March Car Madness: Civic Si vs. Rabbit GTI

I'm in the market for a new DD. My stable is full of cars not fit for DD duties so I'm on the hunt for something quick, fun, and versatile. I'm on the road a lot and my S2000 and E36 M3 Coupe just aren't the most fun or practical for hauling things all around the country so I'm retiring those to the stable for some long needed TLC and looking for a modern DD. 

Looking for some input from the hive on either of these cars to help aid me in my purchase. 

EDIT: Must haves: 6-spd, LSD, decent power, decent infotainment, 4-doors/hatch, under $30k, semi-comfy seats, smiles per gallon

The main contenders after my extended research are a 10th gen Civic Si 4dr and the new GTI Rabbit edition. The Rabbit has my eye because of the longer warranty, the hatchback, and something different. The Si is a great bargain and I've absolutely loved every Si I've had in the past. I'm unsure of the small turbo engine compared to the screaming VTEC of yesteryear. 

Other contenders that are still on my radar but don't hit all of the marks:

- Honda Accord Sport 2.0T 6Spd (no LSD)

- Honda Civic Sport Hatch 6Spd (No LSD and base model radio) 

-  Honda Fit Sport 6Spd (power)

- Honda Civic Type R (dealer markups and maybe not the best for cross country travel)

- Subaru WRX (2016 I owned for a while wasn't my favorite thing)

-  WRX STI (better than the WRX but terrible gas mileage coupled with a high price tag)

- OUTLIER: Used 2011+ Honda Odyssey (have you seen the HMA guys race theirs? #GOALS) (Also all that space with under the radar capes)

- OUTLIER: BMW 330 Xi Wagon 

If I was driving cross country I’d be looking at Volvo R’s, and almost exclusively because of the comfy seats. The long wheelbase doesn’t hurt though. 

Out of your choices I’d go with whichever is easiest to drive on the interstate, not through twisties

The Fit is not a road trip car. It's a good city car. 

Drive both the Si and type R. I suspect the extra money is worth it for the type R.

GTi hands down, new warranty is awesome and the power is WAY better than the Si and has much more usable space. And the rabbit edition is huge bang for the buck! 

The new Civic is not going to Rev it's going to have solid mid-range compared to your previous Civics and similar overall power. but the GTI has waaaaaaaay more mid-range and more peak power. 

seriously if i was buying a hot hatch today, id have walked past the Ford dealer and bought a GTi instead of my ST. 

I've driven all 3 cars and the Si is nice, but lack of headroom kills me and it just NOT THAT FAST. It's OK, but the GTi and Focus both can make a solid effort to put you back in your seat when you put your foot down. 

Again... did I mention the 6 year 72k mile Warranty on the VW.... 

In reply to spacecadet :

And the GTI is the sleeper of the bunch too. 

I'd drive an Accord Sport before eliminating it. And if you're looking at an Odyssey, I'd check out a Pacifica as well. They have a great powertrain, brakes, and handling (.87G), but also get very good highway MPG.

I'd at least drive the Accord. This is largely so you can report back to us on how it compares. On paper it should be in the hunt minus the LSD. 

Also, I was just behind the wheel of an X340 or whatever the BMW naming is for the X3 with the bigger motor. I was blown away with how good is was. To the point that I felt bad for how I've made fun of them over the years. I don't think they're at the level of the GTi or Civic Si, but they're way better than they look. 

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to spacecadet :

And the GTI is the sleeper of the bunch too. 

The diff became a lot easier and cheaper to option the past 4 years and they finally turned the power up in 2014 to be competitive in the segment and worthwhile again. 

Serious outlier: the BMW X1.  The 2013 update gave a much better infotainment system, it's basically a bigger 3-Series wagon, it has a punchy base motor or a cracking straight-6 turbo, and it handles better than any CUV out there.  It only has an 8-speed auto with manual shift function, so you give up the manual trans.  If I were doing more communing than autocrossing, I would look for used bargains at $30K. 

I have a feeling, as a fan of the previous Si's, you may not be a fan of the new Si. Seems they have changed the equation, so perhaps the Accord Sport 2.0T would be the better option. I would drive that and a Type-R if I were you, if for nothing else just to let us know your thoughts 

What about that new Veloster N? It has 3 doors, not 4, but reviews seem to say that it delivers on smiles per gallon. Might not make the best highway cruiser, but hey, pops and bangs! The new Genesis G70 comes with a manual in the lower trim, but might come in at slightly above budget, maybe worth it for a brand new car with a good warranty?

I've heard they're having a hard time unloading the smaller BMW SUVs, while the big ones are selling like hotcakes, so if an auto is okay some of the X1/X2/X3 options can definitely be potent as well...

Side note: I thought this was going to be a bracket for some of our favorite cars, which seems like an awesome idea. Just sayin'

I've found my VW's to very comfortable cars to put miles on.  Plus the fake vents and plastic styling add-ons on the new Civic Si really bothers me.  The Honda may be a "better" car long term if past reliability stereotypes are holding, but the GTI would be my choice.  

I was in a similar search a couple of years ago, but it was Golf R vs 328 Wagon. I got the '16 Bim & don't regret it, but there are a couple of caveats;

• The autobox is good but will never be as engaging as a manual (NLA on the wagon).
• Not a fan of the preselected multi-mode driving stuff (eco, comfort, sport & sport+), I know they all have it but I find it gimmicky.
• Steering's real numb for a "drivers car" & the panoramic roof feels like you strapped a fat guy to the roof of a regular 3 series (ie; more body roll on turn-in).

In the end it's more car than the VW if that's what you're after. I test drove a GTI Autobahn at the time too and thought it was very good as well. 

There are some good CPO deals out there on low mileage wagons & they're not going to import the next gen. 

Good luck in your search & ask away if you want any more feedback on the 3 wagon.

My dad just recently bought a 2018 Civic 2 door.  The interior reminds me of those cheap plastic number slide puzzles you used to get at birthday parties in the 70’s.  Just atrociously cheap and flimsy feeling.  And what’s up with absolutely no adjustment for the steering wheel what-so-ever?!?

If just between the Two, personally the better car is the VW, as I see it in a quick summary the gti has been only getting better since the MK6 and the Si is going the opposite way (like the GTi did in mk3&4)  the lack of a super high power band is what killed the current  Si Imho, they did not have a choice with the horsepower arms race currently happening across the board of performance vehicles.

racerfink said:

My dad just recently bought a 2018 Civic 2 door.  The interior reminds me of those cheap plastic number slide puzzles you used to get at birthday parties in the 70’s.  Just atrociously cheap and flimsy feeling.  And what’s up with absolutely no adjustment for the steering wheel what-so-ever?!?

There's definitely steering wheel adjustments.... 

The Si didn't feel terrible. But it's not as nice as a GTi or a Mazda. The CX-5 compared to a CR-V is crazy how different the materials are.