Ordinary buyers of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Mazda3 aren’t the type of people that will be racing between the lights. However, as this review from Throttle House reveals, you can have quite a bit of fun lining up the trio and seeing which is the quickest.
Shortly after getting its hands on the all-new Honda Civic, Throttle House headed to its drag strip and compared it to a Corolla XSE and a mid-range Mazda3 but not the flagship Turbo variant.
On paper, the Toyota Corolla XSE is at a disadvantage. It features a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder and delivers 169 hp and 151 lb-ft (204 Nm) of torque. This engine is coupled to a CVT driving the front wheels. Similarly, the new Honda Civic comes standard with a CVT but it features a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a more impressive 180 hp and 177 lb-ft (240 Nm).
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The Mazda3 2.5L has more power than both the Corolla XSE and Honda Civic, delivering 186 hp and 186 lb-ft (252 Nm) from its naturally-aspirated four-cylinder. It also uses a traditional six-speed automatic transmission.
In the drag race, the Mazda3 gets the best launch of the three and for some time, it looks as though it will take the win. However, as the speeds start to build, the new Honda Civic begins to close in and eventually overtakes the Mazda. The Toyota Corolla was left trailing well behind. A rolling race is then held between the three and the Mazda3 managed to claim victory ahead of the Civic and Corolla.