Review of Toyota corolla LE 1.8 with Honda Civic (USA).
Since there is so much discussion abt Civic and corolla, I found this current elaborative Review abt Corolla and Civic. hope this helps.
Note: I am not a corolla or honda fan boy, I like both.
Toyota Corolla LE 2011:
As associate online editor Benson Kong recently pointed out in his First Drive, the Corolla holds the top sales spot for the compact vehicle segment, handily outselling Honda's Civic by nearly 12,000 units. This would be well and fine, except that Honda has just released an all-new Civic. And while Honda also tends to keep changes to a minimum, we were left wondering if the same basic Corolla -- recently refreshed for the 2011 model year, but still largely as-released in 2008 -- can still play ball today.
The Corolla isn't much to look at. The focus-group styling and humdrum appointments ensure no one will ever look twice at a curve of its fender or the rake of its roofline. Updates for the new model year consist of subtle refreshes to the front and rear fascias, and lighting. In fact, we'd guess a Toyota Corolla could zigzag through the annual Macy's Day Parade on live television without anyone batting an eye. The ultimate getaway vehicle? Maybe, if it weren't so slow.
Our Magnetic Grey Metallic 2011 Toyota Corolla LE tester makes do with a 132-hp, 1.8-liter inline-four that produces 128 lb-ft of torque. Couple that engine with Toyota's four-speed automatic gearbox (virtually all of the Corolla's competition now features five or even six speeds) and we achieved a 9.8-second 0-60-mph sprint, with the quarter-mile coming in 17.4 seconds at 80.0 mph flat. So the Corolla's no speed demon, and, yes, we expected that.
Still, our recent test of the 2012 Honda Civic revealed a 0-60 sprint that's nearly a full second faster - just 8.9 seconds.
//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5gZFnYxczo
Honda Civic EX 2012 :
I must admit, when I first saw photos of the ninth-generation 2012 Civic, I was disappointed. I had been hoping for, well, more -- a more radical departure from the eighth gen, a car that, by the way, handily won our 2006 Car of the Year competition. Gen 8 earned the coveted calipers mostly because it was such -- you guessed it -- a radical departure from its predecessor. During 2006 COTY testing, I recall the Civic blowing away all the Motor Trend judges with its sleek, standout sheet metal, futuristic interior, and unbeatable value. In describing why we chose it as our COTY, we wrote: "Honda deserves a standing ovation for not playing it safe again, for crafting a compact car that's edgier and more soulful than it needs to be." For this new 2012 EX sedan, Honda deserves mildly enthusiastic seated applause.
This is not to say the new EX isn't an excellent compact sedan. It is. In fact, in just about every objective measurement, this 2012 outclasses its COTY-winning predecessor. Further, its improved dynamics and better road manners might very well elevate this EX to the top of its class, a claim we'll be verifying very soon (stay tuned!). Still, there's something missing with Gen 9. Maybe it's the exterior's perceived lack of newness, the interior's familiarity, or the engine's identical peak output. Or all three.
According to Honda, Gen 9's body was designed to be distinctive, clean, and energetic, but the end product appears too similar to that of Gen 8. The so-called "mono-form body" remains -- Honda wanted the new model to be recognizable as a Civic -- making the new car look more like a refresh than a redesign. Part of the similarity stems from the dimensions, which have stayed the same at 177.3 inches long, 69.0 inches wide, and 56.5 inches tall. Only the wheelbase, at 105.1, differs, shrinking 1.2 inches. All-new design? Yes, but this object in the mirror appears more or less the same.
//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVF5xlW95k
Source: Motor trend