Compare the2026 Audi RS 3VS 2026 Honda Civic Si

The RS 3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Civic Si doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the RS 3 and Civic Si have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Civic Si’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The RS 3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The RS 3 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Civic Si doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The RS 3 has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Civic Si only offers a rear monitor.

Both the RS 3 and Civic Si have rear cross-traffic warning, but the RS 3 has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Civic Si’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

The RS 3 has a standard Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the RS 3 and the Civic Si have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi RS 3 weighs 675 pounds more than the Honda Civic Si. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The RS 3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Civic Si’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The RS 3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Civic Si’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the RS 3 for 2 years and 18000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the Civic Si (3/30,000 vs. 1/12000).

The RS 3’s 2.5 turbo 5-cylinder produces 194 more horsepower (394 vs. 200) and 177 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 192) than the Civic Si’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

The RS 3 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic Si (14.5 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The RS 3 has a standard automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

The RS 3 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an SMG.

The RS 3’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Civic Si doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the RS 3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic Si:

	RS 3	RS 3 CCB	Civic Si
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	15 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	12.2 inches	11.1 inches

The RS 3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Civic Si are solid, not vented.

The RS 3 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Civic Si doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The RS 3 stops much shorter than the Civic Si:

	RS 3	Civic Si
70 to 0 MPH	152 feet	160 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	98 feet	110 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the RS 3 has larger tires than the Civic Si (F:265/30R19 & R:245/35R19 vs. 235/40R18).

The RS 3’s 265/30R19 front and 245/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Civic Si’s standard 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RS 3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Civic Si.

The RS 3 has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Civic Si’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RS 3 is 2.2 inches wider in the front than on the Civic Si.

The RS 3’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58% to 42%) than the Civic Si’s (60% to 40%). This gives the RS 3 more stable handling and braking.

The RS 3 handles at 1.01 G’s, while the Civic Si pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RS 3 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.6 seconds quicker than the Civic Si (23.7 seconds @ .86 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

The RS 3 is 5.5 inches shorter than the Civic Si, making the RS 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the RS 3’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Civic Si’s useful trunk space.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the RS 3. The Civic Si doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the RS 3’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The RS 3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Civic Si uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

When two different drivers share the RS 3, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a memory system.

The RS 3 has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the RS 3 and the Civic Si have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the RS 3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Civic Si prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The RS 3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Civic Si’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the RS 3 the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Civic Si can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RS 3’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Entry standard on the Civic Si doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The RS 3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Civic Si’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the RS 3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Civic Si doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RS 3 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Civic Si doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the RS 3 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Civic Si doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the RS 3 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Civic Si’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The RS 3’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Civic Si doesn’t offer the luxury of automatic dimming mirrors.

The RS 3’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Civic Si doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the RS 3 and the Civic Si offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the RS 3 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Civic Si doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the RS 3. The RS 3’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Civic Si doesn’t offer a navigation system.

Compared to the Honda Civic Si, the Audi RS 3 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi RS 3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Civic Si doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The RS 3’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automated parking system.