# Civic or Corolla?



## rixhx95 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hey everyone

Im a newbie driver looking for some advice on buying a car. Im considering both Civic and Corolla as of now, and have test driven both, but im still a bit confused. 

I dont know how I should go about with buying the car. Civic is providing more safety and more options (cruise control, rear camera, parking sensors) but Corolla is more cheaper and has less options.

Which car should i buy considering the dubai roads and everyday use (home to office and back and other tiny distances) 

Ive looked into used car options too but im worried since it may be more risky to buy a used one than a new car. 

Any advice on above and maintenance/service of both the cars would be great 




Thanks!


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## TT365 (Oct 14, 2014)

I don't think there's much to tell between them. They are both very well built reliable Japanese cars. The maintenance will be very similar I would suspect, so personally I would speak to the dealers and find out which will give you the best deal (including service, insurance etc) and then work out which will be worth the most when you come to sell and then choose based either on the best resale value or the best deal now.


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## rixhx95 (Jun 20, 2015)

Thanks for the help


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## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

So why don't you compare the higher options corolla to the civic you are looking at. The corolla offers a 2 liters engine with higher torque than the civic's 1.8 L engine.

I'd buy the corolla, also better resale value.


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## rixhx95 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi

Did compare the full options 1.6 corolla to base civic, but base civic is offering me parking sensors and such other fancy options, what do i take into consideration? i dont know since ive never bought a car before and dont want to be tricked just because of marketing gimmicks! 

thanks for the torque info! 

what about safety ratings for both? corolla has marginal while civic has good according to IIHS, do you think thats valid enough here? bit confused


thanks alot for the reply!!!


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## BigAndyD (Apr 19, 2013)

Seeing as this is Dubai, sooner or later some chimp is going to crash into you, or if you happen to be a bad driver, you're going to crash into someone else. 

So, which car is safest to be in at the time? Which dealer has the more reliable repair service and will get your car fixed quicker? 

Other than that, forget options. Which is most comfortable and enjoyable to drive? Which is most affordable? Which one will be easier to exchange or sell later?


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## nite (Apr 11, 2012)

Go with the one that you think looks the best. Aesthetics, comfort, cockpit layout and design are key. 

Under the hood, they are both reliable well built cars. Toyota's whole lineup just had a nice refresh. Camry and Corolla are nicer now IMO. The Civic and Accord pretty much look the same for ages now.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

Both are as horrible as each other - My advice on cars go German.

If money is an issue, look at Skoda they are basically Volkswagen.

Further on from this, I have never heard of a company who've had to recall as many cars as Toyota and Nissan have done - I drive a Tiida (gross) I'd never buy an Asian car with my own money.


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## BigAndyD (Apr 19, 2013)

Whilst Skoda make very good value cars, the price they ask for in Dubai is ridiculous - very nearly European levels. Even as a very happy long term owner in the UK, I wouldn't give them a thought here. Kia and Hyundai perhaps offer the best value equivalent locally as new purchases.


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## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

Not a fan of Japanese cars at all. They are overrated, most of them are boring to drive and look at. But they may have a better resale perception in this part of the world (although that is changing slowly). 

I would look at European or American cars. For instance, Ford has always excellent all-in deals, both for American and European build cars.


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## Froglet (May 7, 2014)

We own a 2014 Corolla (which we bought new in 2014...) and it's fine. And with fine, I mean fine... After some time we got bored of driving it (it comes with zero excitement) so we bought an M3 to compensate. We still own it for the rougher roads, but that really is the only reason... I guess we should get rid of it sometime and go for a 4x4 of some sort, but for now this works for us. 

I can't recommend it over a Civic because I have never owned one, driven one or know someone who owns one. In terms of resale value, I think Toyota's in general are a bit better. So, if you consider selling it after some time I think a Corolla would be a better investment. Parking sensors are nice if you don't know how to park, but I wouldn't buy a car that has them over a car that doesn't if I like the second car more. I don't see that as an added value to be honest...


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## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

I have tried Japanese, Korean, German & American cars in GCC, all bought new.

So my observations are that Japanese cars have the best resale values, fuel consumption, A/C (very important) and are the most reliable particularly when the car gets older. Japanese cars also have the lowest running costs in terms of service.

German cars are the safest na dthe most luxurious with very high maintenance costs, resale values are terrible, especially in other GCC countries. They are also more fun to drive. I would never consider any other european brands anyway other than german cars specially here in GCC.

Korean cars offer best value for money, comes with loads of options, a full option KIA optima for instance that costs around 100K comes with options of german cars around 250K and japanese cars around 200K. A/C is better than european and american cars, slightly lower than japanese cars. Reliability is improving markedly over years.

I have the worst experiences with american cars, particularly chevrolet. I would never consider an american car. From my friends' experiences Dodge are better than other american cars though.


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## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

A.Abbass said:


> I have tried Japanese, Korean, German & American cars in GCC, all bought new.
> 
> So my observations are that Japanese cars have the best resale values, fuel consumption, A/C (very important) and are the most reliable particularly when the car gets older. Japanese cars also have the lowest running costs in terms of service.
> 
> ...



I think that for several years now, as per my own own experience the gap between European, American. Korean and Japanese cars has become very very close in terms of reliability and AC performance. The American cars I have owned in this region (Ford) have no difference in performance compared of Japanese cars (if that is your benchmark). My wife's 2015 Explorer is ice, ice cold inside while 50c outside temp as a Landcruiser or Prado, so does my 2013 BMW 530i. Our 2013 Hyundai Starex diesel (H1) that we own in Manila is ice cold too.

Cars these days are a hit and miss, the more complex they get, the more potential problems they may have.. or not... If engineering issues get solved or not is up too manufacturer effort. That really makes the difference... In my experience, with the German brands you see the most improvement efforts happening. 

When buying cars these days, if you do not have a driving experience preference, my advice is to step into a dealer that has the best financial proposition. Today you should not walk away from a dealer without: 5 years manufacturer warranty, 5 years dealer service and 1 year free insurance.


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## rixhx95 (Jun 20, 2015)

Thank you all for your replies 

Ford, Kia and other cars as mentioned above are all very good cars, but for now I've managed to narrow it to Civic or a Corolla since either of them will be my first car and I need to learn how to drive around here with a car that wont hurt my pocket since I have a limited budget lol

Both Honda and Toyota are offering me with one year service or some 10k kms service whichever comes first, do you think I should go for it or wait?

Also Honda isnt offering me many offers, its a very minimal amount that is discounted from the original price, but I have an offer for a 2014 Civic, which Im considering, so do ya think it will affect my resale value in the future compared to a 2015 Corolla/Civic?


Keep the suggestions coming in, highly appreciate it 

Cheers


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## nite (Apr 11, 2012)

It's possible you can get a little better deal when DSS starts later in the month. Usually 2 years free service, free insurance, a little less on price, and some freebies are the norm. 

It's good you've narrowed it down. Toyota has done all they can to spice up their line. Perhaps that will be enough to get your $. In this segment I like Mazda the best : ) The Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 are quite nice and a little more refined and fun to drive IMHO. 

Good luck!


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

rixhx95 said:


> service whichever comes first, do you think I should go for it or wait?
> 
> Also Honda isnt offering me many offers, its a very minimal amount that is discounted from the original price, but I have an offer for a 2014 Civic, which Im considering, so do ya think it will affect my resale value in the future compared to a 2015 Corolla/Civic?
> 
> ...


It will affect resale if you are selling within the next 2 years. 2016 models are already in for some brands, so a 2014 model is 2 years old. In a couple of months, you will see deals on 2015 models.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Edino said:


> When buying cars these days, if you do not have a driving experience preference, my advice is to step into a dealer that has the best financial proposition. Today you should not walk away from a dealer without: 5 years manufacturer warranty, 5 years dealer service and 1 year free insurance.


The insurance and often the service is often an "add-on", so a dealer advertising "free insurance" is merely adding the insurance/service cost to the actual cost without the "offer"


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> The insurance and often the service is often an "add-on", so a dealer advertising "free insurance" is merely adding the insurance/service cost to the actual cost without the "offer"


I always unbundle it, and end up getting a better policy for less than their "free" one.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

You've test driven both cars, so choose the one you like best.

For what it's worth, I've hired both a Corolla and a Civic in Dubai before, and the Civic was a far nicer car to drive and be in.

They're not exciting cars, but if you're just driving up and down SZR, then it doesn't really matter which car you buy, it's never going to be that exciting.


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## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> The insurance and often the service is often an "add-on", so a dealer advertising "free insurance" is merely adding the insurance/service cost to the actual cost without the "offer"


Agreed! Caution is advised. 

But especially for new drivers and premium cars the bundling of insurance costs can be an excellent proposition.


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## rixhx95 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi all,

Thinking of going with the Toyota for now since Honda isnt offering much and plus the price is way too high imo.

Thanks again


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

rixhx95 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Thinking of going with the Toyota for now since Honda isnt offering much and plus the price is way too high imo.
> 
> Thanks again


Please, i say this with genuine sincerity. Do not buy Honda/Toyota/Kia. Something just isn't right with the cars

This only a few days ago

Honda recalls for Takata air bags surge to 24.5 million | Money | Toronto Sun

Honda Malaysia to recall 143,970 cars to replace airbag inflators - Nation | The Star Online


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## Froglet (May 7, 2014)

Actually, that can happen to any car brand. This was released today about Range Rover:

Thousands of Range Rovers recalled in UAE as door may open in moving car - Emirates 24|7



iggles said:


> Please, i say this with genuine sincerity. Do not buy Honda/Toyota/Kia. Something just isn't right with the cars
> 
> This only a few days ago
> 
> ...


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