Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla

Interior Space & Cargo

Proving the old adage that good things don’t always come in a big package, the Honda Civic and the new Toyota Corolla have a lot to offer in terms of performance, comfort, and class-leading innovation.

• There are three distinct styles available: classic hatchback, roomy hatchback, or sporty coupe. No matter which version you choose, you can expect a surprising level of space and comfort throughout.
• The Civic sedan supplies quite a bit of room for the passengers. The cabin comfortably seats up to five passengers with the front row including 39.3 inches of headroom and 42.3 inches of legroom.
• The Corolla front row features 38.3 inches of headroom and 42 inches of legroom.

The differences only magnify when you reach the rear of these sedans.

• Both the Civic and Corolla offer their rear passengers 37.1 inches of headroom.
• Of course, the big difference is with legroom. The Honda Civic offers 37.4 inches while the Corolla offers only 34.8 inches.
• The Civic and Corolla each offer spacious trunks. The Civic has 15.1 cubic feet to utilize for your cargo while the Corolla trunk is a bit cramped at just 13.1 cubic feet.

Performance Specifications

• Besides the available Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) you’ll find in both the new Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, you’ll find that their mechanical configurations and performance differ greatly. The CVT is known to boast fuel efficiency through direct gear transitions and smooth accelerations.
• The Civic sedan comes equipped with a nimble 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that specializes both in power and efficiency. When properly configured, this vehicle is capable of delivering an impressive 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft torque.
• If you’re the type of driver who places power at the top of their list, all trims come standard with an athletic 1.5L turbocharged engine that supplies up to 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.
• No matter which trim you end up choosing, each vehicle comes standard with an Eco Assist™ System engineered to increase overall fuel economy.
• As for the Corolla, you’ll have to deal with an efficient but less powerful 1.8L 4-cylinder engine that emits 139 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque.
• The Corolla offers an available 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that’s paired with manual transmission. Still, even with the extra performance add-ons, this combination manages to only get you 168 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque.

Civic Hatchback vs Corolla Hatchback Engine Specs & Performance

Both of these vehicles offer drivers an option for a hatchback-style body to add more space and adventure to your driving.

• The new Honda Civic Hatchback comes equipped with a 1.5L 4-cylinder turbo engine that generates 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.
• The Corolla Hatchback comes with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine but falls behind in performance with its 168 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque.
• Each hatchback includes respective Continuously Variable Transmissions. These transmissions help drivers reach their desired performance while helping them get most out of their fuel through the efficiency of the gear transitions.

Fuel Efficiency & MPG

While both vehicles offer similar performances despite their different engines, there’s a pretty significant chasm when it comes to their respective fuel efficiencies.

• The Honda Civic Hatchback LX and EX get an EPA-estimated 31 city/40 highway/34 combined MPG.* This could be assisted by the Direct Fuel Injection, which eliminates fuel waste by only providing the combustion chamber with the gas needed based on the vehicle’s performance.
• However, the Toyota Corolla Hatchback falls a bit behind in this category with its EPA-estimated 30 city/38 highway/33 combined MPG.

Interior Space & Cargo Capacity

One factor that attracts drivers to the hatchback versions of the Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla is the fact that it adds more cargo space than the traditional sedan versions.

• The Honda Civic Hatchback includes 25.7 cubic feet of cargo space that can transform into 46.2 cubic feet.
• The Corolla Hatchback, on the other hand, only includes 17.8 cubic feet of cargo space in back—a stark difference in their respective cargo abilities.

On top of the difference with the cargo space, there are some pretty significant differences with the amount of passenger space.

• The Civic Hatchback includes 97.2 cubic feet of space for the five passengers that it can carry.
• The Corolla Hatchback comes in slightly cramped with just 84.6 cubic feet of cabin space for its five passengers.
• The Civic Hatchback offers more room for its front-row passengers with 39.3 inches of headroom and 42.3 inches of legroom.
• The Corolla Hatchback only offers front-row passengers 38.4 inches of headroom and just 42 inches of legroom.

The rear showcases a pretty significant difference as well.

• The Honda Civic Hatchback and Toyota Corolla Hatchback both offer more than 37 inches of headroom.
• However, the Civic Hatchback includes 36 inches of legroom, while the Toyota Corolla Hatchback offers a meager 29.9 inches of legroom. Rear passengers would feel much more cramped in the Corolla Hatchback.