2019 Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla

What's the difference?

The Civic was pretty good when it landed in 2016 but remains wilfully weird and lacking in a couple of details. The lack of advanced safety at the lower end of the range is also extremely frustrating. Even though the Mazda3 range now starts where the VTi-S is priced, it's loaded with safety gear and handles well into the bargain.

Where the Civic wins out in this class is the clever interior, excellent build quality and a long reputation for reliability. I just wish Honda would fling that deeply ordinary 1.8-litre engine and get a new set of front seats.

I liked the hybrid-engined Corolla but I think I prefer the petrol-only ZR. It's nicer to drive and has a bit (if not substantially) more pep, without a huge impost at the pump. The new Corolla is a much more appealing proposition than the old one, but it has to be - the rest of the segment is so good, especially with the astonishingly good new Mazda3 knocking it out of the park.

Toyota seems to be making an effort to not only build cars well but to respond to what customers want. It's still missing techno must-haves like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there's that curious omission of rear parking sensors, which vexes me, and yet it's still a car I can suggest without a long list of buts.