The big small car comparison
November 14, 2007 by Matt Brogan
Mitsubishi Lancer ES .vs. Honda Civic VTi .vs. Toyota Corolla Ascent Sedan .vs. Suzuki SX4 Sedan
One of the most hotly contested segments in the car industry is the small car segment. There was a time when small car meant Japanese car but European, Korean, and even American names are now entering the arena. But Japan is fighting back. The CarAdvice team looked at three newcomers and one slightly older model fighting to bring the small car crown back to the land of the rising sun.
There were a few surprises in the mix and the end result was far from easy to reach.
Vehicles tested:
Honda Civic VTi $21,490* – Metallic Paint $300
Warranty 3 year / 100,000km
CarAdvice rating: 
(4.25)
Mitsubishi Lancer ES $20,990* – Metallic Paint $350
Warranty : 5 year / 130,000km
CarAdvice rating: 
(4.5)
Suzuki SX4 Sedan $19,990*- Metallic Paint $200
Warranty : 3 year / Unlimited
CarAdvice rating: 
(3.75)
Toyota Corolla Ascent : $20,990* – Metallic Paint $300
Warranty : 3 year / 100,000km
CarAdvice rating: (3.25)
* Recommended retail price for base model manual excludes on road costs.
With ten manufacturers all vying for a spot in the circa $20K small sedan category, it can be hard to determine which car best represents value for money. But we found that with pricing this tight, it’s not always a case of getting what you pay for.
Pity that in a comparison with the 3, Focus, Civic, Impreza, and the new Lancer in either Wheels, or Motor.. guess which came out on top?
Oh yeah, the Mazda3! They knew if they put the 3 into this comparison it would win, so they needed to put it up against cars they knew wouldn’t win.. so how much did Mitsubishi pay you for this? :)
I’m not entirely sure if it did include both the Focus and the Civic, it was one of them, but it definitely included the 3, Impreza and the new Lancer.
I thought this was reviews for the Honda?? Does anyone own or know anything helpfull about the Honda Civic? Thanks
Asian car manafacturers have a long way to catch up to their european compoetitors why bother even discussing Asian cars you all need to sit in a real small car jump in a Volkswagen Bora or a Golf then you will know real quality ,take for instance the Subaru copying the whole indicator in the mirror thing from the Germans and Toyota trying so hard to make their cars look european God!!!! seriously when are people going to realise Asian cars are cheap mass produced tin cans ,if you want safety and refinement buy European cars ,WHAT A JOKE!!!Honda,Toyota,Subaru,Nissan,Mitsubishi,Mazda…….
That shows you don’t know a single thing about cars
The Suzuki has no steering reach adjustment, is slower and thirstier than the Toyota and has rear drum brakes. Also according to this review, it has significant body roll and poor handling. How on earth does it beat the Toyota?
“I think you should have added Hyundais new i30″
Frugal One, have you ever thought………….”Does Hyundai make sedan versions of the i30?” No, they don’t, so that’s why they did not add it to the test!
I recently ordered a Civic VTi, and i took plenty of time to read through reviews, websites and test drove the cars on the top of my list.
I was considering Focus, Mazda 3, Lancer, Civic and Corolla. I ruled out anything from Korea, because although all reviews points to i30 being a vast improvement, i still can’t accept the brand. Tiida was ruled out because the it looked too tall. Thought about Golf, but it’s due for replacement soon. Ruled out anything French, because most survey indicate them to be less reliable than German and Japanese cars.
Anyways, of my final 5, i tested them all. The Focus is nice car with European feel and quite roomy inside, but i didn’t like the oval themed dash design like the air vents, plus i read that it’s less reliable. Mazda 3 handled well, didn’t mind the noise so much, but it’s too old now and my friend said his 3’s fuel efficency ain’t very good. Lancer is very good value for money, but the back looks too tall and square with no style to it, whilst the interior is bland and dull. Same applies to the Corolla’s interior, but i actually like Corolla sedan’s exterior in dark colour. In the end, i chose the Civic because it has the best interior, and at the end of the day, if you are stuck in traffic most days of the week, a nice place to sit in during traffic jam is far more important than good handling or pretty exterior.
Another thing i considered was that i had to get an auto, so civic was clearly on top with 5 speed vs 4 speed in most otehr cars in this class. Lancer has a CVT which i didn’t really like to be honest, and although it has a manual mode, the gearstick is set up the wrong way. You should pull back to change up a gear and push fwd to go down a gear, Lancer has it the other way.
Well Tony Hump,
What do you think of it now.
Bought a Lancer two weeks ago and there’s not much you can fault except road noise. It’s bad. Changed the Advan tyres straightaway to Bridgestone ER300’s but it’s still a lot worse than the AH Astra I shifted out of.
Should have been a lot more thorough with the test drive and was too focussed on the great 10 year warranty offered.
Obviously when you check are car you don’t bother with the windscreen washers or wipers. I’ve just purchased a Corolla sedan and the windscreen washers can’t be adjusted. ! they are aimed at the bottom of the screen “to flood the wipers so as not to scratch the windscreen” (Service Manager). Problem is the wipers don’t get wet until after they sweep the screen and then return! Twice as much chance to scratch the windscreen as the earlier adjustable type washers. Also I’ve been in two new (2008)corollas, one hatch in QLD with NSW plates, one sedan in WA, WA [plates) and they both leave water all over the passenger side of the window. Is this a design fault. No mention in your reviews
wtf? i read in a magazine that the handling was crap and the suspension was too soft…
I just bought a new toyota Corolla and the air condition is not working. It also comes with scratches
Taw, i have driven a current corolla sedan and i never find the windscreen washer to be a problem. I understand what you mean in your post, and to get around the problem i usually slightly pull on the wiper stalk to let water wet the window without having the wiper moving. This will wet the wiper before it arcs across the screen.
Also i agree there is a problem with water spraying onto the passenger side window, and can even splash into the car when the windows are open. Upon closer inspection, i’ve found that it’s due to the window and the top of the door frame being flush, so there’s no channel to guide the water from the front wind screen to the back window. My current model civic has a channel that runs across the roof and this allows water on the wind screen to be blown across the roof to the back window, instead of dripping down along the side windows. I hope this makes sense, as it is difficult to explain without a diagram. Either way, i agree it’s a design fault (or perhaps a better term would be ‘lack of detailed consideration’) with the corolla.
I have just gone through the process of testing out almost all the mid range cars and in my opinion the Lancer is the best for value for money.
Im surprised by everyones comments in the i30 and its success as I was almost won over by the hype…..until gave it a test drive. Its horrible! The Lancer is by far the most attractive car in its range and it drives so well I didn’t realise I was taking a sharp corner at over 70kmh, the steering is superb. The i30 has great perks but when it comes down to driving it doesent have anything exciting at all. Too plain for me, and overhyped. And its a Hyundai!!!
The Mazda is a good car too but with Mitsubishi’s latest model I just dont think you can go past them.
PS….stay well away from Astra’s. You couldent do any worse than that. Nice drive, terrible reliability and expensive to repair.
A burden of one’s choice is not felt
Mitsubishi nice care and have a good Motor