First-time car buyer: Toyota Carolla or Honda Civic?

They are both very good choices. I used to drive a civic, so I am partial to civics. Toyota Corollas are also excellent vehicles.

Hondas are great- the only problem I have found is the dealers are sometimes hard to deal with. Is there a good foreign car repair shop you can take it to to avoid the dealer? If so, the civic is a great choice. I sold my 92 civic with about 275,000 miles on it and it was still running great.

You can't go wrong either way though.

Best wishes.

so you really want to sacrifice every bit of comfort, handling, looks, and fun away. everything that makes a vehicle enjoyable. well i would recommend something a "little different". how about a 2000-2002 v6 chevy camaro. you will get 17/28. 28 MPG is great, and its loads of fun to drive. you can carve up the corners in the great handling fun loving car. you also wont blend in with every other boring, dull import driver. get one with t-tops take those out and you will have a blast. it comes equipped with a 3.8 liter GM v6, known for its dependability. a camaro will also hold its value very well. look at the 80's camaros they still demand thousands, and thats with many miles on it.

a toyota carolla provides slightly better millage but is not a fun car to drive. like an old lady's car. i'm not saying they arent good cars but you should look at american brands.

I'd buy the Corolla if you have to have an automatic transmission.

Otherwise, any one of them will do If you plan to buy one with a manual transmission. Most Honda cars (Accord, Civic, Prelude, Odyssey) that were made around the year 2000 have serious problems with their automatic transmissions. The problem is widespred enough that Honda has extended the drivetrain warranty on the 6th generation Accord, and the 7th generation Civic has trouble with second gear on it's automatic transmission.

I was going to buy a 6th generation Honda Accord coupe with a V6. But after doing some research on that car I just decieded to buy someing else becuse of it's transmission troubles.

For preventative maintenance issues, the Toyota is less expensive to work on. The Honda, by parts only, will cost more per part and labor for a repair. Tke the timing belt and water pump for instance. This repair on the Toyota is 2.3 hours labor, 46.99 for the water pump and 24.99 for the belt. The Honda however is 4.3 hours labor, and depending on the engine, the water pump is 58.74, and the timing belt 27.99. Their dependability is about the same. I think the Toyota interior gets boring faster than it does on the Honda.

Toyota Carolla - I've been driving for many years & have owned Honda & Toyota's both.

Both are great cars. The Civic is more fun to drive but the Corolla is a little cheaper and more comfortable.

Corolla

depends on how well the car was maintained-they are both excellant choices.

anything toyota