The recent comparison of the Jetta TSI vs. the Corolla showed that the 1.4 turbo mill in the Jetta was equal to the Corolla in fuel economy ratings, all while giving significantly more power.
Let me clarify this:
When I got into the Jetta, it was showing an average of 9.1L/100km. Within the first 5 minutes of the drive, it was up to 13.7L/100km. Feeling awful about myself, I then restrained myself and drove as carefully as possible, including driving at 100km/h on the highway stint. The Corolla was more fun to "push"/drive hard, and hence the fuel economy jumped from 7.1L/100km to 7.5L/100km when I was in it. The Jetta was then driven VERY conservatively and I got it down.
...but no matter how hard I pushed the Corolla, I never saw it go above 7.7L/100km. The Jetta showed much higher #s, well into the teens, when I was enjoying it. If anyone saw how grannylicious I drove the Jetta to get it back down into the 7s, my man-card would have been revoked by members of this forum.
That's not to say that the Jetta's 1.4T is piggish. It's not. It's just a turbo motor - your driving habits will matter far more than the type of transmission or other fuel savings measures it has. This will be true of the Civic as well - the CVT will likely work wonders, but drive it like a 17 year old girl trying to get to a Bieber concert and it can use more fuel than an F-150. YM
WV.
I think it looks like a fantastic car. It has all the features one would expect today (available adaptive cruise control in a compact car, anyone?), a bevy of fine engines, and styling to match. I can't wait to go sit in one in person and see if the greater size actually translates to greater interior volume.
Note that the Impreza with EyeSight has adaptive cruise control in a compact car, WITH AWD. With that being said, this Civic really is the appealing one - and it's a great age for competition. You're correct - look at everything you get in a compelling package, STILL built in Ontario (for longer than 2020...facking Toyota
).
The Civic EX-T ($24,990) also adds the turbocharged engine.
...but then you get sh!t like this! So $2,400 for the bloody turbo only in the -T trim?! :| I can't see many EX-Ts being sold. The EX-CVT is going to be the sweet spot, with or without HondaSense.
The days of spending sub-$20,000 is gone. Not because of $300 increases, which I don't have an issue with (though claiming it's "$1,800 in free stuff!" is bullsh!t marketing and is wholly misleading given that Honda is not 'losing' $1,800 per car on average, nor could you spend $1,800 and have it all installed on previous generations - the cost is not something that could be realized by consumers and therefore it is a fallacy).
No, it's now that the base trims are so - well, as Greg puts it, "cheap" - that you are enticed to spend an extra $3,000-$4,000 to get the 'trim' you feel comfortable with. As I said, the EX-CVT with HS is the sweet spot, yet it costs $24,590 - $5,000 more than the Corolla I'm driving around. Do I get $5,000 worth of stuff? HELL YEAH! Is it worth it? HELL YEAH! ...but is the average transaction price not up $5,000? yeah, it is
For those with restraint, that DX 6-MT is one helluva deal and dealers better stock them.