2022 Honda Civic RS vs Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G - Is this even a fair fight?

As you'd have probably read, the 2022 Honda Civic (FE generation) has finally made landfall in Malaysia. It builds on the success and popularity of its FC generation predecessor in every way. And naturally, you're thinking of putting one in your driveway.

So, you're shopping around, doing the diligent consumer thing by surveying your options before you plonk down your hard-earned money. Today, we pit the brand spanking new, FE-generation, Honda Civic, against the exquisitely talented Toyota Corolla Altis. Let's see if this comparison yields the foregone conclusion everyone assumes.

Brochure wars - Civic edges it

For brevity, let's compare both the range-topping variants - Honda Civic RS and Toyota Corolla 1.8G - that come loaded with all the bells and whistles. 

There's not much in it in terms of specifications of both the Civic and Corolla Altis. For their respective asking prices, neither the Honda nor Toyota will leave you feeling shortchanged. That said, the Civic - being the newer car - has a slight edge when it comes to goodies, and a larger boot to seal the deal. 

Also read: Review: 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G - Slowest in class, but does it matter?

Exterior - Both attractive, but Civic has more presence

When many first laid eyes on the FE Honda Civic, there were cries of derision. Many bemoaned that it looks boring, unadventurous and staid, after the FC generation. Having seen it in the flesh, well, we're inclined to disagree.

The FE Honda plainly drips with road presence. It looks understated, yes, but also matured, sleek and elegant in a way that the FC generation can only dream of. Where the FC is often accused of being too boyracer, the FE comes off all gentlemanly and restrained. Add a fastback-style profile to proceedings and the FE Civic is just a imposing, attractive presence.

So, the FC Civic might not draw Ah Bengs the way the FC did, but for majority of the regular car buying public, this new design direction will be a boon. Nobody wants to be provoked to a drag race every time they stop at a traffic light.

Also read: Malaysians say the 2022 Honda Civic (FE) is too tame, here are 33 photos proving them wrong

That's not to say that the Corolla Altis is an ugly ducking. Far from it. It combines really athletic proportions with properly angular lines. Yes, there are hints of the XV70 Toyota Camry here, and we mean that in a good way. It really carries off a its design with much grace and sophistication, even if it does look the more traditional of the two cars here.

Where it loses out to the FE Civic is in the road presence department. See, whilst pretty, the Corolla Altis doesn't have bold angles or a swoopy profile to draw the eye. Some, might like this. Others, might feel like they've stumped up RM 134k only to look anonymous on the road. 

Interior - Civic's trump card shows, again

While both the Civic and Corolla Altis have attractive exteriors, the narrative changes quite drastically when you sit inside both cars. Honda has always had the edge when it came to executing clever, well thought-out interiors, but fell a bit short in material selection.

Not anymore with the FE Civic. This cabin marries typical Honda levels of space and interior packaging with superb material selection. The ambience is now that of a car costing one segment higher, or more. Everything from the honeycomb trim, HVAC controls, and touchpoints scream premium. RM 144k too much for the Civic RS? Not at all!

Testament of just how good the FE Civic's cabin is the fact that it makes the interior of the Corolla Altis feel positively low rent. The dials in the instrument cluster looks dated, the center infotainment stack looks like an afterthought, and some of the surfaces are just fingerprint magnets with the glossy finish. 

Sure, there is absolutely nothing fundamentally wrong with the Corolla Altis' inside in terms of build quality and material selection. But, there is also very little in the way of excitement. Nothing really sets your pulse racing, makes your heartbeat skip a beat or eggs you on to go for a drive. 

Make no bones about it, given a choice, the FE Civic is by far and away the car that anyone would prefer to spend time lounging in.

Also read: 4 features on the Malaysian-spec 2022 Honda Civic FE that Thais don't get

Driving experience - The Civic has almost no flaws, Corolla Altis lethargic

Okay, let's cut straight to the chase. The FE-generation Honda Civic, in the driving experience department, completely outguns the Corolla Altis in every way you can imagine. Straight line grunt? Civic. Ride comfort? Civic (on the smooth tarmac of Sepang, for now). Refinement? Civic. Roadholding? Civic.

In this segment, the Civic was always one of the more powerful cars, and the FE generation continues in this vein, with the 1.5-litre, turbocharged unit now pumping out 182 PS and 240 Nm (our Civic FE has the highest output in the ASEAN region).

No, the Corolla Altis didn't become a bad car overnight. It's just this little annoying thing called progress. In just one generation, Honda has turned the Civic FC's weakness (namely a lumpy ride and wallowy handling) into the Civic FE's strength. It's not a junior Accord anymore, this one is so good it rivals a BMW 3 Series.

Also read: Review: 2022 Honda Civic FE – Forget baby Accord, it’s on par with the 3 Series

Yes, the Corolla Altis still has a wonderfully fluid and balanced chassis that really dances when you ask it to. Everything we loved about the Altis' TNGA platform is still very evident. What lets it down is the severe lack of poke (all 139 PS and 172 Nm), and that is one thing buyers care very much about, whether or not you care to admit it. 

What we're trying to say here is, the Honda Civic has the Corolla Altis licked in almost every department. Even the traits that were previously the reserve of the Toyota, Honda now has an answer to all of it. Really, it's that good. 

Also read: Asking for RM 144k, is the 2022 Honda Civic RS worth the extra money?

WapCar's Opinion

For as long as we can remember, we at WapCar.my sang high praises of Toyota's current crop of TNGA-underpinned cars, and rightly so. They combined so many of the right ingredients to make a great ownership proposition, but the Corolla Altis has more than met its match in the FE generation Honda Civic.

In a segment that has already seen dwindling demand, there isn't one iota of doubt that the FE Honda Civic will continue to be popular as ever. There's really very little to dislike in this package, and it's a far more accomplished car than its FC predecessor. If you're one of those who prefers a sedan to an SUV, then whittle your shopping list down to one, and make sure the FE Honda Civic is that one.

Also read: Sedan vs SUV: Should you buy the all-new 2022 Honda Civic today or wait for the upcoming HR-V?