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My Civic is in the shop this week getting fixed up after some a-hole pulled out in front of me 3 weeks ago, so I'm driving around in a rented car this week. Considering some people may be interested in knowing things, I'm writing my opinions up. The car I'm driving around in is the constipated bubble otherwise known as a 2003 Toyota Corolla LE. As the wording would suggest... I don't like the looks of this thing. Very tall and very short hood and trunk with a big bubbly midsection give it a "squished" look. That combined with mis-proportionally small wheel wells gives it an awkward look. But hey, it's a rented car, to each, their own.
Now that I'm past the exterior looks, let's move inside....
Fit and finish is up to typical Japanese standards.... nice and clean, everything flows nicely with everything in reach. Styling is a little bland and generic, but it's not as bad as others I've seen. There are a few bumps and creaks, so don't think Civics are alone there. It's got a nice, small 3-spoke steering wheel (think S2000) that really feels good in your hands, the gauges are green on a white background, at night, the gauges are EL White (it's really cool, but very bright). Seats are a bit on the squishy side, and not very supportive on the sides. I also think the seat is a bit high off the floor. It leads to a very upright driving position which I'm just not used to. The pedals are a little close and the wheel a bit far (and doesn't telescope), so it leaves you with crunched legs and stretched arms. It's fairly roomy though... tall people would be appreciative of the bubble cabin. The back seat appears comparable to the Civic. My other complaint is that under acceleration, the engine noise tunnels into the car and drones pretty loudly (louder than a Civic)... but just cruising along, it's pretty quiet.
As far as under the hood... It's got a 130 HP DOHC (it's either a 1.8 or a 2.0, I cant remember) VVT-i inline 4 which is pretty smooth, but lacking in punch. Low end power is almost non-existent, the VVT-i shift is noticable at about 4000 RPM you can feel it surge a little, it makes it a little bit faster, but not very much. It's an auto so I can't compare it too much to my 5-speed, but by the ***-dyno, I'd say Civic by a little. As far as handling goes... it isn't bad. I've thrown it around a little, It understeers a bit, but nothing horrible. It does have a lot of roll in it though (that might explain the huge fender gaps), and the suspension does feel a bit on the soft side. Clearly designed as what I would call a "girly car". It's got the same crappy Firestones we've all come to hate, and rolls on 15" steelies, Which I think should have been bumped up to 16 or 17 to fit the proportion of the rest of the car. But it's an econo-bubble, so I guess thats not a priority.
All in all... I'd have to say the Civic wins this one. As strange as it is to call a Civic "sporty", in comparison, it is. With respect to control and predictability, the Civic just works better. But then again, that's just the way I drive. If you were looking for a nice riding car, well then the Corolla's for you, but you trade a soft, bumpless ride for some handling. Power-wise, I'm gonna call a draw, same thing goes in the reliability department. Interior style goes to the Civic... the Toyota is too plain, and I'm turned off by the very fake wood. Looks?... Self explainitory.
Final Judgements:
Corolla- A good small family car
Civic- Fun on a budget

 
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I drove an 03 Corolla auto and that thing accelerated quicker than my 02 LX auto. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/IMG] IMO the built-quality is better than my civic... but civics are fun [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
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I agree with AK on that one... when it comes to build quality, nothing comes close to a Toyota...nothing.

 
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And boilermaker1, you forgot to mention the paint...the paint on the 'rollas are absolutely beautiful (Lexus-like)

 
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ok well if u want to be different, get an expensive car, here i see lots of new rollas, and new civics... none are modded tho, its all about fuel economy here

 
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Ditto!!!

 
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heres my review [IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG]

INJEN

 
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I had a 94 Corrolla, that thing was indestrucable. When I bought it, it was either the Corrolla or a Civic, I went toyota partly because I got a better deal. Traded it it last spring with about 75,000 miles on it. Other than a lose **** on the vent swith on the dash, I can't say that anything ever went wrong with it. All I ever did was change the oil every 3-5,000 miles and did the other scheduled maintenance. I don't know about the newer models.

 
Rep Power: 375

i agree completely! [IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG][IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG][IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG][IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG][IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG]

 
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Yea at least our civics look good. Good quality, yea, but looks like a geo. Not my style.

 
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I would give build quality to toyota but not by such a great margin. I'd give them a hair over honda and a split-ended hair at that.

Corolla is a nice vehicle but in toyota tradition, the driving experience is very numb at best.

 
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I drove an 03 Corolla CE before I bought my used 01 Civic LX. The Civic is much more entertaining, while the Corolla is much more bland. I know it doesn't really matter that much in a daily commuter, but it does matter a little. I think either car is good. The Toyota is more "girly" to some.

I really didnt care about 2 doors or 4 doors, but its nice to have the coupe. For me, a big part of the equation was that I got a killer deal on a used 01 that was only a year into its warranty. Basically, the car is a "year old" in terms of warranty, but its 2 years old in terms of resale, so I got a very low price from someone I know.

Overall, you can't go wrong with either car. Toyota does have a better warranty...

 
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You know... Geo Prizm = Toyota Corolla. That's probably why it looks like a Geo [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG]

On another note, my girlfriend has a 94 Geo Prizm LSi. I test drove an 03 Corolla LE (with an auto, unfortunately) and her 94 honestly seems to handle better, and it doesn't look like complete *** either. 03 is quicker, and I really like the interior, but damn... what were they thinking with that roofline?

 
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You got it backwards. You do know that the CHEVROLET Prizm (last time i checked, Geo doesn't exist anymore) is a re-badged Toyota Corolla...right?

 
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How did I get it backwards? They're equivalent. I never said which one was the "original". Corolla = Prizm, Prizm = Corolla, it's all the same. And yeah, Geo doesn't exist anymore, but they did in 94, which was the year I was using for comparison. Actually, the Prizm doesn't exist anymore period, as they killed it last year.

 
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Toyota Corolla = Geo Prizm = Chevrolet Prizm = Chevrolet Nova way back in the mid 80s.

The Chevrolet Prizm is actually a rebodied Corolla. It shares its body with something called a Corolla Sprinter in Japan. I know someone with one of these, and its a decent car... I was always amused that you could get side airbags in it, and not the Vette... [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

I like both Honda and Toyota. Maybe I like Honda a little more. I'm not unhappy with the LX, although I wish an HX CVT was available when I bought mine... (none were for sale at reasonable prices).

 
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Corollas are just like Camrys but smaller. Excellent cars but tremendously booooorrring. Even though the new one looks good, the first thing I imagine when I see one is that the owner is probably an old Asian lady.

The biggest issue with the Corolla would be falling asleep while driving, the interior is so bland and uninspiring that it would make me sleepy looking at it for more than 1/2 hour.

If you see the european Corolla, that is a nice looking car inside and out.