lee
12-26-2008, 07:27 AM
VERDICT
After a long wait the new Toyota Corolla Altis has made it here and it's got quite a lot going for it. It's packed with features and equipment, has decent performance and better drivability than the Civic. The low speed ride, quality and ground clearance are also superior. The Altis now sports a new Camry-like face and Toyota have strategically priced it slightly lower than the Civic and also ensured that the fuel efficiency is marginally better. But as this test showed, this is not enough to overthrow the Civic, the reigning king in the D-segment.
203
The Honda Civic continues to be the much smarter looking one, with far more appealing and trendy interiors. The Civic is also much better behaved at speed and responds to driver inputs more actively. It rewards the driver and
passengers in equal measure and with the Civic, Honda have managed to achieve a better balance between ride quality and handling, than Toyota have been able to do with the Altis. The Civic also outshines the Altis in overall refinement, with its engine in particular being the more eager and smoother one. And though it loses out big time on equipment levels to the Altis, in overall terms it remains the better car.
After a long wait the new Toyota Corolla Altis has made it here and it's got quite a lot going for it. It's packed with features and equipment, has decent performance and better drivability than the Civic. The low speed ride, quality and ground clearance are also superior. The Altis now sports a new Camry-like face and Toyota have strategically priced it slightly lower than the Civic and also ensured that the fuel efficiency is marginally better. But as this test showed, this is not enough to overthrow the Civic, the reigning king in the D-segment.
203
The Honda Civic continues to be the much smarter looking one, with far more appealing and trendy interiors. The Civic is also much better behaved at speed and responds to driver inputs more actively. It rewards the driver and
passengers in equal measure and with the Civic, Honda have managed to achieve a better balance between ride quality and handling, than Toyota have been able to do with the Altis. The Civic also outshines the Altis in overall refinement, with its engine in particular being the more eager and smoother one. And though it loses out big time on equipment levels to the Altis, in overall terms it remains the better car.