Toyota Corolla review

It’s the Toyota Corolla. The car that sits in front of you at traffic lights. And behind you. And next to you. They’re everywhere.

Seriously, why is that?

It’s the most budget-friendly car from an automaker notorious for making long-lived vehicles, do the math.

Math checks out. So what’s with this latest one?

The current Corolla is riding high on its mid-cycle refresh a couple of years ago that brought a thorough amount of tweaks to the car, both mechanically and in its exterior design. The standard model has three trims and putts about courtesy of a 2.0-liter four-banger that produces 169hp and 150lb ft of torque. This powers the front wheels by way of a CVT transmission.

There’s also a hybrid model which has a 1.8-liter engine at its heart, paired with two e-motors to produce a net 138hp. Not surprisingly, this one is also married to a CVT but kind of surprising is that the hybrid has an AWD option thanks to that extra rear-mounted motor.

So the AWD really lays it down, huh?

Don’t get it twisted, it doesn’t give the Corolla much in the way of elevated dynamic performance. It’s more “on demand AWD” meaning your front axle will be doing most of the work and that e-motor on the rear can jump in to help out in low traction situations. That’s a good thing, by the way.

How’s the ride then?

We once again fall into the trap of a car being “just fine", though the Corolla does little to really impress. When it comes to its main job as a means of conveyance, it’s fairly innocuous. The ride isn’t uncomfortable, but it also isn’t comfortable, if you follow. It’s stiff in a way that makes you think maybe there’s a bit of spring to be found in the Toyota’s step, but there really isn’t apart from quick lane changes and sharp braking, both ideal for the drudgery of commuter traffic where this car is likely to spend most of its miles.

What’s your favorite thing about the car?

There are a few things that we found particularly attractive about the Corolla, like fuel economy and its reasonable bottom line, but the aspect that stuck with us the most was the updated styling. The Corolla looks like it’s going to be much more engaging than it actually is, which is a bit of a letdown. We were hoping that, like its older Camry sibling, the upgrades would’ve boosted this budget ride into a position to surpass expectations, but it doesn’t clear the bar.

What does the competition look like?

Rivals to the Toyota Corolla are other perennial standard-issue starter cars. You can’t go wrong with the Honda Civic, especially these days with its more mature looks as opposed to what it rocked previously. The Honda’s also got snappy, fun handling, as does the Mazda 3, another possible rival though we think the Corolla actually looks a bit better. Same for the Hyundai Elantra, which has a striking N sport model. A bit more expensive than any model of the Corolla, sure, but might be worth the extra cheddar to have something memorable, at least.

While much of the current Toyota lineup is riding a wave of across-the-board improvements, the Corolla seems to be the vehicle that’s benefitted the least from the recent boon. We like the looks and are happy for the other mechanical tweaks, but it’s not enough to take the edge off the fact this is, above all, a budget-friendly compact commuter car.

We’re happy to have such a car, particularly in the current, prohibitively expensive landscape, but there’s few opportunities for even simple joys here. Despite the admittedly sharp looks, the Corolla’s facia is writing checks its engine can’t cash, feeling oddly aggressive and gutless at the same time, regardless of which two powertrains you’re saddled with.

When not wound up, the car is generally placid, and it sits close to the fault line between “bad” and “good” though thankfully leaning more towards the latter.

All this being the case, it’s hard to mark it lower as it doesn’t offend, it simply doesn’t excel, apart from the fact the Corolla is quite competent for what you’re paying. Indeed, with its reasonably-priced hybrid model, it’s almost something of a catch.

It may not feel exhilarating or luxurious, but it is dutiful, and many welcome features - both for safety and convenience - are included as standard. Still, though you could do a lot worse than the Corolla, you could do a lot better, too, if you can manage to stretch a dollar just a bit further.