Honda Civic vs Volkswagen Jetta: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Honda Civic burns about $1,250 of fuel annually against $1,750 for the Volkswagen Jetta. That $500 yearly gap compounds to roughly $2,500 over five years and $4,000 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Honda Civic is the stronger commuter at 50 mpg city, while the Volkswagen Jetta pulls ahead on the interstate at 48 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Honda Civic is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; Hybrid, 2.0), the Volkswagen Jetta with 3 (SIDI;, SIDI, 2.0). Across 132 recorded Honda Civic configurations and 51 for the Volkswagen Jetta, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Honda Civic is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Volkswagen Jetta with Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Compact Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Honda Civic emits 181 g/mile of CO2 versus 200 g/mile for the Volkswagen Jetta. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.