2025 Toyota Camry vs 2024 Honda Civic

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was a testament to the enduring appeal of compact, quick, and fun cars. It carried forward the legacy of the original Civic CRX with its sport-injected performance, offering a thrilling driving experience without the need for excessive power. The Civic Si maintained a stealthy design, featuring LED headlights, a gloss-black lip spoiler, and 18-inch matte-black wheels, which allowed it to blend into the background when desired. Inside, the Civic Si was more expressive, with red accents and stitching, a metal mesh strip hiding the air vents, and a high-quality cabin finish. The base price was $29,100, with our test car's Blazing Orange Pearl paint bringing the total to $30,650.

The 2025 Toyota Camry showcased a more cohesive and business-like redesign, particularly noticeable from the front with its "hammerhead front face." It echoed the new Prius and shared some family resemblance with the Lexus spindle grille. The Camry's profile remained largely unchanged, but the rear window surround extended further into the sail panel, emphasizing its coupe-like roof. The Camry offered a range of wheel options, from 16-inch alloys on the base LE trim to 19-inch wheels on the sporty XSE. The interior featured a new dash layout, with a center touchscreen housing that flowed across the passenger side, and a mix of materials that included quilted Dinamica microfiber. The Camry's interior was spacious, with dual-zone climate control and available heated and ventilated front seats.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was equipped with a high-output turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. It featured a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with a downshift rev-matching feature, which could be turned off for those who preferred heel-and-toe shifting. The Civic Si's drivetrain included a single-mass lightweight flywheel and a helical limited-slip differential, enhancing its cornering capabilities. Larger brakes, thicker suspension stabilizer bars, and a dual-pinion variable-ratio steering system were standard, along with 18-inch wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires. The Civic Si offered driving modes to adjust throttle response and steering effort, and it was a joy to drive on twisty roads like Mulholland Highway. However, the braking system showed signs of overheating during hot testing weather, which dented our trust in its performance. The Civic Si achieved an average fuel efficiency of 29.5 mpg, slightly below the EPA's estimate of 31 mpg.

The 2025 Toyota Camry was the first sedan to feature Toyota's fifth-generation hybrid system, combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric motors. Front-wheel-drive models had two electric motors, producing a total of 225 horsepower, while all-wheel-drive models had three motors, generating 232 horsepower. The AWD system was electronic, providing extra traction with minimal impact on fuel economy, estimated at 50 mpg combined for AWD and 51 mpg for FWD. The Camry offered two distinct suspension tunings, with the XLE trim focusing on comfort. The hybrid system switched seamlessly between gas and electric power, though the powertrain was audible at higher speeds. The braking system felt normal, without regenerative braking settings, and the Camry could switch to EV mode at speeds under 25 mph.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si balanced performance with practicality. It featured sport-bolstered front seats wrapped in cloth, providing secure support during spirited driving. The manual driver’s seat height adjuster ensured a proper driving position, though entering and exiting the low-sitting car required some effort. The Civic Si lacked heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and rear-seat air conditioning vents, but it offered a surprisingly roomy back seat with generous legroom. Cargo space was commendable at 14.4 cubic feet, with the ability to stow full-size suitcases on their sides and a 60/40-split folding back seat for longer items.

The 2025 Toyota Camry's interior offered a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable front seats, and available heated and ventilated front seats on the XLE and XSE trims. Dual-zone climate control and rear-seat air vents were standard, and a panoramic moonroof was available on the top trims. While Toyota had not published interior dimensions for the 2025 model, changes were expected to be minimal compared to the 2024 version. The Camry's trunk space was approximately 15.1 cubic feet, slightly larger than the Civic Si's, and it provided ample room for passengers and cargo.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, lacking a native navigation system but offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and HD Radio. Pairing an iPhone and using Apple CarPlay was seamless, and the system included physical controls for volume and tuning. A 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint premium audio system was standard, delivering impressive sound quality.

The 2025 Toyota Camry featured an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with the Toyota Audio Multimedia system, supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It could manage simultaneous Bluetooth connections with two smartphones and included a wireless charging pad and five USB ports. Higher trims offered a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a fully digital driver information display. A 10-inch head-up display and a nine-speaker JBL Premium Audio system were available on the XLE and XSE trims. Subscription services included 4G Wi-Fi connectivity and an Intelligent Assistant voice-recognition system, though we experienced some challenges with voice recognition during testing.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. However, some features, like lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, proved irksome during testing. The Civic Si earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision.

The 2025 Toyota Camry came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing assist, and road-sign assist. The Premium Plus Package added features like front cross-traffic alert and a panoramic view monitor. While the 2025 Camry had not yet been crash-tested, the 2024 model earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and scored well in NHTSA tests.