2014 Toyota Corolla vs 2014 Honda Civic

When buying a compact car, most buyers are driven by a couple of factors including: budget, performance, reliability and fuel efficiency. No surprise, there are some very good offerings out on the market today, and even the domestic car makers have had to up their quality levels to even stay in the car sales game at all. That said, the two names that still demand most of the car driving attention in Dayton dealerships tends to be the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. Both have longstanding reputations for meeting all the critical buyer criteria and they delivery long-lasting return on a purchase. So which one is better in a Toyota Corolla vs. Honda Civic match?

2014 Changes 

The 2014 Toyota Corolla provides a customer with an entirely different package in 2014 than what was offered in previous years. This includes a new transmission design as well as a lot of new changes to the interior. The Honda Civic had already been redesigned in 2012 and again in 2013, so very little in new changes has been expected for the 2014 model. Overall it is a reissue of last year's car.

In terms of engine performance, both cars get high ratings from government regulators when it comes to fuel efficiency. The two cars literally tie each other out producing 31 and 32 mpg in combined city and highway averages, depending on the transmission choice of the buyer. There is of course the Civic Hybrid, which brings into the picture an engine/battery combo that gives 44 mpg, but that's an entirely different subject matter if one wants an electric car. And the Toyota Corolla LE Eco is not far behind at 35 mpg combined.

Safety 

Small cars have never scored extremely well in crash safety generally due to the laws of physics. Two things going the same speed but different masses will realize the vehicle with the bigger mass crushes the one with the smaller mass. That said, while Honda can claim a 5-star overall rating from the insurance industry test ratings, Toyota's Corolla has just introduced a newer structural design directly intended to deal with overlap frontal impact-test crashes. That new Toyota frame design is in the midst of industry testing now.

Return on Investment

A buyer's lament with other cars has always been the maintenance and repair costs, making reliability a big issue for compact buyers. In a Toyota Corolla vs. Honda Civic match, both cars have a strong reputation for cars that run well after their initial warranty period, but the Corolla has performed better according to two major consumer reporting agencies, J.D. Powers and Consumer Reports. That's a big difference, especially considering the two cars are generally priced about the same without getting into option differences.

In Summary

Given the above Toyota Corolla vs. Honda Civic comparisons, as well as a number of options and packages available with different trim packages, the 2014 Corolla comes out as the better package for compact car buyers. But a car buyer shouldn't just rely on that information alone. Test driving the 2014 Corolla is a must to truly understand why Toyota's vehicle package ends up being the better one. To get a hands-on experience in the Dayton region, a buyer can just come down to Dayton Toyota to try out the latest Corolla offerings. That also includes being able to look at a number of quality used Corolla vehicles available as well, all of them checked and certified by training Toyota technicians. So if you're in the market for a new compact, do your research well with some field testing behind the Corolla wheel.