Topic: 2009 Totoya Corolla or 2009 Honda Civic

[yeast2u]

Hey, Guys

I am going to get a new car soon (probably will lease not to buy). I am just wandering on which one to go Corolla or Civic? Could you guys please give me some suggestion on following points?

1. The standard features or configuration on base model (corolla CE and civic DX). I know I can find the info from official website, however I perfer to hear from the current owners.

2. Internal Space. I am around 6.5 feet. So space is kinda important to me.

3. Any known annoying issue?

This will be my very first car, so I want to be careful.
Thanks,

[UmroAyyar]

Given your height, you must sit and drive the cars a bit. Seats may not be comfortable for you in some cars.

e.g. A relative of mine is 6'4" tall. He was more comfortable in my 2002 Corolla than his 2005 Matrix and absolutely hated the 2006 Civic he had from work.

If you are leasing, consider VW Jetta/Rabbit into the mix, they're quite suitable for tall folks and its a lease, so no worries about niggling problems after warranty expires.

(I know i'm just confusing you more.) But its your first car, you'll live with for few years, good thing to do your homework.

[yeast2u]

Given your height, you must sit and drive the cars a bit. Seats may not be comfortable for you in some cars.

e.g. A relative of mine is 6'4" tall. He was more comfortable in my 2002 Corolla than his 2005 Matrix and absolutely hated the 2006 Civic he had from work.

If you are leasing, consider VW Jetta/Rabbit into the mix, they're quite suitable for tall folks and its a lease, so no worries about niggling problems after warranty expires.

(I know i'm just confusing you more.) But its your first car, you'll live with for few years, good thing to do your homework.

Thanks for the info.

I have stayed on official websites, review websites and even youtube about these two cars these days actually. However I found the more I checked on web, the more confused I would be. So I decided to post this in forum just asking for some real life experience with the car.

BTW, I am in Halifax, NS. The lease or Finance rate for Toyota is over 6% but honda only has 3.9% for leasing plus some government rebate.

[johngenx]

Get seat time.  After about an hour test drive in the Civic, my arse and back were killing me.  There is something in the Civic seats that just don't fit me.  I just can't get comfortable.  A bit of a shame, as there is lots to like about the Civic.  The Corolla (I have an 09 CE-C) was better, and after numerous highway trips, I find the seats pretty decent.  Not as good as the German cars I've owned, but they did cost 2-4x as much, so they should be better!

As for seating position, the telescoping steering wheel in the Corolla was a great help for me.  I am 6' tall, but barely have a 30" inseam, so I am all torso.

Some nits I have now that I have 4 months of time with the Rolla...

1. The padding on the center armrest is, well, not there.  Some would be nice!
2. The rear cupholder is flimsy and not up to taller drinks.  The front is fine.
3. The door detents are such that the first detent is too close to get in or out, the next is full open, and the doors really open wide.  Constant worry that my daughter will bash the car door.
4. The car cannot be had (CE trim) with a darker interior.  Those with kids know of what I speak.
5. The trip computer uses the clock display, so if you are using the computer, you have to scroll through the functions to get the clock display.  Bummer.  Many 09 owners dislike this, but I figure the car was $20K out the door, so...
6. No trunk release on the trunk lid.  Even if the car is unlocked, I have to either use the release beside the seat or the key.
7. Frikin' mini-spare. This is the first one we've had in a long time, and I hate them.  When I buy the winter steel wheels, I'm ordering five and ditching the mini-spare.  Stupid.
8. Don't let anything happen to the windscreen.  It's a special type of glass and the part is about $800 plus install.  No jobber glass yet.  Ours is perfect, but I know someone that had theirs cracked.  Youch!
9. Steering response is odd thanks to the electric power steering, but I am used to it now and don't notice it at all.

Some things I have grown to like...

1. The TPMS works well.  Have had two tires with screws, and the TPMS let us know before any loss of inflation pressure was visible.  Able to make repairs long before tire damage, etc.  Nice.
2. The Fuel economy is outstanding.  Wow.  The engine management system has obviously been tuned to economy operation, and it is paying off.
3. Service costs are low.  The dealer has fixed service pricing, so there are no surprises.  A "major" service is still <$200.  Some Honda owners I know are envious, relating high service costs.  Our other car is a Subaru, and Scoob dealers are notoriously expensive, so this is a nice change.
4. The 195/65-15 tire size is very common are there are lots of tires in this size.  Will make buying snow tires easy, and replacing the mushy all-season with an h-rated tire is simple without breaking the bank or changing wheels.
5. At first, I thought the gas tank too small.  42L main capacity (when the fuel light goes on, it takes 42L to fill)?  But, after some trips, I am going well over 700km before the light comes on, so that is okay.   know a bigger tank would hurt city economy, but being able to go over 1000km is nice. (our MB diesel could go 1200km on a tank, loved that)
6. Insurance costs are so low it's amazing.  60% of what we were paying on an 11 year old MB or the 8 year old Subaru.  Better coverage and lower premiums?  Gotta love that!  $609 a year for $250dd all perils with a staggering 48 month depreciation waiver?  That's pricing from the 1980's!

[Ice]

I also had problems with the Civic seating arrangement and that was a huge disappointment for me as the Civic is a really excellent vehicle and I quite like the styling.  The Corolla was more comfortable but still isn't 100% for me...still working through that.

There currently is no 2009 model but there are supposed to be some changes for 2009.  Its a mid-model refresh so it won't be a huge change but some features might change.  Who knows...maybe the seats will change.

I said this in one of your many other threads but at 6'5" you may have no choice but to go up to a larger vehicle.  Depends on your proportions.

[mtlrabbit]

If you can fit comfortable in rolla, there will be no mistake to buy (not lease) one. I am 6'3", can't fit into civic, so I don't think civic will fit your size. If you want lease, there is no brain to go for a basic VW rabbit. 2.9% lease rate plus 50% residual will give you monthly payment around $300 tax in, cheap than the collora and the differnce will cover your fuel loss(8L vs 10L mix drive), in terms of driving, there is no comparation between this two. Having leased a rabbit for 3 1/2month with 6000km all happy time, I think you should test drive on if you really mean to lease.

[vaff3]

I am 6' 2" and own an 08 Civic.  I find the seats are OK, and got better with time.  Otherwise, I fit into it great.  My complaint with all seats is that the seat cushion is too short, but that seems to be the way it is unless I buy a Buick (right). My 6' 0" friend just test drove a 09 Corolla with the sun roof and found the headroom tight, but I can't confirm that myself.

The $1000 fuel rebate only applies to 08 models with 5spd transmissions, as the program is being scrapped (why?). 

[Schmengie]

I'm just under 6' and I couldn't get into an '09 'Rolla without being very careful not to bump my head on the door frame. Once in there, the seats seemed pretty comfortable, but I only sat in the car for a few minutes. The interior's very well done, nice-looking, well laid-out and with typical Toyota quality but I definitely noticed the lack of headroom compared to my Versa, and rear seat room was also noticeably less. I'm sure that's because the 'Rolla isn't as tall as the Versa and consequently the seating position is lower as well, so I found ingress and egress a bit more difficult. If you fit the car, it's hard to go wrong with one of these. We've had a few Toyotas in the family over the years and they've been pretty much bullet proof.

I can't comment on the current Civic because I haven't tried it, but I can say that I'm not impressed with it's dashboard layout, the double-decker design is just too hard on my eyes.

[Re:Au]

After reading this forum for almost 2 years I have finally decided to join in and actually reply... The straw that broke the camel's back was a remark by Schmengie:
"I can't comment on the current Civic because I haven't tried it, but I can say that I'm not impressed with it's dashboard layout, the double-decker design is just too hard on my eyes."

I was one of the first people to buy current generation Civic in November 2005 and I loved (as in 'absolutely loved') 99% of the car. The dual level dash was one of the best things Honda engineers have come up with, well, ever. And that's talking about company with untold number of engineering innovations... I can go on for hours about excellence of dashboard's execution alone, never mind the rest of the car. Truly hope that someone from upper ranks at Honda reads this post and keeps similar/same design for next gen Civic or CR-Z. Honda: I will get one of those the day it comes out.
FYI, I am currently driving '09 Matrix, (bought March '08) for reasons I will share sometime, but my 5MT blue coupe Civic LX is thoroughly missed, to the point I almost want to sell Toyota, which would be an unwise financial decision, to get another one of them Hondas. The reason I mention this is though there is a lot to like about Matrix, the level of refinement (I assume it includes '09 Corolla - and I owned a 98 CE version - which served me remarkably well) is just not on par with Civic's. And Matrix's dashboard (read: any-non-Civic, non-HUD dashboard) is absolutely terrible. I only realized this going from Civic after driving it for 2+ years. I feel that such will be reaction of most current Civic owners when they get another car. Simplest reason would be that you have to look way down to know the speed and other info and the truth is you get used to what some might call 'clever ergonomic design' very fast. I know I did. After 5 months in a new car I still can't get 'un-used' to it!
Besides, it is not only that it is split, or digital (forget horror of some old domestics' digital read-outs), or clean-looking, or ergonomic, it is how well it all works together when done by Honda. Bravo!

I guess you can tell I like Hondas, no? ;-)
My point: If something about new Civic appeals to you, go drive it and get it.

PS. Regarding seats: I also loved the seats. Actually, a lot! However, I have broad shoulders, thin torso and am not very tall, so test drive to know for yourself - everybody's body is different.
By the way, don't get me wrong, there were things I DID NOT like about Civic, i.e. (execs: pay attention) gas pedal needed to travel very little to give you most of acceleration you are gonna get - that's a cheat on most under 200 HP cars to make them 'snappy' of the line but makes it harder to drive smoothly everyday and to feather-it-in in the winter for getting traction... I know how to floor the pedal if I want to go fast and don't need the stupid gimmick to make it seem faster than it really is. But, oh well, I got used to it...

[Re:Au]

My previous post is talking about Manual transmission LX - when I was talking about gas pedal travel - I don't think there would be a problem with an Automatic. Why would anyone get such a car with an Auto I do not know....

Also, about the seats, my car was a Coupe, they have different seats (among other things, like steering wheel) when compared to a sedan. Coupe's are way more supportive, with additional bolstering. Such seats are more restrictive on average so if they don't feel comfy try to sit in a sedan - it might make all the difference.

[airbalancer]

Civic has HUD

[carburator]

I own the 06 Civic.  I am 6 ft.

I think if it snows in Nova Scotia you are going to have one hell of a time trying to drive. It does not handle driving on any depth of snow. The car is too low and the tires that came with it are awful . Lots of slipping and sliding.

The seat back does not have an arch support. Instead it lands on your upper back area just between your shoulders. Ouch. Especially uncomfortable on long drives of seveal hours. You will really want to get out and stretch.

The dash digitsl display sucks. I can not see the full display ever. You will not be able to see the full display odometer/speedometer/etc.   The steering wheel gets in the way.  It's beter if you are short person and then you will be able to see it better.

The bumper and panels are very soft, weak and it will dent very very easily.

Good on gas.

[quadzilla]

I own the 06 Civic.  I am 6 ft.

I think if it snows in Nova Scotia you are going to have one hell of a time trying to drive. It does not handle driving on any depth of snow. The car is too low and the tires that came with it are awful . Lots of slipping and sliding.

The Civic is not too low and any car with crappy tires will slip and slide. Put proper winter tires on a Civic and it will be fine all winter. If people can drive a Porsche in the winter then others should be able to drive a Civic. 

[mrthompson]

It's your civic duty to ignore caburator.

[safristi]

..can we rename him FOOL-INJECTOR?....

[dr_spock]

I like the digital speedometer on the 8th gen Civic.  I can look over and see how fast the Honda driver next to me is going. 

[vdk]

I like the digital speedometer on the 8th gen Civic.  I can look over and see how fast the Honda driver next to me is going. 

Me too...  I hate that it takes a second or two to change them digits though..

[mmret]

I like the digital speedometer on the 8th gen Civic.  I can look over and see how fast the Honda driver next to me is going. 

Me too...  I hate that it takes a second or two to change them digits though..

To be fair, if the change was immediate it could be annoying to see 127 128 127 128 127 128 127 128.

Not that I ever go that fast.

[mrthompson]

I like the digital speedometer on the 8th gen Civic.  I can look over and see how fast the Honda driver next to me is going. 

A colleague complains that his wife (and children in the back seat) are always on his case about speeding, even if it not excessive.

[xviper]

It's your civic duty to ignore caburator.

  In the short time I've been here, I've learned this very quickly.  Nevertheless, I find his posts very entertaining, not so much in any sort of educational or rational sense but more in the sense that we all tend to direct our attention to the class clown or the kid who got held back 2 grades.  We all want to see why.

Anyway, back on topic .................. It's clear that there are opposing opinions on both cars by different people.  That being the case, you really need to test drive each.  Personally, I could live with either.  This year, the Corolla won the fuel mileage test, just edging out the Civic.  If that's important to you, then choose accordingly.  I've own both Toyota and Honda cars and Honda is my favourite but my reasons may not apply to you.  If comfort and user friendliness is paramount to you, then you must experience them for yourself.  Don't let the dislikes of some tall people disuade you since there are also tall guys here who have have no problems with the Civic.  Don't let the talk of the Civic being no good in winter disuade you, since both Civic and Corollas are fairly typical and common winter drivers.  With adequate snow tires and a bit of common sense, you can drive almost anything through our winters.  I've driven Corvettes all winter and I've been driving an S2000 for the past 8 winters.  I have a friend with a lowered S2000 who drives it every day in the winter.  It's the stupid people in their Yukons who I see stuck in the ditches.