The Corolla offers basic, reliable and gas-friendly transportation. We don’t find it particularly stylish, roomy or fun — traits that more and more compacts have acquired in recent redesigns and introductions.
Even so, the Corolla has a long-standing reputation as a safe bet, which is apparent by its spot among the top 10 best-selling cars each month. But in October, the Corolla’s sales took a hit, down almost 25 percent from September.
Cars.com’s senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder writes in his review of the 2010 Toyota Corolla:
“The Corolla is sure to stay near the top of the sales charts, but that's more about what the car has been historically than what it is now. The 2009 redesign was the time for Toyota to pour it on, to leapfrog competing models with quality and refinement. Two of the 2010's shortcomings — interior space and quality — can't be changed dramatically from year to year; it requires a full redesign, for which the Corolla will wait at least three additional model years. In the meantime, many current competitors are already as good or better, and a new Civic is expected in 2011. The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and 2012 Ford Focus are clearly playing to win, and Hyundai, which never misses an opportunity these days, is redoing the Elantra for 2012.”
For more information on the Corolla, see our expert review here.
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I test drove Corolla recently, LE and S trims.
LE was automatic. It had rental-quality interior and noisy engine. Power was nowhere to find. Ride was very good, handling decent, steering feel - terrible. Seats were super comfy. 4-speed auto somehow is still most efficient today.
S trim was manual. I loved to have that car because it was much better looking then rest of Corollas thanks to body moldings, fog lights, spoiler, nice wheels. The interior of S was also "dressed up" better and I actually liked it. It has no hump between rear seats for better legroom, which wasn't any less then Civic or Mazda3. Trunk was nice. It is the king when it comes to fuel efficiency. But then, it had super-light clutch and shifter felt like it was stuck in the bucket of tar. Steering was making you feel like you are driving through the air. You have no idea if you are on the road or not. Quality of switch gear was questionable. Interior was much better then LE but it still had hard places where soft was required. Rear brake drums made a good laugh of the "S" on the grill.
And BTW, Corollas do have some issues in the steering department.