Volkswagen Jetta 1.6L Vs Honda Civic 1.8L

August 27, 2008
Filed under Comparison Test

Volkswagen Jetta 1.6L Vs Honda Civic 1.8L

I am keeping up with a much more powerful car on the fabulously twisty road to Lavasa. The electro-mechanical steering is a delight and the four-link rear axle (along with wide 205mm section tyres) helps take on corners with ease. The fantastic brakes (all around discs with ABS) allow me to brake late into corners. It is only on the straights that Amit, behind the wheel of the 1.8-litre Civic manages to increase the gap between him and my 1.6 litre Jetta. It is a close battle between a fast car and a car that handles brilliantly! When we reach our destination, the view point at the entrance of Lavasa city, its time for judgment day!

We were delighted after testing the Civic way back in August 2006. The car rewrote the rules of its segment. Impressive interiors complimented by a gem of an engine – frugal as well as fast! The Civic has always been the king of the luxury car segment and still looks a generation ahead. The latest introduction of the base E model has further strengthened its position. But the Japanese car has a new rival from halfway around the world, the Volkswagen Jetta. Does the German vehicle have the goods to dethrone the king? Today, we were looking for an answer to this question.

At first glance, the Jetta doesn’t exactly impress you. It has the reminiscent looks of the bigger Passat and the characteristic VW bold look. On the other hand, the Civic, even after two years feels a lot fresher with modern looks. The Jetta is one of those cars whose appearance takes time to grow on you. There is a magnificent feel about it for sure, but the car doesn’t impart that to you immediately.

Arriving in the Civic for a high flying shindig might get you more glances but you will definitely be noticed in the Jetta by the people who love and understand four wheels. The Civic definitely has a trump card up its sleeve in the form of its engine that can smoke the Jetta easily. Being both lighter as well as more powerful, the Civic is surely a scorcher.

While the lightweight (by a hundred and thirty kilos) of the Honda shows up in the build feel, the VW in comparison is like a mini tank. The firm, reassuring thud while closing the door gives you the sense of being secure. When compared to the impeccable build quality of the Jetta, the Honda feels somewhat lagging in terms of sturdiness.

The Jetta in the petrol form comes in just one trim level. Step inside and you do wonder where all that money went. The interiors are relatively less appealing in front of the futuristic looking Civic’s insides. There are no steering wheel mounted controls (ditto for the Civic too) and even the knobs for climate control look basic. But as expected, the quality of plastics used it top rank. The interior of the Civic makes you feel as if you got a better bang for your buck. The two tone color scheme with a swooping dash looks fantastic. However, the Germans love safety and the Jetta comes with six airbags plus ABS and ASR (traction control).

On the move, the petrol engine of the Jetta doesn’t exactly feel like a hooligan’s tool, but it has its own virtues in the form of refinement and a nice spread of power across the rev range. And if you are one of those people who like to be chauffeured around, the Jetta makes sense. Even riding on 16 inch wheels doesn’t rob the car of the ride quality. The Civic may be equally good over small undulations at low speeds but the Jetta literally flys over typical post monsoons roads. Also, with more than three adults in the Civic, the suspension bottoms out quite often. Infact, our test car scraped its underbelly twice with three heavy weights on board. In the Jetta back seat, you can easily sit back and relax no matter how bad the roads get. At higher speeds, even small speed breakers can be dispatched off with ease. Add to it a better ground clearance, fabulous straight line stability at high speeds and more rear legroom than the Civic and the J etta suddenly starts looking like a better bet for a country like India.

After driving both cars back-to-back for over two days, we were surprised how close a call this is. While the Honda has the advantage in terms of looks, interiors and engine, the VW wins hands down when it comes to dynamic stability and ride quality. Add to it the firm build quality, the VW badge and safety features. Last but not the least, the spacious boot space that puts the Civic to shame. You can’t help but think repeatedly in order to decide which of the two cars is superior.

Pricing can play an important role though. Those on a cash crunch will absolutely love the value of the base Civic model, however, it is the V model that compares well with the Jetta (which as mentioned above, incidentally sells in just one variant for the petrol engine.)Where the Civic feels like an enthusiast’s car with better performance, looks and sporty interiors, the Jetta feels sensible in a secure and luxurious kind of way. If you are looking at traveling frequently with your family especially outside the city and don’t mind paying a little extra, the J etta is the car for you.