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Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla Altis are out there in the market for quite some time. Both have been best selling vehicles in the compact sedan category, offering a unique blend of excellent ownership experience, high reliability and comfort.
These two cars have outlasted the competition from the American car manufacturers.
Comparing these two cars will be tough as both of them have so many inbuilt features and specifications good enough to have an advantage over the other.
Redesigned for 2020, the sedan version of Corolla comes with some new improvements adapted from its 2019 hatchback version for a more satisfying driving experience.
For the sake of comparison, we will be considering sedan body styles of these two vehicles.
It is also worthy of keeping in mind that Honda Civic is also available in a 4-door hatchback and a coupe.
The article provides a thorough and genuine comparison between the two.
Read on.
About the Toyota Corolla
This car is one of the most popular one worldwide. Ever since its introduction in 1966, more than millions of Corollas have been sold worldwide.
Toyota Corolla is ideal for five passengers, and the 2020 model gives it a completely new look.
The car is available in two major variants, hatchback and sedan versions, same for the 2020 hybrid versions as well.
About the Honda Civic
The car was introduced in 1973 and is again one of the most popular vehicles in the US.
After its first launch, Honda has sold over 19 million Civics. Honda Civic comea in a variety of body styles capable of seating five passengers.
Different versions of Honda Civic include:
- Honda Civic Coupe which only has two doors
- Honda Civic Type R
- Honda Civic hybrid
- Honda Civic Hatchback
Comparison of features- Honda Civic vs Toyota Altis
1. Interiors
While the new version of Corolla’s interior isn’t dull as it used to be a few years back, the interior design of Honda Civic speaks an entirely different story.
When compared to its competitor manufacturer, Civic incorporates a wide variety of shapes and materials which impart a stunning look to the car’s interior.
Corolla’s interior is quite limited and dominated by airbags, air vents and warning lights.
A long horizontal bar runs through the entire width of Corolla’s dashboard which incorporates air vents, air bangs and other warning lights.
One striking feature of Corolla is that the infotainment screen sits on top of the dashboard similar to an Ipad allowing the user to quite easily position the screen at a preferred angle without adjusting the entire height of the panel which would affect the total visibility.
The interior design of Civic is quite vibrant with beautifully placed air vents on either side of the gauge cluster. An array of beautifully placed storage shelves are located slightly ahead of the shifter.
The centre infotainment screen also forms an essential attraction of the interior located on the middle stack above the HVAC controls.
When it comes to legroom, The Honda Civic comes with 15.1 cu ft of cargo volume with 37.4 inches of second-row legroom.
However, the Corolla is smaller in dimension with 13.1 cu ft of cargo volume with just 34.8 inches for legroom.
2. Exterior
Both Corolla and Civic come with stunning exterior designs.
The new Corolla is much more interesting in its looks when compared to the old model. The Civic has a stunning design as it uses a unique blend of angles, vents and creases which you have been favourite of many car buyers.
When the Honda Civic car entered its 10th generation in 2016, it underwent a massive design change. Soon another fresh model is expected to be launched in the year 2022.
Some of the notable features in Civic are its sloping rear roofline, bracket-shaped taillights and bejewelled headlights on upper trims.
Toyota Corolla has a large air intake in the front, and the headlights nearly touch the middle.
One notable feature is that Corolla gets LED lighting on upper trims. In the backside, Corolla’s tail lights are connected by a black bar which is quite a modern design elements that can be seen in most Japanese models.
3. Engines
The 2020 model of Toyota Corolla comes with two different variants of engines. The basic models L and LE come with a four-cylinder 1.8-litre engine delivering a power output 139 horsepower with 126 lb-ft of torque. The engines are known to provide a mileage of:
- 38 mpg on the highway
- 30 miles per gallon in the city,
- and 33 mpg in combined driving.
The SE model comes with an even more powerful 2.0-litre engine with four cylinders giving a high power output of 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. Manual transmission is available for certain 2.0-litre trims, and most designs come with a CVT (Continuously variable transmission).
CVT enabled 2.0-litre engine gives a better power output and efficiency when compared with a non CVT engine.
The 2020 model of Toyota Corolla is also available in a hybrid version for the first time.
- 21 hp and nets an impressive
- 53 mpg city
- 52 mpg highway
- 52 mpg combined
The Honda Civic has a four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine for LX and Sport trims versions. The LX delivers a power output of 158 hp, while that for Sport version is 138 hp.
Just like Corolla, the Honda Civic offers a 6-speed manual option on specific variants. Most iterations of the Civic comes with a CVT of
- 30 mpg city
- 38 mpg highway and
- 33 mpg combined
Now coming to EX, Touring and EX-L model, all come with a four-cylinder, 1.5-litre turbocharged engine.
The high power engine gives a power output of 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque.
Fuel economy drastically improves as the turbo comes into play.
- 32 mpg city
- 42 mpg highway and
- 36 mpg combined.
While Toyota Corolla does not have any performance variants, you can upgrade the performance levels in Civic by going for the Si model which is a more powerful version of Civic.
This is, in fact, a more powerful version of the 1.5-litre engine of Civic giving a power output of 205 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque.
The 6-speed manual version of Civic delivers a mile per gallon.
- 26 mpg city
- 36 mpg highway and
- 30 mpg combined.
4. Technology
Both Civic and Corolla come equipped with a range of features. Corolla is fitted with standard LED lighting with an infotainment screen powered by Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Upper trims have some additional features such as:
- Additional USB port,
- Sunroof, heated seats,
- Blind-spot monitoring,
- 7-in gauge cluster display
- Passive keyless entry,
- JBL audio system
Civic, on the other hand offers almost similar features with no exception in user experience or quality. The standard features include 16-in wheels, LED running lights and automatic climatic controls. The uppers trims come with:
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Improved sound system
- LED lighting
- Heated rear seats
- Automatic wipers
5. Reliability
Both Toyota and Honda are widely known for their reliability, tested over time.
The safety features equipped in both the cars do a great job in ensuring complete protection of the passengers, even in the worst possible conditions.
6. Safety
The safety features of Both Corolla and Honda are top news with lots of sensitive equipment to handle the worst-case imaginable. In a crash test done by the Insurance Institute:
- Toyota Corolla earned a Top Safety Pick+ award
- Civic earned top marks in all crashworthiness tests (the award was missed out due to poor headlight score)
Along with the mainstream safety features such as rearview camera and ABS (Anti-lock braking system), both the cars come with a set of additional safety features. These include:
- Automatic emergency braking
- Pedestrian detection
- full-speed radar cruise control
- lane-departure warning
Corollas safety features include:
- Lane-keeping assistant
- Traffic sign recognition
- Blindside monitoring etc.
On the other Honda Civic is equipped with safety features such as:
- Forward collision warning
- Automatic high beams
- Lane-keeping assists: This system keeps the car in the centre of its lane.
- Lane departure warning
- Adaptive Cruise Control: In traffic, set the cruise control and the Accord will follow the vehicle ahead keeping a safe distance.
Which car is better to buy?
Market research has shown that people find it more comforting to drive Honda Civic than Toyota Corolla.
With more power output and horsepower than Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic is more thrilling to drive whether you are heading towards your office or to have a fun ride on the highway.
Additionally, with more choices of engines than Toyota Corolla, multiple variants of Honda Civic give you the flexibility to make a choice of engine based on your preferences. The 2.0-litre engine is undoubtedly more fun and thrilling to drive when compared to the 1.5-litre engine.
The CVT of Corolla is slightly better than Civic, but Civic feels more responsive and connected on the road. The steering wheel is lighter for Corolla, but when it comes to power, Honda Civic ranks high.
When it comes to mileage Toyota corolla scores better beating the Honda Civic.
Read here for a more detailed review of the Honda Civic.
The final verdict
Honda Civic in its 2019 version has a whole lot of features in its top-spec when compared to the top trim of Corolla Altis.
Additionally, Honda’s excellent service and maintenance facilities give it some additional points when it comes to buying a car that will serve you longer. Visit your nearest Honda dealer and service centre to know more.
Planning to purchase a premium version of Honda civic will be an excellent investment mainly due to peak safety features, automatic assist and high power engines.