Civic Hatchback Sport From a Golf Owner's Perspective

[turbo lover]

I have a 2010 Golf TDI that is affected by the Dieselgate fiasco and I'll probably sell it back to VW this summer. I'm looking for a non-VW hatch that gets good fuel economy and is also enjoyable to drive. I tried out a Civic Sport hatchback with the 6-speed transmission and was pretty impressed by it, it's a very nice car. I still need to try a Subaru Impreza and Mazda 3 and maybe the Elantra GT, but I think the Civic will end up being my choice. I like the combination of turbo torque and good fuel economy. Already tried the Toyota iM, it wasn't anything special.

Likes:

• Ride / handling balance is very good, feels like a slightly sportier Golf
• Good fuel economy on my test drive
• Comfortable driver's seat and driving position
• Transmission and clutch were easy to get used to
• The electric parking brake frees up room for a bigger storage area in the center console.

Dislikes:

• Back seat is good on paper, but kind of sucks in person. If I put my head against the headrests in the back seat in the Civic, my head brushes against the ceiling. This is despite very low rear seats. My butt is the only part of my body to touch the lower cushion, putting my feet on the floor angles my legs up so high that my thighs barely touch the seats. I'd prefer higher seats for more leg support, but then there would be no room for my head. Golf still wins big time here. Other hatchbacks with a more traditional hatchback shape may be better here too.
• Some cost cutting. No height adjustment for passenger seat, no auto up/down for rear windows, mini spare tire, no rear HVAC vents.

Misc:

• Touchscreen HVAC controls were annoying, but I'd probably get used to it in about a week and I won't give it a second thought after that
• More turbo lag than I expected, but not a big deal.
• Rev hang is present but can likely be adapted to without too much effort.
• I'd like LED headlights but don't need all the other stuff that the Sport Touring has. I'll likely get an HID kit.

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[derbo904]

Nice impression post! I am also a golf TDI refugee. I returned my 2012 Golf TDI w/ Tech package on Dec 3rd and been looking for a replacement. I really liked the hatch and 6spd but the manual doesn't have Apple Carplay/Android Auto which kind of bums me out.

 

[deliriousfoodie]

Accurate observation. If the Civic and the Golf got married and had kids, it would be one beautiful car; or if Honda remade the EK9 it would be ssuper sick.

 

[deliriousfoodie]

Actually, the second generation Type R EP3 would be admirable to Golf enthusiasts. The length is shorter than the Golf is.

 

[fletan]

Accurate observation. If the Civic and the Golf got married and had kids, it would be one beautiful car; or if Honda remade the EK9 it would be ssuper sick.


Nah I would not mix those two bloodlines, you'll end up with children who suffer from Habsburg Jaw a.k.a Audi Grill , Toyota seems to have been fooling around with the germans!

 

[CEXT]

Lol

 

[Stock_07]

Being a former mk7 golf tsi owner and driving a hatch with 1.5t and having a sedan myself.

Golf pros: Paint, quality of interior, stereo system, gauges (subjective), torque, steering wheel. Also if your into tuning APR stage 1 250hp and 280tq without changing nothing on the car

Cons: Size, everything is connect to the bcm (even open hood) and in my case 5 speed manual transmission gearing.

I needed more room and that's why the golf is gone. Don't like the jetta as it seems dated compared to the civic.

 

[Draken187]

I have a 2010 Golf TDI that is affected by the Dieselgate fiasco and I'll probably sell it back to VW this summer. I'm looking for a non-VW hatch that gets good fuel economy and is also enjoyable to drive. I tried out a Civic Sport hatchback with the 6-speed transmission and was pretty impressed by it, it's a very nice car. I still need to try a Subaru Impreza and Mazda 3 and maybe the Elantra GT, but I think the Civic will end up being my choice. I like the combination of turbo torque and good fuel economy. Already tried the Toyota iM, it wasn't anything special.

Likes:

• Ride / handling balance is very good, feels like a slightly sportier Golf
• Good fuel economy on my test drive
• Comfortable driver's seat and driving position
• Transmission and clutch were easy to get used to
• The electric parking brake frees up room for a bigger storage area in the center console.

Dislikes:

• Back seat is good on paper, but kind of sucks in person. If I put my head against the headrests in the back seat in the Civic, my head brushes against the ceiling. This is despite very low rear seats. My butt is the only part of my body to touch the lower cushion, putting my feet on the floor angles my legs up so high that my thighs barely touch the seats. I'd prefer higher seats for more leg support, but then there would be no room for my head. Golf still wins big time here. Other hatchbacks with a more traditional hatchback shape may be better here too.
• Some cost cutting. No height adjustment for passenger seat, no auto up/down for rear windows, mini spare tire, no rear HVAC vents.

Misc:

• Touchscreen HVAC controls were annoying, but I'd probably get used to it in about a week and I won't give it a second thought after that
• More turbo lag than I expected, but not a big deal.
• Rev hang is present but can likely be adapted to without too much effort.
• I'd like LED headlights but don't need all the other stuff that the Sport Touring has. I'll likely get an HID kit.

Just incase you didnt know. There is vents for the rear under the front seats.. And also owning a exl accord with vents also coming out of the to of the front armrest... It makes no difference.. The new civic is so sealed up to the air from the outside that the rear seats get warmer with just the floor vents than the accord does with the floor and front armrest vents.. Its crazy how hot this car can get in the passenger compartment conpared to other cars.. And yes you can have the rear vents i believe on the touring models heck they even have heated seats in the back... But loosing the manual trans would suck

 

[turbo lover]

Thanks! Sport Touring can be had with a manual in Canada, but it's so expensive compared to the Sport.

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