Specs at a Glance
2018 Toyota Corolla
Rear Leg Room
41.4 in.
Fuel Capacity
13.2 gallons
2018 Honda Civic
Rear Leg Room
37.4 in.
Fuel Capacity
12.4 gallons
2018 Toyota Corolla vs 2018 Honda Civic
Serving Florence, Fort Mitchell, and Burlington, KY
In terms of the quintessential compact car, no pair of vehicles has battled for that title longer and fiercer than the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. Since the 1970s and 1980s, each car has fulfilled the main attributes of its class: excellent fuel economy, outstanding fit and finish, remarkable level of safety, and a consistent history of reliability. For the 2018 model year, Toyota makes no major changes on the Corolla as it continues its eleventh generation of production. Meanwhile, the Civic, now in its tenth production cycle, receives high-performance variants in the form of the Si and the Type R, as well as a more spacious body style in the form of a five-door hatchback. Despite these introductions, the 2018 Civic finds itself upstaged by the 2018 Corolla in the following key areas:
Reliability
While Toyota and Honda have a long history of largely making reliable vehicles, the Corolla edges out the Civic for the 2018 model year. J.D. Power & Associates gave the Toyota car 4 ½ Power Circles (out of a possible 5) in predicted reliability: a score it bases on an evaluation of reported issues during the first 90 days of ownership. Thus, the Corolla is among the best compact cars to get if you want something that you can own for a long time with little worry about major repairs or replacements. By comparison, the Civic has a 3.5/5 Power Circle rating: not bad at all, but ranked lower than the Corolla.
Safety Technologies
Few compact cars have the robustness, organization, and sophistication of the 2018 Toyota Corolla’s safety technologies. Toyota groups certain key safety features into two categories: Toyota Safety Sense and the Star Safety System. Toyota Safety Sense consists of dynamic radar cruise control, automatic high beams, pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, and lane departure alert with steering assist. The Star Safety system consists of electronic vehicle stability control, smart stop technology, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and traction control. On the 2018 Civic, you’d need to upgrade in trim to get a few of the mentioned features, such as lane departure alert. Indeed, other features, like dynamic radar cruise control, are not available at all on the Civic.
Safety Rating
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, rates both the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic highly in terms of safety. Each car received the best possible rating (“Good”) on all five crashworthiness tests administered by the organization, as well as the best possible rating of “Superior” regarding front crash prevention. However, when it comes to the effectiveness of headlight illumination, the Corolla got an “Acceptable” rating, while the Civic gets the lowest possible rating of “Poor.” As a result, the Corolla is recognized as a “Top Safety Pick Plus” vehicle, which is the highest designation bestowed by the IIHS. On the other hand, the Civic is ranked as a “Top Safety Pick”: also exceptional, but below the Corolla’s honor.
Fired up to take the 2018 Toyota Corolla for a spin or two, rather than the 2018 Honda Civic? At our Toyota dealership, we pride ourselves on serving people from Kentucky and Ohio, as well as our reputation for providing excellent customer service (as evidenced by aggregated reviews on Google, Cars.com, and DealerRater.com). Give us a call today to set up an appointment with one of our Toyota specialists.
