The Differences: 2010 Honda Civic v Hyundai Elantra v Toyota Corolla

The 2010 Honda Civic is available as four-door sedan and a two-door coupe. The 2010 Hyundai Elantra is offered as a sedan and as a slightly sportier four-door wagon called the Elantra Touring. The 2010 Toyota Corolla is as a sedan only, though a wagon version is sold as the Toyota Matrix.

The 2010 Honda Civic’s standard engine is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that generates a sufficient 140 horsepower and can be mated to either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Civic’s sporty Si coupe and sedan models come with a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed manual transmission -- they’re pocket rockets.

The Honda Civic is the only member of this trio to offer a gas/electric hybrid model. The 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid comes only as a sedan and teams a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor/generator and self-charging battery pack to produce a combined 110 horsepower. The Civic Hybrid can run solely on battery power in certain low-speed cruising situations, but for less duration than, say the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid. Honda’s hybrid system is called Integrated Motor Assist and as the name implies, it employs the electric motor mainly to assist the gas engine in acceleration, thus allowing the Civic Hybrid to save gas by using a relatively small internal combustion powerplant. The electric motor also enables the Civic Hybrid to conserve gas by automatically shutting off its gas engine when the car is stopped, then automatically restarting it as the driver depresses the accelerator.

Civic also offers the GX model, a natural-gas-powered sedan that produces near-zero emissions. However, the GX is available only via select dealers in California, Utah, and New York. GX buyers are eligible for a one-time $4,000 federal tax credit – but of course require access to a natural-gas refueling station.

The 2010 Hyundai Elantra has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower (in California and the handful of other states that adhere to its stricter tailpipe emissions regulations, this engine generates a slightly lower 132 horses). A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the base-model Blue sedan and on the Touring wagon. A four-speed automatic is standard on Elantra GLS and SE sedans and optional with the Touring models. The Elantra Blue model has special gear ratios, low-friction components, and other tweaks intended to maximize fuel economy.

Most versions of the 2010 Toyota Corolla have a reasonably peppy 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that should be sufficient for most buyers. It offers a choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. Corolla’s top-of-the-line XRS model ups the ante with a stronger 158-horsepower 2.4-liter four. It affords considerably more low-end torque that translates into a sportier feel with stronger launches and additional passing prowess. The XRS comes with a five-speed manual transmission. Automatic transmission is optional, but here it’s a five-speed unit that’s more responsive t than the four-speed automatic available in the other Corolla models.

All versions of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra have four-wheel disc brakes for improved stopping performance. The 2010 Civic and Corolla include only rear drum brakes in lower trim-level models.

Stability control to keep all four wheels planted to the pavement during emergency handling maneuvers is standard on the Corolla. It’s available on the Civic and Elantra, but is included only on their more expensive trim levels.

In addition to a more powerful engine, the Civic Si coupe and sedan versions come with a limited-slip differential to improve high-performance traction, along with a sport-tuned suspension, larger 17-inch alloy wheels and upgraded tires, and assorted cosmetic enhancements.

The Civic and Corolla offer factory GPS navigation systems and leather upholstery on their top models; neither is available on the Elantra.

The Civic is the sleekest-looking of these cars and has it has a unique dashboard design that features split-level instrumentation.

The Elantra boasts a slightly larger passenger cabin than either the Civic or Corolla.

The Civic offers no standalone factory options – even examples with automatic transmission or the navigation system are treated as separate models. That means the only way to add most features is to move up to a costlier trim level and perhaps be saddled with items for which you might not otherwise be willing to pay extra.

The 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid is the fuel economy leader of this group with an EPA rating of 40/45 mpg (city/highway). The other Civics are rated at 26/34 mpg with the base four-cylinder engine and manual transmission and 25/36 with the automatic. Civic Si models rate 21/29 mpg. The limited-availability natural gas GX version is estimated at 24/36 mpg.

The 2010 Hyundai Elantra Blue model is rated at 26/35 mpg. The other Elantra sedans rate 25/34 mpg with automatic transmission and 26/34 with manual transmission. The Elantra Touring wagon is rated at 23/31 with manual transmission, 23/30 with automatic.

The 2010 Toyota Corolla with the base 1.8-liter engine is rated at 26/35 mpg with manual transmission and 26/34 with the automatic. The Corolla XRS model, with its 2.0-liter engine, is rated at 22/30 mpg with either gearbox.

The 2010 Hyundai Elantra is the least expensive car of the three models reviewed here. Elantra base prices are in the $15,000-$20,000 range. The 2010 Toyota Corolla base price range starts a bit over $16,000 and extends to nearly $20,000. The 2010 Honda Civic is priced from just over $16,000 to around $26,000; the Civic Hybrid has a base price of about $24,500.

Hyundai’s warranty is the most generous here, covering the Elantra for 5 years/60,000 miles bumper to bumper and 10/100,000 powertrain. The Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla have bumper-to-bumper coverage for 3 years/36,000 miles and powertrain protection for 5/60,000.