At first it does look a lot like the previous generation Civic, but take a longer look at the car to appreciate the exterior details.  The hidden-seal rear glass for instance is a technological step forward in design (this technology is usually reserved for hatchbacks only).  The sharp slope of the rear glass imparts a sportier and much more youthful appearance to the Civic. 

In addition, the Civic’s panel gaps are amazingly and consistently small, the most controversial of which has got to be the tail lamp design.  Regarded by some as a Lancer rip-off, the taillights stretch from the middle of the trunk lid all the way to the rear fenders, and all the way to the top of both trunk lid and fenders.  This means that it comes into contact with the sheet metal in three planes—assembling something like this is no easy feat.  Subsequently, only the Civic shows design elements like this. 

For those dressing up their Civics, we highly suggest to avoid the spoiler and the chrome garnishing as these ruin the car’s overall simplicity. We’d rather opt for the body skirt kit, fog lamps and 215/40 ZR17 tires to give it a boy racer look. 

Interior (Winner: Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G)
Score Card: Civic (1), Corolla Altis (1)

Our main complaint with the previous generation Civic was that its switchgear looked too dated already by the time the SiR came out. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with the all-new Honda Civic.  VTi-S may sport great ergonomics (again, second to none in its class); it suffers very much from poor material feel and consistency inside. 

For instance, the center silver console that extends through the entire cabin suffers from inconsistencies in shade and appearance.  The center area is in a shade of gold-silver, made from hard scratch-prone material.  The side vents and the other accents on the other hand are made of gray-silver based plastic materials that look haphazardly painted. 

Moreover, the standard MP3 stereo maybe a great leap forward in features, but the Kenwood lacks the ergonomic intuitiveness making it hard to operate.  It also takes almost forever to search for the next track.

On the other side of the equation, the Corolla Altis sports a very European-styled interior.  Although not everything is within easy reach of the driver, at least it is positioned in a way that makes it learnable, especially if you’d consider the Toyota as a long-term investment.

The material feel is excellent, second only to the Nissan Exalta’s plastics and the switchgear feels great.  The gated shift lever is more intuitive and easier to use than the Honda’s ‘Cobra’s head’ design.  It comes standard with features such as variably-intermittent wipers and instrument illumination control, things which the Honda Civic doesn’t have even as optional equipment.  The Optitron gauges are easy to read whether in direct sunlight or at night. 

The wood trim is not to our taste as it makes us feel as if the only thing fit to play in the Altis’ CD player would be David Benoit’s greatest hits.  While we’re discussing stereos, the 2-DIN single CD stereo cassette comes out as a negative point against the Corolla because like the Civic’s MP3 player, it is clunky and confusing to use.

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