I'm really close to buying either a Corolla or a Camry. But the closer I get to making a decision, the more I start thinking about the Honda Civic or Accord.
I plan on owning the car for 10 or 15 years. Of the four, which do you think will be most mechanically reliable with regard to the engine, automatic tranz, suspension, etc.: Corolla, Civic, Camry, or Accord?
I have heard of both Honda and Camry transmissions failing at around 175,000 miles if they are not serviced properly. I have not heard that problem with Corollas.
If you really want to keep the car for that long I would take camry or accord. They will last longer than the cheaper counterparts, and the cost of owning will be pretty much the same spread over so many years. Also - think about the quality of the experience you will have with bigger, more comfortable cars like camry or accord over cheaper and smaller civic/corolla. For me the choice would be simple :-)
TOyota seems to be going after the aging Baby-Boomer market, whereas Honda seems to be thinking a little younger.
I like the Matrix, but I also went to look at a Civic Coupe and an Accord Coupe (I like 2 doors. I'm a big guy and bang my shoulders getting in and out of 4-doors)
The Civic is a little more sporty, as is the Accord, than their Toyota counterparts.
Another car I am considering is the Scion tC, sort of a cross between a Celica and a Camry.
IMO, Corolla and Civic will last just as long and be equally reliable with proper care. I know people who have put as many miles on those cars as have been put on Accords and Camrys. The 4-bangers, in particular, of all
No, any vehicle will last a lot longer if serviced properly although Corollas seem to have fewer issues with things like noises, transmissions, suspension parts, etc.. That said, if you want to keep any vehicle for 10 or 15 years, you need to do regular maintenance.
I cannot believe Toyota or Honda is puting same quality materials in their lower and higher tiers. I would not be surprised if corolla and civiv rust more quickly than camry and accord, if their suspension elements wear out faster etc. But even if they are similarly reliable - the pleasure of driving a car like camry or accord cannot be even compared to cheapo corolla/civic. Especially on long trips. I had them both: corolla for more than 6 months and now camry for 7 years. I would not never go back to corolla my friend. This is just totally different experience! :-)
My Sister has a 9 year old Civic. It has been mostly trouble free (a couple of mufflers and one set of plug wires plus routine maintenance - brakes, timing belt, oil changes). It still runs fine, but it is looking old - paint faded, paint coming off the bumpers in places, interior looks tired, some plastic parts cracking, uses a quart of oil between changes. Her Neighbor has a simalar age Camry. Pretty much the same story - looks older than it is, and his smokes in the morning. I think the difference in reliability between the four cars you mentioned is trivial. If you want the automatic transmission to live for 15 years, just be sure you have the fluid changed at reasonable mileage intervals. Keep the engine oil changed amd almost any engine will last for a lot longer than the rest of the car. The biggest problem I see with keeping any of the vehicles you listed past 10 years is the decline of the appearance of the vehicle. If that is not a problem for you, pick the one that fits you the best.
I know that Toyota does use the same quality materials (body stampings, corrosion preventative, engine and components, in all lines. The difference in cost between a Corolla and Camry comes from differences in the cost of the engine, transmission, interior trim, equipment, and the cost of building a larger vehicle. The targeted quality and durability is the same for a Corolla and a Camry. I assume Honda also operates the same way.
I would not be surprised if corolla
The suspension, body, etc. in a Corolla will not wear out or rust more quickly than in a Camry.
One should not buy a Camry or Accord over a Corolla or Civic just because they think the suspension, paint, transmission, engine, etc. will last longer. If one is looking for more comfort, features, ride quality, etc., then the larger car makes more sense.
For some reason in my private observations, I see more rust on corollas, civics and sentras than on camrys, accords or altimas... But of course I do not have statisticaly valid data to support it.
BTW - do you know if they use zinc-plated steel sheets in all their models?
Late model Corollas and Camrys have both been pretty rust-free. I don't have info on Altimas and Civics, but I know that 8 to 10 year old Accords were very prone to rust between the rear quarter panel and bumper.
As far as I know, nobody uses zinc-plated steel sheets because a conventional galvanizing process would look like a galvanized bucket or garbage can with a flaky and rough appearance. Toyota uses a material called galvanealled steel which has much of the same corrosion resistant properties as galvanized steel but with the ability to get a smooth finish for painting.
I take my 99 Camry to a local rustproofing business every fall for an oil spray. (I'm in Ontario, Canada where they use tons of salt on the roads.) Some people tell me I'm crazy to do this because Toyotas don't have a rust problem. Are they right? To my way of thinking, even Japanese steel rusts. (Perhaps Toy gets its steel from China these days?)
Entertainingly enough, the only rust on the car is around the holes the rustproofer drilled in the sills!
Probably they are right. I own 95 camry with 197k miles and no rust except the hood and driver door which were involved in an collision in 1998 and do not have original paint anymore. The rest of the car is picture perfect with NO rust. And I mean it. No rust spots! I live in Chicago area, so winters are icy/snowy too with a lot of salt on the roads. I also own nissan sentra, same age (94) with significantly less miles (130k) and it has rust all over the body... To the extent driver door rusted all the way through the sheet metal, leaving trunk compartment from the underbody near the rear wheel and rust in the hinges area of the both door (it is 2 door sedan, trim E). Generally speaking nissans I have seen have more rust problems at age 8-10 years than toyota or honda. But again, no statistical valid data - just my casual observations in the chicagoland area.
So it prooves to you it was a mistake and waste of money to "correct" what toyota has done already to protect your car from rusting ;-)
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