2006 Honda Civic Si vs. 2006 Volkswagen GTI

After a disappointing effort with the last Civic Si, Honda knew the new car had to truly reinvigorate the name if it were to have any clout with enthusiasts. Luckily, the latest Si impresses even before the throttle dents the firewall. Read the specs: 197 horsepower, limited-slip differential, $20,840 base price (including destination). That's a good start.

And when the go pedal does hit the floor it's clear that serious effort was spent making sure the 2006 Honda Si is as capable as its specs suggest. The Si is a very different car from the standard Civic, which lacks any hope of performance in its personality. In the Si there's real steering feel asking you to push harder. Its chassis feels as if it's been tuned by someone who knows a thing or two about going quickly. And the engine, which must be spun to make power, is comfortable spending extended periods of time at high rpm. This is a real performance car.

At home on the track
Flog the Si and it feels right at home. Simple as that. It begs to be driven hard. It never feels like it's going to fall apart, like its engine is suffering or like its brakes might overheat. It puts power down gracefully, fluently communicates its intentions and is tuned so that an average driver can go quickly without risk or regret.

But even with this relatively mild-mannered tuning, it's still a major kick in the ass. You're not going to beat up on any EVOs or STis in the mountains, but your buddy in the new GTI doesn't have a chance if you drive the Civic to its potential.

This was most easily demonstrated in the slalom, where the Civic smoked the GTI by more than 2 mph (68.7 vs. 66.1). You've got to push really, really hard before the Si will understeer, but that's its chosen attitude at the limit and it has two hidden benefits. First, understeering cars are usually fast through the slalom, as is the case here, and second, understeer makes the Si more predictable for less experienced drivers.

Our Civic test car felt right at home peeling off consistent quarter-mile times. Proving that its high-revving engine is potent, if not flexible, its 15.2-second pass beat the GTI through the quarter-mile by one-tenth of a second.

We also found the Si easier to launch than the GTI. Despite a 68 pound-feet torque deficit, the Civic could still easily smoke its tires from a standstill. We had to modulate wheelspin to get quick quarter-mile times. Its sharp clutch engagement made hard launches and quick shifts easy, but being smooth required more effort than we'd like when we weren't at the track.

The Si stopped from 60 in 128 feet — about 2 feet longer that the GTI.

Driver's car
As VW's marketing crew was busy unpimping every auto they could get their hands on, Honda's engineers were working to make the Civic a driver's car. And the difference shows when driving both cars back to back over the same road.

The Civic rolls less, feels lighter and gives its driver the information necessary to squeeze out the last few tenths when pushing hard. That won't matter to many drivers, but to anyone who's in this game for the driving experience, it's a difference that makes a difference.

The Honda's helical limited-slip differential is a perfect example. It's an expensive addition to a car that competes in a very price-conscious market, and there is no substitute for the difference it makes in performance. The fact that the Si's engine falls right back into the powerband when shifted at redline is no accident either. And if that shift happens to come midcorner, the limited slip is there to pour down power with confidence. The Si never spins an inside wheel, and steering feedback is enhanced with real at-the-limit feel before it's too late.

We love the Si's snappy shifter and tiny shift knob that encourage drivers to snick through gears quickly without the need to manhandle the powertrain. There's little wasted energy making the Si go quickly. Even its tires are smaller than the GTI's (215/45 vs. 225/45) but it still manages to transmit more confidence.

Han Solo's chariot
We still haven't warmed up to the Civic's ridiculous A-pillars, which extend its greenhouse into the hood past the strut towers. From inside the car they offer a distinctly Millennium Falcon feel to the Civic's front-seat passengers. Riding shotgun we can almost hear Han Solo barking bravado as he smokes a GTI through the hills. "I told you I'd outrun those imperial slugs…."

But from the driver seat the lack of solid three-quarter visibility makes the Star Wars novelty wear thin in a hurry. And then you've got to deal with the two-tiered instrument panel that displays speed digitally above the center-mounted tachometer. Center mounting the tachometer always earns kudos in a performance car, but the digital speedo busts the deal for us in this case. It's simply a poor way to display information that's constantly changing.

The heating and A/C controls all have a quality feel, but they are overcomplicated. The Civic's climate control consists of nine knobs and two buttons, which accomplish the same thing the GTI does with three knobs and three buttons — a far simpler affair.

Honda did a nice job of knocking off VW's seat-height adjuster on the driver side. The horizontal lever is pulled up to move the seat higher, and pushed down to lower it. We found it easy to find a comfortable driving position in both cars using this feature and the tilting-telescoping steering wheel.

The Civic's rear seats are smaller and harder to get into than the GTI's — even for smaller-than-average people. The seatbacks fold down to expand capacity from the trunk, but the coupe body style doesn't swallow large cargo as easily as the hatchback GTI.

Good enough for the win
The Civic began this contest with a solid head start by being exactly $3,335 less expensive (after options). The cost/value relationship is subjective for every buyer, but no one will deny this is a significant difference.

You simply get a lot for your money with the Civic Si. It offers a no-compromise driving experience for less money than the GTI. And in a test where performance is weighted heavily, the Civic does more right than it does wrong.

It's all very simple, really: Loving the 2006 Volkswagen GTI depends on your priorities. It is, after all, an excellent car. It's just not as focused as the Civic Si when it comes to driving quickly. However, if performance were weighted a little less heavily, the GTI would have won this test. It offers a flexible powertrain (with more than one transmission option) and a more usable cargo area than the Civic. And for many people, it's still as capable as the Civic when driving quickly.

But when we start splitting hairs like we're forced to do in a contest this close, a few GTI shortcomings begin to emerge. Look closely at the specs and you'll see that the GTI is a little pudgy on the very relative scale of compact performance. Note that the engine delivers its peak power at 6,000 rpm, yet it redlines at 6,500 rpm, leaving a relatively flat top end. Add up those little details and, for better or worse, they define the GTI.

The hard facts
If this were a contest of usable powertrains, the GTI would win hands down. Most people, even most enthusiasts, prefer the GTI's rip-snortin', off-the-bottom torque to the Si's spin-it-till-you're-dizzy power delivery. And with 207 pound-feet of torque delivered at a low 1,800 rpm it's easy to see why. You've barely got to open the GTI's throttle to get a shove most cars in this class never deliver. There's also 200 horsepower at 5,100 rpm to accompany the low-rpm grunt. It's a potent combination that will roast the tires into steaming piles of black goo with the traction control switched off.

At the track the performance was, for all practical purposes, a dead heat with the Si. Through the quarter-mile the GTI cranked out a 15.3-second pass, which is only a tenth slower than the Honda. But the VW was a tenth quicker to 60 mph (6.7 vs. 6.8 seconds). Braking distances were a wash. The GTI hauled down from 60 in 126 feet — only 2 feet shorter than the Si.

Through the slalom, however, we began to notice a trend that would haunt the GTI through the rest of the test. It's heavy and it's tall. Its turbocharged engine did a good job of masking the weight when accelerating, but there's no hiding its 400-or-so-pound deficit when it came time to turn. It's also nearly 5 inches taller than the Civic (58.4 inches vs. 53.5 inches), which didn't help. It snaked its way between our carefully spaced cones at 66.1 mph, 2.6 mph slower than the shorter, slimmer Civic.

Hard driving, head pounding
It's the details that begin to pile up against the GTI which hurt its performance score. At the top of the list is slower steering than the Civic (15.6:1 vs. 13.6:1), which requires more monkey motion behind the wheel to accomplish the same amount of work at the tires. In addition, it simply doesn't tell its driver as much about what's going on at the tire's contact patches as the Civic. The limit is always a bit ambiguous, which stifles confidence.

More annoying are the GTI's abundance of electronic controls. Many GTI fans will no doubt see the GTI's numerous electronic aids as added value, but we found them unnecessary and often annoying. Plus, the alphabet soup VW uses to name them (ABS, EBD, HBA, ASR, EDL, EBA, ESP) is ridiculous.

The GTI's Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), for example, is not a substitute for a real mechanical limited-slip differential like the helical device used in the Civic. In fact, EDL does nothing to bias drive torque. The GTI's transaxle uses an open differential which, using the ABS sensors to detect slip, applies brakeforce on the wheel that's slipping. This has the exact opposite effect of a real limited-slip differential, lowering cornering speed instead of increasing it. Plus, during hard driving, EDL waits until the inside tire is spinning to apply the brake. It's an ineffective annoyance that simply doesn't cut it in an enthusiast car. And it can't be disabled.

Then there's VW's Anti-Slip Regulation, which retards timing and reduces fuel delivery when the going gets fun. VW tells us it's disabled when the stability control (ESP) is switched off with the console-mounted switch, but we had other problems that prevented our verification of this claim.

The GTI refuses to tolerate any driving style that uses left-foot braking. Overlap the throttle and brake even slightly and the GTI cuts power for a few seconds. This is no doubt a product of VW's attorneys who surely have "don't sue us" tattooed on their foreheads. It's infuriating to be forced to change your driving style to accommodate the least-common-denominator driver who occasionally steps on the wrong pedal. The power cut left us shaking our heads as the Civic's taillights disappeared into the hills.

As if to add insult to injury, it was this instant that the GTI's already-too-soft brake pedal began to sink even closer to the floor. Drive the GTI hard for very long and there's noticeable brake fade that ruins whatever confidence is left. And if you're trying to hang with a Civic Si up or down a mountain road, a soft middle pedal is a good indication that it's time to surrender.

The GTI experience
On the upside, the GTI might just be the better "everyday" car. If smoking tires and brakes aren't high on your priority list then you might prefer the pricier hatchback for its interior alone. Plop yourself down into the plaid sport seats, which are among the most supportive we've experienced, and you'll appreciate some fine German design.

In front of you is an instrument cluster that's straightforward and traditional, with two large gauges — tachometer on the left and speedometer on the right. Framing those gauges is a thick three-spoke steering wheel that should be the industry standard for feel and styling. Heating-A/C, fan speed and mode are controlled with three simple knobs and three buttons — an interface we found easier to use than the Civic's.

Start the GTI and there's a deep, burbling engine note that increases in volume once the throttle is opened under load. It's a gorgeous tone that's rare in the world of turbocharged cars. Accelerate hard and it expands to fill the entire cockpit at redline.

The GTI's rear seat is easier to access than the Civic's thanks to the higher roofline and a front seat that really gets out of the way. There's also more room for actual humans in the back than in the Civic. The GTI's rear seats have the typical 60/40-split-folding function but also incorporate a ski pass-through, which is a nice feature in a hatchback. Combined, this cargo flexibility and the GTI's hatchback shape make it slightly more user-friendly than the coupe-only Civic.

On the outside the VW retains the well-proportioned lines we've come to expect of the GTI. Fourteen-spoke 17-inch wheels are standard and look better than the bizarre-shaped optional 18-inch wheels.

The tally
Despite a few gripes when it comes to driving hard, we're impressed with the 2006 Volkswagen GTI. Use it like most people will and it'll serve you faithfully as a sporty, functional and entertaining hauler of people and gear. Bottom line? You get a good car for your money with the $24,175 VW, even if it does cost more and communicate less than the Si.

Director of Automotive Testing Dan Edmunds says:
Going into this test, I was really pulling for the GTI. I prefer the gen V's update of the classic hot-hatch look, the polar opposite of the Civic's march off into styling weirdness. I mean a windshield that extends over the top of the strut towers? Come on!

My initial driving impression seemed to support this bias. The GTI's 2.0T engine's stout low-end response suited me much better than the Si's rev-addicted mill, especially on my daily commute. But the longer I drove the VW, and the tighter the roads became, the more I noticed how much heavier it feels — especially when braking into tight or slippery-when-wet corners. On the other hand, the Civic loved winding roads, making the most of its 400-pound weight advantage. Steering was more direct, with coordinated effort buildup in corners. Keeping the engine spinning up where it likes to be wasn't hard, as this car effortlessly carries speed through turns.

Still, I don't commute on canyon roads, so it was a close call — until I factored in the GTI's $3,335 price premium. And in my book, sportiness demands lightness. The GTI ultimately loses out due to mass and a massive price.

Inside Line News Editor Mike Hudson says:
There's little question the Honda Civic Si is a fantastic car given its track performance, superior handling and world-class build quality. And the fact you save $3,000 or so over the VW GTI doesn't hurt either. But still, I prefer the VW and would recommend it ahead of the Civic despite it all. In fact, after initially entering this test as a skeptic, I'm now a GTI fan.

First, I'm a huge proponent of turbocharging and thick gears — both of which come with the VW. The Civic is a rev machine, loudly hanging around the 6,000-rpm range for much of your trip from zero to 60. The VW gives you a more-than-decent amount of thrust off the line, without quite as much engine noise or the constant need to shift gears. As I recall, the GTI hit up near 60 mph in second gear and gave me a happy "pssssst" as the pressure released. So there's that.

The Civic's suspension is obviously better tuned than the VW's. But while the firm suspension of the Civic was a significant advantage on the tight twists in the canyons and at the track during the slalom, it was rather harsh in everyday conditions. Furthermore, I don't mind a little give from the suspension, which lets you know when you're pushing it in a corner. So in the end I prefer the VW in that aspect as well.

From there, it gets a little muddy. The simple European interior design of the VW grew on me while the Civic's futuristic carnival began to irritate over time. The usable backseat and large space created by the hatchback design of the VW made sense while the tiny, cramped and claustrophobic backseat of the Civic confused. And the little, happy square exterior design of the VW struck me as quirky and interesting while the Civic's seemed typical and mainstream.

Nothing against the Civic Si, but I'm representing Deutschland on this one — though you can't really go wrong with either choice.

2006 Honda Civic Si
2006 Volkswagen GTI

2006 Honda Civic Si

System Score: 10.0

Components: Any 2006 Honda Civic, from the LX up to this Si coupe, comes with a pretty impressive audio system. Even the LX offers a six-speaker system with the ability to play WMA files and plug handheld MP3 players into its auxiliary input jack. Step up to the EX or Si and you get a six-speaker audio system with a subwoofer. It offers 350 watts of power and when the navigation system is ordered, there's also the benefit of a digital audio card reader and CD text display (only certain coded CDs have this feature). Satellite radio is optional.

Performance: We feel the Civic Si's stereo deserves a 10 not necessarily because of its sound quality but because of the abundance of features it offers even on models that are priced under $20,000. The ability to play WMA files and the auxiliary audio jack are exactly the kind of features Civic buyers are looking for. We also like the changeable background on our test car's navigation system-equipped head unit.

That's not to say the Civic's stereo doesn't sound good — it does. While sound reproduction can seem a bit mechanical at times, there's enough punch and clarity to keep audiophiles reasonably content. The bass response is good, but at higher volumes it can sound messy and uncontrolled.

The real highlight of this stereo is how it incorporates numerous internal and external features without being confusing or complicated — another reason it earns a 10 in our book. High-line brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz could learn a lot from Honda in this area.

On the optional navigation system, the menus are clear and easy to use, but we wouldn't mind if the text and some of the touchscreen buttons were larger. Still, everything makes sense and we rarely, if ever, had to bust out the manual to figure out a certain feature.

Best Features: Nicely integrates many popular features.

Worst Feature: The labeling for some buttons is small and hard to read.

Conclusion: This stereo is exactly right for this car. Not only does it sound good enough to please most buyers, it offers extra features and value that make other affordable performance coupe stereos seem lacking by comparison. — Brian Moody

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2006 Volkswagen GTI

System Score: 8.0

Components: The standard audio system in the GTI is a 10-speaker stereo with an in-dash, six-CD changer. It can play MP3 CDs, and it's satellite-radio compatible with a choice of either XM or Sirius. Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls are also standard on the GTI.

Also, there is an iPod connection available as an accessory. It is a dealer-installed item and costs $148. Our test car was not equipped with this feature.

Performance: The sound quality from this standard GTI stereo is good but not great. At first we were amazed by the clarity and sharpness of the sound but eventually were disappointed by the bass. There is enough bass response most of the time but it lacks punch. Turning the bass up doesn't help either because that just makes it sort of rumble.

We like that there is a midrange adjustment and that you don't have to turn the mids down just to get the system to sound better. We also like the hard buttons on the GTI stereo without navigation. Bass, midrange, treble, balance and fade each have their own small round knob. This makes it easy to adjust the sound without diverting too much attention away from driving.

Another nice touch is the large screen used for the head unit. It's attractive but functional as well. Since the stereo is MP3 capable, the large screen makes it easy to navigate folders and subfolders. The redundant audio information available in the gauge cluster is also useful and helps keep eyes on the road.

Best Feature: Clear, sharp sound.

Worst Feature: Bass could be punchier.

Conclusion: This is an adequate sound system for a car like the GTI but it doesn't have much of a wow factor. — Brian Moody

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The simple fact is that both of these cars come loaded with so many standard features that finding features they didn't have in common took some trying. For example, both come standard with every kind of airbag imaginable, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls and tilt-and-telescoping steering wheels.

We made our choices based on the remaining features we thought buyers in this segment would find useful but that the cars didn't have in common.

Features

Features
	2006 Volkswagen GTI	2006 Honda Civic Si
Choice of satellite radio provider	S	N/A
HID headlights	S	N/A
Mechanical limited-slip differential	N/A	S
MP3 player input	O	S
Stability control	S	N/A