Corolla vs. Civic

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So my brother is looking to buy a new fuel efficient car in the next couple of months and has pretty much narrowed it down to getting a 2013 Civic or a 2014 Corolla. I'm trying to help him research vehicles and find what would be the best fit. I bought a new Civic about 6 months ago, so I'm clearly on team Honda :), but my first car (many moons ago) was a Corolla, so I have a soft spot for the good old Corollas. Based on what I've priced out on truecar.com and my own personal experience, it looks like the Corolla L automatic model is going to cost about $1500 more than a Civic LX model. So I guess I figure I'd put out the "which would you buy?" scenario to my fellow BITOG posters. I've heard that Toyotas have had engine oil sludge problems in the past, but I'm wondering if that should be a factor in a purchasing decision.
 
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Which ever one he likes the best. drive both. See what kind of out the door pricing is available on both.
 
Civic is more sporty
Corolla is more mature

Both are well equipped, reliable, get great fuel economy, and have no power. In my opinion, the Corolla will be quieter and ride smoother. But the Civic will be more fun to drive.

Think of it from my "tuner" prospective. I personally know ONE guy who has modified and made his Corolla more sporty. I cant count how many Honda Civic owners i know that fall into the category. Point is, the Civic is more fun.
 
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Both reliable but corolla may have a slight very slight edge maybe but that's due to their boring unchanged everything in the car.
The civic more fun better looking and more enjoyable
Both would be great cars.
Personally Toyota has had enough issues lately that I wouldn't look at them to seriously.
I own a civic it's a fantastic car. It's an automatic 127,000 miles and has been flawless.
I personally would go with honda. They're a better company to IMO!
 
i agree most toyotas are boring but the corolla is very well made..Not all toyotas are good these days but that one is...Honda is not what it was and the transmissions are still a little shaky
 
Just bought a new 2013 Mazda 3 for $15,388.00 .
There is nothing that will touch this car for the money.
 
It depends. Drive both. Decide on drivng dynamics. Civic is much lower and lower roofline. Sportier looking..sure..my head touches the ceiling in civics..i just hated that..corolla ur higher up better design for space.. both great vehicles..my friend has spent more on repairs on his civic (25-30 k miles on it) than i have in 110k miles on my corolla. No sludge issues with mine..never had..followed mfr 5k mile intervals with dino..never an issue. Both great cars but shouldnt you compare a 2013 civic to a 2013 corolla and not a 2014? That might be the price discrepency...
Test drive both and go with what you like best. Thats the best advice i can give!
 
Originally Posted By: dcf
Just bought a new 2013 Mazda 3 for $15,388.00 .
There is nothing that will touch this car for the money.


Except rust!!!


Just kidding!!
 
Depends on the person, corolla is more of an appliance, the civic has a more sporty character. At the end of the day you cant go wrong with either.
 
Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
I wouldn't buy either, and would head straight to the nearest dealer with a 2014 Mazda 3 in stock, and buy it instead.

BC.


I have a friend with a mazda 3 its a nice little car but its always needing nickel dime kind of stuff. nothing major just annoying little things all the time. while my Honda has been very perfect. not even a competition in my eyes. Honda for sure.
 
Why buy a boring, appliance like car? Look at the Cruze and get fuel economy with some decent looks, better interior and driving dynamics.
 
My wife and I had this exact dilemma a year ago between a 2012 Civic and a 2013 Corolla. I preferred the Honda, she the Toyota. The cars were similar enough in most areas to make it a tough call, but a side by side comparison done in our driveway revealed better visibility in the Corolla - the one we own today.

Both cars have been refreshed since then, so this isn't necessarily true anymore. I can recommend the side by side comparison away from the salesmen, though.
 
I think the Corolla is probably a bit more solid.

I'd pick the Civic because it is just more interesting.

The only problem with the Civic is you have a youth culture that drools over these little Honda econoboxes, including the Fit.

So, there is a higher chance of theft, at least in Montreal.

A lot of Honda jealousy in Quebec. They get keyed and stolen often, even if they are older.

The Honda is by far the more desirable car by both men and women, always leading to a solid resale value.
 
Toyota by a long shot. I worked on a newer one after it was in a front end collision and was really impressed by the rigidity of the structure in the little car.

This car took a big hit with lots of sheet metal damage including the welded in radiator support but the sub frame remained in perfect alignment, surprisingly i didn't need to do a pull on it in the lower control arm area which i was sure it would be twisted like a pretzel.

After replacing the bumper, fender, control arm, axle, strut, wheel, tie rods and radiator support the car aligned perfectly. That is one well built structure.

Both the Honda and the Toyota have sheet metal like thick tin foil but IMHO the Toyota drive train and basic structure is much better.
I have repaired Honda's and Nissans hit nowhere near as hard and had to do some serious pulling to the sub frame or replace the frame rails.
Subaru is one tough little nut also, they can really take a hit.

Edit: I should note the only other cars i have repaired where the structure was this stable is the old Volvo and SAAB cars, no small car built today is as strong as the old 99 but the Toyota comes close, cabin forward anyway.
 
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The 2014 Civic got better IIHS safety ratings than the 2014 Corolla. The only difference being the Civic got a good rating on small overlap, the Corolla got a marginal.

Based on that information, and all else being the same, I would go with the Civic.
 
2013 Civic is 28/39 EPA city/highway.
2013 Corolla is 26/34.

2014 Corolla seems to do a bit better, but not until you're into the CVT's or Eco models, which I'm assuming are even more expensive.

If the Civic is cheaper, it seems like an easy choice.
 
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