R O A D    T E S T

Ever since the introduction of the Honda Civic back in the early 1990s, it became an overnight success.  The ‘bug-eyed’ generation seemed to have no end as it seemed that everyone owned a Civic, whether it was an LXi, VTi or SiR.  Funny thing is that when Toyota released its Corolla back in 1998 it had all the safety equipment and some of the luxuries like better plastics and an upgraded stereo system.  Nonetheless, the Civic still ran away with the sales lead. 

So now, the question is…what makes the Civic, a Civic?  It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it a phenomenon worldwide, but most people do agree that it has something to do with Honda’s notorious affinity with the world of motor sports.  The image of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost driving a McLaren-Honda to 15 out of 16 grand prix victories in a single season is simply sublime—and Honda simply knows how to capitalize on their success.  From this formula, the Tochigi brand has successfully replicated road cars that are easily tuned and honed like its Formula One racers.  Until know, the Civic and its bigger Accord brother are known for their vast array of aftermarket performance parts from wheels to spoilers to badges to turbochargers.  (See The Fast and the Furious.) 

On the other hand, the Toyota Corolla seemed to have been acting as a lost child lately.  First, it was always regarded as a painless everyday transport—always willing, never exciting.  With the introduction of the first-ever Altis with its 116-bhp 1.8-liter engine, it went upscale.  Although that model came back crashing on its face, in the end, it signaled that Toyota wanted to dominate a new market segment. 

Now in 2002, these two perennial competitors have finally come up with two cars that are virtually neck-to-neck in every conceivable way: dynamics, safety, looks and reputation.  As Lexus caught up with Mercedes-Benz in the luxury car segment, it seemed that Toyota has done the same to Honda in the 1.6-liter category.  Or have they?  It the end, there can be only one.

Exterior (Winner: Honda Civic VTi-S)
Score Card: Civic (1), Corolla Altis (0) 

For both of these cars, it’s a hit-or-miss thing.  Some people just love the simple elegance of the Honda Civic VTi-S, but for some, nothing beats the Brad Pitt-like sex appeal that the new Corolla Altis has.  Bottom line is, in this category, we’d opt for the Honda. Here’s why. 

The Corolla comes in dressed with 195/60 VR 15 tires and side-skirts as standard—but all of these are there to disguise the car’s tall-boy stature.  Sure most folks won’t notice the difference, but when taken as an overall package, the Corolla looks a bit unclean especially on the side profile mainly because of the numerous plastic parts stuck on the sheet metal.  Moreover, the headlamps and the taillight clusters look great, but the drooping effect of the headlamps dipping into the bumper may take some getting used to. 

On the other side of the equation, the Honda Civic is one clean looking car.  The roofline is elegantly simple and the car is devoid of any kind of garnishing that ruins the overall flow of the body.

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