corolla engine versus civic engine

i just purchased a 98 corolla VE but had also been looking at the civics which i found to be about 25% more than comprable corollas. i am curious about the engines in these cars. what is the major performance and maintenance differences between the corolla DOHC and the civic VTECH, SOHC? Also, my corolla is EFI (which i know is electronic fuel injection) but what is PFI, SFI, and MFI? (the P and M come in civics, 98 and 04 respectively) while the E and S are in the 98 corolla and 04 corolla respectively). ALSO, my corolla has direct ignition which is suppose to cut down on maintenance. I have never heard of this. could someone explain the pros and cons and upkeep of such a feature. By the way, thus far i love the corolla although i would like to have power windows and locks and a tach. however, i am getting use to it and the car moves out quite well. it is really fun to drive. also, its the first time i have checked my mileage and i got to divide 3 instead of 2 giving me 31mpg in the city with a/c on.
sincerely, lisa

All those acronyms you listed are variations on a theme - all mean fuel injection with different fuel spray patterns. Performance and maintenance between the Honda D16A and the Toyota 4AGE series of engines is fairly negligable. They all need regular maintenance and make similar power at similar RPM. Direct ignition has been a standard feature on a Corolla for nearly 20 years and means not much (except to the Toyota marketing department). Power windows/locks can be added for a price, but is expensive and you won't see your money back at resale time. It's pretty easy to add a small tacho. Ask your local performance shop.

Anything else?
:cheers: