WhatTheFun
Knows some stuff
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I recently purchased a 2016 Honda Civic Touring with White Orchid Pear exterior and Black leather interior. My wife's car is an Audi A3 2.0T Quattro with Ibis White exterior and black leather interior. and the sports package (upgraded seats and suspension). Since Honda was benchmarking the A3 for the Civic development, I thought it would be beneficial to review how close they came.
Introduction post located here: http://www.civicx.com/threads/new-2016-touring-owner-intro.1039/
2016 Civic Sedan Touring
2015 Audi A3 2.0T Quattro w/sports package
I'll start with the item that initially struck me during the test drive, the new civic has an amazingly quiet interior, it feels on par with the A3 and it is miles ahead of my old civic. It was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I really think Acura needs to step up their game, this civic is that good. (I did test drive a TLX, but that info is for another post)
The second item that struck me was the exterior size, this new civic is massive. Sitting in the garage next to the A3, it is readily apparent that the civic is much larger than the A3. The spec sheets do not adequately describe the visual size and presence of the new civic. If they would have placed the "accord" badge on it, I would not have thought twice. I would guess the dimensions may be on par with some of the older generations of the accord. The way the body is shaped, the civic has more visual mass located higher on the car, almost giving it a broad shoulder look compared to the A3.
While the civic is very impressive, it still shows its economy car roots on the exterior. In comparison to the A3, the civics body panel gaps are larger and more inconsistent, more likely on par with the civic's direct competitors than the Audi. The A3's exterior fit and finish is just that much more precise. The panel gaps are the biggest "tell" that the Civic is not a premium German luxury brand.
The exterior door handles on the Audi are solid and seem a notch above the civic. Both the A3 and civic door handles perform the same functions for lock/unlock etc.. but the A3 can lock the doors by waiving your hand in proximity to the handle, the Civic has a button that requires pressing. In the end, not a big deal. It is great that they are on-par functionally.
As for the color, it is not so apparent in pictures but in real life the White Orchid Pearl has a more yellowish/pearl tint to it compared to the Ibis white. It is about as expected and if the cars were not next to each other, it would be difficult to tell.
The interiors of these, on the surface, seem to be taking the same path. Once you sit in them, the interior direction shows a dramatically different story. Both cars have black leather and are going for premium quiet experience. Beyond that, the A3 takes a very precise approach that I would equate to high end leather furniture. The seating surfaces are taught, many available adjustments (even lumbar!) that enable the driver to make the seat fit them. These are the sports seats (same ones found in the S3), so I do not have any comparison for the base A3 seats. The Civic seats, I would equate more to a La-Z-boy recliner in comparison. They don't have lumbar adjustment but it is not required. The seats are just naturally comfortable. For a long road trip I would actually prefer the civic's seats. My wife still prefers the Audi's seats. I guess that is a good thing. However, for any spirited driving, I would rather have the A3's sport seats.
Back seat room is no comparison, the Civic wins hands down. I can sit behind myself in the civic, I cannot in the A3. Did I mention HEATED REAR SEATS?! in a civic??? This is a clear win. Trunk space is also another dominating win for the Civic, that AWD system in the Audi eats up trunk room by having a higher floor position.
Another quick side note, the Civic seats can go lower, thus I have much more headroom than the A3. Being a tall guy, it was a nice surprise.
2016 Civic Touring Black Leather interior
2015 Audi A3 Interior with Sports seats
The technology between the two cars shows the vast difference between the Japanese/American approach and the German approach. Audi reserves the top technology for the top trim levels and makes sure your wallet is significantly lighter. Needless to say I did not opt for all the top tech in the A3, but it is certainly available (LED headlights, Active driver assistance aids, nav, etc..) No Apple CarPlay, however, until likely the 2017 model year. The Civic truly dominates this category, you can get every bit of tech that a top of the line A3 has for $20k less. This the main reason I purchased the Civic for an economical daily driver. I will give kudos to Audi for making the cool pop up screen, that has made many passengers "oooohh and ahhhh" when the car starts up.
2016 Civic Interior Tech
2015 A3 Interior Tech (does not have the MMI Tech package or adaptive cruise or CarPlay)
Finally, the driving experience. I will keep this relatively short and sweet. The 2.0T with AWD and a 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission is quicker and more fun to drive. Since I have not yet broken in the Civic I cannot give a full detail of the comparison at the dynamic limits of the vehicles. However, the CVT does dull the dynamic fun of the car. I don't think there is much hope that the Civic will win here.
As for highway driving, I think the Civic takes top honors. With the tech of adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, La-Z-Boy seat comfort, and an equally quiet cabin, this Civic has beat my expectations. For anyone on the fence BUY THE HONDA SENSING PACKAGE!!! for only $1,000, seriously?? I don't even see it as an option, especially for what it costs to get that functionality in the A3.
Fuel economy, while too early to report for the Civic, I will be benchmarking it against the A3 which can get 31-33mpg in the real world for long highway drives at higher than posted speed limits, you can tell they designed the A3 for the Autobahn. The outcome will largely depend on my exact driving route, weather, winter/summer gas, etc.. but I'll report back. My initial thoughts is that they will be nearly equivalent at the higher speeds but around town, the civic will win. Only time will tell...
In the end, I really do like both cars and they meet our needs amazingly well. The A3 is still a cut above, however, the fact that I can make this comparison at all is fantastic.
Update 12/14/2016: Forgot to mention the Mirrors! The civics mirrors are a great size. Excellent vision behind you. This is a complaint area on the A3, both the side mirrors and the rear-view mirror are tiny. The rear view mirror is so small it is almost comical.
Thanks for reading and let me know if there are any specifics where you would like more info.
Introduction post located here: http://www.civicx.com/threads/new-2016-touring-owner-intro.1039/
2016 Civic Sedan Touring
2015 Audi A3 2.0T Quattro w/sports package
I'll start with the item that initially struck me during the test drive, the new civic has an amazingly quiet interior, it feels on par with the A3 and it is miles ahead of my old civic. It was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I really think Acura needs to step up their game, this civic is that good. (I did test drive a TLX, but that info is for another post)
The second item that struck me was the exterior size, this new civic is massive. Sitting in the garage next to the A3, it is readily apparent that the civic is much larger than the A3. The spec sheets do not adequately describe the visual size and presence of the new civic. If they would have placed the "accord" badge on it, I would not have thought twice. I would guess the dimensions may be on par with some of the older generations of the accord. The way the body is shaped, the civic has more visual mass located higher on the car, almost giving it a broad shoulder look compared to the A3.
While the civic is very impressive, it still shows its economy car roots on the exterior. In comparison to the A3, the civics body panel gaps are larger and more inconsistent, more likely on par with the civic's direct competitors than the Audi. The A3's exterior fit and finish is just that much more precise. The panel gaps are the biggest "tell" that the Civic is not a premium German luxury brand.
The exterior door handles on the Audi are solid and seem a notch above the civic. Both the A3 and civic door handles perform the same functions for lock/unlock etc.. but the A3 can lock the doors by waiving your hand in proximity to the handle, the Civic has a button that requires pressing. In the end, not a big deal. It is great that they are on-par functionally.
As for the color, it is not so apparent in pictures but in real life the White Orchid Pearl has a more yellowish/pearl tint to it compared to the Ibis white. It is about as expected and if the cars were not next to each other, it would be difficult to tell.
The interiors of these, on the surface, seem to be taking the same path. Once you sit in them, the interior direction shows a dramatically different story. Both cars have black leather and are going for premium quiet experience. Beyond that, the A3 takes a very precise approach that I would equate to high end leather furniture. The seating surfaces are taught, many available adjustments (even lumbar!) that enable the driver to make the seat fit them. These are the sports seats (same ones found in the S3), so I do not have any comparison for the base A3 seats. The Civic seats, I would equate more to a La-Z-boy recliner in comparison. They don't have lumbar adjustment but it is not required. The seats are just naturally comfortable. For a long road trip I would actually prefer the civic's seats. My wife still prefers the Audi's seats. I guess that is a good thing. However, for any spirited driving, I would rather have the A3's sport seats.
Back seat room is no comparison, the Civic wins hands down. I can sit behind myself in the civic, I cannot in the A3. Did I mention HEATED REAR SEATS?! in a civic??? This is a clear win. Trunk space is also another dominating win for the Civic, that AWD system in the Audi eats up trunk room by having a higher floor position.
Another quick side note, the Civic seats can go lower, thus I have much more headroom than the A3. Being a tall guy, it was a nice surprise.
2016 Civic Touring Black Leather interior
2015 Audi A3 Interior with Sports seats
The technology between the two cars shows the vast difference between the Japanese/American approach and the German approach. Audi reserves the top technology for the top trim levels and makes sure your wallet is significantly lighter. Needless to say I did not opt for all the top tech in the A3, but it is certainly available (LED headlights, Active driver assistance aids, nav, etc..) No Apple CarPlay, however, until likely the 2017 model year. The Civic truly dominates this category, you can get every bit of tech that a top of the line A3 has for $20k less. This the main reason I purchased the Civic for an economical daily driver. I will give kudos to Audi for making the cool pop up screen, that has made many passengers "oooohh and ahhhh" when the car starts up.
2016 Civic Interior Tech
2015 A3 Interior Tech (does not have the MMI Tech package or adaptive cruise or CarPlay)
Finally, the driving experience. I will keep this relatively short and sweet. The 2.0T with AWD and a 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission is quicker and more fun to drive. Since I have not yet broken in the Civic I cannot give a full detail of the comparison at the dynamic limits of the vehicles. However, the CVT does dull the dynamic fun of the car. I don't think there is much hope that the Civic will win here.
As for highway driving, I think the Civic takes top honors. With the tech of adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, La-Z-Boy seat comfort, and an equally quiet cabin, this Civic has beat my expectations. For anyone on the fence BUY THE HONDA SENSING PACKAGE!!! for only $1,000, seriously?? I don't even see it as an option, especially for what it costs to get that functionality in the A3.
Fuel economy, while too early to report for the Civic, I will be benchmarking it against the A3 which can get 31-33mpg in the real world for long highway drives at higher than posted speed limits, you can tell they designed the A3 for the Autobahn. The outcome will largely depend on my exact driving route, weather, winter/summer gas, etc.. but I'll report back. My initial thoughts is that they will be nearly equivalent at the higher speeds but around town, the civic will win. Only time will tell...
In the end, I really do like both cars and they meet our needs amazingly well. The A3 is still a cut above, however, the fact that I can make this comparison at all is fantastic.
Update 12/14/2016: Forgot to mention the Mirrors! The civics mirrors are a great size. Excellent vision behind you. This is a complaint area on the A3, both the side mirrors and the rear-view mirror are tiny. The rear view mirror is so small it is almost comical.
Thanks for reading and let me know if there are any specifics where you would like more info.
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