The Civic S.I Hatchback: A Brief History of Honda's Iconic Compact Car

The Honda Civic has been a staple in the automotive world for decades, and its evolution is a story worth telling. The first generation of the Civic S.I hatchback appeared in Japan first, alongside a Civic station wagon that became known as the "Tall Boy" due to its increased headroom and large rear glass. This marked the beginning of Honda's expansion into the US market, where the fifth-generation Civic would soon arrive.

The fifth-generation Civic was introduced in the early 1990s and quickly drew attention for its new engine with variable valve timing known as VTEC. Honda also began to focus on safety features, adding passenger-side airbags to all Civic models and optional anti-lock brakes in the second half of the decade. The sixth generation Civic brought a completely redesigned engine, producing 106 horsepower, as well as the introduction of the natural gas Civic GX.

As the years went by, Honda continued to innovate and improve its compact car offerings. The seventh-generation Civic marked a significant shift in design, with the car growing from a subcompact to a compact vehicle. Honda launched its first Civic Hybrid and special edition packages for sedan and coupe models in 2012, setting the stage for future advancements.

The eighth generation Civic saw numerous technical upgrades and modern features that were unusual for a compact car at the time. However, not all model years are created equal. The ninth-generation Civic brought about significant changes, including the introduction of turbocharged engines and a new front-wheel-drive layout. The 2016 Civic marked a turning point with its turbocharged engine and the addition of the Civic Type-R, which boasted an impressive 306 horsepower.

The latest generation of the Civic is the 11th, with the 2022 model being offered in both sedan and hatchback forms. This new iteration closely resembles the Accord and features a front-wheel-drive layout with a continuously variable automatic transmission or CVT. While a six-speed manual transmission is still available on the hatchback model, fuel efficiency has become a top priority, with the EPA rating the new Civic at 34 miles per gallon combined.

If you're in the market for a used Honda Civic, there are certain model years to consider. The 2014 model year had very few customer complaints and most recalls were minimal. However, some models from earlier generations may have their issues. The 2001 Civic, for example, was plagued by transmission problems, including failing to engage, jerking, or jumping out of gear.

Furthermore, the 2016 Civic has been known to experience AC failure after just 36,000 miles. In some cases, even after repair, problems persisted. Additionally, wires made with a soy-based coating attracted mice, leading to electrical issues that required costly repairs.

For those considering alternative options, the Volkswagen Golf is another popular choice in the compact car segment. However, like many models within the same generation, it often shares similar problems with its peers. Specifically, the Mark 5 and earlier generations of the Golf may be worth exercising caution over. The 2021-year model is the last year that the Golf will be available in the US, marking the end of an era.

As for individual model years within the Golf's generation, some stand out as particularly unreliable. For instance, the 2010 and 2012 GTIs were deemed to have issues with their DSG direct shift gearbox. Later models, such as those from 2015 and 2016, suffered from catastrophic turbo failures. If you're considering purchasing a used Golf or any other vehicle, it's essential to research and understand potential pitfalls within the model year.

Ultimately, the choice between the Honda Civic and the Volkswagen Golf comes down to personal preference. Both brands have their strengths and weaknesses, and each has its own share of horror stories. Share your experiences with either car in the comments below, and don't forget to like and subscribe for more automotive content.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: entoday we're talking about the volkswagen golf versus the honda civic we'll drive through each one's evolution through the years we'll also see which model years to consider and which to avoid if you're buying used so hop in and let's get going most people are familiar with the iconic volkswagen beetle volkswagen has made more than 22 million beetles to date but did you know that the volkswagen golf has outsold even the beetle more than 35 million golfs have been made since it was released 47 years ago in fact golf is the second best selling car of all time it's second after the toyota corolla over 45 million units which have been produced today volkswagen builds 2 000 golfs every single day it was 1974 so the year that volkswagen released the golf the volkswagen golf was designed by renowned italian automobile designer giorgio tu gario this is the man who helped design the ferrari 250 gt swb bertone maserati jeebly lotus is free s1 and the dmc valerian it was back in 1970 when giorgetto was invited to the volkswagen headquarters to work on a project development back then it was known as ea 337 the project would later become the mark one golf volkswagen intended the golf to succeed the beetle sales of the beetle was a slump at the time so it was a prime time to create a new vehicle they veered away from the curvy form of the beetle and made the golf angular this is where round became square geodo's design reflected a signature origami or folded paper style which emphasized sharp corners and flat surfaces it's easy to see this angular style especially in the earliest models which included rectangular headlights and wide tail light assemblies it was the first volkswagen car to use a front transverse engine layout and front-wheel drive and see the introduction of a water-cooled engine and heater well it wasn't the most impressive model georg created it certainly set the tone for all subsequent golf generations tests of the first mach 1 began from october 1974. over three months two golf mark ones traveled the entire north american continent from alaska all the way to tierra del fuego and south america at the tip we're talking a quick and long road trip of 19 000 miles in just three months it was a good road test but also a clever marketing scheme the prototype was called the blizzard it was later marketed as the rabbit and also the korean before they finally settled on the name golf there are a few different stories and how they landed on the name gulf according to one story volkswagen is just obsessed with winds and current after all they have the passat which means trade wind in german then there's a jetta which means jet stream volkswagen also has the scirocco and the borah both of which are mediterranean winds so the story goes that the gulf is tied to the gulf stream but another story alleges that volkswagen named the car after the sport of golfing it fits volkswagen sports theme which includes the volkswagen polo and the volkswagen derby there's no official story behind the naming behind the golf gti island the general theory is that the gti is probably the abbreviation for the italian phrase gran turismo inizione which translates to grand tour injection in english volkswagen originally planned on producing only 5 000 units mainly just to cover the cost of the car's development production no one expected at the time they'd end up making more than 460 000 units which was 92 times more than planned since then seven generations of the gti followed successive generation produced more power let's skip to the fourth generation it appeared in 1998 and was the first gti to have a turbocharged gasoline engine then came the mark v fan called this the comeback model it was a refresh of the gti line it had more style it was fast it was practical it had a 2-liter turbocharged engine with a 6-speed manual transmission and its output of 200 horsepower accelerated to 60 miles an hour and 7.2 seconds later when this transmission was replaced by a dual clutch transmission it reduced the acceleration time to 60 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds with a maximum speed of 146 miles per hour which wasn't bad at the time the 2022 golf gti is part of the eighth generation and it has more technology and improved performance its 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is capable of producing horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque the 7-speed dual clutch dsg automatic transmission allows the car to go from zero to 60 in just 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 155 miles per hour by the way ever wonder dual clutch transmission differ from conventional manual or automatic transmissions most people know there are two main types of transmission well a dual clutch transmission is a cross between the two it's classified as an automatic manual transmission without a clutch pedal there are also sometimes called semi-automatic transmissions or sequential manual transmissions they're widely used in the car racing world but not so much in mass-produced duction vehicles with a conventional manual transmission there isn't a continuous supply of power from the engine to the wheels when shifting between the odd and even gears power delivery changes from on to off and back to on again this causes something known as shift shock or torque interrupt if you've ever written as a passenger in the back and you've experienced the jerking push forward or backwards when the driver changes gears a dual clutch transmission or dct in contrast uses two clutches but does not have a clutch pedal sophisticated electronics and hydraulics operate the clutches just like a standard automatic transmission but with the dct the clutches operate independently one clutch controls the odd gears in reverse while the others control the even gears this allows for instant gear changes and constant power delivery without loss of power it delivers the most dynamic acceleration of any vehicle on the market at eight milliseconds it makes for smoother acceleration and eliminates the shifting shock some experts say a six-speed dct can improve fuel economy of up to ten percent over a conventional five-speed automatic transmission but now let's shift gears to look at the honda civic and talk about some of its notable milestones it was the early 1970s and honda debuted the civic back then it was a humble but efficient car originally offered as a three-door hatchback and sedan honda sold nearly 33 000 civics their very first year in 1975 honda began equipping the civic with a compound vortex controlled combustion engine the epa ranked honda civic at the top of its list of most fuel-efficient cars fast forward almost 10 years 1984 and honda released the third generation civic it was bigger sportier and had better fuel economy than the previous generations in the civic crx the civic s.i hatchback appeared in japan first along with a civic station wagon which became known as the tall boy due to increased headroom and large rear glass the honda brought production of the civic to the united states the fifth generation civic appeared in the early 1990s it immediately drew attention because it now featured an engine with variable valve timing known as vtec honda also began focusing on safety features adding passenger side airbags to all civic models and optional anti-lock brake in the second half of the 90s hondas released a 6th generation civic this generation included a completely redesigned 106 horsepower engine it also introduced the natural gas civic gx and america finally got its hand on the honda civic s.i which had debuted in japan three years earlier honda entered the dawn of the new millennium with the seventh generation civic the civic grew from a subcompact to a compact car in the us honda launch the first civic hybrid and special edition package for its sedan and coupe models in 2012 honda introduced the 9th generation civic there were many technical upgrades and modern features that were unusual for a compact car at that time 2016 saw the 10th generation civic this was the first civic to be turbocharged it also saw the turbocharged civic type r which output 306 horsepower the type r became the fastest front-wheel drive production car at the nurburne ring breaking a new world lap record the latest generation of the civic is in its 11th generation 2022 model is being offered in both sedan and hatchback versions on the exterior the 2022 civic now closely resembles the accord the new civic is also offered exclusively as a front-wheel drive vehicle with a continuously variable automatic transmission or cvt although a six-speed manual transmission is still available on the hatchback model according to the epa the new civic has a combined fuel economy rating of 34 miles per gallon with 31 miles per gallon city and 38 miles per gallon highway so if you're looking to buy used which model years are worth considering which should you avoid let's start with the honda civic if you're looking for a used civic the 2014 model had very few customer complaints and most reminders 2012 civic also had just a few complaints against it although mostly there were uncomfortable seats in addition the 8th generation civic including the model years 2006 to 11 are generally a good bet in terms of civic models that might be the least reliable let's start with the year 2001. the biggest problem with the 01 was the transmission ranging from failing to engage jerking or jumping out of gear the worst one saw some drivers even experience the loss of power while driving in fact pond issued about 27 recalls for this particular year model also about 6 million units were recalled through a serious driver's side airbag problem that caused sharp metal fragments to fly towards the driver when the airbags were deployed honda also later recalled 3 million 2001 civics due to a similar issue with their passenger side takata airbags the 2016 civic is also a model year you might want to be cautious about there been reports of ac failure after just 36 000 miles oftentimes even after repair problems with the ac units weren't totally resolved this model also had wires made with a soy based coating which attracts and mice who like to chew on them leave an electrical problem cost of replacing damaged wires and coils can be a bit under a thousand dollars but now let's look at the used volkswagen golf oftentimes model years within the same generation face similar problems or issues since major design changes happen between generations not necessarily between each model year generally speaking i take caution with the golf mark 5 generation or earlier and look at the mark 6 or newer by the way the 2021-year model is the last year that the volkswagen golf will be available in the us it will be replaced by sports versions of the gti and volkswagen are as far as the gti is concerned you might want to take caution with the 2010 and 2012 gti models the 2012 has been considered the worst volkswagen gti model year since models of a generation often set a similar problems if you want to simplify things then perhaps just avoid the six generation gti's in 2009 to 2014. this generation saw breakdowns with the dsg direct shift gearbox the 2015 and 2016 gtis were deemed some of the most unreliable model years and have been known to suffer from catastrophic turbo failures but now you tell me what do you prefer the volkswagen golf or the honda civic do you have any funny or horror stories with either car please comment below and share if you've liked this episode please like and subscribe to my channel thanks for your supporttoday we're talking about the volkswagen golf versus the honda civic we'll drive through each one's evolution through the years we'll also see which model years to consider and which to avoid if you're buying used so hop in and let's get going most people are familiar with the iconic volkswagen beetle volkswagen has made more than 22 million beetles to date but did you know that the volkswagen golf has outsold even the beetle more than 35 million golfs have been made since it was released 47 years ago in fact golf is the second best selling car of all time it's second after the toyota corolla over 45 million units which have been produced today volkswagen builds 2 000 golfs every single day it was 1974 so the year that volkswagen released the golf the volkswagen golf was designed by renowned italian automobile designer giorgio tu gario this is the man who helped design the ferrari 250 gt swb bertone maserati jeebly lotus is free s1 and the dmc valerian it was back in 1970 when giorgetto was invited to the volkswagen headquarters to work on a project development back then it was known as ea 337 the project would later become the mark one golf volkswagen intended the golf to succeed the beetle sales of the beetle was a slump at the time so it was a prime time to create a new vehicle they veered away from the curvy form of the beetle and made the golf angular this is where round became square geodo's design reflected a signature origami or folded paper style which emphasized sharp corners and flat surfaces it's easy to see this angular style especially in the earliest models which included rectangular headlights and wide tail light assemblies it was the first volkswagen car to use a front transverse engine layout and front-wheel drive and see the introduction of a water-cooled engine and heater well it wasn't the most impressive model georg created it certainly set the tone for all subsequent golf generations tests of the first mach 1 began from october 1974. over three months two golf mark ones traveled the entire north american continent from alaska all the way to tierra del fuego and south america at the tip we're talking a quick and long road trip of 19 000 miles in just three months it was a good road test but also a clever marketing scheme the prototype was called the blizzard it was later marketed as the rabbit and also the korean before they finally settled on the name golf there are a few different stories and how they landed on the name gulf according to one story volkswagen is just obsessed with winds and current after all they have the passat which means trade wind in german then there's a jetta which means jet stream volkswagen also has the scirocco and the borah both of which are mediterranean winds so the story goes that the gulf is tied to the gulf stream but another story alleges that volkswagen named the car after the sport of golfing it fits volkswagen sports theme which includes the volkswagen polo and the volkswagen derby there's no official story behind the naming behind the golf gti island the general theory is that the gti is probably the abbreviation for the italian phrase gran turismo inizione which translates to grand tour injection in english volkswagen originally planned on producing only 5 000 units mainly just to cover the cost of the car's development production no one expected at the time they'd end up making more than 460 000 units which was 92 times more than planned since then seven generations of the gti followed successive generation produced more power let's skip to the fourth generation it appeared in 1998 and was the first gti to have a turbocharged gasoline engine then came the mark v fan called this the comeback model it was a refresh of the gti line it had more style it was fast it was practical it had a 2-liter turbocharged engine with a 6-speed manual transmission and its output of 200 horsepower accelerated to 60 miles an hour and 7.2 seconds later when this transmission was replaced by a dual clutch transmission it reduced the acceleration time to 60 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds with a maximum speed of 146 miles per hour which wasn't bad at the time the 2022 golf gti is part of the eighth generation and it has more technology and improved performance its 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is capable of producing horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque the 7-speed dual clutch dsg automatic transmission allows the car to go from zero to 60 in just 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 155 miles per hour by the way ever wonder dual clutch transmission differ from conventional manual or automatic transmissions most people know there are two main types of transmission well a dual clutch transmission is a cross between the two it's classified as an automatic manual transmission without a clutch pedal there are also sometimes called semi-automatic transmissions or sequential manual transmissions they're widely used in the car racing world but not so much in mass-produced duction vehicles with a conventional manual transmission there isn't a continuous supply of power from the engine to the wheels when shifting between the odd and even gears power delivery changes from on to off and back to on again this causes something known as shift shock or torque interrupt if you've ever written as a passenger in the back and you've experienced the jerking push forward or backwards when the driver changes gears a dual clutch transmission or dct in contrast uses two clutches but does not have a clutch pedal sophisticated electronics and hydraulics operate the clutches just like a standard automatic transmission but with the dct the clutches operate independently one clutch controls the odd gears in reverse while the others control the even gears this allows for instant gear changes and constant power delivery without loss of power it delivers the most dynamic acceleration of any vehicle on the market at eight milliseconds it makes for smoother acceleration and eliminates the shifting shock some experts say a six-speed dct can improve fuel economy of up to ten percent over a conventional five-speed automatic transmission but now let's shift gears to look at the honda civic and talk about some of its notable milestones it was the early 1970s and honda debuted the civic back then it was a humble but efficient car originally offered as a three-door hatchback and sedan honda sold nearly 33 000 civics their very first year in 1975 honda began equipping the civic with a compound vortex controlled combustion engine the epa ranked honda civic at the top of its list of most fuel-efficient cars fast forward almost 10 years 1984 and honda released the third generation civic it was bigger sportier and had better fuel economy than the previous generations in the civic crx the civic s.i hatchback appeared in japan first along with a civic station wagon which became known as the tall boy due to increased headroom and large rear glass the honda brought production of the civic to the united states the fifth generation civic appeared in the early 1990s it immediately drew attention because it now featured an engine with variable valve timing known as vtec honda also began focusing on safety features adding passenger side airbags to all civic models and optional anti-lock brake in the second half of the 90s hondas released a 6th generation civic this generation included a completely redesigned 106 horsepower engine it also introduced the natural gas civic gx and america finally got its hand on the honda civic s.i which had debuted in japan three years earlier honda entered the dawn of the new millennium with the seventh generation civic the civic grew from a subcompact to a compact car in the us honda launch the first civic hybrid and special edition package for its sedan and coupe models in 2012 honda introduced the 9th generation civic there were many technical upgrades and modern features that were unusual for a compact car at that time 2016 saw the 10th generation civic this was the first civic to be turbocharged it also saw the turbocharged civic type r which output 306 horsepower the type r became the fastest front-wheel drive production car at the nurburne ring breaking a new world lap record the latest generation of the civic is in its 11th generation 2022 model is being offered in both sedan and hatchback versions on the exterior the 2022 civic now closely resembles the accord the new civic is also offered exclusively as a front-wheel drive vehicle with a continuously variable automatic transmission or cvt although a six-speed manual transmission is still available on the hatchback model according to the epa the new civic has a combined fuel economy rating of 34 miles per gallon with 31 miles per gallon city and 38 miles per gallon highway so if you're looking to buy used which model years are worth considering which should you avoid let's start with the honda civic if you're looking for a used civic the 2014 model had very few customer complaints and most reminders 2012 civic also had just a few complaints against it although mostly there were uncomfortable seats in addition the 8th generation civic including the model years 2006 to 11 are generally a good bet in terms of civic models that might be the least reliable let's start with the year 2001. the biggest problem with the 01 was the transmission ranging from failing to engage jerking or jumping out of gear the worst one saw some drivers even experience the loss of power while driving in fact pond issued about 27 recalls for this particular year model also about 6 million units were recalled through a serious driver's side airbag problem that caused sharp metal fragments to fly towards the driver when the airbags were deployed honda also later recalled 3 million 2001 civics due to a similar issue with their passenger side takata airbags the 2016 civic is also a model year you might want to be cautious about there been reports of ac failure after just 36 000 miles oftentimes even after repair problems with the ac units weren't totally resolved this model also had wires made with a soy based coating which attracts and mice who like to chew on them leave an electrical problem cost of replacing damaged wires and coils can be a bit under a thousand dollars but now let's look at the used volkswagen golf oftentimes model years within the same generation face similar problems or issues since major design changes happen between generations not necessarily between each model year generally speaking i take caution with the golf mark 5 generation or earlier and look at the mark 6 or newer by the way the 2021-year model is the last year that the volkswagen golf will be available in the us it will be replaced by sports versions of the gti and volkswagen are as far as the gti is concerned you might want to take caution with the 2010 and 2012 gti models the 2012 has been considered the worst volkswagen gti model year since models of a generation often set a similar problems if you want to simplify things then perhaps just avoid the six generation gti's in 2009 to 2014. this generation saw breakdowns with the dsg direct shift gearbox the 2015 and 2016 gtis were deemed some of the most unreliable model years and have been known to suffer from catastrophic turbo failures but now you tell me what do you prefer the volkswagen golf or the honda civic do you have any funny or horror stories with either car please comment below and share if you've liked this episode please like and subscribe to my channel thanks for your support\n"