Compare The Honda Civic Vs. Toyota Corolla

Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla Reliability & Performance

When it comes to Civic vs. Corolla performance, both sedans offer a smooth and powerful ride. However, the Civic Hybrid models have a maximum horsepower of 200, which exceeds the top 169 horsepower you can get with the hybrid Corolla lineup.

If fuel efficiency is important to you down to the very last mile per gallon, the Honda Civic pulls just ahead of the competition in terms of gas-powered models with an EPA-estimated 32/41/36 MPG (City/Highway/Combined)¹ on the LX trim. Meanwhile, the highest gas-only Corolla rating is an EPA-estimated 32/41/35 MPG (City/Highway/Combined).² The difference may appear small, but it still impacts what you'll pay at the pump.

Fair is fair – we must admit that the Corolla does get the ever-so-slight advantage when we turn our attention to these models' hybrid variants – it's about as close as the gas-only values above. Whether you're in the market for a gas or hybrid sedan, the Civic vs. Corolla matchup is highly competitive, so we have to give the MPG category a tie.

According to RepairPal, the cumulative reliability ratings for both models are outstanding. While the information for 2025 models isn't out yet, both sedans received an "Excellent" score of 4.5 out of 5.0 in 2024.^4,5 The average annual repairs and maintenance costs are virtually identical, with the Corolla at $362 and the Honda at $368.^4,5 However, the Civic requires an estimated 0.22 visits to the shop per year, while the Corolla requires 0.35 visits.^4,5

As you can see, the Corolla and Civic are more similar than different when it comes to performance and reliability – we can't, in good conscience, give the win to either model in this category. However, as you'll see below, the Honda model brings its A game in a couple of critical areas where the Toyota sedan falls short.

2025 Honda Civic vs. 2025 Toyota Corolla Safety

If intelligent driver-assistance technology can make or break your decision, you can't go wrong with either of these sedans. They both have the safeguards you'd expect, such as a Rearview Camera and multiple airbags. Automated signals are also something both of these models do well. The Honda Sensing Suite and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 systems are very similar.

Still, one notable distinction comes again because the Toyota lineup is twice as long as the list of Civic trims. With the Civic, you get a Blind Spot Information System standard at tier two through four. Meanwhile, to unlock the Blind Spot Monitor on the Toyota sedan, you need to purchase an additional package for nearly every level – it's only standard for the final gas-only and hybrid trims.

The Civic also has available Front and Rear Parking Sensors to alert the driver to potential obstacles, something unavailable for any of the Toyota sedan's trims. Finally, while both offer comprehensive systems, the Civic provides just a couple more features as standard than the Corolla. Honda automakers believe safety should be accessible to as many drivers as possible. You can see the standard driver-assistance features for both models below.

Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla Interior & Exterior Design

While looking at the options for Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla colors, the Corolla does offer more exterior designs to work with. However, it bears mentioning that the Civic also offers a refined palette of exterior colors. The more limited choices don't take away from the beautiful aesthetic of shades like Rallye Red or Meteorite Gray Metallic.

The 2025 Civic model also arrives with an exciting new look, with a more pronounced front fascia and grille, darker taillights, and an available body-colored headlamp accent and front spoiler. The Sport Touring Hybrid gets new machine-finished wheels. Three new exterior paint colors are also here: Urban Gray Pearl, Solar Silver Metallic, and Blue Lagoon Pearl.

While the Corolla has a style harkening back to a legacy of Toyota sedans, the revised Civic design modernizes the Honda with head-turning accents. Since the Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla exterior dimensions are never more than 1.5 inches apart, when it comes to the exterior, your decision comes down to personal taste.

What about the cabins, though? Honda Civic lease specials open the door to high-end interior features such as available leather seating surfaces and a brand-new gray interior for hybrid configurations. The Corolla has quality upholstery but never upgrades beyond synthetic leather and sport fabric. If you scroll back up to the chart above, you can also see that the Civic has more headroom, legroom, shoulder room, and hip room in both rows – the only exception to this is a tie between second-row headroom, with both models offering 37.1 inches.

The Corolla can't match the Civic in terms of passenger comfort in any sense. Keep in mind that these specifications are for the sedan body styles of these two cars. Both the Corolla and Civic also come as hatchbacks.