Tag Archives: Honda Civic

2026 Volkswagen Jetta SEL

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A solid offering in a tough category. But let’s not get carried away. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

According to the official Volkswagen site for consumers, the 2026 Jetta is “The compact sedan that redefines the standard.”

Well, let’s face it: that’s verbiage that came out of an advertising agency that is tasked with talking big about its clients products.

Arguably, in the compact car segment the definitional products are the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla.

Consider: in the first three quarters of 2025 there were 185,225 Civics sold in the U.S. and 179,983 Corollas. Yes, there are hatches among them, but still.

During the same period there were 43,610 Jettas sold.

It would be hard to redefine something with that.

Which is not to say that the Jetta is not a car worth consideration. It is a good-looking, capable compact that is competing in a tough segment (obviously).

In fact, there is something to be said for zigging while everyone else in the market is zagging.

If you go Jetta, you’re likely to be standing out wherever you drive.

VW Jetta: a competitor in a tough category. (Image: VW)

The 2026 Jetta is a seventh-generation vehicle, so there’s experience there, especially with the MQB architecture that the car is based on. All you really need to know about that is that it “feels” like a solid vehicle.

It is 186.5 inches long, 70.8 inches wide and 57.7 inches tall; the wheelbase is 105.7 inches. The Jetta offers 94.7 cubic feet of passenger volume and 14.1 cubic feet of trunk capacity.

It is powered by a 158-hp turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is a front-wheel-drive vehicle.

That eight-speed, it must be noted, is a differentiator between the Jetta and the Civic and the Corolla, as those two vehicles have a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Some people like the “feel” of a step-gear transmission more than a CVT, so that is a consideration that should be made.

It has EPA-estimated fuel-economy ratings of 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined, which puts it right in the ballpark with the Civic and the Corolla.

The SEL trim driven here has a number of features, including 18-inch alloy wheels, heated and cooled front seats (heated in the rear outboard positions), leather seating surfaces, heated steering wheel, navigation, premium audio, and a sunroof.

One of the features it has that I certainly wish it didn’t is capacitive-touch “buttons.” This is the sort of thing you have on your smartphone: you simply touch a specific area to activate something rather than using a physical button, dial or switch. While this works well on your phone because odds are you are (assuming that you are a good driver, not a scoff-law) standing, sitting or maybe walking while you are doing something with your phone, not traveling at 70 mph as you may be in your Jetta while you are trying to adjust the temperature. (There are buttons and rockers on the steering wheel for a few functions.)

The base MSRP for the 2026 Jetta SEL is $30,450. There is a $1,275 destination charge.

A key consideration, of course, comes down to whether a German marque is more interesting than a Japanese—or Korean: we can’t forget the Hyundai Elantra and the Kia K4, both of which are gamers in the category.

Socially Popular

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Since social media attention is one of the most important metrics for those in the automotive industry, some findings from Zutobi.com* are undoubtedly of interest.

According to its research, the most popular vehicles in terms of social media mention are:

  1. Nissan GT-R
  2. Honda Civic
  3. Ford Mustang

Here’s how they made the assessment:

The GT-R gets 8,623 weekly Twitter mentions, 9.5 million Instagram posts and 9,890 articles on Reddit.

The Civic’s respective numbers are: 7,863, 8.2 million and 16,500.

And for Mustang: 9,827, 14.7 million and 6,610.

Nissan GT-R: as popular as it is quick. (Image: Nissan)

One could argue that the Nissan GT-R is by far the most popular.

Why? Well, in 2019, the last “normal” pre-COVID year, Nissan sold 331 GT-Rs in the U.S. market. Last year it sold 227.

The Civic and even Mustang sales dwarf those of the GT-R.

So given its share of market its share of attention is massive.

//

*Zuboti is an on-line driver’s ed course. Presumably it did this research because it figured it would get picked up on social media.

A Look at the Class of 2021

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Vehicles, not college grads, that is.

By Gary S. Vasilash

There are lots of new vehicles that have been or will be introduced this year. So on this edition of “Autoline After Hours” we dedicate the show to talking about some of them.

And the “we” includes “Autoline’s” John McElroy; Jennifer Newman, editor-in-chief of Cars.com; Gary Witzenburg, president of the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year Awards and freelance journalist, and me.

The GMC HUMMER EV Pickup (Image: GMC)

Among the vehicles discussed:

  • Acura MDX: Fourth generation of the utility. Three rows. Edgier styling. Solid suspension. What’s not to like? Apparently the True Touchpad Interface.
  • Buick Envision: A crossover with meticulous attention to detail, inside and out. Does the fact that it is made in China have anything to do with that?
  • Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing: A lesser bat-out-of-hell (the 4 has a 472-hp engine) and a full-blown one (the 5 has a 668-hp engine).
  • Chevy Bolt EUV: The second electric vehicle (EV) in the lineup that looks more like an SUV, presumably to appeal to those who can’t get enough of that body style.
  • Ford Bronco: A hard-core off-road vehicle, coming soon to a driveway near you. Get the Sasquatch Package and get extra ground clearance and the approach and departure angles that make climbing rocks not an issue. Get the optional Honda
  • GMC HUMMER EV Pickup. 1,000 hp 11,500 lb-ft of torque. 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. 350+ miles of driving range. Fast charge up to 100 miles in 10 minutes. You can’t get a reservation for Edition 1, which is coming out this fall and has an MSRP of $112,595. In the fall of 22 there will be more available with a reduced price: $99,995.
  • Honda Civic Sedan: The 11th generation appears to be what will bring Honda back to being Honda. Which should make sedan enthusiasts every enthusiastic.
  • Hyundai Santa Cruz and Tucson and IONIQ 5: whether it is a little truck-like vehicle, a compact sport ute that comes with two flavors of hybrid as well as a conventional ICE powertrain, or a fully electric crossover, seems that Hyundai is the Overachiever of the Year.
  • Kia Carnival: Don’t call this a “minivan.” Don’t.
  • Nissan Frontier: It has been a while since Nissan has brought out a new version of its pickup (e.g., the one that is out now appeared in. . . 1998), so they’ve clearly had time to get this one right.
  • Rivian R1T: Will this electric pickup from a startup be a success in the market?

And much, much more.

Which you can see right here.

A Driver-Oriented Space in the ’22 Honda Civic

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While not full-on stark minimalism, Honda is recognizing the need for a more human-oriented interior in its 11th-generation Civic

By Gary S. Vasilash

One of the things that has been going on in interior design is that as the vehicles have become more tech-centric, there is a near feeling of driver claustrophobia.

The term typically used to describe the space is “cockpit,” as though the driver is actually trained as a pilot in an F-18 when, in fact, all that person really wants is to be able to go to the store to pick up a few groceries.

With its minimalist interior design Tesla has started a trend in this direction.

Inside the ’22 Honda Civic. (Image: Honda)

The interior of the 2022 Honda Civic is the latest example of a driver-not-pilot approach.

On a macro level, that there are pulled back A-pillars, a low hood and a flat dash, as well as a low, flat beltline, means there is a more spacious view to the outside (a good thing when behind the wheel).

Honda is calling approach “Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum,” which is something that they followed year ago, but seem to have forgotten over the years, as they tried to stay of the moment.

There is an available 9-inch color touchscreen—the largest screen in any Honda (you would imagine this would be in something like the Odyssey or Pilot)—that runs “a simplified navigation structure with fewer embedded menus.”

What’s more, there is a physical volume knob and hard buttons for Home and Back.

It is understandable that OEMs would chase consumer electronics in terms of interfaces, but it is also clear that in some cases things have gone to far. While you look at your phone when making a selection; if you’re driving a vehicle you should be looking at the road ahead. Thus something like a knob to crank up the sound is an ergonomic solution for a car, while it would be inappropriate for a phone.

And they’ve put a 0.8-inch finger rest on the bottom of the touchscreen, something that is car-appropriate.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan Breaks Cover

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Yes, small(ish) sedans still matter to some companies—and some consumers. After all, there were 55,903 Civics sold through March, and that is notable

By Gary S. Vasilash

While I must confess I don’t completely understand the “breaks cover” term for a vehicle reveal, it seems that that is de rigueur in headlines for events like that, so I figured I’d use it. Breaks cover.

2022 Honda Civic. It will become available later this year. (Image: Honda)

There isn’t a whole lot of information about what will be the eleventh generation of the venerable Civic (any car that’s been around for 11 generations gets that honorific—at the very least).

It will be a model year 2022.

The sedan will be produced at Honda of Canada Manufacturing, which is in Alliston, Ontario.

There will be a Civic Hatchback coming a few months after the Civic Sedan. It will be produced at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in Greensburg.

Honda will offer more information about the Sedan on April 28, during its first 20th anniversary Honda Civic Tour event, headlined by H.E.R. One wonders whether the fans at the concert will be interested in specs of the songs.

This, of course, will be a virtual tour.

The car, which has, to remind you, broken cover, will be real.