The Volkswagen Golf Versus the Honda Civic: A Pair of Hatchbacks Compared

The Volkswagen Golf and the Honda Civic offer two of the hottest hatchback models on the market today.
When you think of a hatchback car it’s likely the Volkswagen Golf GTI comes to mind as one of the most impressive and fun to drive hot hatches on the market. Even if you don’t choose the GTI model, the Golf is a car that brings you plenty of fun for the drive, but there’s another option that you may want to consider. The Honda Civic hatchback is a fantastic car that brings the roominess in the rear you want and the look that you’re sure to admire when you’re ready to get out on the road.

Let’s Compare the Golf and the Civic Hatchback

When we look under the hood, the Civic brings you a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 174 horsepower and allows you to have up to 36 hwy mpg for the drive. The Golf is similar with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 170 ponies and can offer you up to 34 mpg on the highway. These two cars are priced similarly, which means we may have to look deeper to find differences that are more obvious and might make a bigger difference to you when it’s time for a drive.

The Style

If you like a polarizing style, the Honda Civic hatchback is the car you’re going to want to choose. This car has a ton of angles, two spoilers, and looks sporty with the face air intakes up front. When you look at the Golf, it’s still just as tightly packed and handsome as its been for many years. This car is one that continues to bring you the style you’ve enjoyed for years. For most of us, the Golf will be the winner when it comes to the style of the car you want to choose.

Interior

The Volkswagen Golf continues to offer us a smart and enticing interior that’s comfortable for you to have the driving feeling you want when you get inside. The infotainment offered for the Golf is one that’s easy to use and enjoy. Moving to the Honda Civic hatchback, you’ll find an interior that’s detailed, smart, and more modern than the Golf. This is certainly a place you can admire and enjoy when it’s time to drive, you’re going to be amazed when you step in and let this be the car that you want on the road. The Civic takes the award for the interior offered.

Practicality

Both of these cars need to offer us the practical drive on the road. You’re going to want to have plenty of cargo space and the Honda Civic Hatchback offers you 22.6 cubic feet in the rear with the seats up and 46.2 cubic feet with them down. As a taller build, the VW Golf brings you more room with the seats folded down with a total of 52.7 cubic feet of storage room, but with the seats up, there are only 17.4 cubic feet of space for stuff behind the seats.

Driving Dynamics

Because the two cars have similar power, the real difference has to be in the way they drive. Both are predictable, engaging, planted, and balanced to be impressive cars that you can enjoy on the road. You might not feel they are fun, but that depends on how you push them. The Civic is a bit more engaging and offers a more active acceleration to make it the one that certainly leads the way when it comes to the drive. The Golf does feel solid and continues to be one that’s built the way you expect a VW to be built for the drive.

The Verdict between the Honda Civic  and Volkswagen Golf Hatchbacks

The only true drawback to the Honda Civic Hatchback is the style, which could be one of the benefits if you love this polarizing and angular look. Both of these two cars are certainly ones you could be happy to own and they give you a lot to enjoy, the overall winner has to be the Honda Civic. This car is more engaging, offers an incredible interior, and has the features and practicality you want when you head out on the road.