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Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla vs. Mazda3

879 messages,  Last post on Nov 25, 2008 at 3:57 PM

You are in the Toyota Corolla Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda MAZDA3, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 89

#7 of 879 Re: pmc255 [z71bill] by pmc255

Jul 13, 2005 (11:12 am)

Replying to: z71bill (Jul 13, 2005 8:11 am)
Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I'm actually going test-driving today.
 
Are the Cobalt and Focus on par with these Japanese cars though? Since it's my first car, I'm leaning toward a Japanese brand just for their reputations of being more reliable. But aside from that, the Cobalt and Focus seem to have similarly powerful engines and fuel efficiency as the Mazda3. And it also helps that there's the whole employee discount deal going on right now.
 
By the way, is it advisable to wait for the '06 model of a car to come out before buying an '05 model? I've heard that once the '06 comes out, the dealerships will start slashing prices on '05 models. Not sure if that's true in all cases. And I only know that the '06 Civic is coming out in November, and I'm not sure about the Corolla or the Mazda3.

#8 of 879 Topic ... by pat

Jul 13, 2005 (11:16 am)

Let's be mindful of the topic here please, which does not include the Cobalt. I'm sure any questions about what is being discussed there can be answered by visiting it.
 
In any case, trying to use any internet discussion to judge what car statistically has more problems in one or more areas than another is an exercise in complete futility. There are no statistical controls over the sample, obviously. Do some research on what sort of statistical input is needed to produce a reliable statistical outcome if you want to understand what kinds of surveys are reliable and what are not.
 
Let's stick to comparing your personal thoughts and opinions about the Civic and the Corolla and the Mazda3 here - thanks.

#9 of 879 My thoughts by modock

Jul 13, 2005 (12:13 pm)

First off, if you are comparing these you have to be looking at similar models. The ones I was looking at are the Mazda 3s, Civic EX and the Corolla XRS. All of these come base with most of the conveniences that you would be looking for. If you want to even out the price as the Mazda is cheaper just add the moon roof package.
 
Your comparison at Yahoo was not quite fare as the Civic you chose was $2k more than the Mazda 3i and Corolla. The only real suggestion I can make is to go to all the car web sites (Car & Driver, Automobile Mag, Road & Track) and do a search for each one of the vehicles and read their reviews and see which sounds best to you then go test drive them and see if you agree with the experts assessment.
 
I was coming from a Nissan 240SX so the choice was clear for me once I drove the cars. It had to be the Mazda. The other two were just too bland and they did not respond when you tried to push them a little bit. Though I was buying before the XRS came out and the Corolla S just did not compare.
 
Another note on engine power. The Corolla XRS has more horse power than the Mazda 3s but much less torque. This means that you have to be up at 4-5000 RPM before you will see the power. Thus (I love that word) the Mazda will have a lot more low end grunt. But this is typical of Toyota engines.
 
My final thoughts are that if you want something to just get you around town and get great gas mileage get the Civic and think about the LX. If you want something that will be a blast to drive get the Mazda 3s. And if you want something in between think about the Mazda 3i.
 
Corey
 
PS I just feel that Toyota is too proud of their cars and thus (there is that word again) they are over priced.
 
PPS While I love my 04 Mazda 3s, my wife is very happy with her 01 Civic LX. It is just a difference of driving style and feel. (Though my wife with her lead foot would have way too many speeding tickets in my car)

#10 of 879 Not enough head-room in Corolla by dteska

Jul 13, 2005 (12:16 pm)

We've been trying to decide between the Corolla LE, Mazda3i Sedan and the Civic EX (all equipped with a moonroof), and we ruled out the Corolla very early on because it does not have enough head-room. I'm 6 feet tall, and my head touches the ceiling in the Corolla even with the seat adjusted all the way down. In addition to that, the steering wheel is too far away when I adjust the seet for adequate leg-room.
 
In deciding between the Mazda3i Sedan and Civic EX Sedan, it came down to our test drive impressions. The Mazda was the clear winner in handling, quiet ride and overall driving feel. The one thing my wife did not like about it was the "rough ride" in city driving. The Civic did everything well but was not outstanding in any one area except for fuel economy. The other big advantage for the Civic was reliability and resale value.
 
The deciding factor turned out to be the weak air conditioning in the Mazda. We test drove it on a 93 degree day for about 30 minutes, and the car never totally cooled down. By the way, the build date on this particular car was May, 2005. Since this was the only Mazda3i in the Cincinnati area that was equipped with ABS and moonroof, we decided to get the Civic EX. We pick it up Friday. By the way, the Civic's air conditioning cooled the car down in less than five minues.

#11 of 879 Also Deciding by earlthom

Jul 13, 2005 (2:07 pm)

I appreciate this conversation. I, too, have driven these models and am still undecided. I drove the Toyota and ruled it out - uncomfortable seating and that low end engine noise was enough to say "no" for me. The Chevy and Ford weren't even close. I like the Honda, but am unsure about the obligatory moon roof with the EX model. (I won't buy without ABS - so the EX is the only option.) I also really liked driving the Mazda 3. It seemed to be the quietest of the group, but also the worst mileage.
 
In contrast with the previous post - when I drove the 3i it was about 95 and humid and the AC did the job just fine.
 
I'm waiting to learn more about the 06 Civic at this point. Most of what is out there about it is speculation - not even the dealers seem to know what to expect.
 
Right now both models are hard to find in my area - and deals do not exist. Too many people thinking fuel economy, I guess.

#12 of 879 Re: My thoughts [modock] by x5918

Jul 13, 2005 (7:47 pm)

Replying to: modock (Jul 13, 2005 12:13 pm)
Grunty, Gruntier, Gruntiest. Or. Toyota Matrix, Mazda3s, Honda Civix Ex. I'm a bit dissapointed with 3s weak low end torque and mediocre gas mileage. The Honda VTEC engine definetly the most advanced engine in the pack - nevertheless the 3s 2.3L engine is a blast, compared to the minimalistic 1.7L Civic. Cheap therapy, whichever you choose.

#13 of 879 Re: Also Deciding [earlthom] by dteska

Jul 14, 2005 (10:04 am)

Replying to: earlthom (Jul 13, 2005 2:07 pm)
I'm waiting to learn more about the 06 Civic at this point. Most of what is out there about it is speculation - not even the dealers seem to know what to expect.
 
If you can afford to wait, the '06 Civic should fit your needs. All '06 Civics (even the base models) will be equipped with ABS and side airbags as standard equipment.

#14 of 879 Make mine 1 part civic, 1 part corolla and 1 part mazda3 by autonomous

Jul 14, 2005 (11:30 am)

Replying to: dteska (Jul 14, 2005 10:04 am)
I agree that it would be wise to wait for the Civic; it may not end up being your choice but at least you will have had a chance to try it out. Personally, I think this is one of the best years for purchasing a small sedan with all the choices that are on offer.
 
To help you in choosing, you may want to go to your public library and check some of the back issues of Consumer Reports, especially the April 2005 annual auto issue. CR publishes reliability histories of many vehicles, provides helpful hints for purchasing a new vehicle and discusses trends for the future.

#15 of 879 Test drove them all by pmc255

Jul 14, 2005 (5:06 pm)

So, I test drove all three cars yesterday. The Civic is quite plain, as expected. Reasonably roomy (I'm 5'11"). Handling and acceleration are okay. Not very exciting, but is decent.
 
The Corolla was about the same. The engine noise was a bit louder, but the interior seemed better. It also seemed more spacious than the Civic, according to my friend who sat in the passenger seat with me in the test drives (he's 6'4"). My friends' impressions were that the Corolla had a better look and feel than the Civic.
 
The Mazda3 had a much sportier, more attractive exterior look than the Civic and Corolla. The interior was surprising, and I liked the paneling along with the cool looking gauges. The steering wheel had a tilt/telescopic feature as well, so it was flexible to adjustment. Along with the automatic transmission, the Mazda3 also has a manual sports mode that lets you sequentially shift gears up or down. Of course, the drive felt more engaging (the salesman kept telling me to "push it!" ), and it had better acceleration. The trunk is roomier than it seems, but is still smaller compared to the Corolla and Civic.
 
Overall, based on asthetics, features, feel, and drive from my experiences yesterday, I would rank the Mazda3 first, then Corolla, then Civic.
 
However, after adding up the options I want for the Mazda3 based on the i trim (base), the MSRP ended up around $18000. My base features are automatic transmission, power mirrors/doors/locks, and ABS. It doesn't seem like a lot to ask for. But these options are all packaged in the Mazda3, so adding ABS and power options means adding airbags, cruise control, speakers, alloy wheels, and a few more things. But with that price, I might as well get the Mazda3s trim, and simply add the ABS package for a final MSRP of only about $800 more. But then this leaves me with a significantly more powerful car with poorer mileage, both of which aren't attributes I'm looking for.
 
And now I'm thinking, for MSRP $18000, wouldn't it be better to simply look for a car in a different class? For around the same price, I can get an Accord with basic features I want, and with similar mileage, but just a bigger car (I'm looking for compacts). Even the Civic EX, the only trim with ABS, ends up around $18000 MSRP. Only the Corolla LE with ABS ends up around $17000.
 
So, I'm kinda in a quandry. I personally like the Mazda3, but don't really like the idea of having to spend extra money for power I don't need while getting unsatisfactory mileage. Should I be thinking about cars like the Accord or Camry? Most of them come standard with the basic features I want, but lack the compactness and efficient mileage I seek. Or should I just go for the Mazda3s, and not worry about the loss of fuel efficiency? Or downgrade a bit and go for the Mazda3i, with less power but slightly better efficiency? Or simply get a Corolla for its price, mileage, and decent features and reliability?

#16 of 879 Re: Test drove them all [pmc255] by nash123

Jul 14, 2005 (8:46 pm)

Replying to: pmc255 (Jul 14, 2005 5:06 pm)
You are doing exactly what I did a month ago. Research those 3 cars, liked the Mazda best but then wasn't sure about the long term reliability and wasn't happy about the high price. Based on these I actually decided to get an Accord LX 4dr MT, which is around $17,500 + tax. Gets a lot for the same money, with ABS and all other safety features you can think of. I am planning to finalize this sale by the end of this month.

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