Honda Civic SI or VW Golf GTI

[EKaru]

[Fined]

I'll take 'unplanned hole in the head' for 100, alex.

[AZGolf]

Not too surprising. The GTI, especially at a significantly higher price point and equipment level, is simply the higher end car. It also sounds like Honda still needs to put a good deal of work into their electric power steering, as that was one of their big complaints for sure.

[VarianceVQ]

Those "Vehicle" category scores are absolutely screwy. The vastly more expensive, almost an Autobahn GTI is better equipped than the Si? Do tell. The Si gets just a 1 in cargo space? Jesus, it has a trunk with folding seats. It's not an MR2.

[Herb F. Gildersleeve]

Pointlessness of the measurements aside, the looks of the Golf win it for most voters I'd imagine, because the Honda is busy. It might grow on me with time, I've hankered after the hatchback sport model, yet I can't get over the jumbled mess that is the exterior. I really enjoy the interior though because it has the sturdy utilitarian feeling of a Honda, without the tacked on screen BS of so many new cars or the over luxe feeling of the GTI which I personally don't care for.

Now those things aside, I'd own the VW for the warranty period or lease it. I'd own the Honda indefinitely, so I voted for the Civic.

[GTI 20v]

I'll take 'unplanned hole in the head' for 100, alex.

Know how I know you're not a car enthusiast?

[Fined]

Know how I know you're not a car enthusiast?

Funny thing about me not caring what you think.

[6cylVWguy]

Wow, that GTI is expensive. I could never spend north of $30k on any GTI, none of the features make it worth it to me. I'm at about $25k if I was going in to the dealer. If that gets me the performance features of the "S", HIDs, and the cloth seats (of course!), I'd take it over the Civic all day long. But given the actual comparison at hand, I'd have to go with the Si. Having written all of that, I'd rather spend a little more on the GTI (if it's possible) to get the nicer daily. If I was concerned about trackability, I'd go right for the Type R without considering the GTI or a Golf R.

[Stevo12]

Maybe I haven't checked performance car magazine stats in a while, but these cars are pulling almost 1g on the skidpad on more-than-200 TW street tires? Pretty goddamn impressive.

[JettaMobile]

Voted with my wallet and bought a 2018 GTI SE 6M Great Falls Green over plaid. Perfect amount of tech for me. Love it so far.

[thunderbird1100]

Over 30 grand for a GTi is looney tunes. Cant believe they even have trims that expensive now...right until you look up an Autobahn stickering for $36k

A Civic Type-R has only a $2k higher MSRP than that MID-trim level GTi and $2k LESS MSRP than that TOP-trim level GTi

[EKaru]

Wow, that GTI is expensive. I could never spend north of $30k on any GTI, none of the features make it worth it to me. I'm at about $25k if I was going in to the dealer. If that gets me the performance features of the "S", HIDs, and the cloth seats (of course!), I'd take it over the Civic all day long. But given the actual comparison at hand, I'd have to go with the Si. Having written all of that, I'd rather spend a little more on the GTI (if it's possible) to get the nicer daily. If I was concerned about trackability, I'd go right for the Type R without considering the GTI or a Golf R.

From what I've heard, they are heavily discounted and buyers aren't paying anywhere near sticker for the GTIs these days.

[GTI 20v]

Funny thing about me not caring what you think.

Your reply says otherwise.

[GTI 20v]

From what I've heard, they are heavily discounted and buyers aren't paying anywhere near sticker for the GTIs these days.

This is correct. My GTI SE stickered around $32k, got it for $28k.

[SchnellFowVay]

In my mind, these aren't even comparable cars.

The GTI is a whole price point above the SI. However, when you factor in the massive discounts on GTIs, maybe they are close.

For me, with the current least specials, I will take the new Civic Si for $229/month for 36 months with $2,400 down (or rolled into the monthly). It nails all the important things for me in a sport DD (manual, sunroof, upgraded stereo), and it has nothing extraneous. It's reliable, quick, handles well, etc.

Although the Mk7 GTI is a superb car by anyone's measurements. You can't really go wrong with either car.

[JettaMobile]

From what I've heard, they are heavily discounted and buyers aren't paying anywhere near sticker for the GTIs these days.

This is 100% true.

[Dirty Hatch]

The Civic Si and GTI have always been one of my favorite cars to drive. To me, it's whatever version looks the best, as they're performance difference is so similar for the everyday driver to even notice. A more fair comparison would have been the GTI S with the SI, as they're priced the same. Personally, I would take a Green GTI S over the current Si, but if Honda would fix the awkward looking front and rear and offer the Si in the hatch, I would be flipping a coin.

[Hostile]

I'll take 'unplanned hole in the head' for 100, alex.

You're so edgy and cool in your Porsche.

[Mike!]

I swear we've had this poll last year, I couldn't vote then and can't now. They're different cars, at different price points, with different bodystyles. The GTI's the "better" car, and I'd buy a hatchback but not a sedan, but the Si is more affordable and makes plenty of sense to choose for people not as picky about trunks.

[VarianceVQ]

I swear we've had this poll last year...

We did. I should know:

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...vs-FC-Civic-Si

[racerpoet]

You're so edgy and cool in your Porsche.

You sure it's not the bimmer side?

[Just another GTI]

If the Civic wasn't so fugly then it would have been considered.

[lowlight]

So the best driving car looses again?

C&D really knows its audience.

Oh, and when did a GTI begin to cost >30K?!

Si with a ~7K savings isn't nothing. Maybe Type R vs GTI?

[SchnellFowVay]

So the best driving car looses again?

C&D really knows its audience.

Oh, and when did a GTI begin to cost >30K?!

Si with a ~7K savings isn't nothing. Maybe Type R vs GTI?

So you're not really being entirely fair.

That's a GTI "SE," which costs more. And the average GTI discount (at least in 2016 and 2017) was $3k-5k.

So a base GTI S which had a retail price of $26k could be had for $22k on a good day.

The base Si, at $24k, is pretty firm. Some dealers will give $500 or $1000 off, but that's about it.

So as I mentioned, above, its a closer compare than I would have initially thought.

[SchnellFowVay]

From what I've heard, they are heavily discounted and buyers aren't paying anywhere near sticker for the GTIs these days.

That was the case with 2017's. The 2018 GTI and Golf R have much less generous incentives, and currently, dealers are not budging much on GTIs, and not budging at all on Golf Rs.

This may change in 3-6 months, though.