2019 Honda Civic vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

Honda's current Civic is a perplexing thing, and I'm not just talking about the profusion of styling features. The range spans from the entry-level VTi to the completely bonkers Type R and the two cars could not be more different.

One step up from the bottom of the line-up is the VTi-S, priced at $25,490. Honda and its competitors are selling boatloads of SUVs but the small hatch/sedan market (it seems to be merging) is still punching away.

The Civic has been with us in its current form for a couple of years now, but it was ahead of the pack in some areas when it first landed. With the arrival of the new Mazda3 and ongoing Korean onslaught, it's worth a quick re-visit to see what's happening with the Civic.

If you will indulge me, I'd like you to cast your mind back to the mid-90s. If you're too young, ask your parents or Google to do the same.

Have a peek at the pretty but not especially amazing 323 Astina. Some folks call it a four-door coupe, but it's a sedan. It was not nearly as attractive as the more adventurous hatchback.

The 323 went dull for almost a decade and then when the 3 arrived, it was the sedan that I thought was the looker. Sure, they weren't completely different like the old days, but the proportions were nicer and it was just a better thing to look at.

Then along came the most recent fourth-generation 3, the BP. The hatch, I think, is the gorgeous one while the sedan is a more sober. And while still made of lovely proportions, it seems to have been... flattened a bit.

Thorough as we are here at CarsGuide, I spent a week with the new sedan to ponder not only its looks, but whether it's much different to the hatch.