Corolla vs Civic...Why?

[vrundmc]

I had to decide between the Corolla and Civic but chose the Corolla for various reasons:

1. Price (Corolla S vs Civic EX, looked at the same features)
2. Reliability
3. Dealer incentives (0% financing and 3 years no maintenance)

What were your reasons?

[MagnaGrolla]

I actually liked the Civic too... but the Rolla came with a great lease deal and better mpg. All being equal I would have got the Civic.

[09yota]

I liked the way the Corolla looks compared to the civics. Plus I planned on doing stuff to mine, and everyone where I live has a civic with stuff done to it. Plus, Toyota gave me a WAY better deal than honda would....

[aznsportcar]

hah, i mostly chose toyota from reliability and style. believe it feels roomier in my toyota

[thestone11]

Engine wise, If it is not the SI trim, don't get the civic. For god sake, it is still running on a Single overhead cam engine, even my AE86 is running twin cam.

Suspension wise, the civic wins by having a better rear suspension, unlike the corolla is still running an old skool torsion beam rear suspension.

Interior and exterior look, I personally not a big fan of the digital speedometer on the civic....so I am leaning towards the Corolla.

Keep in mind, you are on a toyota forum, 90% of the responses will be leaning towards the toyota. Go ahead and test drive both of the cars, then make your own decision.

PS: The civic will have a total model change over in the coming next year.

[vrundmc]

Originally Posted by thestone11

If it is not the SI trim, don't get the civic. For god sake, it is still running on a Single overhead cam engine, even my AE86 is running twin cam.

Keep in mind, you are on a toyota forum, 90% of the responses will be leaning towards the toyota. Go ahead and test drive both of the cars, then make your own decision.

Hey, I already decided! I was just throwing out a topic for discussion.

[Dave-o]

im not a fan of the civic's tachometer taking up the front space... but it's the only important thing you need if you're driving manual though

some people I know like it because of that

[ekimnal]

Originally Posted by vrundmc

Hey, I already decided! I was just throwing out a topic for discussion.

I was actually thinking of asking a similar question, but you beat me to it.

My dad initially went to a Honda dealership in early November 2009 in search of a new fuel efficient car (needed to get rid of my '94 V6 Camry). He was approached by a new sales rep and was instantly given a whole bunch of discounts. The reason for this was because she was new and needed her reputation to be built. But in the end my dad ended up with the corolla, because my family has always been Toyota owners. With a '92 Previa, '94 corolla (both still going strong) and an 05 corolla , we just had to get another toyota.

[got-rice]

1. Features
2. Toyota "Reliability" (If it holds true still like my first Toyota)
3. Employee Discount

[soundboy]

My family own both a 2008 Civic LX auto 4 door sedan and a 2009 Corolla S auto, purchased new about 2 months apart. I purchased the Civic and my mom purchased the Corolla. The prices of the 2 cars were less than $1,000 apart, before taxes and doc fees. Over the course of ownership, I've driven the 2 cars extensively and because of my mom's declining health, we've decided to sell one of the cars.....I will be selling the Civic and I will take over the Corolla.

For looks, there're strengths to both cars. For my family specifically, it's just plain easier to get in and out of the Corolla. The not-as-stiff ride of the Corolla also helps; I drove on a trip from the Bay Area to Reno, NV in the Corolla and couldn't imagine myself lasting that long in the Civic. The road noise and the stiffer ride of the Civic would've driven me nuts.

I do like the 5 speed auto on the Civic, however, I've reservations about the transmission's reliability. My family's previous cars were 1991 Honda Accord and a 1997 Acura Integra, and both car's automatic transmission slipped on their overdrive gear at approximately 60,000 miles despite regular maintenance. On top of that, the Corolla's 4 speed auto is not bad at all. There're times when the Civic's 5 speed auto would hunt up and down for the right gear, whereas the Corolla's auto would still put.

The Civic's "innovative" instrument panel becomes a distraction over time, especially at night. Interesting at first, no so much as time goes by.

Both cars have their shares of rattles and squeaks, but the Corolla feels more solid. On top of that, my local Honda dealer's bad attitude about fixing warranty repairs turned me off.

I should've picked the Corolla in the first place. However, I wish Toyota would've put in better material and workmanship into their cars. Still, I think the Corolla is overall a better buy.

[kniterider09]

biggest factor for me was PRICE! initially i had liked the 08 EXL-coupe with leather and sunroof, but they wud not budge lower than $27K (cdn). also, it was the first car i went to take a look at. another problem with the coupe was insurance, it was the highest of all cars i had inquired about. on top of that, the color i liked (black) made insurance even higher. plus for 27K i really wasant getting much compared to pretty much every other car in that price range.

the Toyota was the LAST dealership i visited and as soon as me and my gf saw the Xrs, we were like...ya....thats the one! then all i did was shop around at different dealers to get a good price, and i got a better price then i was looking for. plus i was getting a bigger engine and more hp for less price. (i cud not justify paying 27K for 140 hp). insurance was $100 cheaper on the corolla compared to the civic too.

i bought my Corolla for its price, looks and functionality. Realibility was the LAST thing on my mind since i was buying a brand new car. thats the reason for buying a new car...u have WARRANTY. realibility plays a factor when ur buying a used car or if ur planning on running ur car to the ground, i know i wont be keeping this car forever, as life goes on i will move on to better cars, just like moving from an apartment to a condo to a house.

lastly i want to mention that if there was anything more that i could wish for in my car was the use of better materials as mentioned by soundboy in his post.

[ilhyan01]

fell in love with the mpg! lol... bought mine when the gas was freakin high (almost $4.50/gallon)... i didn't like the yaris (more mpg) and most of my friends own civics so i wanted to be different... i also liked the looks... never really liked the 9th gen looks but 10th gen just caught my eye!

[HomeGrown]

Originally Posted by got-rice

3. Employee Discount

I wanted to drive a car that was built on the body weld equipment I helped install and dimensionally confirm.

[SuperchargedMR2]

I've had such great experience with Toyota's over the years & I really liked the looks of the "S". I looked at the Civic but for similar equipment that I wanted the Civic was much more. I also liked the instrument panel a lot more on the Corolla. The bottom line was that I got more car for less money.

[PhatRoyale]

Originally Posted by vrundmc

Hey, I already decided! I was just throwing out a topic for discussion.

that's good that you decided.

enjoy your Corolla.

closed.