Both brands, obviously, are quality through and through, and both will last a 'lifetime' if maintained properly. IMO it comes down to value, appearence and personal experiences.
I recently bought a 2005 Civic EX Special Edition. Traded in my 94 Accord with 300,000 miles, which I picked up after my 80-something Accord, with ~200,000 miles, got totaled. Prior to that I had Civics. My personal experiences with Honda's have been A+++.
When I was shopping for my 05 Civic, I did objectively look at the Toyota line and was impressed. However, what others have said regarding pricing is correct - Toys seem to be priced somewhat higher for comparable size and equipment. For what I was looking for, Compact or Mid, it came down to Accord & Civic -vs- Camry & Corrola. IMO, Honda got the nod for appearence and style. When I tallyed up the (3) categories, value, appearence and personal experiences, my choice was then between only the Accord and Civic.
With all that being said, IMO the pendulum has swung even more toward with Honda side with the 2006 models. Oh, boy...the changes to both the Accord and Civic (style, better mileage, increased power) are very attractive. Again, IMO, the Civic sedan & coupe are the best automobiles in the under 20K category, and the Accord is one of the best in the 20K-30K range. I'm hoping to trade in my daughter's 99 Saturn for a 06 Civic coupe in the near future.
Sorry for rambling...
