Compare the2022 Honda CivicVS 2021 Toyota Camry

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Camry’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Civic’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Camry doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Civic and the Camry have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

As tested in Car and Driver the Civic EX/Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Camry 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Civic gets better fuel mileage than the Camry FWD:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Civic’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Camry doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Civic has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Camry doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Civic has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Camry doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Civic stops shorter than the Camry:

The Civic has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Camry doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Civic LX/EX’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Camry L/LE’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Honda Civic may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 500 pounds less than the Toyota Camry.

The Civic is 8.1 inches shorter than the Camry LE/XLE, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Civic has 1 inch more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Camry.

The Civic’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Camry TRD doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

The Civic’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Camry’s parking brake has to released manually.

The Civic Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Camry’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Civic Sport was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 4 years. The Camry hasn’t been picked since 1997.

The Civic was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” for 2 of the last 25 years. The Camry hasn’t been picked since 1997.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2016 North American Car of the Year. The Camry has never been chosen.