This debat can go on forever.
As an observation, the public perception of one marque over another can also be influenced by the media. In Australia and Germany, for example, Mazda is more regarded than Honda but its the opposite in Asian countries and USA.

I looked at the Mazda 3 sp and civic sport and decided on the civic as it was the newer model, better looking interior(at least from my perception). I sacrificed better handling in that respect.