Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla vs Mazda3
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I was lot-surfing on Sunday when all the salesfolk are gone and found an 08 Cobalt LS that was left unlocked. All things being equal, I found the LS interior incredibly cheap, even for Chevrolet. If you're spoiled by the Corolla velour seating, these cheap fabric they used on this model will be very disappointing. It seemed as thin as a bedsheet, my butt seemed to slide around more, and the bucket seat didn't seem very accomodating to my wide hips! Definitely wasn't a woman's car. Also, the steering wheel looked and felt as if it came off a toy. Again, probably spoiled by Corolla's foam-padded wheels.
All that being said, it had intelligently-place storage, a power plug-in (haven't figured out what that's for), good looking controls that seem to be in a good place. I'm willing to try out the leather LTZ model. It's all power and has side curtain airbags standard. I haven't found one on anyone's lot yet, but I think it'll be interesting to see if the seat will at least be wider. Even though it's tricked out, it still might be good value for the money, as long as you don't waste your money on OnStar, which is a $700 option even for the top-line Cobalt. And, it's much handsomer than its Ion cousin. The wheels look good, too.
Then again, it may be worthwhile just to stick with Corolla and just get an '07 or '08 program car. You know what they say, there some people you date, and some people you marry...
thegraduate - you mentioned road noise in the Civic - how bad is it (compared to Corolla, since I am very familiar with that car)? and is it noticeable only on highway, or always?
also, btw, what car did you go with thegraduate?
THANKS!
also, btw, what car did you go with thegraduate?
I went with an Accord (I'm 6'4"), but it shares traits with the Civic like the Camry does with the Corolla. The Corolla just doesn't fit me because of driving position, it works perfectly for others (like my 5'2" ex-girlfriend whose 2004 LE I did drive a fair amount, rather uncomfortably); that's my big problem with it. My father has a 2007 Civic EX however and that car is a BLAST to drive.
The best way I can tell you about the sound is to drive the car and compare yourself. The Corolla had a fair amount of engine noise, but it all-in-all was a softer/quieter car than the Civic. Not a GIANT difference by any means, but noticeable to my little ears.
irismg said it best with "mmmmmmm, ride comfort" in the Corolla. If I had to sum it up, I'd have to go "wheeee! handling" in the Civic.
I have a '06 LT with the 16 inch wheels which I recommend as an option. The interior in the LT is at least as good as the Corolla, the only small car with a better interior is the Mazda 3 IMO.
Onstar is awesome, I think its worth every penny. It actually emails you engine diagnostics monthly. It will also unlock your car if you lock the keys inside.
I would stay away from the Corolla, personally I find its driving dynamics to be dreadful. If you want comfort at the top of your list I would go with the Elantra. Sporty, the Mazda 3. Combo of the 2-Cobalt. My 2 cents.
Day after day, I get more pleasure driving the Civic on my 18 mile daily commute. A straight shot down a divided 6 laner with multiple lights and many drivers. The car moves nicely when I get some open road in front of me and have plenty of low end torque to get the job done. Not as powerful as the 3, but got it for the better mileage figures which have not disappointed with a hair over 10k on the odo. Great all around car for the money.
The Sandman
What are you averaging?
The Sandman
Is this for a automatic or manual?
Neither than Cobalt or the Elantra are in the league with the 3, Civic or Corolla. They are both competent, but noisier, less refined, more NVH in general. They're in a different class, and the resale value bears that out. As for longevity, the Elantra beats the Cobalt, I'm afraid.
YMMV, but having driven them all extensively, that's my opinion.
Personally, I like to drive, and I would gladly give up a few MPGs for a car that handles well and has pep, like the Cobalt. It is also noted for its quiet cabin by the way.
As for the Civic, I never got to drive the new model, only the previous one which the Cobalt was a lot better than. I assume from the reviews that it handles well and finally has adequate power. I will take their word for it but the dashboard is a major turn off.
The best car of the bunch in my opnion is the Mazda 3. I was in the market for a recent used car and couldn't find a 3 to buy so I went with the Cobalt.
You couldn't pay me to drive a Corolla.
The Cobalt was a major disappointment and I have to say that it reminded me of the Cavalier with a little better interior and a little less comfort. It is a very noisy vehicle. Before I bought one of those, I would have bought the 2nd generation Malibu which handles well despite the blandness of the interior.
The Mazda 3 was a tight fit for this driver and the mpg was always under 30 mpg which was a real disappointment for a vehicle that small. I drove three of them and they all seemed a lot different.
The Corolla is nothing very exciting but the vehicle was quiet and the drive fairly pleasant.
refinement:
1. Elantra...it seemed more refined than the Civic and much more so than the 3. Don't mistake refinement for a "sporty" feel. The engine was dead smooth and quiet at idle.It rode and drove more smoothly and quietly inside than either, especially the Civic, which is like a "go-cart" on the bumps and in steering feel (twitch the steering wheel and off you go in another direction).
2. Mazda 3 rode better than the Civic but the model we rented (must have been the bottom model) had no sound insulation and riding in the rear seat sounded like the rear tires were in my lap with every thump and bump in the road and every rear suspension action magnified by the 'echo chamber" trunk and wheel well...noisy to the max!!!
3. we own the Civic and it is a taunt, noisy car. Tire (road) noise and wind noise compete with suspension noise and I don't know which is worse. The engine is fairly quiet at idle though.
talking longevity...probably any of them (with proper maintainence) will last as long as anyone would care to own them.
They are in different "perceived" classes and for the life of me I cannot understand why the Civic is thought to be so special nor why the Elantra is always an "also ran". I have no strong opinion about the Mazda one way or the other but probably won't be buying one if I buy another car in this class.
The daughter will be looking for her 1st car this fall and she's already mentioned the Elantra as her choice. Of course we'll have her try everything from the Aveo and Accent up through the Civic. She's a new driver in many respects, so she'll get what drives the best and is the most comfortable...and what her budget can allow.
Should be interesting to see what she finally ends up with in the end. Time will tell. But I still love my Civic and for what's out there, the wife still prefers her 3s.
The Sandman
I just rolled over 2,000 miles in my new 2008 3i Touring, and love it. The steering is just perfect. The gas mileage gets a little better on each tank, recently did very close to 34 mpg. Granted I've managed to avoid heavy traffic lately (going into the office pretty early), and have been driving like a grandpa (never over the 65 mph speed limit) just to see how high I can get it. I'm very satisfied so far.
Im also curious how much you paid for it. Thanks.
Did you happen to see the notation "2005-08 models mfg. after Aug. 2004 without side airbags" in reference to the Mazda3? This is a major problem as to the rating on this car, it has not been tested with the same equipment as others in its class. How is that a fair comparison?
Finally, one anecdote - I was speaking to a woman who owns a 2006 Honda Civic sedan. She was T-boned on her side of the car. The impact was so violent that witnesses were sure this lady was dead. Once the paramedic/rescue people cut her out of her smashed Civic, they discovered she was only suffering from minor cuts and bruises.
Please forgive me if I sound harsh; I don't mean to. You asked a very valid and reasonable question. I simply suspect that Mazda/Ford is intentionally not offering a side air-bag equipped car to the IIHS because Mazda/Ford already knows it will not do well. Therefore, due to my perhaps unfounded cynicism, I would rather put my family in a car that I know does well in a crash based on various tests.
Finally, did I mention the Honda's fun to drive?
My understanding is that the manufacturers are asked to submit a model for testing. If that's the case, why does Mazda not submit theirs with side airbags?
However, I am forced to make buying decisions using old crash test data because that's the only data available on Mazda3s and Elantras. The new Mazda3s and Elantras might do very well in IIHS side impact crash tests. Until I know that for a fact, however, I would rather drive a vehicle I know will do well in a side impact versus driving a vehicle that MIGHT do well in a side impact.
BTW, just to muddy the waters, I will point out that you cannot buy a Civic with electronic stability control (ESC) unless you buy the Si. In a Mazda3 "S" line and above, ESC is available. This is a big deal to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS), as they won't even recommend a vehicle unless it's equipped with ESC. They feel so strongly about ESC because the IIHS claims that roughly half of all fatal vehicle accidents are single-vehicle accidents. In other words, the driver lost control of the car. The IIHS believes that ESC MAY reduce those fatal accidents by fifty per cent.
Pick your poison. If you're more concerned about surviving a side-impact collision, then buy a Civic. If you're more concerned about maintaining control of your vehicle, and possibly avoiding an accident entirely, then buy a Mazda3.
IF the new Mazda3's get a GOOD rating after the IIHS's NEXT round of crash testing, then to me, if one is concerned about buying the safest vehicle that's also a hoot to drive, then buying a Mazda3 would be a no-brainer. Good crash test scores AND electronic stability control! Wouldn't that be cool!
Learning how to drive is even cooler...
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
Roadburner, you're right. All the airbags and safety whistles and bells are no substitute for safe, attentive, smart, anticipatory driving skills. I think, however, that we're probably smoking dope if we think that a brand new driver, no matter how well trained or responsible, has all those great driving skills right out of the box.
Am I making the right decisons? Are you making the right decisions? I only hope we never find out.
I would strongly recommend that you look into Street Survival.
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
So anyway, Mazda could pay the IIHS to re-test the Mazda3 with side bags and curtains. It's likely the IIHS won't test it again until the redesigned Mazda3 comes out in a year or two.
Also, FYI ESC is standard on the Elantra SE for 2008, and the Elantra also has 4-wheel disc brakes, compared to rear drums on some Civics. I think the Mazda3 has discs all around also.
The 2009 Corolla, due out next month, should get excellent crash test results, with its heavier structure and six airbags standard, but those results haven't been done yet (or at least not published yet). But VSC is standard only on the rare XRS trim; optional on others however.
Thank you for correcting me about the Elantra. You're right, the higher end SE DOES have ESC. Didn't mean to mislead anyone. BTW, I've owned 2 Elantras (an '03 and an '05). I loved them both. Not so good handling, but what a great, comfortable ride for straight-line driving! The '03 I used primarily to commute between San Antonio and Houston. This thing had the most comfortable driver's seat of ANY car I've ever owned, it was reliable, the ergonomics were wonderful, and it had plenty of power. After 2 years and 60K miles, I foolishly traded it in (gave away) for a car I'm too embarassed to mention. After getting rid of the embarassing car, I went back to Hyundai. It was like going back to an old friend. Unfortunately, after running over a trailer hitch with the '05 Elantra, it was never quite the same, and I sold it (after numerous repairs) and bought an '07 Civic. The Civic I'm finding to be far less comfortable than the Elantra, but handles 10X better.
With the '03 Elantra, I only had two problems - both low beam headlight bulbs burned out, which Hyundai replaced for free and with no hassle. The problems I had with my second Elantra I believe were all related to the trailer hitch fiasco, which filleted the bottom of my car.
I was very impressed with both Elantras, and look forward to seeing how they fare in the next round of crash tests. Thank you for correcting me about the Elantra's ESC. Thanks to you, this car's back on my radar screen.
"The Institute buys the vehicles we crash test directly from dealers. We try to cover as much of the marketplace as we can, choosing vehicles to test that represent a range of manufacturers and the largest portions of new car sales. See our vehicle ratings page for a complete list of all vehicles the Institute has tested. We don't release information in advance about individual vehicles or categories of vehicles we plan to test. Subscribe to our RSS feed for notification of when new crash test results are posted to our site."
The manufacturer has absolutely nothing to do with what vehicles of theirs are tested. Hence, IIHS has chosen not to test the Mazda3 with side airbags and side air curtains.
* In some cases the IIHS has published crash test results on new designs almost immediately after, sometimes even concurrent with, the release of the car to the general public. Case in point, the IIHS published the side impact test results for the 2008 Accord in a press release on Nov. 15. It would have been difficult for the IIHS (but not impossible) to buy a car from a dealer in time to perform the tests for that press release.
* As I noted earlier, the IIHS doesn't perform most frontal offset tests anymore--they are performed by the manufacturer instead. In those cases, the cars are not purchased from dealers, but are selected by the manufacturers and the tests are conducted by the manufacturers and reported to the IIHS. The IIHS reserves the right to re-run the test if they choose.
Verification ratings are based on 40 mph frontal offset crash tests conducted by manufacturers for vehicles meeting requirements established by the Institute. Manufacturers supply information on basic vehicle and test parameters, measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury data recorded on a dummy representing an average-size man in the driver seat, and video of the tests. Institute engineers review this information and rate vehicles based on the same evaluation parameters used for the Institute's frontal offset test. To ensure manufacturers' good faith participation, the Institute is conducting audit tests.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/frontal_test_info.html
* Manufacturers can ask the IIHS to test a car outside the IIHS' regular test schedule, but the manufacturer must pay for the car then.
Each year, the Institute offers to test Top Safety Pick candidates early in the model year. The policy is for manufacturers to reimburse the Institute for the cost of vehicles if the tests aren't part of the group's regular schedule.
http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr111507.html
When side airbags are optional, the Institute tests without the option and will conduct a second test with the optional airbags if the manufacturer requests it and reimburses the Institute for the cost of the vehicle.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/side_test_info.html
So all Mazda has to do is ask the IIHS to re-test the Mazda3 with the optional SABs and reinburse the IIHS for the cost of the test car.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=124166
http://www.euroncap.com/home.aspx
Although not one of the vehicles discussed here, it's also interesting - and, perhaps illuminating - that IIHS's test data on the new Scion xB doesn't include side impact results, only front. Maybe Toyota knows something that they prefer we don't know on the new xB.
It is, as well as the Mazda6, CX-7, CX-9, and MX-5. They are all the Edmunds.com Editors Most Wanted in their respective class.
Here's the link to the 2007 Most Wanted Awards. For some reason, it's no longer on the Edmunds.com main page:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/mostwanted/2007/