Being overseen as entry-level cars, automakers like Honda or Volkswagen can be hardly recognized as racing or luxury cars - however, both manufacturers gave birth to some of the most iconic performance badges that brought life to a whole new era of tuning cars. The Civic Type R and Golf GTI are well recognized over the years for their fun-to-drive dynamics and tons of tuning potential without breaking the bank.
There are now a lot more on offer when it comes to performance sedans from both Honda and VW. Here we will take a brief look at the current two entry-level performance sedans offered by Honda and Volkswagen and determine which is better at what and why.
Paper Stats And Engine Technology: Both Use Turbocharging But What’s Better?
Getting straight to what’s the most important aspect when considering a “fun to drive” daily driver - the engine, horses, and turbo lag. Starting things off with the Civic Si, it's powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that produces a hearty 200 horsepower. This is 5 horses less from the last-gen Civic Si but Honda promises better performance based on the quicker response at the top of the rev range between the 6,000 rpm and 6,500 rpm redline.
The Volkswagen Jetta GLI is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine responsible for producing 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Additional data for peak horsepower are not available yet. The backbone of this engine is the powerful turbocharger that flows 18 pounds of boost to the intake. Turbocharging is a very popular technology used among Volkswagen/Audi TSI/TFSI engines. Peak torque is achieved at 2,000rpm for the Volkswagen Golf GTI which uses the same engine as the Jetta GLI, unless we see an update from Volkswagen, the Civic can punch those horses quicker, just at 1,800 rpm to reach peak torque.
What’s The Nicer Ride?
Another very important aspect of choosing between the Jetta GLI and Honda Civic Si is what design suits you. Both are super nice performance sedans but we have to award points to the Jetta for the way it looks. All newly released Volkswagen cars now wear the new VW logo along with that new interior dashboard, new center console, and new instrument cluster used in all Volkswagen lineup cars, the Jetta being no different.
The Civic Si features sport seats and extra details like red stitching across the gear knob, steering wheel, a red stripe across the dashboard which matches the vibe of a sports sedan and differentiates the Si from the base model but that still keeps the competition far away from the Jetta GLI.
The subtle and sharp lines build up to two really nice-looking cars. The Jetta GLI is distinctive thanks to the aggressive and sharp-looking headlights that meet with the honeycomb grille and the red GLI stripe. We think that if it would be a Civic hatchback competing against the GLI, the Honda would be the nicer ride all day long.
Driving Dynamics And Limited Slip Differential
To handle all the rotational force produced by the powerful engines both cars use limited-slip differentials which improves steering precision and allows the driver to accelerate out of a corner sooner. This is not the first time Volkswagen or Honda brings a limited-slip differential to their models and both of them work very efficiently to support superb driving dynamics.
Volkswagen uses the VAQ limited-slip differential and pairs it with the XDS Cross Differential System. It doesn’t simply break to reduce the speed of the wheel that loses traction - this wears out your brakes too soon, so, instead, it uses a set of mechanisms that pushes a clutch to spread more or less torque to the wheel and allocate the rest of the power to the wheel with the better traction.
The Honda Civic Si on the other hand uses a Helical Limited-Slip Differential. This is a very common type of LSD that requires little to no maintenance as the moving parts are gears and not clutches just like the Volkswagen VAQ system. The problem is if you are really up for some fun the Jetta’s VAQ will set you out of corners sooner and provide better traction compared to the conventional Helical LSD. If you are thinking about having a regular daily driver with a bit of burnout fun on the weekends the Jetta GLI is the best option, but being more sophisticated it will also require expensive maintenance and you might turn around to Honda Civic Si in that case.
Both cars come packed with active adaptive dampers which are a key feature to the agile driving dynamics of both cars. The Jetta GLI comes fully loaded for the 2022 model year as DDC was not available in the previous years unless you would choose the Autobahn edition. Volkswagen DDC (Dynamic Chassis Control) is what makes the Golf R a better commuter in daily driving and a WRX killer when switching to sport. The Honda Civic Si gets adaptive dampers too, paired with a stiffer suspension system in both front and rear axles.
Pricing And A Final Take
When it comes to pricing there is a detail we should keep in mind since Volkswagen offers an automatic DSG transmission at an extra cost as well as a 6-speed manual which comes standard. The Civic Si is offered only in manual and there is no official price released by Honda yet. Based on the previous year's Civic Si (and considering it uses the same engine and other bits) it will be priced around the same as the last-gen, around $27,000. At this price point, buyers will enjoy a 200 horsepower sedan with sports seats, bigger brakes, improved interior, and redesigned exterior.
The Jetta GLI has no official price released yet but since it will come fully loaded we should expect it to be priced around $33,820 - the same as the 2021 Jetta GLI Autobahn. At this price point, drivers will enjoy 208 horses and a much nicer interior compared to the Civic. Based on the price, the Honda seems like the better deal as it offers more horsepower per dollar, and considering it’s a Honda it will last longer in terms of reliability. Volkswagen has improved their E888 engines a lot by plasma coating an iron powder onto the cylinder block: this reduces friction between the cylinder liner and piston rings thus improving the issue of burning oil and having to deal with a noisy piston ring TSI and TFSI engines are well-known about.
The Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen Jetta GLI are both strong contenders in the entry-level performance sedan segment. The driving dynamics are nearly identical but the Jetta takes it a step further because of the VAQ system. Extra features can be added at an extra cost - considering the standard features of both cars each brings a list of positives and negatives which remains relative to buyer's beliefs. Honda has taken it to the sporty side by adding tiny details to the standard list like a spoiler and sport seats, which really do fit the theme, while Volkswagen has refreshed the already positive feedback on the GLI. Bringing a final answer to our story we could say that at a fairly priced point Civic wins all day and considering Honda's reliability it is the better choice for daily driving, although the Jetta will be faster, is it worth paying the $34,000?