Compare the2023 Toyota CorollaVS 2023 Honda Civic Si

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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The Corolla has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Corolla has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Corolla has standard Safety Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Corolla and the Civic Si have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla is safer than the Honda Civic Si:

	Corolla	Civic Si
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	325
Neck Injury Risk	27%	30%
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	356	444
Neck Stress	165 lbs.	189 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla is safer than the Honda Civic Si:

	Corolla	Civic Si
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	92	195
Abdominal Force	129 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	268
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	79 G’s
Hip Force	367 lbs.	516 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	239	260
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	623 lbs.	805 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Corolla is safer than the Civic Si:

	Corolla	Civic Si
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	99	205
Neck Tension	201 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.1 in	1.26 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.61 in	1.85 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	10 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	150	162
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	89 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.38 in	1.89 in
Shoulder Force	312 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.61 in
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

There are over 16 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Honda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Corolla’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Corolla’s reliability 13 points higher than the Civic Si.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Corolla second among compact cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Civic Si isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Corolla gets better mileage than the Civic Si:

		MPG
Corolla
	LE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy
	SE/XSE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy
Civic Si
	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy

Transmission

The Corolla offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

The Corolla 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 Civic Si doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Corolla stops shorter than the Civic Si:

	Corolla	Civic Si
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Corolla has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Civic Si; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Corolla’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Civic Si’s (35.6 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Passenger Space

The Corolla has .7 inches more front headroom and 2.4 inches more rear hip room than the Civic Si.

Ergonomics

The Corolla offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Corolla and the Civic Si have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Corolla is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Civic Si prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Corolla’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Civic Si’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Corolla the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Civic Si can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Corolla XLE/XSE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Civic Si doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Corolla XSE has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Civic Si.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Corolla XSE offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Civic Si doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Toyota Corolla comes in sedan, four door hatchback and four door bodystyles; the Honda Civic Si isn’t available as a four door hatchback or wagon.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic Si, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Corolla outsold the Honda Civic by over two to one during 2022.