VW Jetta Vs. Honda Civic

"JDMatt" (JDMatt) 01/15/2016 at 23:31 • Filed to: Civic, jetta, honda, Volkswagen, si, tdi, used car buying

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[Civics & Jettas I’m Shopping for are the body styles pictured above]

About 3 weeks ago, my Father said that he would help me buy a car as a reward for finishing college. My Budget is $8,000 , but knowing my mom the budget might expand to $9,000.

In a perfect world, I would be trying to make up my mind between buying a 2007 Lexus IS250 or Infiniti G35, but my job situation isn’t stable. Furthermore, I Believe that it’s a smarter idea to do a one-pay lease on a $25,000 car than it is to finance a 9 year old Japanese Sedan.

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Why I should buy a 6 year old Civic:

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

I know that it’s going to be more reliable than a 6 year old Jetta, even though I would sell it and buy a Lexus IS250 as soon as I can afford it

If I wanna drive stick, Honda gearboxes are better than VW gearboxes. If I ever move out of San Francisco, then I guarantee that my next car will be manual.

Why I should buy a 6 year old Jetta:

A Jetta is nicer to drive than a comparable civic. Even if I’m comparing a base 5 cylinder model jetta to a Civic Si. Especially a Jetta TDI to a Civic Si.

My Sister let me borrow her 2010 Jetta for 2 months while my Nissan Pathfinder was in the shop. I put about 1,300 miles on the car. I loved the way the car drove on city streets. I loved the fuel economy on the freeway. I loved having an AUX wire and heated seats.

Why can’t I make up my damn mind?

I worked for Toyota previously, and it feels weird that I’m not considering any toyota products. With a $16,000 budget, I’d have trouble deciding between trying a 2014 Corolla S, a 2009 Lexus IS350, or a Scion iM (college grad lease special).

I’ve gotten the opportunity to drive many different cars around the bay area. Deciding to buy a Civic makes me wonder if I have any imagination.

I can try to look for Jetta’s online, but then I end up looking at Golf GTIs and VW owners forums.

I could also have a Mazda 3 with a salvage title or a V8 mustang with an uncomfortable amount of miles. The Mazda 3 is a very good car, and the mustang is a strong candidate because it’s fast.

Tell me why I’m wrong in the comments section

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:35

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Could you find a Si for that price? JOIN THE HONDA BROTHERHOOD

bob and john > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:35

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the lexus isnt a bad choice. it IS a toyota product, and if ours is anything to go by, VERY reliable.

superdave847 > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:44

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Or an E46 330i? Because that’s what my money would buy for $8k.

for Michigan > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:44

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You can’t find a decent Mazda for $8-9 out there?

Around here that budget would net you a very clean, low miles late BK or early BL.

I got my 06 Mazda3s with 125K for significantly less than that.

JDMatt > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/15/2016 at 23:45

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Is an Acura RSX close enough?

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:45

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Get neither. Get a manual M3. E36 or E46.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:47

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If you got a type s...yes. Though at that rate also look at EP3's

pjhusa > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:57

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The real Asian goes for the European model, because:

a) chic

b) nouveau riche

c) to one up each other

JDMatt > bob and john 01/15/2016 at 23:57

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I love the Lexus IS250/350! about as much if not more than I love a E92 M3. But with a $9,000 budget my only option would be to sneak into a dealer-only auction and buy one wholesale. On a good day, a clean 2006+ IS250 with ~85,000 miles goes for $12,500. I don’t need to convince myself that the Lexus IS is the perfect car, but my parents won’t approve.

smobgirl > JDMatt 01/15/2016 at 23:58

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So, I can’t compare a 6-year old Civic and Jetta, but I’d take my old 17-year old Civic over my company’s 9-year old Jetta any day. Mostly cost of repairs. Like I said, I can’t compare more modern Civic repair costs, but that Jetta is a beast to maintain. I think the only thing we’ve paid less than $1,000 to fix was an airbag issue last year. At 120K miles, the suspension is shot (repair quote is astronomical), the ABS is acting up (but the shop can’t replicate it) so you have to account for possible extra stopping distance if there’s so much as a pebble between you and the light, and the transmission (it's an auto) is cranky and uncooperative. I will vouch that it isn’t leaking any fluids and the heated seats are a gift from heaven. It’s just not cheap enough to maintain.

JDMatt > pjhusa 01/16/2016 at 00:03

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Hahaha. Also D) to tell their relatives in Asia that they drive a european car.

Michael Parker > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 00:12

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Can’t speak for the Civic, but I had a Mk V VW Golf (Rabbit at the time), and it was a great car. In the 5 years I owned it I only had it in the shop for repairs once, and that was for a hole in the radiator.

For the Jetta especially, the Mk V was one of the best generations as it got cheapened up significantly in subsequent gens.

I drove my at-the-time-girlfriend’s TDI with DSG and it was great fun.

JDMatt > smobgirl 01/16/2016 at 00:13

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Confession time: when I was driving my sister’s 6 year old jetta for 2 months, I used the heated seats more than the heater. The heater developed a weird smell, and a co worker said that it’s caused by mold growing inside the HVAC system. I somewhat killed the smell by replacing the cabin filter and using 4 air fresheners. I really wonder what my Big sis is gonna do when it starts to get hot in Sacramento.

JDMatt > for Michigan 01/16/2016 at 00:21

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There are a few Dozen Mazda 3s for sale in northern California. But I want the hatchback just because I think it looks alot nicer. Narrowing the search down to hatchbacks, cars that fall in the $8,000 range either have salvage titles with around 60,000 miles or have clean titles with 120,000 miles. Ideally I want a car with less than 100K miles.

smobgirl > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 00:34

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Our a/c smells like something died in there! But I use the heated seats year round when I have the car. I'm honestly surprised they still work.

djgreenlava > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 00:36

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Where in the world do you live that a Civic Si comes with the JDM or CSX front end?

I learned to drive manual on my Si and would highly recommend that gearbox to set you on the right path.

Bytemite > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 00:44

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You have 8 grand to play with and you pick two of the blandest cars ever. Get a sports car.

JDMatt > Michael Parker 01/16/2016 at 00:46

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My Sister’s Mk V Jetta exceeded my expectations for reliability. Her 1999 Volvo S40 that she owned before it was a lot less reliable (partially because it had a salvage title, and the farmers we bought the car from were really really nice people.) The least reliable part of her jetta are the tires, because crappy roads and aftermarket wheels don’t mix.

Of all the VW products I’ve driven, Jetta TDIs are a 90% as good as a new Golf R and 95% as good as a Golf GTI.

JDMatt > djgreenlava 01/16/2016 at 01:01

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Personally the Civics I’m looking aren’t the Si models. what’s available/affordable are LX models with 4 doors. But Somewhere in northern California there’s gotta be somebody selling a civic with a CSX front end.

I learned how to drive stick on a diesel nissan frontier in the Philippines. The gearbox on that truck is now a peice of crap from the damage I caused to it while learning.

I like Honda gearboxes because they’re really durable even if you suck at driving stick. I got to drive a ‘07 Si once in Downtown San Francisco at midnight and I really enjoyed it.

JDMatt > smobgirl 01/16/2016 at 01:13

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According to a guy I know that’s a hypermiler, heated seats are better than a heater because heated seats are electric while a/c runs off the engine. Heated seats work really well because they trick your body into thinking it’s warm, even if the heater is off and it’s 45 degrees outside.

I’m not a mechanic, but I think it’s harder to break a simple electric part like seat heaters than it is to break an air conditioner.

ciscokidinsf > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 01:14

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Dude, serious question, if you live in SF... why do you want a stick? If this is a DD for you, SF hills kill clutches every day. I hate driving my 330ci Stick there because occasionally bad timing and bad drivers make me burn my clutch to keep the car safe in them hills. I would pick Honda Civic SI with the Auto. I know, it sucks, but some cities aren’t friendly to sticks.

djgreenlava > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 01:23

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If you are looking at a premodified Civic I would be leery of many of the conversions as they don’t usually use OEM parts. There’s fitment and general looking off that’s hard to tell in photos but fairly apparent in person.

Regardless, you should be happy with a Civic as a decision. There’s two major recalls to look out for with clear coat issues with a few of the colors and a replacement block or head for the non Si models.

smobgirl > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 01:27

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True. I was just basing that assumption off of how quickly electric seat adjusters seem to break in some cars. Though I hear some older VWs had issues with the heated seats catching fire.

Amoore100 > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 01:34

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Why not a first gen IS? Dead reliable and likely a better drive than the Civic and Jetta, with that smooth and silky I6 positioned north-south. Of course, probably higher miles and rarer to find a good one, but they are out there.

JDMatt > ciscokidinsf 01/16/2016 at 01:48

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Realistically I’m gonna buy an automatic. While I know how to drive manual, I’m not skilled enough to drive stick on nob hill (especially taylor street)! Driving on streets like Polk, Clement, or Mission is hard in any vehicle, and a manual doesn’t make it an easier.

I’m thinking about buying a car with a manual because I might move to Sacramento this year. Sacramento still has traffic but it doesn’t have hills. Plus for the short period of time I still live in SF, I would get better at driving stick on hills...or I roll backwards into a Tesla.

Plus, my dad is 66 and he lives in Stockton. For health reasons his DD can’t be a manual, but he misses driving stick and driving sporty cars. If he borrows my car and its a stick, I know it will make him happy. His DD is a dodge caravan so a jetta or civic is a fun car for him.

JDMatt > smobgirl 01/16/2016 at 01:50

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catching on fire? somehow that wouldn’t stop me from using the seat heaters haha.

JDMatt > djgreenlava 01/16/2016 at 01:57

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I grew up in a pretty crappy neighborhood and have seen more than enough modified civics to judge somebody’s body kit installation skills.

Thanks for letting me know about the recalls. Free engine service by the honda dealer FTW!

JDMatt > Amoore100 01/16/2016 at 02:10

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My favorite part about my current car (2000 nissan pathfinder) is the FR layout w/ a V6; and the FR layout is what makes me want a second gen IS. The reason I don’t want an IS300 is because they would be anywhere from 11-17 years old. I’m not above driving a car made in 2004, but my mom wouldn’t let me buy one regardless of how low the miles are.

I’ve looked at ads for the IS300 anyways. If I had one, I’d put an exhaust on it and brag to dudebros that my car has the same engine as a toyota supra.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > pjhusa 01/16/2016 at 02:14

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Is Asian and lives in San Jose. Can confirm.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 01/16/2016 at 02:15

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The e36 M3 will need 10k to be properly running. If you can find a non-Tavarish special e46 M3 for 8k then I’m all ears.

Amoore100 > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 02:45

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Oh yeah, gotta listen to parents...well, they do have a point, a newer car will be safer than an old one. Or you can just disregard everything and go buy a Volvo as we did. I read about your salvaged V40 but the later S40/V50/C30 should be pretty reliable since it’s just a Ford Focus underneath. I understand if your parents don’t want a Volvo though because of your sister’s experience, in which case how about Mazda? I hear that 3's from that era were quite good fun and are pretty reliable.

JDMatt > Bytemite 01/16/2016 at 03:04

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I could do much worse. I could be looking $8,000 crossovers

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 03:10

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Would advise against the RSX unless you really like it. Mine was loud, stiff, cramped, and didn’t really drive all that well. The drivetrain was still solid after 210k miles though.

I wish I’d gotten an FA5 Civic Si sedan instead, but that might be out of your price range.

JDMatt > Amoore100 01/16/2016 at 03:12

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We still sorta own the salvage s40. My aunt has it now, but she doesn’t really drive it. Last update on that car is that my aunt’s ex husband drove it without oil and now it won’t pass smog.

So the later S40's are based off the focus? I never knew! The main thing I remember about the last s40 was that kanye west was in a commercial. I’ll look at c30's since I know there’s a good number of them on the used market in the bay area. As for the Mazda 3, my options are either a salvage title 3 with low miles or a clean title 3 with high miles. It’s a shame because I like driving those cars.

JDMatt > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 01/16/2016 at 03:20

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I’ve driven some DC5 acura RSX’s and i’m not sure I’d own one. An early Scion Tc is bigger. If I was actively looking at buying either a TC or RSX, it would be hard to find one that’s bone stock and clean.

An FA5 Civic Si sedan would be really nice, but out of my price range. I’m pleasantly surprised that I can afford a FA5 civic sedan in the first place. I’d settle for a civic that’s on knock off TE37's with fake Si badges haha

Bytemite > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 03:31

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This is true. But look up man. You can do better than some corolla. You’re an enthusiast with cash and a choice.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 04:06

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I’d say Jetta to be interesting, but I don’t trust used VWs.

Why does the Mazda3 have to be a salvage title?

JDMatt > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 01/16/2016 at 04:43

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Because the mazda either got totalled, it was stolen and recovered, or vandalized. I just noticed that cheap mazda 3's in my price range were mostly salvage titles.

pjhusa > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 08:39

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Of course, because car ownership in Asia is a major pain. I don't understand how some people can drive in even 320is, let alone exotics and whatnot.

Amoore100 > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 12:32

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Oh, you’re in the Bay Area too! Yeah, the second generation S4/V5/C3 are on the P1 platform which also underpins the European Ford Focus of that era. Even Clarkson himself said that that generation Focus was one of the best handling FWD cars he’d ever driven, and the Volvo triplets aren’t bad in their own right. Don’t even consider the American Focus from that era though, those things were horrible little things with plasticky interiors and dull characteristics (and they weren’t even reliable IIRC) Yeah, finding a good 3 around here is a pain, especially if you’re searching for a hatch as I would. This GTI might be a good bet or if you’re crazy you can get a manual 500 .

wallaby13 > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 13:48

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I had a 2006 Jetta TDI 5 M/T. After putting some brass bushings on the ends of the cables the shifter felt much better. Keep in mind the 05/06 has ~140 hp. They don’t have DPF’s but you better make damn sure the PO used 505.01 oil religiously. Otherwise the camshaft will wear out and need replacement. Even then at 200K you can expect to replace the cam. Overall the car is actually pretty fun to drive. But it will take more to maintain vs the Honda. It takes synthetic oil, needs fuel filter changes, and VW is famous for using single use bolts, so you’re repair costs go up.

I haven’t owned a Civic but it’s definitely more frugal than the Jetta.

How about the 1st gen TSX?

JDMatt > Amoore100 01/16/2016 at 13:48

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Thanks for searching craigslist for me!

vissile > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 21:24

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VW 2.5L I5 with an APR Carbonio intake and suitcase muffler delete. From a sound point of view, its very hard to beat. Plus the torque / power band is pretty intoxicating.

gawdzillla > JDMatt 01/16/2016 at 23:09

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I still don’t understand why would anyone even consider a VW

JDMatt > gawdzillla 01/17/2016 at 00:21

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Money talks. Volkswagen is the cheapest way to get a german car. VW’s not luxury cars, their normal cars with german engineering. If a cadillac is a nicer chevy, then audi is a nicer volkswagen.

gawdzillla > JDMatt 01/18/2016 at 11:45

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Iwould take the chevy / caddy combo over vw / audi anyday lol

whats with this mindset of “i have get a german car” anyways

fine ... I admit I want a Porsche