2022 Honda Civic Takes on Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 in First Drag Race

Normal Hondas have built quite the performance reputation. The same Throttle House comedic duo that proved an Accord is faster than everything now has the Civic brother. Everybody's quietly optimistic about this one, especially given the specs.

The Corolla XSE looks like the sportiest sedan here, but it's really not. Hiding behind the dual exhaust and aggressive body kit is a 2.0-liter DOHC engine making 169 hp and 151 lb-ft. The CVT helps it achieve up to 38 mpg on the highway, but will it make it faster? Probably not.

The new Civic is presented in its fancy Touring trim. Under the hood is a carry-over from the old generation, the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces an extra 6 hp and 15 lb-ft compared to last year, for 180 hp and 177 lb-ft.

And finally, we have the Mazda3, which still looks pretty luxurious. The 186 horsepower, 186 lb-ft output denotes this sedan has been equipped with its 2.5-liter four-cylinder. There's no turbocharger here, nor does it use a CVT.

What happens? Pretty much exactly what you expect. The Mazda3 hooks up better at launch. It's got a quicker gearbox and a bigger engine with slightly more torque. But the Civic is light and powerful, managing to catch up just at the end of the run. You could even say that they're evenly matched, though both Honda and Mazda fans have something to brag about. As for the Toyota... that GR Corolla can't get here quick enough.

The gap between a Mazda6 and a Honda Accord is much bigger, so the Civic shouldn't be "feared" like its big brother. But maybe the rolling race can definitely say which is the faster car. Unfortunately, the CVT offers disappointing performance, so the Mazda3 wins.

But did anybody seriously think the CVT would be good for drag racing? The 252 horsepower Accord 2.0T uses a 10-speed. But as we've seen recently, you can tune a 1.5 VTEC Turbo until it becomes scary for a Civic Type R owner.