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2010 VW GTI vs. 2010 Honda Civic Si Sedan

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HoosierLawyer

New member
I'm several months away from graduating from law school at which point I'm going to purchase a new vehicle. I thought there was only one car on my list - a 2010 GTI. However, that is before I went and test drove a 2010 Honda Civic Si Sedan yesterday. I have to admit that I was blown away. I couldn't believe how much fun I had driving the thing. Compared to the GTI (I've been on several test drives), the Honda felt sharper and far more engaging. I absolutely loved the dynamic engine - at lower RPMs it was willing to quitely scoot around town, and at higher RPMs it was a rocket.

That being said, I'm not sure which way I want to go. I guess my fear is that I purchase the Honda, and then a year from now I grow tired of the rev-happy engine and begin dwelling on the things that have kept the Si off of my list until now - a second-rate interior and aging exterior design. That being said, the Si does have a trunk to hold my golf clubs (a major downfall of the GTI), and it is $5,000 - $7,000 cheaper.

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks in advance.
 

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MkVi_Ian

MkVi_Ian

Ready to race!
you can put your rear seat(s) to put your golf clubs in. then you'll have more than enough room
 
Mk6golfer

Mk6golfer

Ready to race!
I looked at civic Si for a while myself. The GTI styling will age much better than the civic IMO. I've grown to hate the dash of the civic and love the dash/interior of the GTI. I've also driven a Honda for a loooong time now and having that turbo torque is something I cant wait for. Having to rev the engine way up to make any power gets old, day to day.

Another HUGE component to your decision is reliability. The Honda is gonna be much less likely to have the petty, annoying problems that the VW will/might have. Build quality of Hondas is one of the best in the Japanese world, especially for the money. Not saying VWs are not built well, but they have virtually no squeaks, rattles, and leaks like VWs do.

So for me, the GTI is the obvious choice. I've had an Acura (honda) forever now, and had no problems. But I've also had no torque or german refinement. Ha, its kinda difficult to describe the build quality of VW vs Honda. Both are well built, but in a different way. Honda is very well built, but doesnt feel as solid as a VW. VW feels solidly built, very quality, but has qwerks and problems like a general motors car. Two different animals indeed..
 
kthor7031

kthor7031

Go Kart Champion
Wouldn't you think a hatchback would have more room for the clubs? I believe they did a test and they fit two bags of clubs in them but the size may vary. You can also take off the hatch cover that covers what is the hatch. It is removable but I am not sure the MKVI has it.
 
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elbles

Passed Driver's Ed
Mk6golfer said:
I looked at civic Si for a while myself. The GTI styling will age much better than the civic IMO. I've grown to hate the dash of the civic and love the dash/interior of the GTI. I've also driven a Honda for a loooong time now and having that turbo torque is something I cant wait for. Having to rev the engine way up to make any power gets old, day to day.

Another HUGE component to your decision is reliability. The Honda is gonna be much less likely to have the petty, annoying problems that the VW will/might have. Build quality of Hondas is one of the best in the Japanese world, especially for the money. Not saying VWs are not built well, but they have virtually no squeaks, rattles, and leaks like VWs do.

So for me, the GTI is the obvious choice. I've had an Acura (honda) forever now, and had no problems. But I've also had no torque or german refinement. Ha, its kinda difficult to describe the build quality of VW vs Honda. Both are well built, but in a different way. Honda is very well built, but doesnt feel as solid as a VW. VW feels solidly built, very quality, but has qwerks and problems like a general motors car. Two different animals indeed..
Click to expand...

I was about to mention the dash of the Civic, actually. That thing drives me nuts, I just think it looks absolutely awful. The GTI is much more traditional and less polarizing in this regard.

As far as quality goes, I can't say Acura and Honda are as good as they once were. This is purely anecdotal in nature, but my mom has a first-gen TSX, and that car is awful. The automatic temperature control has never worked right (the temperature in the car is rarely if ever close to what it's set for), with the dealer deeming it 100% normal. Lots of rattles, the occasional suspension noise, etc. And the plastics in the interior are very subpar for a nearly $30,000 car. This particular car is less than 3 years old, and is certainly going back to Acura when the lease expires. Like I said, it's purely anecdotal, but Honda and Acura aren't impressing me the way they once were with cars like the NSX, S2000, Integra (the RSX paled in comparison), et cetera...
 
Jever

Jever

Ready to race!
I have owned both, I came from a 09 si sedan to the MK6.

The honda is a great car but its alot smaller inside, louder, no handy vw features (you wont believe all the features the GTI has) The honda may seem fun but after a while you get tired of having to down shift 3 times to pass someone. If your a more grown up person get the GTI. The Si is for little kids.
 
B

BuchWash

Passed Driver's Ed
The GTI is, I have learned, a cult object. Also designed for the autobahn - high speed, long duration. I have two friends who took their Japanese cars (engines) to Deutchland and both blew up after a while.
 
jgs5607

jgs5607

Ready to race!
They both have their positive and negative points.

Put together a list of your priorities and weighting of each one and see how each car fits.

You are right to think about what might get old with time; the Mazdaspeed 3 feels more responsive that the GTI and will leave the Civic for dead; I wouldn't want to drive it every day though which is why I have a GTI.

Also, if you decide you want more power later, 50HP and 90 LbFt of torque will cost about $700.00 (APR Stg 1) for a GTI. To get that kind of power on a Civic, you will spend a ton more and have a less driveable car. Things to consider.............
 
MrClean

MrClean

Go Kart Champion
At least for me, the purchase decision becomes all too obvious after spending some time behind the wheel of each car.

I have driven the Si and do like it, but the GTI was the one for me.

The design of the exterior/interior, the materials, the ergonomics and finally the way it drove... altogether the package just felt right. On paper, there may have been another ride to consider, but it did not matter once I drove the GTI.

My daily driver needs to be fun to drive. Life is too short to drive a boring car.
 
Mk6golfer

Mk6golfer

Ready to race!
MrClean said:
My daily driver needs to be fun to drive. Life is too short to drive a boring car.
Click to expand...

Words I live by, yet many fail to understand.
 
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ExplodingBrain

Passed Driver's Ed
It's hard to compare, as these are different kinds of cars -- do you want a sedan or a hatchback? I was looking specifically for a two-door hatch with a dual-clutch gearbox, so I didn't even consider the Civic. But if you don't care and just want a fun car, then you probably won't be unhappy with the Honda.
 
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