Schomp Honda

Safety

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Jetta's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

 

Both the Civic and the Jetta have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

 

For its top level performance in frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its available Vehicle Stability Assist, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Civic Sedan as a 'Top Pick' for 2010, a rating only granted to 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Jetta was not a 'Top Pick.'

 

Warranty

 

There are over 65 percent more Honda dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the Civic's warranty.

 

Reliability

 

The camshaft in the Civic's engine is driven by a hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs. The Jetta's camshafts are driven by a rubber belt that needs periodic replacement. If the Jetta's cam drive belt breaks the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

 

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Civic second among compact cars in their 2010 Initial Quality Study. The Jetta isn't in the top three in its category.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 93 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 34th.

 

Engine

 

The Civic's 1.8 VTEC 4 cyl. produces 25 more horsepower (140 vs. 115) and 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (128 vs. 125) than the Jetta S' standard 2.0 SOHC 4 cyl.

 

Fuel Economy and Range

 

On the EPA test cycle the Civic gets better fuel mileage than the Jetta:

		Civic	Jetta
	1.8 4 cyl./Manual	26 city/34 hwy	24 city/34 hwy	4 cyl./Manual
		n/a	23 city/33 hwy	5 cyl./Manual
	1.8 4 cyl./Auto	25 city/36 hwy	23 city/32 hwy	4 cyl./Auto
		n/a	24 city/31 hwy	5 cyl./Auto

 

Environmental Friendliness

 

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic higher (6 to 9.5 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Jetta (5 to 9). This means the Civic produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Jetta every 15,000 miles.

 

Suspension and Handling

 

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Civic has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Volkswagen Jetta has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

 

The Civic (except DX Coupe-front only) has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Civic flat and controlled during cornering. The Jetta's suspension doesn't offer a rear stabilizer bar.

 

The Civic has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Jetta doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

 

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic Sedan's wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the Jetta (106.3 inches vs. 104.4 inches).

 

For better maneuverability, the Civic DX Sedan's turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Jetta's (34.8 feet vs. 36.4 feet). The Civic Sedan/DX Coupe's turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Jetta's (35.4 feet vs. 36.4 feet).

 

Chassis

 

The Honda Civic may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Volkswagen Jetta.

 

The Civic Sedan is 4.9 inches shorter than the Jetta, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

 

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Civic has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Jetta uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

 

Passenger Space

 

The Civic Sedan has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom and .3 inches more rear headroom than the Jetta.

 

Servicing Ease

 

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Civic to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush and transmission fluid replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Volkswagen doesn't offer a maintenance reminder on the Jetta.

 

Ergonomics

 

The Civic EX's standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Jetta's manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

 

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Civic Sedan has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Jetta doesn't offer rear vents.

 

With optional voice command, the Civic EX offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls, cell phone and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Jetta doesn't offer a voice control system.

 

Model Availability

 

The Honda Civic comes in coupe and sedan bodystyles; the Volkswagen Jetta isn't available as a coupe.

 

Recommendations

 

The Honda Civic has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Civic	Jetta
Consumer Reports Recommends	TRUE	n/a
Car Book 'Best Bet'	TRUE	n/a
Kiplinger's Award	TRUE	n/a
Intellichoice	A 'Best Value'	n/a

 

Motor Trend selected the Civic as their 2006 Car of the Year. The Jetta has never been chosen.

 

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2006 North American Car of the Year. The Jetta has never been chosen.

 

The Honda Civic outsold the Volkswagen Jetta by over two to one during the 2010 model year.

* [1]  Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.