Yes. Both boring, both commuter cars, both ugly. Is the Civic more fun? I guess, if you think fun is sugerless cookies. What I am saying is one is going to be more fun and the lesser of 2 evils.

 

Have you driven the new Civic? It's nowhere near as sporty as the good old 5th and 6th gens. Its basically very similar to corolla now.

 

If I had to spend my hard earned 18-22K I would also go with the
Mazda 3. I got one as a rental while my car is in the shop and I
perfectly understand why so many people and car mags love this car.

The Corolla is just too dull (looks and ride) and the Civic looks rather
gross.

 

Drive the Si and say that. Not a bad redline on that car.


Sorry, but what are you smoking?

 

Actually, I own one. '07 Si sedan. It literally runs circles around the Lexus IS it replaced. And probably the Corolla too.

The feel and handling of this car is actually very good, despite the fact that it's FWD.

 

The SI has a very nice engine, no arging about that, however it doesn't handle as well as 00 SI or better yet ITR. It's too heavy, and has inferior suspension setup. It's not as bad as the previous gen SI (01-05), but its still not what it once was, and combined with ugly styling, it's just blah.

However the regular Civic models, LX, EX, etc, are not sportier than regular Corolla.

 

Agree, the weight does play a factor. Did the 00 Si have a double wishbone suspension? I do wish that they wouldn't have changed to a strut setup, but as evidenced by the Civic, and BMWs, you can still make the car handle very well.


We'll have to agree to disagree on that. The Corollas I've driven handle like a...like a Toyota. Terribly soft underpinnings, numb, uninspired.

 

Yep, it had the double wishbone, and ITR had LSD. I used to have a 5th gen, with ITR shocks/springs/sway bars/brakes, and the same size wheel/tire setup, but no LSD.


But the Civic is becoming the same way. It's not necessary a bad thing, however, but a lot of enthusiasts miss the old lightweight models that had a lot of potential and responded so well to mods.

 

The Civic VS. Corolla, there is no comparision, the Civic has ALWAYS no matter the year been the sportier of the two, and I am sorry for people that will continue to argue that but history speaks for itself.

As mentioned before, this version of the Corolla and even previous versions, cater to the unsophisticated, yet ever so simple person that simply only wants a communter car. Toyota wasted their time with the S branded model, because it did nothing for the car where as the Si does plenty out of the box for the Civic. Any car enthuesiast no matter your flavor would know that the motor in the Civic Si (K Series) can never be compared to the motor in the Corolla or Corolla S, there is just simply no comparison, other than their body sizes.

 

Corollas aren't supposed to be sport sedans. They are excellent commuter cars designed for for relatively sedate driving....and the LX has a nice wood-trimmed interior. If you want a better-handling small sedan than the Corolla, look at the Mazda3, especially the MazdaSpeed model......but its suspension is much stiffer than the Corolla's, and is uncomfortable on rough roads.

There was a limited-production Corolla XRS, with revised steering and suspension, that was produced for a couple of years (I believe it has been dropped for 2007). It offered the reliable, refined Corolla package with slightly better handling.

 

That would be my choice too if I were in that market

 

I agree, the Mazda3 handles very well too. I test drove one about the time when I was getting ready to dump my 330i, and I couldn't believe how similar the Mazda felt in comparison.

 

I drove the Mazda Speed Mazda3, and found it too feel a little too cheap and nimble. Seems as if Ford cut some corners to make that car as cheap as it is.

 

Nimble it is, mostly from the Mazda suspension and steering, but I sure can't say it's cheap. It may not have the expensive-looking wood trim of the Corolla LX, but it has an excellent paint job for its price, better-than-average overall quality, and a classy if somewhat more sporty interior than the Corolla. Almost every review I have read of the car comments positively on its overall quality and interior.

 

Yes, this is the Euro Corolla that has been on sale for months. The US will receive a different version that has not been shown yet. That's why I don't even know why we're talking about this.

Last time I checked, sales figures show that people prefer Corolla over Civic and Mazda3. A LOT more Corolla's are bought than the 3 actually. More people consistantly choose Corolla over any other small car. It's the 3rd best selling car in America (after Camry and Accord). And yet we have all these people saying it has no appeal.


The Corolla has always come with a Manual. In fact I see a lot of manuals out there. Toyota sells a many of them.

See above. Millions of Corolla buyers think otherwise. We can't all own a Lexus or BMW.