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Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla vs Mazda3
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There goes the so called reliability of Toyota Corollas. IMO, all these 3 cars are reliable, but they still have their own issues here and there. In my experience with these 3 cars, I never had really big problems, but I enjoyed the 3 out of all of them.
2009 Corolla LE
2009 Mazda 3 i Touring Value
2008 Honda Civic LX
Corolla has VSC, good mileage, quiet, smooth ride, a little boring but that's fine for me as I'm looking for a comfortable commuter. Also has 0% (at least I hope it's extended through May)
Honda has good mileage, best exterior (IMO), but not sure how I feel about two tiered dash though.
Mazda is the sportiest of the bunch but terrible mileage for automatic, 4 year old model (though it does still look pretty good), higher insurance.
It seems both Honda and Toyota have slipped a bit in quality lately, lots of build quality issues with 8th gen Civic. Corolla is new and I'm usually wary about buying first model year cars, though no big problems have popped up yet.
Tough choice, I am thinking of going with the Corolla if they have 0% in May.
The Civic is nice but we also had reservations about the digital speedometer so high up on the dash. We did not particularly like the upholstery on the LX model but did the EX model.
Hard decision.
Hope you enjoy whatever you pick.
FYI, we are still on the fence and were hoping for some manufacturer help on the Civic with respect to finances. I know I am dreaming.
Brad
Toyota has also extended it's 0%/1.9%/2.9% through 6/2 as well.
Definitely pulling the trigger this month to take advantage of low financing, now I just need to decide between the two cars!
1. Mazda
2. Honda
3. Toyota
All three are good cars, but I place a premium on performance and driving enjoyment. I also detest slushboxes. Between the Honda and Toyota I'd go with the Honda, only because I find almost all current Toyotas to be bland transportation appliances. That said, you are the one who's going to be driving it, so pick the one that makes YOU smile...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
The throttle is drive by wire. The steering is electrically rather than hydraulically assisted. The steering wheel, unlike the accelerator and the throttle, is still directly connected to the front wheels.
Your observations about the behavior of the steering are accurate. It takes some getting used to. After 2000 miles, I've noticed that it's only a problem when I notice it. In other words, if I focus down the road and drive I don't notice it. If I think about it, the sensitivity of the steering becomes noticeable again.
Both drove solidly and nicely ( 5M or 6M ). I didn't go into the "i-VTEC" rev band on the Honda in fairness to the new, green engine on the test vehicle. Still, powerful enough even lower revs and a sweet shifter and clutch.
The M3 seems to have Honda beat on interior content, especially Grand Touring with the nice leather and other details, like rain sensing wipers, xenon headlights ( OK, that's exterior ), etc. I prefer the more standard dash to Honda's split dash, which seems like an answer to a question no one asked. And I positively dislike Honda's location of the parking brake on the driver's side of the center console, right where my leg rests whether using the gas or on cruise control.
In short, I like the Honda enough, it's a tremendous value, but disqualified for me by the )(*&(*)&^ parking brake which there is no way around on any Civic. Somehow, Honda got the ergos wrong on this generation Civic and that's a huge surprise. Split dash, parking brake right where leg rests, what were they thinking?
The Toyota is still waiting but I am driving it last for a reason. Not the sportiest of the econocar bunch and for similar car and money, I like to get a little sporty if I can. Well, I will test drive it anyway and see.
S
the civic to me just seems like a much better built car than the corolla...on top of everything else that i didn't like about the corolla was the additional adjusted market value of 1995.00 which is added to the msrp which for a basic corolla with no options came close to 20,000.00.........this was absurd....needless to say,i purchased a 08 civic lx 2dr coupe with auto for 17,000.00 plus TTT.....
The Impreza, on the other hand, can also have AWD, and is a pretty nice car, though that 2.5l engine and extra weight will mean fewer MPGs.
The other problem is major: it barely gets 30 MPG. The Elantra beats it by 3 MPG, and is fairly close to the same weight (Under 200 pound difference). The Cobalt with it's 2.2L engine, gets better MPGs (along with more HP and torque) and is 300 pounds heavier.
Hmm, maybe Suzuki should think about sourcing GM's 2.2L instead of using their own mill. Because that Cobalt beats the Suzuki in a 0-60 run, despite the Cobalt being 300 pounds heavier.
Of course, at this point we're starting to get a bit off topic. :shades:
Best Regards,
Shipo
Over 30mpg's for a 2.0L with 148hp is not terrible.
Give it the 5-speed, Mazda. These things spin way too high RPMs on the interstate.
And, I meant they should put the 5-speed auto in the 2.0 model.
My main point was that the fuel economy in the Mazda3 i is not "terrible" It's not class leading, but far from terrible. It's not like it's a Hemi or anything. Many owners report getting mid 30's on the highway.
The Nissan Sentra 2.0L gets 24/31 w/ auto(25/33 w/ CVT) 140hp/147tq. The Mazda3 2.0L gets 23/30 w/ auto (24/32 w/ manual) 148hp/135tq. Pretty much dead even.
It seems both Nissan and Mazda would benefit with having their more powerful / fuel efficient 2.5L in these cars.
I believe there is a $16k-$20k forum we could go wake up! Wanna join me?
Had the 3 last week for my daily driver with the wife being out of town and it was definitely a fun commute. Haven't tried the 3i with the 2.0 engine as of yet but the wife said it didn't have enough grunt for her to merge onto I-95 so she went with the 3s. Her previous car was the Altima with the 2.4 and that car moved very nicely and was a real sleeper in the comfort department but with the 2002 models increase in size and weight, she went for the '05 3s.
Still puts a smile on both our faces when we're behind the wheel, but I still prefer my '06 Civic. We will be buying 2 cars this Thanksgiving for the girls and will be trying out all the econoboxes and hoping to make a deal on the same car for both. can't wait to start the search!
The Sandman
Since you have both the 3S and the Civic w/ automatic how much worse is the 3S's mileage than the Civic?
As far as the plastics everyone is concerened about. I didn't see that the doors on the Corolla will be as scratch prone as my car. There is some cloth on the Corolla door. I already have many marks from fingernails on my inner door. I can't say the same for the stereo area. It seems like that could get scratched pretty easy on the Corolla. The back seat is not as roomy in the Corolla but the front seat seems to be about that same as the Civic in roominess. Yes the clock placement sucks in the Corolla and the arm rest could have a little cushion.
For power the Civic obviosly wins but not by much. The Corolla has a lot of passing power but there is more of a lag when you first step on it. As for the ride, the Corolla is smoother but not by much and it is quieter in the cabin. The interior in the Civic looks more updated with the electronic controls and dashboard display. I love the digital speedomoter in mine and don't care for the amber glow of the interier at night on the Corolla.
All in all I would say if I could choose between the two I would go with the Corolla. Love the looks of the outside and the seats are very comfortable. The ride is almost the same and the Corolla is quieter.
As a whole, Hyundai does not have great resale value. With Mazda that is not the case. Some models have wonderful resale, and then others do not. The Mazda3, MX-5, and RX-8 have above average resale value. The Mazda6, Tribute, B-Series are not so great. The Tribute and B-Series I can understand why, but, the Mazda6 has always been puzzling to me. The CX's have not been out long enough to accurately asses resale values.
I, on the other hand, have the lightest tint on the Civic and since my handicap parking space at work is sheilded by the building from the west sun, my car cools down much quicker.
But I wouldn't let this one issue dissuade anyone away from the 3 if they really like the car...using a windshield shade will probably help alot. Like I said, the 3 is a much more exciting car to drive...much like a little race car which just adds to the fun. It's a little pocket rocket especially in the "S" version.
The Sandman
Very anxious to test drive the new Corolla XLE actually. If I had to get a Corolla, that'd be the one for me. Don't like the body cladding on the S model and the LE seems to have taken over the old CE spot in the lineup. But I'll bet the XLE will sticker out higher than the Civic LX. The EX probably should go against the XLE with the more powerful 2.4 engine. Bet that sucker is as fast as the 3s.
The Sandman
I thought the driving position was better in the Corolla then the Civic because I could see part of the hood. I could not tell where the front of the car was in the Civic since I could not see the hood at all. I do like the body shape of the Civic better though.
I wonder how the A/C is on the Corolla, the new Camry has had some complaints that it does not get cold enough.
There are few XRS models and professonal reviews note that it has a rough ride. If professional reviewers who always value handling most of all say it has a rough ride the ride must be bad.
None is easier to see the front end of than another; and that includes a 2004 Corolla that I used to drive fairly regularly.