Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla

What’s better about the Honda?

More power. The Civic comes with one of two engines and both have considerably more power than their counterparts in the Corolla. The base engine in the Civic is a 158-horsepower four-cylinder, which overshadows the 132 horsepower in most Corolla models (the Corolla LE Eco has 140 horsepower). The top three trims (out of five) on the Civic come with a 174-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder that the Corolla can’t match.

Better performer. In addition to a more powerful engine lineup, the Civic also trumps the Corolla in terms of driving excitement. Reviewers have praised the eagerness and smoothness of the Civic whereas the Corolla is generally regarded as far more dull to drive. Plus, the Civic can also be had in the performance-oriented Sport trim and the ultra-fast, 306-horsepower Type R.

Greener. The Civic lineup boasts better fuel economy across the board than the Corolla. The base Civic is rated at 31/40/34 MPG city/highway/combined versus the Corolla’s 28/36/32 MPG rating. Even the turbocharged Civic models beat the Corolla thanks to a 32/42/36 MPG rating.

What’s better about the Toyota?

Better reliability. Consumer Reports not only gives the Corolla its coveted “Recommended” rating but it also rates the Corolla as a 5/5 for reliability; the Civic only gets a 3/5 – and no “Recommended” rating either.

Better safety features. All models of the 2018 Corolla sedan come standard with active safety features like pre-collision warning and braking, lane-departure warning and prevention and adaptive cruise control. Many of these features are optional on the Civic, but they don’t come standard, save for the loaded Touring trim.

Autolist’s take:

You really can’t go wrong here. The Toyota Corolla has a better track record of reliability plus impressive standard safety features for an economy car. The Civic, meanwhile, has a better engine lineup, better efficiency and promises more fun in daily driving. If we were forced to pick between the two, we’re swayed by fun plus efficiency, so we say Buy the Civic.