Edmunds: 2022 Honda Civic versus 2022 Toyota Corolla
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A popular cross-shopped rival is the Toyota Corolla. The latest generation, which debuted for the 2020 model year, is one of the best Corollas to come out in a while, boasting sporty styling and an improved interior with nicer-feeling materials. Which small sedan is the better buy? Edmunds' experts compare the 2022 Civic and 2022 Corolla to find out.
Honda offers two engines for the Civic: a base 158-horsepower four-cylinder and an upgraded 180-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder that comes standard in the EX and Touring trims. The turbocharged engine provides more satisfying acceleration plus slightly better EPA-estimated fuel economy: It gets 36 mpg in combined city/highway driving versus 35 mpg combined for the base engine.
Toyota has a similar approach. The Corolla starts off with a 139-horsepower engine and has a more powerful 169-horsepower engine in the SE and XSE trims, though neither engine is turbocharged. As with the Civic, going with the more powerful engine gets you a slight fuel economy benefit, an EPA-estimated 34 mpg combined, which is 1 mpg better than the Corolla's base engine.
From the driver's point of view, the Honda Civic pulls ahead of the Toyota Corolla literally and figuratively. In Edmunds' testing, the Civic with the turbo engine accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, which is quicker than average for the class. The Corolla, even with its more powerful engine, trails at 8.8 seconds and tends to feel even slower than that result suggests. Drivers will likely feel the urge to floor the accelerator more than they would with the Civic when getting up to highway speeds.
