Toyota Corolla Hybrid vs Honda Civic Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid versus Toyota Corolla hybrid, which one should you buy.
If you want a reliable, economical, and affordably priced car, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla have long been two of your safest options.
In fact, the Toyota Corolla hybrid in particular is such a great well-rounded car that it was actually my choice for Car of the year back in 2023.
But now that Honda has updated the Civic for 2025, including adding a new hybrid version, well it’s time to get these two back together and find out which one is really best.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid Engine Performance
So let’s start with the basics and what both cars do extremely well.
Both the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are available as a conventional sedan or a more practical hatchback for those who want to have more cargo space.
The standard versions of both cars are also available in two different drivetrain options, a conventional gas engine or a hybrid engine.
In the case of the standard engines, both the Civic and Corolla come standard with a simple naturally aspirated two liter four cylinder engine that’s connected to a continuously variable transmission or CVT.
And to put it simply, both of these are perfectly fine drive trains to go with.
They both produce an adequate amount of power.
They’re reasonably smooth and refined.
They have very good fuel economy and both engines have very good reputations for reliability.
So if you just want a simple economical vehicle that’s going to last a really long time, you cannot go wrong with the standard engines in either car, but even though they’re fairly evenly matched when it comes to the standard engines, it’s a bit of a different story when it comes to the hybrids.
Civic Hybrid Engine Performance
Now let’s start with the civic hybrid since it’s the new one for 2025.
Now the hybrid engine on the Civic replaces the 1.5 turbo engine that used to be offered on the top trims, which you can now only get on the high performance civic si with the manual transmission.
So while other automakers are moving towards small displacement turbo engines in the case of Honda with the Civic,
they’ve actually moved in the opposite direction, which is pretty interesting, and I think that was a really smart decision of Honda because Honda,
the hybrid system in the new Civic is an absolutely phenomenal drivetrain.
This is the same basic hybrid system that’s found in the Accord Hybrid and CRV hybrid and has already been offered in the Civic hybrid in other markets around the world.
Fuel Economy
This hybrid system uses a hybrid battery pack, a non turbo naturally aspirated, two liter four cylinder engine that comes connected to two electric motors through a clutch pack, which Honda calls an ECBT.
But essentially there’s really no transmission at all.
It’s a very simple, well proven hybrid system, which Honda has been using for a very long time now, and it certainly does the job of delivering phenomenal fuel economy, which is what hybrid buyers expect.
Toyota Corolla Efficiency
It’s rated for roughly 47 to 52 miles per gallon or four and a half to five liters per 100 kilometers.
But what’s really incredible is not just how fuel efficient this hybrid setup is, but also how powerful it is.
It produces 200 horsepower and 232 pound feet of torque, which makes it surprisingly quick.
It’s able to accelerate to highway speed in only 6.2 seconds, which actually makes it a bit quicker than the high performance Civic SI.
Essentially what Honda has done here is deliver the phenomenal fuel economy of a fuel efficient hybrid combined with the power of a V six engine.
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And that’s a pretty incredible combination in terms of its refinement, performance and efficiency.
It really is an incredible hybrid system and quite frankly, pretty much blows away the hybrid system that’s in the Toyota Corolla.
The Corolla’s hybrid system uses a hybrid battery with a 1.8 liter naturally aspirated four cylinder engine with two electric motors and a planetary gear type ECVT.
Again, this is a very well proven, reliable hybrid system.
Basically the same setup that Toyota has been using in the Prius for ages now.
Civic hybrid
And not only is it extremely well proven and reliable, but like the civic hybrid, it’s extremely fuel efficient, able to achieve a very similar average of 47 to 52 miles per gallon or four and a half to five liters per 100 kilometers.
But even though it is a very well designed, reliable and fuel efficient hybrid system, it just does not have anywhere near the same level of performance as the civic.
It only produces 134 horsepower and takes around nine seconds to get from zero to highway speeds, which is significantly slower than the civic.
Driving the two back to back The extra 65 horsepower so that you get with the civic hybrid is immediately noticeable and just makes the civic a far more enjoyable and nicer car to drive.
That being said, the one advantage that you do get with the Corolla hybrid is that it is available with all-wheel drive, which is something that’s not offered on the Civic.
It’s a very basic all-wheel drive system all Toyota has done is add a third electric motor to bring some power to the back wheels.
But even so, if you really want to have all wheel drive, it is the Corolla hybrid that gets the wind,
But it’s not just the power and performance that makes the civic hybrid a more satisfying car to drive.
It’s the entire driving experience. Now, there’s nothing really wrong with the Corolla hybrid.
It’s a perfectly fine car, it’s reasonably smooth, it’s comfortable to drive and it does have pretty good handling.
But the civic hybrid is just a step above. It has a better combination and a better balance between ride and handling.
It’s more comfortable, it has better driving feel to it, and it just feels like the more substantial car to drive.
And part of that more substantial feeling is the fact that the Civic is just a larger car than the Corolla.
Interior Space In Corolla
Now, in terms of interior space, the Corolla is definitely a compact car.
It has enough space for most buyers, but the backseats are definitely a bit on the tight side, whereas with the Honda Civic, you do feel like you’re sitting inside a larger, more spacious car.
There’s more room for the driver up front and more passenger space in the back seats.
So if you’re a taller person or have a taller family, the civic is definitely going to be the more comfortable car of the two.
And that’s also especially true when it comes to the hatchback versions where the Corolla hatchback is merely adequate.
Interior Space civic and Comfort
In terms of interior space and cargo space, the civic hatchback is a huge leap up with a lot more space, but especially a lot more cargo space making it feel very close to an SUV.
Aside from the space difference, both of these cars do have a well designed and well put together interior.
They both have very good fit and finish and they both have a very good control setup that’s pretty straightforward to use.
I really like that With both cars you have simple straightforward climate controls for adjusting your heat and air conditioning, and both cars also come with good simple to use touchscreen setups.
Technology and Features
Although the one in the Corolla is definitely much better than the standard touchscreen in the Civic, which is pretty basic by comparison.
That being said, if you go for the higher trim on the Civic, you do get a proper larger touchscreen, which has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which does come standard on the Corolla.
Both cars in general are very well equipped, though they come with a lot of great standard features, lots of optional equipment, and especially lots of great active safety features which come as part of Honda Sensing and Toyota Safety Sense.
And both cars also have fantastic top-notch safety ratings from both Nitsa and the IIHS.
So far it really does seem that the civic hybrid is coming out way ahead.
Pricing
there is one area where the Corolla hybrid does have the advantage, and that is pricing the general across the board pricing for the
Honda Civic ranges from around 25 to 34,000 in the US or around 30 to 40,000 in Canada, whereas the pricing for the Corolla ranges between 24 to 30,000 in the US and around 26 to 38,000 in Canada.
The major difference though is that in the case of the Civic, the hybrid version is only offered on the two highest trims, the sport and the sport touring.
Whereas the two lower trims, the LX and sport only come with the regular two liter gas engine, which means that to get into a civic hybrid, the starting price is going to be around 30,000 US or 35,000 Canadian.
Whereas in the case of the Corolla, the Corolla hybrid is offered on basically every single trim from the basic LE all the way to the top of the line XSE, which means you can get into a basic Corolla hybrid for around 26,000 US or 30,000 Canadian.
Availability
So it is significantly less money to start. Of course, pricing is one thing, but availability is something completely different.
And that’s one area where Toyota is still struggling, at least in many areas.
In many regions, you still have to order a Corolla hybrid and wait a long time for it to arrive in some cases several months to a year.
And not only do you have to deal with the frustration of waiting, but because of that situation, some dealerships might be trying to charge your premium, whereas you don’t have to deal with that kind of supply problem with the Civic.
It has fantastic availability by comparison where you can just walk into a dealership and buy one. And that’s definitely a huge advantage.
Now, at the end of the day, you really cannot go wrong buying either car. Both of these cars are extremely well made, have fantastic reputations when it comes to their reliability.
They have a low cost of ownership, they’re not going to give you any headaches when it comes to repair issues, maintenance.
And at the end of the day, both of these are fantastic cars to buy and hold onto for a very long time.
Both Honda and Toyota really know what they’re doing when it comes to making hybrids.
They have decades of experience and they really are the leaders in that area.
And not only are you getting phenomenal reliability with either one, but both of these cars also have fantastic resale value.
Value for Money and Final Verdict
So in terms of value for money, both of them are fantastic choices.
But when it comes to choosing one over the other and major benefits, well the Corolla hybrid only has a few real advantages.
Number one, you can get it with all wheel drive, which is not available on the Civic.
It comes with more standard features, including a better standard touchscreen infotainment system, and
The starting price is a lot lower.
So if you just want a really good value option for the lowest possible price, the Corolla hybrid is definitely the winner that is assuming you can actually get your hands on one.
But in almost every other respect, there’s no question the Civic hybrid is just the far superior car.
It has a much better performing hybrid system with a lot more power.
It’s more refined, smoother, and has the same phenomenal fuel economy as the Corolla hybrid.
It drives better, it has a better balance between ride and handling.
It’s a larger, more spacious, more substantial feeling car.
And even though you cannot get a more basic lower priced version like you can with the Corolla, when you’re comparing the higher trims, the pricing is relatively close.
And the fact that you can actually go into a dealership and buy one without a waiting period, well that’s a major advantage too.
This is actually one of the most well-rounded, likable, sensible cars that I’ve driven all year, and I’m really struggling to find anything that’s significantly wrong with it.
It’s just a very difficult car to hate.
So while both of these are fantastic choices, and I would strongly recommend going with either one, if I had to choose one as the standout winner, there’s no question, it’s definitely the civic hybrid.
Alternative Option: Toyota Prius Hybrid
Now, even though the Corolla hybrid is not quite a match for the civic hybrid, Toyota does offer another very similar model that has much better performance, more power, and more space, which of course is the Toyota Prius hybrid.