Corolla Hybrid is a really compelling vehicle for anyone looking for an "appliance" car. It'll get you to work and back cheaply and comfortably for 20 years easily.
True - civic hybrid sport, the base model, is comparable to the top level Corolla hybrid XSE. You can get a stripper Corolla LE with very few creature comforts for 5k less, to go along with way slower acceleration and less passenger space
That's what makes it an "appliance" car though. It's a cheap, reliable, barebones car. If someone doesn't car about acceleration or how fun it is to drive, saving that $5k is worth more than the additional features of the civic, and there is nothing wrong with that.
I fully agree, but $5k over a fifteen year life span means I need to pick up one extra shift a year to afford the Civic. It would be worth it to me for a nicer appliance that I'd be driving into the ground.
And I would agree. For me it would be worth spending the extra money. It's not for many others. That's my whole point. For a lot of people, they'd rather save the $5k.
I've driven a Corolla LE (hertz) and I honestly appreciate its simplicity. If I had to drive one, I wouldn't really mind. It's enough car for most people in my opinion
Ya, I didn't mind it and can see the appeal. When I was shopping for a smaller hatchback last year I drove one. I didn't like it as much as the Civic, or the Mazda3 (which is what I bought), but I totally get why someone would buy the Corolla. The combination of price and simplicity is appealing, if not for everyone.
Elantra challenges solely on price though, but that's also Corolla's territory. Other than that, Elantra hybrid has less power, less refinement, slightly less room, a lot of gadgets though.
Honda's hybrid drivetrain is much less efficient at highway speeds, huge difference IRL, gets worse MPG at steady speed highway driving than some conventional gasoline models. Also Civic Hybrid is the same price as a better Camry.
You said thank you for the hostility. I was just asking what do you mean. I donāt know what kind of hostility I presented. Would you be able to explain that to me and if you could put it in bullet points that would make it easier
The Civic underperforms its EPA rating by quite a bit. If you actually read the article (I know this is Reddit, but come on), they got 36 MPG combined which isā¦.less than what my CX-50 Hybrid gets.Ā
Go look at any of C&D instrumented testing and youāll see that Hondaās hybrid vehicles underperform on the highway by a significant margin, while the Toyotas get close to or sometimes higher their EPA ratings
This has not been my experience with the Accord hybrid, I track fuel consumption religiously by the odometer and metered gallons at fill up. I have the 2025 EX-L and most of my commute is 55-70mph on 285 and 85 in Atlanta. During winter months there was underperformance when running the heater extensively, but to the tune of 38mpg vs 44-45mpg. Summer months Iāve been consistently getting 47-48mpg between fillups, and that included a period where I was idling the car for ~3 hours once a week to do some online learning modules before going to some evening labs. Some trip mpgās have hit 55 on the fuel computer although it can be a bit optimistic and I usually knock 3-5mpg off the computer for a more honest estimate of consumption.
I got a Civic hybrid hatch last month and Iām beating the published MPG on the freeway, and by a significant amount in all of my city driving. In my mostly downhill 12 mile drive to work every day Iām getting close to 70 mpg according to the screen. 55 on the way home.
C/D have lead feet and their observed mileage reflects that. If memory serves, the Corolla Hybrid also underperformed its EPA estimates in their review
Honestly - when it comes to an appliance car Iād trade quite a few seconds to 60 for ride quality and NVH - I think the newest Corolla is quieter and more comfortable than the Honda.Ā
Definitely not more dynamic than the Honda - but I think 99% of these are going to be spending their whole lives on potholed straight highways and city grids.Ā
I havenāt really heard others echo that opinion about the ride quality and NVH, though I could be missing something. I feel like thereās a big quality of life difference between those acceleration numbers though - effortless freeway merging vs struggling to get ahead of the semiās
Over 600 miles, we averaged 36 mpg, which is five better than the next-best car, the Jetta. And that's with us driving up the California coast and over the hills straddling the Central Valley like we aren't paying for gas
They were driving the car hard and they still got 36 MPG? That's great MPG.
Also, in Car and Drivers official 75 mph test loop they achieved 47 mpg.
I know 2 people with Covid hybrids and apparently both of them have issues with the hybrid part of the vehicle? Not sure what that really means, but one of the guys says there is something wrong with the hybrid battery.
Corolla hybrid is the car I recommend to anyone that isnāt stuck on a crossover. Convinced my coworker to replace her 22 year old Camry with one and she loves it.
Yep. Main reasons why I recommended one to my dad is because there are deals to be had, it's good for A to B, cheap to service, and will hold its value decently well.
Every single one of these has a trim that starts significantly below $30K, but I guess C&D wanted to get the trim levels that were nearest that number? IDK, this could have been a $25K test instead, and still had some decently equipped vehicles.
I donāt know what surprises me more: the new Sentra coming dead last, the Impreza (that I thought would be top 2) coming 2nd last, or the Jetta (that I thought would be last) coming in 2nd
What I find funny about these comparisons is in other western markets 30k USD is a bloodbath of value due to smaller vehicles with higher features and the Chinese domestic onslaught of value proposition. Stuff like this makes me think the Canadian car market is going to go nuts when the new Asian makes arrive in force.
Already has tbh, because Canada has a quota system with Chinese imports (only the first 60 thousand cars get the tariff waiver), I think a lot of the legacy automakers are switching to China as a source for their Canadian market EVs.
In the last week, Iāve already seen ads for: Tesla model 3 starting under $40k cad, Toyota BZ and Mustang Mach E ~$100/week for $0 down.
In the US these are basically the smallest cars available for many of these manufacturers, and there are many many more manufacturers in the space that don't have offerings for the U.S. market that are available in Europe or Australia.
30k USD is getting
a smaller and more feature packed car.
car of similar size and many more features but no brand recognition like any of the Chinese manufacturers.
a much broader range of offerings from euro manufacturers
The bloodbath is the range of offers in the small sedan / hatch range compared to the relatively thin U.S. offerings in this article. They could barely find a car under 30K to start with XD.
Maybe it's just the european in me but calling those cars small sounds slightly insane. I know american market basically lacks anything smaller than a corolla, but it still doesn't remove the fact that a corolla being considered small sounds slightly unhinged to me.
Just bought a 26 jetta, 0.9 financing. Civic hybrid comes out to be about 6k more expensive pre tax here in canada. The jetta is awesome and I fit. Pretty happy with the car as a commuter.
We bought a '22 Mini Cooper S a year and a half ago and it's a fun little hatchback. Pretty quick, handles like a go kart and offered in 2 or 4 doors and awd if you get a Clubman. Gets decent gas mileage. The F56 generation is pretty reliable too. If you want more power, they offer the JCW trim. I know there is a stigma about them, but they are a fun little hot hatch and relatively affordable too.
Minis are so underrated. The R56 generation with the N series engines did so much reputational damage. The F56 is an awesome car, great engines, so fun to drive, and has decent space.
I recently picked up a cheap R53 and I love it so much I'd love to add an F56 to the fleet.
Long shot, but Maverick Lobo? I drove one recently and was really impressed. Can find them discounted to about 31k if you are willing to go out of state.
I keep saying it again and again: they should at least stick the 2.5L engine in the Sentra. It just doesnāt make any sense for them not to. The current powertrain in the Sentra is what is ultimately holding it back.
the camry is nearly identical to the civic in terms of interior volume, comparing them makes far more sense than the corolla https://www.caranddriver.com/compare/honda-civic-vs-toyota-camry
Well in America, what was previously full-sized economy sedans (Passat, Avalon, Maxima, etc.) are pretty much gone. The sedans that are left have grown in size over the years, the current Camry is nearly as big as the outgoing Avalon for example. So itās not a stretch to say full-sized
For starters the Passat and Avalon were both midsized, the Avalon was just under what the EPA considers full sized. Secondly none of them are anywhere near as big as classic full sizers, even with their growth.
A Crown Vic is almost a foot and a half longer and half a foot wider if you want something thatās actually full sized.
Well it seems weāre at an impasse, Iām gonna agree to disagree as debating semantics isnāt a productive use of my time. The main point of my comment anyways was that the Camry isnāt in the small car segment lol
Right, itās not a small car, itās the size segment up, a midsize, where itās been positioned for the last 30 years. Car and Driver considers it midsized in their own comparisons.
Bought a Jetta fairly recently and agree with pretty much everything they said. I love it. I haven't driven the civic to see if its truly that much better because it's just so much more expensive in Canada that I can't even consider it.
Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit (OP)
As most people would guess, the Civic takes the win pretty easily.
Also, only one in the test under 30k is the Corolla š
Kinda odd they didn't get a Corolla hybrid though
Realtrain@reddit
Corolla Hybrid is a really compelling vehicle for anyone looking for an "appliance" car. It'll get you to work and back cheaply and comfortably for 20 years easily.
anonymousbystander7@reddit
Doesnāt the civic hybrid clear it in pretty much every way?
Realtrain@reddit
Not price. Corolla hybrid starts almost $5k cheaper.
anonymousbystander7@reddit
True - civic hybrid sport, the base model, is comparable to the top level Corolla hybrid XSE. You can get a stripper Corolla LE with very few creature comforts for 5k less, to go along with way slower acceleration and less passenger space
MilesBeforeSmiles@reddit
That's what makes it an "appliance" car though. It's a cheap, reliable, barebones car. If someone doesn't car about acceleration or how fun it is to drive, saving that $5k is worth more than the additional features of the civic, and there is nothing wrong with that.
willpc14@reddit
I fully agree, but $5k over a fifteen year life span means I need to pick up one extra shift a year to afford the Civic. It would be worth it to me for a nicer appliance that I'd be driving into the ground.
MilesBeforeSmiles@reddit
And I would agree. For me it would be worth spending the extra money. It's not for many others. That's my whole point. For a lot of people, they'd rather save the $5k.
SwarmOfRatz@reddit
Also if you dont care about space, interior quality, or literally any other factor other than "does it drive"
MilesBeforeSmiles@reddit
Which many people don't care about, as shown by the sales numbers of the Corolla. Again, "appliance" car.
evolvedpikachu4@reddit
I've driven a Corolla LE (hertz) and I honestly appreciate its simplicity. If I had to drive one, I wouldn't really mind. It's enough car for most people in my opinion
MilesBeforeSmiles@reddit
Ya, I didn't mind it and can see the appeal. When I was shopping for a smaller hatchback last year I drove one. I didn't like it as much as the Civic, or the Mazda3 (which is what I bought), but I totally get why someone would buy the Corolla. The combination of price and simplicity is appealing, if not for everyone.
Toucann_Froot@reddit
Sure but if the argument is that's it's a car you want to keep for 20 years, that might be worth jt
Main_Hornet8676@reddit
Corolla offers AWD and has the better infotainment and driver assists.
anonymousbystander7@reddit
Better infotainment? In what way?
Main_Hornet8676@reddit
Faster, more responsive, and doesn't randomly crash.
Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit (OP)
Seems the Civic hybrid clears pretty much anything in the class with relative ease
The only car that seems to be able to somewhat challenge it on a regular basis (but still loses nearly everytime) is the Elantra hybrid
qb4ever@reddit
Elantra challenges solely on price though, but that's also Corolla's territory. Other than that, Elantra hybrid has less power, less refinement, slightly less room, a lot of gadgets though.
Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit (OP)
Lower price, more features, and slightly better fuel economy goes a long way for many shoppers
mgobla@reddit
Honda's hybrid drivetrain is much less efficient at highway speeds, huge difference IRL, gets worse MPG at steady speed highway driving than some conventional gasoline models. Also Civic Hybrid is the same price as a better Camry.
anonymousbystander7@reddit
āBetterā
Does_Not_Use_Clothes@reddit
āIām not aiā
anonymousbystander7@reddit
āThank you for the random hostilityā
Does_Not_Use_Clothes@reddit
What do you mean
anonymousbystander7@reddit
What do you mean what do I mean
Does_Not_Use_Clothes@reddit
You said thank you for the hostility. I was just asking what do you mean. I donāt know what kind of hostility I presented. Would you be able to explain that to me and if you could put it in bullet points that would make it easier
anonymousbystander7@reddit
To refresh your memory, you said āIām not aiā - I hope this helps
yobo9193@reddit
Not in fuel economy
anonymousbystander7@reddit
Trading 1 mpg combined to get 0-60 in 3 fewer seconds seems like a solid tradeoff
yobo9193@reddit
The Civic underperforms its EPA rating by quite a bit. If you actually read the article (I know this is Reddit, but come on), they got 36 MPG combined which isā¦.less than what my CX-50 Hybrid gets.Ā
Go look at any of C&D instrumented testing and youāll see that Hondaās hybrid vehicles underperform on the highway by a significant margin, while the Toyotas get close to or sometimes higher their EPA ratings
guilmon999@reddit
In Car and Drivers official 75 mph test loop the civic hybrid achieved 47 mpg
hidude398@reddit
This has not been my experience with the Accord hybrid, I track fuel consumption religiously by the odometer and metered gallons at fill up. I have the 2025 EX-L and most of my commute is 55-70mph on 285 and 85 in Atlanta. During winter months there was underperformance when running the heater extensively, but to the tune of 38mpg vs 44-45mpg. Summer months Iāve been consistently getting 47-48mpg between fillups, and that included a period where I was idling the car for ~3 hours once a week to do some online learning modules before going to some evening labs. Some trip mpgās have hit 55 on the fuel computer although it can be a bit optimistic and I usually knock 3-5mpg off the computer for a more honest estimate of consumption.
catbandana@reddit
I got a Civic hybrid hatch last month and Iām beating the published MPG on the freeway, and by a significant amount in all of my city driving. In my mostly downhill 12 mile drive to work every day Iām getting close to 70 mpg according to the screen. 55 on the way home.
yobo9193@reddit
Congrats, I donāt think your anecdotal experience trumps instrumented testing from an automotive journalism source
747WakeTurbulance@reddit
My X3 with the B58 gets 36 mpg on the highway.
yobo9193@reddit
B58 is a cheat code engine
anonymousbystander7@reddit
C/D have lead feet and their observed mileage reflects that. If memory serves, the Corolla Hybrid also underperformed its EPA estimates in their review
mgobla@reddit
Numbers on paper are misleading. IRL it's completley different, look up tests, at highway speeds Civic gets 10+ MPG less than Elantra / Corolla.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
Honestly - when it comes to an appliance car Iād trade quite a few seconds to 60 for ride quality and NVH - I think the newest Corolla is quieter and more comfortable than the Honda.Ā
Definitely not more dynamic than the Honda - but I think 99% of these are going to be spending their whole lives on potholed straight highways and city grids.Ā
anonymousbystander7@reddit
I havenāt really heard others echo that opinion about the ride quality and NVH, though I could be missing something. I feel like thereās a big quality of life difference between those acceleration numbers though - effortless freeway merging vs struggling to get ahead of the semiās
narwhal_breeder@reddit
Just my experience as I sit in them a lot - I take a lot of Ubers when traveling for work and Civics/Corollas are bread and butter.Ā
My E-Class had made me a bit of a bitch though when it comes to ride quality.Ā
anonymousbystander7@reddit
Totally fair, and yes an e-class will have that effect!
Shmokesshweed@reddit
It's not a particularly quiet cabin on the Corolla, especially on rougher asphalt.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
I guess 49mpg combined is technically lower than 50mpg combined.
yobo9193@reddit
The Civic Hybrid got 36 MPG combined during their test, which is less than what my CX-50 Hybrid gets.
guilmon999@reddit
Bruh, in the article they say
They were driving the car hard and they still got 36 MPG? That's great MPG.
Also, in Car and Drivers official 75 mph test loop they achieved 47 mpg.
Realtrain@reddit
Or price, Corolla hybrid starts almost $5k cheaper.
Eyehopeuchoke@reddit
I know 2 people with Covid hybrids and apparently both of them have issues with the hybrid part of the vehicle? Not sure what that really means, but one of the guys says there is something wrong with the hybrid battery.
Ombortron@reddit
From an enthusiast perspective yes, but the Corolla starts cheaper and you can get it in AWD.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Not on price. There's a big difference. Honda doesn't like to discount. Toyota definitely has good Corolla discounts on higher trims.
anonymousbystander7@reddit
True, you can get a stripped out Corolla Hybrid for cheap. Equipment wise, the base civic hybrid starts where the Corolla hybrid tops out
Platinum_Foxx@reddit
Comfortably is debatable. My spouseās Corolla had the most uncomfortable seats Iāve had the misfortune to experience since my 98 Tacoma.
Feels like itās made out of a cheap mattress. Great car otherwise
FourEyesAndThighs@reddit
Corolla hybrid is the car I recommend to anyone that isnāt stuck on a crossover. Convinced my coworker to replace her 22 year old Camry with one and she loves it.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Yep. Main reasons why I recommended one to my dad is because there are deals to be had, it's good for A to B, cheap to service, and will hold its value decently well.
We got him an XLE for 27k+tax in November.
FourEyesAndThighs@reddit
Every single one of these has a trim that starts significantly below $30K, but I guess C&D wanted to get the trim levels that were nearest that number? IDK, this could have been a $25K test instead, and still had some decently equipped vehicles.
ArcticBP@reddit
I donāt know what surprises me more: the new Sentra coming dead last, the Impreza (that I thought would be top 2) coming 2nd last, or the Jetta (that I thought would be last) coming in 2nd
Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit (OP)
I think its far to say the gap between first and second is way bigger than second and sixth
hazza3142@reddit
What I find funny about these comparisons is in other western markets 30k USD is a bloodbath of value due to smaller vehicles with higher features and the Chinese domestic onslaught of value proposition. Stuff like this makes me think the Canadian car market is going to go nuts when the new Asian makes arrive in force.
Uptons_BJs@reddit
Already has tbh, because Canada has a quota system with Chinese imports (only the first 60 thousand cars get the tariff waiver), I think a lot of the legacy automakers are switching to China as a source for their Canadian market EVs.
In the last week, Iāve already seen ads for: Tesla model 3 starting under $40k cad, Toyota BZ and Mustang Mach E ~$100/week for $0 down.
Bebealex@reddit
Crazy that Tesla is already planing to take like half of itĀ
They are Tesla made car at American prices, not Chinese fcs
mgobla@reddit
How is getting a smaller car for the same price "a bloodbath of value"... I am from europe, your comment makes no sense.
hazza3142@reddit
In the US these are basically the smallest cars available for many of these manufacturers, and there are many many more manufacturers in the space that don't have offerings for the U.S. market that are available in Europe or Australia.
30k USD is getting
a smaller and more feature packed car.
car of similar size and many more features but no brand recognition like any of the Chinese manufacturers.
a much broader range of offerings from euro manufacturers
The bloodbath is the range of offers in the small sedan / hatch range compared to the relatively thin U.S. offerings in this article. They could barely find a car under 30K to start with XD.
Ancient_Persimmon@reddit
The Model 3 is what's most threatening to these in Canada, at $39.5k, it's at par with a Sport Touring Civic before accounting for running costs.
BlackCatFurry@reddit
Maybe it's just the european in me but calling those cars small sounds slightly insane. I know american market basically lacks anything smaller than a corolla, but it still doesn't remove the fact that a corolla being considered small sounds slightly unhinged to me.
muler6969@reddit
Just bought a 26 jetta, 0.9 financing. Civic hybrid comes out to be about 6k more expensive pre tax here in canada. The jetta is awesome and I fit. Pretty happy with the car as a commuter.
MeegieBeegies@reddit
Same in the US. I had a family member ultimately get a jetta over a civic since the equivalent civic trim is 5k more.
Bradymyhero@reddit
Civic and K4 are really nice looking cars
Karrin-madhe@reddit
I really wanted an Si, but the 1.5L sucks. Too bad.
MindofOdysseus@reddit
GLI
bmillions@reddit
We bought a '22 Mini Cooper S a year and a half ago and it's a fun little hatchback. Pretty quick, handles like a go kart and offered in 2 or 4 doors and awd if you get a Clubman. Gets decent gas mileage. The F56 generation is pretty reliable too. If you want more power, they offer the JCW trim. I know there is a stigma about them, but they are a fun little hot hatch and relatively affordable too.
craichead@reddit
Minis are so underrated. The R56 generation with the N series engines did so much reputational damage. The F56 is an awesome car, great engines, so fun to drive, and has decent space.
I recently picked up a cheap R53 and I love it so much I'd love to add an F56 to the fleet.
SwarmOfRatz@reddit
B48's get tuned all day too
runway31@reddit
Minis are a blast. I bought a 2006 supercharged jcw for 5k and have been loving it
mantenner@reddit
B46/8 and surrounding hardware is an awesome bit of kit.
tfox245@reddit
Go find a used Buick tourx. Wagon styling, AWD, 300 lb ft of torque.
SwarmOfRatz@reddit
Long shot, but Maverick Lobo? I drove one recently and was really impressed. Can find them discounted to about 31k if you are willing to go out of state.
start3ch@reddit
How about a gr corolla?
Or nowadays the Prius makes more power than many āhot hatchesā, so maybe that?
Karrin-madhe@reddit
Both are too cramped for my liking. Civic hatchback is perfect but I really don't want the hybrid. NA is gutless. Overpriced as well, imo.
diethyl2o@reddit
A used X1 (yes I think itās barely an SUV) is the closest thing to what youāre looking for in the US.
DocPhilMcGraw@reddit
I keep saying it again and again: they should at least stick the 2.5L engine in the Sentra. It just doesnāt make any sense for them not to. The current powertrain in the Sentra is what is ultimately holding it back.
IonDaPrizee@reddit
Bought a Camry at 27k brand new, does it belong in this group?
SnowDucks1985@reddit
No, your Camryās a full sized sedan, it competes with the Accord, Sonata, Altima, K5, etc.
gfewfewc@reddit
the camry is nearly identical to the civic in terms of interior volume, comparing them makes far more sense than the corolla https://www.caranddriver.com/compare/honda-civic-vs-toyota-camry
Captain_Alaska@reddit
Everything you listed is a midsize.
SnowDucks1985@reddit
Well in America, what was previously full-sized economy sedans (Passat, Avalon, Maxima, etc.) are pretty much gone. The sedans that are left have grown in size over the years, the current Camry is nearly as big as the outgoing Avalon for example. So itās not a stretch to say full-sized
Captain_Alaska@reddit
For starters the Passat and Avalon were both midsized, the Avalon was just under what the EPA considers full sized. Secondly none of them are anywhere near as big as classic full sizers, even with their growth.
A Crown Vic is almost a foot and a half longer and half a foot wider if you want something thatās actually full sized.
SnowDucks1985@reddit
Well it seems weāre at an impasse, Iām gonna agree to disagree as debating semantics isnāt a productive use of my time. The main point of my comment anyways was that the Camry isnāt in the small car segment lol
Captain_Alaska@reddit
Right, itās not a small car, itās the size segment up, a midsize, where itās been positioned for the last 30 years. Car and Driver considers it midsized in their own comparisons.
nimama3233@reddit
Did you try reading the fuckin article? Crazy idea before commenting on It, I know
Teutonic-Tonic@reddit
āSmall carsā.
staples1311@reddit
Bought a Jetta fairly recently and agree with pretty much everything they said. I love it. I haven't driven the civic to see if its truly that much better because it's just so much more expensive in Canada that I can't even consider it.
ZaheerAlGhul@reddit
This will get reposted in 20 years on this sub.