Poll: Civic V/S Corolla altis

inferno · 13th October 2008, 16:31

I've heard different opinions about the ground clearance of Civic , so today I myself went for TD of Civic , so that i can judge and answer it for myself.

Took a TD from Ring Road Honda, Peeragarhi, New Delhi, it lasted for 4-5 kms.Half of the time , i was driving on a service lane which was heavily damaged with some parts having no signs of bitumen or concrete, potholes were bigger than most of the potholes found in delhi, and i was revving the engine too, with music system OFF also , i couldn't hear any bumps from the bottom. And i think so, atleast for me ground clearance is ok !

Finally driving on the regular road, i was pulling it hard , pushing it to limits, i found the engine to be super silent !, no sound was being heard from inside even when i was at 30 on 1st gear unlike City which i drive and is a little noisy at 30 in 1st gear and the pulling power just blew me away !
The accelerator paddle appeared to be very soft and it was very easy pushing those.

Btw, i had gone for the preview of G3HC of which's TD is not available as of now, so took civic for a spin.

PS : do see
vasudeva - DOMESTIC SALES
Corolla Altis sells 3424 units in a month

compared to meagre 672 Civics and even 1933 City !!!!

ImmortalZ · 13th October 2008, 17:53

Ym : You like a dead EPS compared to a more direct HPS? I have nothing to say to that.

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Altis was one of those goldfish with bulbous eyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

In the end, we'll have to agree to disagree. There is no way I can be convinced to buy an Altis after driving them both. Gizmos or not.

Ym-enjn · 13th October 2008, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by inferno

PS : do see
vasudeva - DOMESTIC SALES
Corolla Altis sells 3424 units in a month

compared to meagre 672 Civics and even 1933 City !!!!

Wow, there goes head over heart. BTW that is hell of an excel sheet how did you managed to get this or do you maintain this?? Corolla is not world's best seller for nothing.

The euphoria of Civic in India is such that it will take some time to get down, unlike India, it took several months in US for Altis to beat Civic sales. Honda has been our best pal when no one else was there. In other words they rule each segment where there is no competition, as soon as they get competition they start losing, therefore they upgrade their products and always avoid direct product to product comparison.

I expect same with upgraded Civic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImmortalZ

Ym : You like a dead EPS compared to a more direct HPS? I have nothing to say to that.

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Altis was one of those goldfish with bulbous eyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

Yes buddy I love it, along with 'dead EPS' I also like 'dead suspension' of Altis which doesn’t let big potholes come in the car at high speeds, I also like the 'dead power seats' which don't give you the fun of doing it manually, and also 'dead headlights, dead photochromatic rear view mirror'. Do you sometimes feel that Maybach is a dead car all together (even the door closes by a button, and the sunroof)

Thanks for ‘goldfish with bulbous eyes’ compliment, at least you like the looks of Altis..

ImmortalZ · 13th October 2008, 18:53

Oh my, looks like someone is hurt.

Do you own one? I'm not going take back my comments though.

Haven't driven a Maybach yet. Sure hope to in the future though. By the way how many people drive your Altis to have you adjusting seats every five minutes? I mean, surely a lot of effort is being saved by the motors.

I already told you I don't give a damn about the gizmos. I don't get it how you are so angry at Honda. The brought in the OHC VTEC. They bothered to bring in the Civic. If they hadn't, Toyota would've sold the 10 year old Corolla here for another ten years. If they hadn't, we wouldn't see the Laura here. They were the competition which brought the segment here. If it were not for the City, would there be an SX4? Verna? Maruthi would've happily have sold us 800s and Esteems for the rest of the 21st century. Their reputation is hard earned, not born with.

Oh yes, I absolutely ADORE how the Altis looks. Hell, I have it as my desktop background.

Not.

ImmortalZ · 13th October 2008, 19:41

Forgive me for the double post - blame the KSEB and their power cuts!

Yeah, forgot to reply to your Maybach comment. While I don't see the point of bringing in a 1 Crore super saloon into the arguement, yes, the Maybach is probably very dead. The very definition of dead maybe. Which is why you let your chauffeur drive it while you sit at the back and enjoy the deadness. While we are comparing cars we've never driven or ever will, I'd rather drive a EVO X or an STi to be honest.

Since I expect the ad hominems next, I'm pulling out. You can believe the Corolla is a Maybach. I'll believe that the Civic is a better car to drive than a Corolla. Goodbye.

balenopower · 13th October 2008, 20:09

id go for the civic.Its a much much sweeter drive than the altis.Its a simple case of choosing with your heart or mind.Heart goes for the civic..mind would suggest teh Altis

Ricky_63 · 13th October 2008, 20:15

Without too much ado

The only thing in the Corolla Altis's favour vs the Civic is the Ground Clearance

Cheers

honda.sanjay · 13th October 2008, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by balenopower

id go for the civic.Its a much much sweeter drive than the altis.Its a simple case of choosing with your heart or mind.Heart goes for the civic..mind would suggest teh Altis

Altis is like a man in his early forties err mature, discreet and caring, the civic is like teenager on steroids.

I meant the looks and the character, I personally like the Civic and would go for the civic, I guess the guys at Toyota were a little driven by the camry and tried the corolla to look like a baby camry and somewhere somehow things went wrong.

FE and GC it is the Altis. Drive sheer drive and ergonomics it is the Civic.

GTO - Touring · 14th October 2008, 10:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by inferno

I've heard different opinions about the ground clearance of Civic , so today I myself went for TD of Civic , so that i can judge and answer it for myself.

The problem surfaces when the Civic is fully laden with passengers (4+). That's when the ground clearance & handling go for a toss. I'd blame the softie rear suspension more than anything else.

On the Civic / Corolla debate, well...Civic = Heart. Corolla = Head. There isn't a doubt on the practicality of the Corolla. But then, the Civic is a far more enjoyable drive. Either have their place. So be it.

samirsarkar · 14th October 2008, 10:36

Agree the Honda engine is a high revving beauty and you can throw the car around corners much more confidently.

However, tell me this....in these days of energy crises, do we really want a high revving (and hence, more fuel guzzling) engine or one which has its torque distributed more uniformly throughout its powerband, is more responsive in everyday city traffic, is more fuel efficient, urges the driver to shift gears at 2000 RPM and slow down while negotiating sharp corners ??

The Civic urges us to bring out the hooligan in us sure but is it really safe and prudent to drive the way the car expects you to drive ??

vij · 14th October 2008, 11:27

Voted for the Altis.
The Civic looks like a large plastic toy.

Ym-enjn · 14th October 2008, 11:29

Actually it is not difficult for Honda to make Civic better than Altis. But then Toyota has lots of things in their sleeves for Altis. Eventually it is the customer who will benefit most in competition.

Quote:

Do you own one? I'm not going take back my comments though.

Sorry, I didn't see your signature earlier. There is no doubt that you have a very popular car in your garage. Civic V and A/T are catching fast on the poll above and looks that soon Civic V is going to go ahead of Altis GL..

rajanvash · 14th October 2008, 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeetu4444

The Civic looks like a large plastic toy.

Altis is not a tank either.

vasudeva · 15th October 2008, 14:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImmortalZ

I already told you I don't give a damn about the gizmos. I don't get it how you are so angry at Honda. The brought in the OHC VTEC. They bothered to bring in the Civic. If they hadn't, Toyota would've sold the 10 year old Corolla here for another ten years. If they hadn't, we wouldn't see the Laura here. They were the competition which brought the segment here. If it were not for the City, would there be an SX4? Verna? Maruthi would've happily have sold us 800s and Esteems for the rest of the 21st century. Their reputation is hard earned, not born with.

Too many extrapolations and conjectures in this statement. Only god knows what would have happened. If this had not happened, that would have..., and so on. Why do you not see some good movies such as `Frequency' which deal with these ifs and buts.

vasudeva · 15th October 2008, 14:10

I seriously do not understand about what is `not being a driver's car', a stick used to beat Corolla with. I have been driving Corolla for 19 months now, and so far I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Quick acceleration, good visibility and manoeuvarbility, predictability in handling, smoothness on almost all roads, great brakes, not hard on the wallet, cheap and good service, proactive dealers and company, confidence in the product. So what if it is alleged to take an extra microsecond around corners or get to 190 kmph. To drive at that speeds on Indian roads is perhaps the quickest way in this world to the other world.

One thing is for sure: all the reviews read before my purchase were just crap. With a Corolla, I for one could buy another without wasting my time with reviews.

View Poll Results: Civic Vs Altis. Which car, which version?
Civic 1.8E MT	27	5.08%
Altis 1.8G MT	60	11.30%
Civic 1.8V MT	136	25.61%
Altis 1.8GL MT	137	25.80%
Civic 1.8V AT	93	17.51%
Altis 1.8VL AT	78	14.69%
Voters: 531. You may not vote on this poll

13th October 2008, 16:31	#121
inferno BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 208 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	I've heard different opinions about the ground clearance of Civic , so today I myself went for TD of Civic , so that i can judge and answer it for myself. Took a TD from Ring Road Honda, Peeragarhi, New Delhi, it lasted for 4-5 kms.Half of the time , i was driving on a service lane which was heavily damaged with some parts having no signs of bitumen or concrete, potholes were bigger than most of the potholes found in delhi, and i was revving the engine too, with music system OFF also , i couldn't hear any bumps from the bottom. And i think so, atleast for me ground clearance is ok ! Finally driving on the regular road, i was pulling it hard , pushing it to limits, i found the engine to be super silent !, no sound was being heard from inside even when i was at 30 on 1st gear unlike City which i drive and is a little noisy at 30 in 1st gear and the pulling power just blew me away ! The accelerator paddle appeared to be very soft and it was very easy pushing those. Btw, i had gone for the preview of G3HC of which's TD is not available as of now, so took civic for a spin. PS : do see vasudeva - DOMESTIC SALES Corolla Altis sells 3424 units in a month compared to meagre 672 Civics and even 1933 City !!!!
	() Thanks

13th October 2008, 17:53	#122
ImmortalZ Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,179 Thanked: 488 Times View My Garage	Ym : You like a dead EPS compared to a more direct HPS? I have nothing to say to that. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Altis was one of those goldfish with bulbous eyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. In the end, we'll have to agree to disagree. There is no way I can be convinced to buy an Altis after driving them both. Gizmos or not.
	() Thanks

13th October 2008, 18:53	#124
ImmortalZ Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,179 Thanked: 488 Times View My Garage	Oh my, looks like someone is hurt. Do you own one? I'm not going take back my comments though. Haven't driven a Maybach yet. Sure hope to in the future though. By the way how many people drive your Altis to have you adjusting seats every five minutes? I mean, surely a lot of effort is being saved by the motors. I already told you I don't give a damn about the gizmos. I don't get it how you are so angry at Honda. The brought in the OHC VTEC. They bothered to bring in the Civic. If they hadn't, Toyota would've sold the 10 year old Corolla here for another ten years. If they hadn't, we wouldn't see the Laura here. They were the competition which brought the segment here. If it were not for the City, would there be an SX4? Verna? Maruthi would've happily have sold us 800s and Esteems for the rest of the 21st century. Their reputation is hard earned, not born with. Oh yes, I absolutely ADORE how the Altis looks. Hell, I have it as my desktop background. Not. Last edited by ImmortalZ : 13th October 2008 at 18:55.
	() Thanks

13th October 2008, 19:41	#125
ImmortalZ Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,179 Thanked: 488 Times View My Garage	Forgive me for the double post - blame the KSEB and their power cuts! Yeah, forgot to reply to your Maybach comment. While I don't see the point of bringing in a 1 Crore super saloon into the arguement, yes, the Maybach is probably very dead. The very definition of dead maybe. Which is why you let your chauffeur drive it while you sit at the back and enjoy the deadness. While we are comparing cars we've never driven or ever will, I'd rather drive a EVO X or an STi to be honest. Since I expect the ad hominems next, I'm pulling out. You can believe the Corolla is a Maybach. I'll believe that the Civic is a better car to drive than a Corolla. Goodbye.
	() Thanks

13th October 2008, 20:09	#126
balenopower BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 957 Thanked: 465 Times View My Garage	id go for the civic.Its a much much sweeter drive than the altis.Its a simple case of choosing with your heart or mind.Heart goes for the civic..mind would suggest teh Altis
	() Thanks

13th October 2008, 20:15	#127
Ricky_63 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,885 Thanked: 518 Times View My Garage	Without too much ado The only thing in the Corolla Altis's favour vs the Civic is the Ground Clearance Cheers
	() Thanks

14th October 2008, 10:36	#130
samirsarkar BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 166 Thanked: 5 Times	Agree the Honda engine is a high revving beauty and you can throw the car around corners much more confidently. However, tell me this....in these days of energy crises, do we really want a high revving (and hence, more fuel guzzling) engine or one which has its torque distributed more uniformly throughout its powerband, is more responsive in everyday city traffic, is more fuel efficient, urges the driver to shift gears at 2000 RPM and slow down while negotiating sharp corners ?? The Civic urges us to bring out the hooligan in us sure but is it really safe and prudent to drive the way the car expects you to drive ??
	() Thanks

14th October 2008, 11:27	#131
vij BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 315 Thanked: 158 Times	Voted for the Altis. The Civic looks like a large plastic toy.
	() Thanks

15th October 2008, 14:10	#135
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	I seriously do not understand about what is `not being a driver's car', a stick used to beat Corolla with. I have been driving Corolla for 19 months now, and so far I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Quick acceleration, good visibility and manoeuvarbility, predictability in handling, smoothness on almost all roads, great brakes, not hard on the wallet, cheap and good service, proactive dealers and company, confidence in the product. So what if it is alleged to take an extra microsecond around corners or get to 190 kmph. To drive at that speeds on Indian roads is perhaps the quickest way in this world to the other world. One thing is for sure: all the reviews read before my purchase were just crap. With a Corolla, I for one could buy another without wasting my time with reviews.
	(1) Thanks