With the seemingly endless rise of SUVs and crossovers, the sports sedan market isn't as big as it used to be. Two veteran players of the segment are Honda and Subaru, and for 2022 they've both released new versions of their bestselling models. The 2022 Civic Si and WRX respectively are significant overhauls from their previous generations, and they both prove that the sports sedan market is far from dead yet. The question for many buyers though, is how do the two cars stack up against each other?
Well, the best way to answer that is to compare each key aspect of the two directly against each other. A 2022 sports sedan needs to get a lot of things right, as it needs to be fun to drive and quick enough to impress, yet economical and practical enough to be a good daily driver. The Civic Si and WRX both do a great job of striking that balance, but they both offer their own individual plus points and drawbacks. Let's take a look at the two cars in more detail to see why.
11 The WRX Wins On Power
Immediately upon looking at the spec sheets of the Civic Si and the WRX, differences become clear. The Si comes with a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 200 hp, while the WRX features a 2.4L four-cylinder that makes 271 horses.
Buyers might think that, given the difference in horsepower, the WRX will feel significantly faster to drive, but that's not the case. Sure, it's a little quicker off the line, but the Honda can keep up on twistier roads and most drivers won't notice the difference in power.
10 Don't Underestimate The Civic Si's Handling
Part of the reason that the Civic Si's power deficit isn't an issue is that its handling is top-notch. It feels surprisingly refined for a car in its price bracket, and its suspension setup feels equally comfortable cruising the highway or for more spirited driving.
The WRX's setup is definitely an improvement over the outgoing model, but it still doesn't offer the smoothness of some of the other cars in its class. Subaru has taken care to add as much refinement as possible to the 2022 car, but its rally roots still show through, and sometimes it can feel unsettled on rougher roads.
9 Both Get New Styling
Both the Civic Si and the WRX have seen styling updates for 2022, with the Si looking very similar to the new regular Civic and the WRX sharing much of its styling with Subaru's other models. Both cars look modern and sporty, but neither car really stands out as being particularly good-looking over the other one.
It's far to say that the new designs are primarily evolutions rather than revolutions, but that's no bad thing. A complaint that some buyers may have with the Civic Si is that it doesn't do much to visually differentiate itself from the standard Civic, whereas the WRX has no "non-sporty" variant and so doesn't have that issue yet provoked quite a lot of hate with its plastic fender flares.
8 Both Have Great Interiors
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Honda's interiors are usually ergonomic but never exciting, and the Civic Si does little to change that. The Si's interior looks more noticeably different from the standard car than its exterior does; red-stitched seats and prominent Si branding are hard to ignore.
In the past, Subaru has attracted criticism for the WRX's interior, but the new generation goes a long way to fixing that. It's no longer the bare bones, cheap-feeling cabin it once was, and it's really very much comparable to the Civic Si. Like the Si, there's red contrast stitching around the cabin, including on the optional Recaro front seats.
7 Honda Has A Slightly Better Infotainment (But Smaller Screen)
Part of a sports sedan's appeal is it has to balance being a fun car to drive and also being practical, and the infotainment setup is a key part of the latter requirement. Both cars offer a similar setup in this respect, with the industry-standard center-mounted touchscreen being the primary means of control.
Both cars come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there are options for audiophiles too. The Civic Si comes with a 12-speaker Bose audio system as standard, whereas the WRX's 11-speaker Harman Kardon setup is an optional extra.
6 Safety
No one wants to daily drive an unsafe car, and both the Civic Si and the WRX come with good crash ratings and industry-standard assistance features. The WRX offers features like forward collision warning, lane assist, and adaptive cruise control.
However, it's worth noting that some of these features are only offered on automatic transmission WRX models.The Si also features a similar suite of features, carried over from the package that's available on the standard 2022 Civic.
5 The Civic Si Is Miles Ahead In Fuel Economy
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Gas prices only ever seem to be going up at the moment, so it's more important than ever to consider the running cost of a new car before buying it. The Civic Si boasts strong EPA ratings, with 27 mpg city and 37 mpg highway, no surprise really given its small 1.5L engine.
The 2022 WRX hasn't been rated by the EPA yet, but it can be safely assumed that it will be the less economical of the two. How much by, though, is unknown for now. The 2021 WRX saw a rating of 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, so expect similar figures for the 2022 car.
4 The Civic Si Is At Least $2,000 Cheaper
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The Honda Civic Si starts at $28,315 for 2022, making it one of the cheapest sports sedans on the market. Pricing for the 2022 WRX hasn't been officially released yet, but estimates are putting its MSRP around the $30,000 mark, marginally more expensive than the Si.
Until definite pricing is announced for the WRX it's impossible to say which car offers better value, but both seem to be a good deal compared to other cars in the segment. Most rivals start around the $32,000 mark, so both the WRX and the Civic Si will undercut them.
3 Both Have Good Warranty Systems
Warranties can be a great way for a manufacturer to display its confidence in the build quality of its cars, but neither Honda nor Subaru have been willing to push the boundaries here. Instead, they both offer the industry standard warranty of three years or 36,000 miles.
The powertrain on both cars is covered for five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. There's no complimentary maintenance available for either, but considering how hard some buyers like to push their Civics and WRXs, that makes sense.
2 Other Rivals
The Civic and the WRX might be the two most famous sports sedans on sale right now, but buyers in the market for a new car should also consider their rivals. The Hyundai Elantra N is a relatively new entry to the segment but has quickly proved it can hang with the big guns, delivering on both power and handling.
The VW Jetta GLI is also worth considering, as it offers a surprisingly upscale interior for its price, and it's great fun to drive, too. Still, even with other options out there, most buyers will want to go with either the Civic Si or the WRX, and as we've seen here, both cars are great options even if they both have their individual flaws.
1 Conclusion
Both the new WRX and the Civic Si offer entirely revamped styling, all the bells and whistles of a modern car, and great warranties. But, while the WRX provides that proven recipe of AWD plus turbocharged power, the Civic Si offers something rather unique: a fun and practical sports sedan that doesn't break the bank. Sure, it may not be as quick as its competitors, but the precise steering combined with an incredible short-shifter guarantees a fun driving experience.
The choice between the two will largely come down to whether the buyer prefers that extra bit of practicality of the Civic Si (namely the fuel efficiency) over the WRX's extra 71 horsepower and also whether the extremely fun driving dynamics and satisfying gear shifter in the Civic are really enough to put a smile on your face even without all the extra horsepower.