Are you in the market for a new compact car with great fuel economy, plenty of style, and all the features you crave? Please check out our comparison that pits the Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla.

In the 2023 model year, what sets these two compact cars apart and which one is best for you? Clutch takes a deep dive into the Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla comparison to see which is best for you.

When deciding between the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, exterior design can be a deciding factor. Let’s see how the looks of these two compact economy cars stack up against one another.

Honda Civic VS Toyota Corolla – Exterior

Honda Civic

The 2023 Honda Civic features an all-new design that moves away from its old sportier look and into a more distinguished upright. It is still a sharp car. It is simply grown up a bit.

The front grille is more prominent and almost mirrors the new Honda Accord, giving the car a distinguished and upscale aggressive look.

The LED lights and the taillights are also a nice touch, providing excellent visibility and adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the car.

The Honda Civic also has a wide range of colour options. If you prefer something simple, you can opt for the classic silver, white, or black. However, if you prefer something bolder, you can opt for something bolder like Rallye Red, Aegean Blue Metallic, or Sonic Pearl.

Upgrading to the performance-oriented Si model allows you to opt for the eye-grabbing Blazing Orange Pearl paint.

While most of the Honda Civic lineup has a four-door sedan body, buyers can also get a hatchback variant. The Civic Hatchback is also the base for the wild Civic Type R model.

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla has a more traditional compact car design that caters to a younger crowd with a sporty Front fascia, black mesh grille, and J-shaped bi-beam LED Headlights. While it is not as mature looking as the Civic, the Corolla has a great edge in its design with its target demographic’s desires.

Comparison between Honda and Toyota Corolla, based on the following features:

1. Performance

• Honda Civic
  • Offers more powerful engine options including a turbocharged variant (1.5 liter turbocharged engine) that provides a sportier driving experience.
  • Better handling and steering response, with more focus on delivering an engaging drive.
  • Available manual transmission for enthusiasts, in addition to the continuously variable transmission (CVT).
• Toyota Corolla
  • Focuses more on fuel efficiency and smooth, easy driving with a 1.8 liter engine as standard and an optional 2.0 liters engine.
  • Delivers a comfortable, predictable, and relaxed ride with emphasis on reliability over performance.
  • CVT is standard, but some models offer a six-speed manual transmission.
    

2. Fuel Efficiency

• Honda Civic
  • Slightly less fuel efficient than the Corolla in base models, with fuel economy averaging around 30-36 MPG depending on the engine.
  • The turbocharged engine may sacrifice some fuel economy around 32-40 MPG.
  • The hybrid version pushes that number to over 50 MPG, making it one of the most fuel efficient compact cars.
  • Hybrid powertrain options offer standard substantial savings at the pump.
• Toyota Corolla
  • More focused on fuel efficiency with the 1.8 and 2.0 liter engine options.

3. Interior and Comfort

• Honda Civic
  • Typically a bit more spacious with a slightly larger trunk, and better rear legroom.
  • Modern interior design with more upscale materials and touch-focused features.
  • Recent models offer a digital instrument cluster, larger infotainment screen, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
• Toyota Corolla
  • Straightforward functional interior that focuses on practicality.
  • High quality materials are used, but the focus is less on high-end technology features.
  • This detailed comparison highlights design elements, performance specs, fuel efficiency, and interior amenities of both the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
  • The overall cabin might feel more utilitarian compared to the civic’s more stylish design.
• Both cars offer modern infotainment features but Toyota Corolla continues to be considered less user-friendly compared to Honda’s.

4. Safety

• Honda Civic:
  • Comes with the Honda Sensing safety suite as standard, which includes features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic sign recognition.
• Toyota Corolla:
  • Equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 as standard, which offers similar safety features like pre-collision system, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic road sign assist.
  • Both vehicles score well in crash tests and are known for excellent safety ratings.

5. Technology

• Honda Civic
  • Offers a more tech-savvy cabin with options like a digital driver display, larger infotainment screens, and more extensive smartphone integration.
  • More focus on driving dynamics with features like a sport mode in certain trims.
• Toyota Corolla:
  • Toyota Corolla comes with a standard 7 or 8 inches touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
  • Less emphasis on advanced tech features compared to the Civic, but highly functional and user friendly.

6. Reliability

• Both Honda and Toyota have stellar reputations for reliability and durability.
• Toyota Corolla is often viewed as the benchmark for reliability in compact cars though the Honda Civic is also very dependable.
• Toyota has historically edged out Honda slightly in rankings.

7. Pricing

• Honda Civic
  • Honda Civic tends to be slightly more expensive than the Corolla, with starting prices around $24,000 depending on the trim.
• Toyota Corolla:
  • The Corolla is typically more affordable with starting prices around $22,000
  • The Hybrid version tends to be more expensive, but offers excellent fuel saving over time.

8- Re-sale value

• Toyota Corolla
  • Typically retains its value slightly better over time due to its reputation for reliability and lower maintenance costs.
• Honda Civic
  • Also holds value well, especially in the sportier or higher trims but historically slightly below the Corolla.

Both cars are excellent choices and the decision will largely come down to personal preferences for driving style, features, and budget.