The importance of the vehicle's quality cannot be overemphasized.

Though there are changing consumer expectations, quality is still the topmost priority. Recently, J.D. Power and Associates conducted this year's South Africa Initial Quality Study (IQS). Said study gave Honda and Toyota combined 6 initial quality model awards. Honda car accessories and parts contribute significantly to the durability factor of the automaker's vehicles. This is also true with Toyota accessories and auto parts. These two automakers are now making a big leap in the global auto market primarily because of the quality they are delivering to the auto enthusiasts. This year, South Africa Initial Quality Study was entirely redesigned to more exactly examine consumer attitudes toward quality. It is now based on a representative sample of more than 9 600 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between December 2005 and April 2006. The study delved into the problems encountered by auto customers during the first three to seven months of ownership. It examined 228 individual problem symptoms in nine categories: vehicle exterior; the driving experience; features/controls/displays; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); vehicle interior; engine/transmission; and other problems. All problems are identified as the number reported per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lower scores signify fewer problems and therefore of better quality. IQS was launched in the United States in 1987. Since its introduction, it has been recognized as an authority in the examination of auto quality. Aside from South Africa, J.D. Power and Associates is also conducting vehicle quality research in other markets around the globe including China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Ads by Google OLX 100% free Classifieds Loads of 100% free local classified ads. Browse categories now! www.olx.com.pk Diesel Motorsports Drag Racing/Sled Pulling High Performance Diesel Pickups www.DIESELmotorsports.US "Continued quality improvements have caused consumers to focus increasingly more attention on soft quality issues, or vehicle design-related problems, rather than solely on a more traditional view of quality characterized by defects and malfunctions," said Brian Walters, senior director of J.D. Power and Associates Europe, Middle East and Africa operations. IQS problem symptoms were further classified into 2 dimensions: defects/malfunctions and design-related problems. Brands that have fewest defects/malfunctions include Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Subaru. Further, those that have fewest design-related problems include Audi, Daihatsu, Honda, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo.

Walters explained," To satisfy owners and fully understand consumer perceptions of quality, manufacturers must consider both dimensions of vehicle quality. For instance, BMW models, along with those from Honda and Mercedes-Benz, have among the fewest defects/malfunctions. Yet, BMW's approach to features/controls/displays often creates some problems for customers, which ultimately contributes to more overall design-related anomalies when compared with Honda and Mercedes-Benz." BMW parts accessories, on the other hand, are also aimed at enhancement. This is designed by the automaker to promote better quality and reliability. Garvins Eight Dimensions of Product Quality is an industry standard when a company wants to sell a product that has excellence in value. The Honda Civic is a good example of Garvins standard. The standards and Hondas claims per its own website are as follows: 1. Performance Its 2.0 liter aluminum alloy engine kicks out 197 horses, but still offers an estimated 29 mpg highway. 2. Features - Slip inside, and youre immediately in performance mode. Grab the 6 speed shifter, step on the drilled aluminum pedals and take off. Find it fast; the available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System features Bluetooth Handsfreelink, so you can call ahead without taking your hands off the wheel. 3. Reliability The Civic features safety technologies designed not only to help you stay out of trouble, but also to help protect you in the unlikely event of an accident. The Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure is a Honda exclusive body design that enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions. 4. Conformance Even while boasting of its unique chrome exhaust finisher and exclusive SI badging that tell the world this is no ordinary sedan; the Civic looks like every other sedan in its price range. This car offers the comfort and reassurance to someone who is looking for this middle of the road type car, that it is neither flashy not plain. 5 Durability The Advance Compatibility Engineering body structure is a Honda exclusive body design that enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions. 6 Serviceability -The Honda Warranty includes: Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty (years/miles) = 3/36,000 Powertrain Limited Warranty (years/miles) = 5/60,000 Corrosion Limited Warranty (years/miles) = 5/unlimited

 Accessory Limited WarrantyAll Honda accessories are covered up to 3 years or 36,000 miles, depending on time of installation 7. Aesthetics One glance at the racing-inspired Civic Si Sedan and you can tell that this car was born to perform. Its aerodynamic shape is accentuated by 17 inch alloy wheels and integrated fog lights. Its racy rear wing spoiler enhances the rear deck appeal and provides enhanced performance while a bold front grille flaunts the Si badge. 8. Perceived Quality The Civic Si Sedan is a 197-hp beast thats designed to attack the road. The Sis engine boasts an impressive torque curve from idle all the way to its race car-like 8000-rpm redline. A helical limited-slip differential channels power to the pavement. And vehicle stability assist with traction control enhances vehicle stability when cornering in a vehicle that you can trust.

Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla Safety Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Corolla's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Civic and the Corolla have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic Sedan is safer than the Corolla: Civic Corolla Driver STARS

5 Stars 4 Stars Head Injury Index 290 390 Chest forces 44 g's 49 g's Leg injuries (L/R) 548 / 63 321 / 353 Passenger STARS 5 Stars 4 Stars Chest forces 41 g's 48 g's More stars indicate a better overall result. Lower numbers indicate better individual test results. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 38.5 MPH side impact tests on new cars. In this test, results indicate that the Civic is safer than the Corolla: Civic Corolla Rear Seat STARS 5 Stars 4 Stars Thoracic Trauma 50

68 Pelvis Deceleration 53 G's 67 G's More stars indicate a better chance of avoiding serious injuries. Lower numbers indicate better actual numeric test results. Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Civic is 2% less likely to roll over than the Corolla.

Reliability

The engine in the Civic has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Corolla have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Honda Civic Coupe's reliability will be 13% better than the Corolla and the Honda Civic Sedan will be 26% better than the Corolla.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Civic second among compact cars in their 2010 Initial Quality Study. The Corolla isn't in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

Engine

The Civic's 1.8 VTEC 4 cyl. produces 8 more horsepower (140 vs. 132) than the Corolla's standard 1.8 DOHC 4 cyl.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Civic is faster than the Toyota Corolla 1.8 DOHC 4 cyl. (manual transmissions tested): Civic Corolla Zero to 60 MPH 7.7 sec 8.6 sec Zero to 100 MPH 22.5 sec 27 sec Quarter Mile 16.1 sec 16.6 sec Speed in 1/4 Mile 87 MPH 84 MPH Top Speed 125 MPH 115 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Auto gets better highway fuel mileage than the Corolla Auto with its standard engine (36 hwy vs. 34 hwy).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Civic's front brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla: Civic Corolla Front Rotors 10.3 inches 10 inches

The Civic stops shorter than the Corolla: Civic Corolla 70 to 0 MPH 191 feet 194 feet Car and Driver 60 to 0 MPH (Wet) 136 feet 145 feet Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Civic has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota Corolla has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Civic has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Corolla doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic Sedan's wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Corolla (106.3 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

The Civic LX Sedan handles at .81 G's, while the Corolla Standard pulls only .79 G's of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Civic DX Sedan's turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Corolla's (34.8 feet vs. 35.6 feet). The Civic Sedan/DX Coupe's turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Corolla XRS' (35.4 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

Chassis

The Civic Coupe is 3.2 inches shorter than the Corolla, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Civic Sedan has .6 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom and 7.1 inches more rear hip room than the Corolla.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Civic easier. The Civic's trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Corolla's liftover is 30 inches.

Ergonomics

The Civic's standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. Power windows cost extra on the Corolla.

The Civic LX/EX's driver's power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control. The Corolla's driver's power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

The Civic has standard lighted power window switches so that they are easily found at night. The Corolla doesn't have lighted switches.

The Civic EX's standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Corolla XLE's manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Civic's standard power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Corolla's power mirror controls are on the dash, hidden behind the steering wheel, where they are awkward to manipulate.

The Civic's optional heated front seats keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. The Corolla doesn't offer heated seats.

The Civic EX Sedan has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable. The Corolla doesn't offer a rear seat center armrest.

With optional voice command, the Civic EX offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls, cell phone and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Corolla doesn't offer a voice control system.

Model Availability

The Honda Civic comes in coupe and sedan bodystyles; the Toyota Corolla isn't available as a coupe.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Civic owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Civic with a number '1' to '5' insurance rate while the Corolla is rated higher at a number '3' rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Civic is less expensive to operate than the Corolla because it costs $1014 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Civic than the Corolla, including $108 less for an alternator, $23 less for fuel injection and $117 less for front struts.

Recommendations

The Honda Civic has won recognition from these important consumer publications: Civic Corolla Consumer Reports Recommends TRUE TRUE

Car Book 'Best Bet' TRUE FALSE Intellichoice A 'Best Value' no award

Strategic Vision rated the Civic first among small cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner's expectations. The Corolla was rated 8th.

Motor Trend selected the Civic as their 2006 Car of the Year. The Corolla has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2006 North American Car of the Year. The Corolla has never been chosen. * [1] Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.