The Civic is probably going to be more of a driver's car when compared to the Corolla. I haven't driven the current Civic, but the last couple of generations I have driven have been a little more sporty than a Corolla.
I've driven a couple of 2013 Corollas and did not like them very much. Interior quality really wasn't that great for such a new car. The DBW throttle and EPS were very robotic and numb feeling. It was like driving in an arcade game. I sometimes drive a 2012 Colorado also with DBW and EPS, and while it's not great either, it's better than the Corolla. A good test drive with some city and interstate driving will give your brother the best idea of which car he wants to live with everyday.
I would also second the suggestion to look at the Mazda 3, but the issue there is the dealer network. It's pretty inconsistent and varied. Many Mazda dealers push used cars more than they do Mazdas. The service departments can be pretty bad as well, which is less of a concern if your brother has a good indy shop or can do maintenance himself. If he likes having a good dealer service department close by though, Mazda may not be the brand for him. Some of the dealers are good, but many are fly by night hack jobs. My mom loves her Mazda 3, but will not buy another one because the dealer's service department has been so bad. The two times they touched the car, they screwed up. Once was an oil change (left oil cap off), once was a power steering recall. The next closest dealer was almost an hour away. My sister also loves her 3, but the dealer folded shortly after she bought the car, and the next closest one is about two hours away from her.