Should you buy a Volkswagen Golf or a Honda Civic? Mat Watson finds out

For decades, the Volkswagen Golf has been the go-to family hatchback. I once summarised it in nine words: it is the only car you will ever need.

The thing is, the mighty Golf is facing stiffer competition than ever these days, and the Honda Civic is one of the best alternatives. I’ve thoroughly tested both the Volkswagen Golf and the Honda Civic, and I’m going to help you decide which one is best for you.

I’ll be comparing their prices, interiors, tech, practicality, running costs, and driving experiences, before delivering my expert verdict.

Volkswagen Golf vs Honda Civic: prices, deals and value for money

Let’s start with brass tacks, because price is a big deciding factor when choosing a car.

The Volkswagen Golf starts from just under £29,000 in basic Life trim, rising to around £33,000 for the range-topping Black Edition. There are also the hot GTE, GTI and R versions, but those are best reserved for a hot hatch twin test.

You can save an average of £2,500 on a new Golf through Carwow at the time of writing, and lease prices start from around £220 per month. As standard, all models come with:

• 12.9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front and rear parking sensors
• LED headlights

However, I would go for the Match version for an extra £250 because it adds keyless entry, a reversing camera, automatic high beams and metallic paint.

The Civic is quite a bit more expensive, with prices starting from around £34,000, but this is because it’s only available with a hybrid engine. The basic Golf gets a simpler 1.5-litre petrol engine as standard. A mild hybrid Golf costs around £31,000, while the PHEV costs £36,500.

You can also save an average of around £2,500 on a new Civic through Carwow, but it costs £400 per month to lease one at the time of writing. Ouch.

You do get more standard kit than the Golf though. All cars come with:

• 9.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Keyless entry and start
• Adaptive cruise control
• Heated front seats

So the Honda is better-equipped, but even if you option up a Golf to feature the same kit then it’ll end up costing you slightly less. First blow goes to the Volkswagen.

Volkswagen Golf vs Honda Civic: Interior and technology

The Volkswagen Golf used to be way above the competition in terms of interior quality, but that’s not really the case anymore.

It’s not that this car has become worse inside, more that the competition has caught up. The Honda Civic easily feels as solid as the Golf, with plush materials on all the touch points and solid switchgear. It’s a dead heat in terms of quality.

That said, the Honda’s cabin is much more user-friendly thanks to the abundance of physical buttons. You get proper knobs for the heater controls, unlike the Golf which has annoying touch sliders and climate menus in the touchscreen.

On the plus side, the Golf’s infotainment system is leaps and bounds ahead of the Honda’s. You get a 12.9-inch screen as standard, dwarfing the 9.0-inch display in the Civic, and it’s much brighter and more responsive as well. The Honda’s screen is fine, especially if you just pair your phone to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but it still feels dated in this company.

Despite this, I’m still going to give the win to the Honda here. The controls are just more intuitive, and all the switchgear feels really premium as well.

Volkswagen Golf vs Honda Civic: practicality

There is plenty of space to get comfortable in the front of these cars, although the Civic does have a more sporty driving position. Where the Golf excels though is storage space.

It has larger door bins than the Civic, as well as a bigger glovebox. I do prefer the Honda’s cup holders though, because they don’t get covered by the armrest like they do in the Golf.

Moving to the back seats, the Honda Civic has plenty of legroom, but the sporty sloping roofline does eat into headroom. There are no such issues in the boxier Golf, with loads of space for even the lankiest of adults.

Boot space is an instance of numbers not telling the full story. At 410 litres, the Honda Civic has a full 30 litres more carrying capacity. However, the high load sill and drop down into the boot makes it harder to load heavy items. The Golf has a more useful square opening and a lower load lip, making it easier to pack full of stuff.

And it’s for this reason that I’m going to award the practicality prize to the Golf. It’s better for carrying rear passengers, and the boot is still more than big enough.

Volkswagen Golf vs Honda Civic: engines, driving and running costs

There are quite a few engines to choose from in the Volkswagen Golf. As standard you get a 115hp 1.5-litre petrol engine with a manual gearbox, or you can have this same engine with 150hp. Both of these will return around 52mpg.

Then there’s the plug-in hybrid, which can do an impressive 88 miles on electric power alone. This will be the best choice for company car drivers, as it’ll attract the lowest Benefit In Kind rates.

You can have a 2.0-litre diesel if you spend a lot of time slogging up and down the motorway, and this will do an impressive 64.2mpg. Then there’s the one I would choose: the 1.5-litre petrol mild hybrid. It has 150hp, so it feels peppy enough, and it’ll do 54mpg according to official tests. I averaged 43mpg in this car during my week with it, which isn’t bad.

The Honda Civic’s engine lineup is much simpler, because there’s just one option. It’s a rather complex hybrid system which uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor. It puts out 184hp, and uses the electric motor to power the front wheels the majority of the time, so it almost feels like an EV to drive.

It’ll return up to 57mpg according to official tests, and I managed to get 50mpg from it during my tests. I was also hugely impressed with how the Civic drives. It’s really comfy over bumps, easy to drive in town and it’s good fun on a twisty road.

The Golf is equally relaxing to drive, and is a smidge quieter on the motorway, but it’s not quite as grin-inducing through the bends as the Honda. It handles very well, but it’s not what you’d call engaging.

Overall, I prefer the way the Honda Civic drives. It’s also a bit more economical than the VW, although if you’re a company car driver then you should go for a Golf PHEV.

Volkswagen Golf vs Honda Civic: my expert verdict

It’s really close between these two cars, because both have their strengths and weaknesses. The Volkswagen Golf is a really comfy car which is a bit more practical than the Civic, and it’s cheaper to buy as well. If value for money is your top priority, the Golf is a great choice.

However, the Honda Civic is nicer to drive, more economical and I prefer the interior. It also has a bigger boot, even if it is more annoying to load, and it’s still roomy enough in the rear seats for a growing family.

And that is why the Honda Civic wins this test. It really is a fantastic all-rounder.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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