Honda Civic vs Toyota Camry

The Camry is a perennial favorite among families. It’s earned its popularity, with a reputation for reliability and safety, but it also hasn’t had as many competitors to contend with as its crossover siblings have. The few rivals it does have are all either new or recently refreshed, and now, the same can be said of the Camry. For 2025 it debuts a new look, new features, and a new hybrid powertrain, and it sets a new baseline standard for the high-selling midsize sedan.

Verdict: Toyota knows its audience. The new 2025 Toyota Camry gives the people what they want, with up-to-date styling and tech, a strong value proposition helped along by excellent fuel economy, and, most importantly, no fatal flaws that might push a brand loyalist out of their comfort zone.

It’s been almost half a decade since Honda introduced this latest Civic. That’s hard to believe, because this car has aged with remarkable grace. After a mild update for the 2025 model year, the 2026 Civic lineup carries over unchanged. It continues to offer sedans and hatchbacks, with or without hybrid power. Sporty Si and performance-tuned Type R variants are also available, but Honda still doesn’t offer the Civic with all-wheel drive. Does that matter? Seemingly not, because the Civic is Honda’s second-best-selling car (behind the CR-V), and one of the top-selling compact cars in America.

Verdict: You’ll pay a premium to buy a Honda Civic. In many ways, it’s worth the extra money. In others, not so much. Still, while there are better deals in the compact car class, few are as satisfying to drive, and that’s true even when the Civic is equipped with its base engine.