but don't fit very well in Civic with sunroofs. If I didn't use the car for work, I'd look long and hard at a Type R.
 

Konos44

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This is on my short list to replace my Civic Sport hatch.
The GTI does feel nicer inside, but I need the bigger trunk of the Jetta, and 2" rear legroom is nice as well.
I like the Si sedan but don't fit very well in Civic with sunroofs. If I didn't use the car for work, I'd look long and hard at a Type R.

I'm 6'1 and no issues with the sunroof. It was a HUGE concern of mine with the Si. The seat drops VERY low. That being said I did drive a GTI and it is a fantastic car. There's no comparison IMO with regards to interior and infotainment/stereo quality. That being said - being your northern neighbour from beyond the wall it was exactly $75/mnth more than my Si AND the dealership wanted $1500 down. The GLI would definitely have been closer - $50/mnth more I believe with the same money down (slightly better rate vs. the GTI). I honestly didn't think about it too much once I had all the numbers. An Si with a KTuner almost bridges the performance gap for what.... $800CDN? It also looks like a proper sport sedan vs the GLI that looks like a Jetta with sweet rims.
 

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I test drove the Jetta S a few weeks ago when we were considering trading my truck in (have since sold the truck but still looking for a replacement vehicle), and had also test drove the Civic Sport. Both manual transmissions. My biggest gripe really on the Jetta was how much more insurance would cost over the Civic, and this was the S model, not the sportier GLI model. One weird quirk about the volume knob in the VW; it has the power button in the middle and the power button rotates when you turn the knob.

The other issue with the Jetta is the resale value seems to not hold well at all. Just for grins I looked at the same Jetta S for trade in value had we already had it, a 2019 S and I put 2k miles. The trade in value was nearly $8k off the sticker. I know a new vehicle usually loses 25% of it's value once you drive it off the lot but that was a lot more. The Civic seems to hold its value better.

One thing I really like about the Civic is that for the most part they are built in the US. I believe all of the VW Jettas and Golfs are built in Mexico.
 

racer

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One thing I really like about the Civic is that for the most part they are built in the US. I believe all of the VW Jettas and Golfs are built in Mexico.
Except, Type-R and hatches come from England. My US Si is from Canada. And then engines are sourced globally etc etc.
Mexico has been building US consumption VW's for 25+ years. They've built over 12 million cars in Mexico and is their largest plant besides Wolfsburg in Germany. Ford, FCA, Chevy, HONDA, Nissan, Audi, Kia/Hyndai, Mazda and Toyota all build cars in Mexico. Cars are global, no matter the brand or ultimate point of assembly. And unless you buy a from a company based in America, you are just sending your money abroad for profits, even if it benefits the local worker.

This generation Jetta finally uses the MQB chassis which is a huge player in the VW family of cars underpinning (VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda) and is very much improved over the previous generation Jetta that was cheapened up /dulled down and was only sold in the US.

Here is an article of the brands/models made in Mexico that were sold in the US.
https://mexico-now.com/index.php/ar...de-cars-ended-up-in-the-us-market-during-2018
 


ebatr24

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Having driven the GLI, I can definitely confirm that it is a great car. I am sure there will be a lot of bias on this forum, but at the $28k MSRP it is in a really good middle ground. I feel like it almost is more competitive with the Accord though because of it's size. It definitely has a great pull, since it is the same platform as the GTI that car will make loads of power with aftermarket parts and is quite comfortable. It can look a little generic from the rear though and the oem wheels are quite atrocious.
 
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CivicNovice

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I thought just the Type-R was built in the UK and the other hatches were built in either the US or Canada but I just took a look at a couple and I stand corrected. The only thing the HB Sport lacks that I'd want is Apple CarPlay.

Don't get me wrong, the Jetta S even drove well and the clutch was light and the manual shifting was sporty, though it's not a short throw shifter.
 

Design

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Great car when it runs, a nightmare when it doesn't. All cars break. But VW's design architecture makes the GLI/GTI a real pain (comparatively) to work on.

It was the primary reason I passed it up for the Si.
 

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I have had my eyes on the GLI from the moment it came out, but I'm definitely concerned about reliability issues. Ironically, my 2016 Jetta has been almost perfect to date (45K miles), but I knew that model with the 1.8 had all the kinks out for a few years before I bought it. If VW's reliability record was better overall I'd be more tempted to jump. And now we know that for 2020 VW is reducing their warranty from 72K to 50K. Apparently they are allocating the money to 2 years free maintenance, targeting the leasing rather than the purchasing market.
 

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I'm leaning more toward GTI than GLI now, having read about all the little cost cutting things they did to the GLI (removed rear vents, extending center armrest, glove compartment light, secret compartment under the seat etc etc). When the GTI is going for $5k off it's only $3k more than the GLI - but now GLI Autobahns are going for $26k. Damn that's tempting. 2020 GLI Autobahn gets DCC and wireless charging but loses the 6 year warranty.

I will definitely test drive an Si though, just wish it was a hatchback.
 


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I'm leaning more toward GTI than GLI now, having read about all the little cost cutting things they did to the GLI (removed rear vents, extending center armrest, glove compartment light, secret compartment under the seat etc etc). When the GTI is going for $5k off it's only $3k more than the GLI - but now GLI Autobahns are going for $26k. Damn that's tempting. 2020 GLI Autobahn gets DCC and wireless charging but loses the 6 year warranty.

I will definitely test drive an Si though, just wish it was a hatchback.
I don't know how tall you are but I wanted a GTI but couldn't get over how cramped it felt inside compared to the Civic.
 

VarmintCong

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I don't know how tall you are but I wanted a GTI but couldn't get over how cramped it felt inside compared to the Civic.
I'm 6'2" - GTI has more headroom and more importantly more legroom, so I don't have to bend my knees as much while driving. The seat is much more snug, that's for sure. It's more of a cockpit feel than Civic.

Back seat is tight compared to the Civic sedan, which I think has more rear legroom than Civic hatchback.
 

Line/Breaker

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After driving both over the summer and talking to a lot of mechanics, I decided to pass on the VW -- great car to lease, but maybe not to own. Dealership-only service, expensive parts.
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