Schomp Honda

Safety

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Corolla's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

 

Both the Civic and the Corolla have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic Sedan is safer than the Corolla:

	Civic	Corolla
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Head Injury Index	290	390
Chest forces	44 g's	49 g's
Leg injuries (L/R)	548 / 63	321 / 353
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest forces	41 g's	48 g's

More stars indicate a better overall result. Lower numbers indicate better individual test results.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 38.5 MPH side impact tests on new cars. In this test, results indicate that the Civic is safer than the Corolla:

	Civic	Corolla
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Thoracic Trauma	50	68
Pelvis Deceleration	53 G's	67 G's

More stars indicate a better chance of avoiding serious injuries. Lower numbers indicate better actual numeric test results.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Civic is 2% less likely to roll over than the Corolla.

 

Reliability

 

The engine in the Civic has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Corolla have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

 

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Honda Civic Coupe's reliability will be 13% better than the Corolla and the Honda Civic Sedan will be 26% better than the Corolla.

 

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Civic second among compact cars in their 2010 Initial Quality Study. The Corolla isn't in the top three.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

 

Engine

 

The Civic's 1.8 VTEC 4 cyl. produces 8 more horsepower (140 vs. 132) than the Corolla's standard 1.8 DOHC 4 cyl.

 

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Civic is faster than the Toyota Corolla 1.8 DOHC 4 cyl. (manual transmissions tested):

	Civic	Corolla
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	22.5 sec	27 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87 MPH	84 MPH
Top Speed	125 MPH	115 MPH

 

Fuel Economy and Range

 

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Auto gets better highway fuel mileage than the Corolla Auto with its standard engine (36 hwy vs. 34 hwy).

 

Brakes and Stopping

 

For better stopping power the Civic's front brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla:

	Civic	Corolla
Front Rotors	10.3 inches	10 inches

 

The Civic stops shorter than the Corolla:

	Civic	Corolla
70 to 0 MPH	191 feet	194 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

 

Suspension and Handling

 

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Civic has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota Corolla has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

 

The Civic has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Corolla doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

 

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic Sedan's wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Corolla (106.3 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

 

The Civic LX Sedan handles at .81 G's, while the Corolla Standard pulls only .79 G's of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

 

For better maneuverability, the Civic DX Sedan's turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Corolla's (34.8 feet vs. 35.6 feet). The Civic Sedan/DX Coupe's turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Corolla XRS' (35.4 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

 

Chassis

 

The Civic Coupe is 3.2 inches shorter than the Corolla, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

 

Passenger Space

 

The Civic Sedan has .6 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom and 7.1 inches more rear hip room than the Corolla.

 

Cargo Capacity

 

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Civic easier. The Civic's trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Corolla's liftover is 30 inches.

 

Ergonomics

 

The Civic's standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. Power windows cost extra on the Corolla.

 

The Civic LX/EX's driver's power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control. The Corolla's driver's power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

 

The Civic has standard lighted power window switches so that they are easily found at night. The Corolla doesn't have lighted switches.

 

The Civic EX's standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Corolla XLE's manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

 

The Civic's standard power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Corolla's power mirror controls are on the dash, hidden behind the steering wheel, where they are awkward to manipulate.

 

The Civic's optional heated front seats keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. The Corolla doesn't offer heated seats.

 

The Civic EX Sedan has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable. The Corolla doesn't offer a rear seat center armrest.

 

With optional voice command, the Civic EX offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls, cell phone and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Corolla doesn't offer a voice control system.

 

Model Availability

 

The Honda Civic comes in coupe and sedan bodystyles; the Toyota Corolla isn't available as a coupe.

 

Economic Advantages

 

Insurance will cost less for the Civic owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Civic with a number '1' to '5' insurance rate while the Corolla is rated higher at a number '3' rate.

 

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Civic is less expensive to operate than the Corolla because it costs $1014 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Civic than the Corolla, including $108 less for an alternator, $23 less for fuel injection and $117 less for front struts.

 

Recommendations

 

The Honda Civic has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Civic	Corolla
Consumer Reports Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book 'Best Bet'	TRUE	FALSE
Intellichoice	A 'Best Value'	no award

 

Strategic Vision rated the Civic first among small cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner's expectations. The Corolla was rated 8th.

 

Motor Trend selected the Civic as their 2006 Car of the Year. The Corolla has never been chosen.

 

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2006 North American Car of the Year. The Corolla has never been chosen.

* [1]  Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.