Review: 2009 Toyota Corolla LE
03-06-08, 03:22 PM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Review: 2009 Toyota Corolla LE
By CL member request, a review of the 2009 Toyota Corolla LE.
http://www.toyota.com/corolla/
(XLE interior shown....I couldn't find a shot of the LE's interior, but it's basically the same without wood paneling)
In a Nutshell: Ubiquitous, reliable, and appliance-like, Mr. Commuter enters its 10th generation.
The ubiquitous Toyota Corolla first entered the American market in the late 1960s, and, since then, it has gone on to become the world's best-selling car ever, eclipsing such famous best-selling cars as the VW Beetle, Ford Model T, and Honda Civic. Over the years, It has been offered in sedan, coupe, hatchback, and wagon versions, Front-Drive, Rear-drive, and All-Wheel Drive...almost any version you can think of. It has spawned other car lines off its platform like the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Chevrolet Nova, Chevrolet/Geo Prizm, and even an SUV derivitive.....the Toyota RAV4. The car's history, and its derivitives, are too complex to go into here with just a couple of paragraphs.....and many of you already know the history well anyway, so I'll skip the details and get to the current, 10th-generation model, new this year but classified as a 2009 model.
Five versions of the new Corolla are offered in the American market, all of them 4-door sedans.....Base Corolla, LE, XLE, S, and XRS (the former CE designation is dropped). All but the XRS use the 132 HP 1.8L in-line four....the XRS uses the 158 HP 2.4L version. Base Corollas and SE models get a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, LE and XLE models the 4-speed automatic only, and the XRS a choice of 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic (the 5-speed automatic, IMO, should be a option in all of the versions, but isn't). What has happened is that there was really a re-shuffling of the former trim lines. The former CE designation for the entry-level model vanished this year and is replaced by the Base Corolla. Last year's LE model, with the wood-trim interior, loses the wood trim and becomes the intermediate model. The XLE model, new this year, with what I consider the nicest Corolla interior and upholstery, takes the place of last year's LE. The mildly-sporting Corolla S model continues more or less as before, and the more overtly-sporting XLS model gets a new larger engine. Don't you just love the games that auto marketers play? They always were, and always will be, the bane of my existance......if it weren't for them, I'd have little to b**ch about in life, even in retirement.
After looking at all five of the new Corolla versions today, I clearly liked the looks of the XLE best, though I wish it had the LE's smooth-riding 65-series tires (the XLE has alloy wheels and firmer 55-series rubber). But the review request was for an LE automatic (and a quick comparison to the Hyundai Elantra), so, of course, I'll concentrate on that model....the LE. Nevertheless, I found the LE, although somewhat plainer and less attractive inside, quite pleasant to drive for a small car.
American-market Corollas have often been criticized as dull, boring, and appliance-like to drive. Yes, there was a little of the appliance-drive in the new Corolla as always, but I was impressed with the car's suspension, steering, ride/handling combination, smooth drivetrain, low noise level, and good all-around small-car engineering.....all but the brakes (we'll get to that later). Despite the traditional Corolla appliance-like feel, I found it pleasing to drive, and, so, far, would rate it and the new Hyundai Elantra among the best of the newer small cars I've been in. Though the Honda Civic is extremely well-built, has a gas-electric Hybrid version, and has perhaps the world's easiest-to-use Front-drive manual transmission, it has some quirks that the Elantra and Corolla don't, and I don't like the Civic's two-tier dash and digital speedometer.
OK. Now for the details.
Model Reviewed: 2009 Toyota Corolla LE Automatic
Base Price: $16,650
Major Options:
All Weather Guard Package $150
Carpeted Floor Mats/Trunk Mat $199
Destination/Freight $660
List Price as reviewed $17,659
Exterior Color: Capri Sea Metallic
Interior: Beige cloth
Drivetrain: FWD, Transverse-mounted, 1.8L VVT-i in-line 4, 132 HP @ 6000 RPM, Torque 128 ft-lbs. @ 4400 RPM,
4-speed automatic transmission.
PLUSSES:
Excellent paint job.
Attractive exterior colors.
Relatively smooth ride.
Good noise isolation for a small car.
Nice-sounding stereo.
Perky engine.
Smooth-shifting transmission.
Good ride-handling combination with nice steering feel.
A good small car for long-distance-travel.
Inexpensive to insure.
Good gas mileage.
Tilt/telescope steering wheel new this year.
Solid exterior hardware.
Solid-closing doors.
Roomy, twin gloveboxes.
Nice, easy-to-use stereo.
Handy trunk-mounted rear seatback fold-down lever.
MINUSES:
Excessively spongy brakes.
Woodtone trim restricted to XLE model.
Somewhat Plain-Jane interior trim and upholstery on LE model.
Cheap, unpleasant climate-control dials.
Poor access underhood.
Distracting odometer and radio/clock backgrounds.
Relatively small fuel and temperature gauges.
5-speed automatic available only on XRS version.
EXTERIOR:
The first impression you get of the new Corolla as you walk up to it is that of a downsized Camry.....in fact, except for the Corolla's smaller size, it is not easy to tell the exteriors apart at first glance. I am not a big fan of the Camry's new styling, so naturally I wasn't terribly impresed with the Corolla's new looks (I liked last year's styling better), but of course, styling is a subjective issue (you'll notice I didn't list it as a negative), and others, of course may find it attractive.
The body sheet metal seems to be solid and of high quality, panel gaps are very tight, and the doors close with a precise, solid thud sound....the front ones slightly more so than the rear. All exterior hardware and trim is quite well-done and of high quality, especially the two side mirrors which swivel and snap with a very firm, precise feel....some of the best I've seen. The paint job, in the Toyota/Lexus tradition, was a class act for quality, smoothness, and absense of orange peel, although, ironically, the cheaper Toyota Yaris seemed to have even glossier paint (the Yaris of course, is built in different plants than the Corolla). Several paint colors offered on the new Corolla are tasteful, attractive, and classy without being too garish or funeral-home dull. My test car had a beautiful Capri Sea Metallic (a color on the LE/XLE models only) that was a medium bluish/green turquiose. Turquoise/aqua/teal shades were popular in the late 80s/early 90's but seem to have disappeared lately....I don't know why. It's one of the classiest colors on the market. I wish, though, that Toyota would offer the equally gorgeous butternut yellowish-gold from the Matrix on the Corolla sedan.....they don't.
The LE comes standard with stamped-steel wheels and silver plastic wheel covers. The plastic used on the Corolla's covers felt much more solid and less flimsy than the ones on the Elantra I reviewed a few days ago. Like the Elantra, the Corolla LE uses reltively smooth-riding 65-series tires......which are getting harder and harder to find in today's performance and handling-obsessed auto world.
UNDERHOOD:
Open the prop-rod supported hood (no, still no struts), and the transverse-mounted, 1.8L in-line four does not have the easy access of many Corollas
of yore. Toyota succumbed to the tendency of so many automakers to bolt a big, plastic engine cover on top (only this one is black where most of them are silver), and the engine is crammed in rather tightly, so do-it-yourselfers need not apply. I remember my late mother's 1994 Corolla wagon and how easy it was to do oil changes on that car.....I did most of them for her myself. Not any more. But it is not all disappointing....Dipsticks, battery, filler caps, and fluid reservoirs, however, on the new Corolla, are still fairly easy to reach.
INTERIOR:
Overall, I wasn't especially impressed by the LE interior's rather dull looks...I already stated above that I thought the XLE model was more attractive, and the Hyundai Elantra definitely, IMO, had a classier interior for the same or less money. Much of it was dull, hard monotone or muti-tone plastic, but the gauges, controls, and displays were most quite well-done, with the usual superlative, easy-to-read Toyota labeling on all the buttons and controls. My test LE model was exactly the way I like a car to be...no distracting and compliacted NAV/stereo system, simple stereo controls, no push-buttons on the steering wheel, and no complicated I-Drive controller devices. This is a car you can DRIVE, not play around with electronics.
All of the interior hardware, with one execption, was solid and well-done....that lone exception being the cheap, flimsy, black plastic spin-rings on the climate-control ***** that wobbled and felt like something out of a toy car from K-Mart (the Camry suffers from the same thing, except that the whole ***** themselves wobble).
The primary speedometer and tachometer gauges, as noted, are typical Toyota simplicity and readability, with the increasingly common light-blue illumination and red needles, but the matching fuel and temperature gauges in the lower corners could be a little larger for an easy glance. And, like the Elantra, the Corolla has distracting, low-contrast backgrounds for the odometer and radio/clock display....only the Elantra's are bluish/purple with black digits and the Corolla's are yellow-orange with black digits. Still not that hard to read, but the design could be better.
The steering column, new this year, has both manual tilt-and telescope functions.....a Corolla first. As mentioned above, I liked the simple design
with no push-buttons added (some Corollas, depending on options, do have the steering wheel buttons). The seats, while of course not sports-car seats,
have some side support in the bolsters, but are not quite as comfy-soft as the Elantra's seats. They are fairly comfortable, but, like many Toyota products, have short cushions lack some thigh support. The cloth upholstery on the LE was not as nice as that on the XLE's more plush cloth, but nontheless seemed to be a good, fairly durable grade of fabric. The stereo was quite nice for this class of car...and, as I mentioned, had clearly marked and easy-to use controls. Handy twin-gloveboxes lie on the right side of the dash; both of them are relatively roomy and have a solid-sounding and solid-feeling latch.
Headroom was fine for tall people in front; generally fine for people in the rear except that my 6' 2" frame and baseball cap just barely brushed the ceiling in back....the ceiling over the front seats (this car did not have a sunroof) has an indentation that raises it about a half-inch higher than in back, plus, of coures, the slant roofline common to so many of today's cars. Legroom was fine for me in front, but again just OK and marginal in back.
CARGO AREA/TRUNK:
The trunk is fairly well-finished, but the dark gray carpeting on the floor and sides feels a little thin. As on the Hyundai Elantra, a nice pull-lever is built into the top of the trunk....pull it, and the rear seats drop down for loading long items. On the right side of the cargo floor are two handy little cubby-comartments for carrying relatively small items. The temporary donut spare tire, like on most cars, is under the floor....a donut spare tire, IMO, is probably not out of place considering this class of car and relatively low cost. The Camry-style swept rear roofline, of course, eats into some of the trunk lid's size, but the opening itself and the size of the trunk is OK for a small car.
ON THE ROAD:
I stated in the opening section that I found the Corolla LE a pleasant car, overall, to live with, and this is the main reason why...its road manners. Start the 1.8L four up with a conventional key and switch, and it settles into a rather smooth, quiet idle. Toyota and Honda-designed fours are usually the smoothest and quietest ones in the buisness, and this one did not dissapoint. Given its limitations as an economy-car engine, it did not disappoint on the road either, with smooth, non-peaky power, although, of course, with 132 HP and 128 ft. lbs of torque, it was no dragster. Still, it has ample power for this class of car, and will at least get out of its own way when you ask it to. It is smooth on the road but not super-quiet....some exhaust drone is heard, especially under hard acceleration, but the sound insulaton is generally well-done. If more power is desired, of course, there is the XRS version with the 2.4L 158 HP four.
Likewise, the 4-speed automatic transmission, despite lacking an automanual shift-gate and an extra gear to the sportier XRS version's 5-speed, was nice and silky, with smooth, quiet shifts and agenerally refined attitude. Yes, I stated above that I think Toyota should make the 5-speed automatic available on all Corollas, but there's nothing really wrong with the 4-speed...it is smooth, quiet, and a nice transmission for everyday driving.
The chassis, like that of the Elantra, was, IMO, almost ideal for a small car. The relatively tall 65-series tires (why can't more cars have them?) absorbed bumps and noise very well. The suspension, to my tastes, did a good job of balancing ride and handling....a small-to-moderate amount of body roll combined with a ride smooth enough to be comfortable even for long distances, despite the short wheelbase. Steering response, though not sports-car crisp was fairly good, and the new electric power-steering system, unlike the novicain-numb electric systems you find on some vehicles, provided a smooth, relatively firm-effort steering feel (for a Toyota), especially as road speed increased. For my tastes, this is probably the best steering system and the most well-balanced suspension/chassis I've seen yet in an entry-level Toyota product.....especially if you are not into corner-carving.
The engineers also did their jobs on the noise isolation and ride quietness, both of which are excellent for a small car. Road/tire noise, wind noise, suspension noise, and, of course, powertrain noise, are all well-muted, though it obviously falls short of a Lexus LS460's tomb-like quietness, and, as previously mentioned, some exhaust drone is heard.
Unfortunately, it looks like the engineers spent too much time at lunch when it came time to design the brakes. No real problems with the pedal spacing or hang-ups with big shoes, but the pedal response has some of the most marked sponginess and flabbiness I've seen in some time.....probably since I drove the Chevy Tahoe (full-size GM trucks/SUV's are notorious for their weak brakes and sponginess). Press the Corolla's brake pedal and it feels like a wet noodle under your shoe. If you keep pressing it hard, you do get some response. Like most new cars today, the brakes have ABS and electronic safety features, but as this was a brand-new car that was not broken in, I did not slam the brakes hard enough to test the ABS, EFD, or Brake Assist on dry pavement (those are strictly emergency features), but I can say that the pedal response in normal driving and braking was, IMO, less than satisfactory. I will be watching for some auto-magazine tests to see what kind of stopping distances they get....they, of course, unlike me, test their cars to the limit (I just do general-driving reviews with some moderately-hard stpping and handling).
All in all, though, I think that, like the Elantra, this would be a good small car for a long, relaxed trip, if the seats are comfortable to you. Its powertrain and road manners are quite refined for a small car, and it cruises and drives much like a slightly smaller Camry.
THE VERDICT?
Toyota has done a nice job on the 10th generation American-market Corolla, though, like with some other small cars, the marketers have made too many restrictions on which options, equipment, and colors are available on whicn trim lines. And those trim lines themselves have been needlessly reshuffled with an alphabet game. While there are some hints of cost-cutting here and there, the car is generally built quite well, with good materials except for some flimsy interior dials. The road manners and powetrain refinement are excellent for a small car, the car has a stellar relability record (one of the best in the auto industry), and, if not a limo, it is roomy enough inside for at least moderately tall adults. It has good EPA mileage figures (the 4-speed automatic, with the 1.8L engine, actally outdoes the manual in city MPG), and, of course, uses lower-priced regular 87 octane (just check the pump price of premium fuel nowadays).
But the Hyundai Elantra offers similiar refined road manners, a more attractive interior (IMO), a much longer warranty, at the same price (or lower) than a Corolla. The Elantra's engine is slightly noisier (nobody outdoes Toyota or Honda in producing smooth, quiet four-cylinders), its steering response/feel slightly less crisp than the Corolla's, and its road/tire noise slightly higher. But the two cars are similiar in many ways....and I can recommend both to the typical small shopper with no reservations at all.
http://www.toyota.com/corolla/
(XLE interior shown....I couldn't find a shot of the LE's interior, but it's basically the same without wood paneling)
In a Nutshell: Ubiquitous, reliable, and appliance-like, Mr. Commuter enters its 10th generation.
The ubiquitous Toyota Corolla first entered the American market in the late 1960s, and, since then, it has gone on to become the world's best-selling car ever, eclipsing such famous best-selling cars as the VW Beetle, Ford Model T, and Honda Civic. Over the years, It has been offered in sedan, coupe, hatchback, and wagon versions, Front-Drive, Rear-drive, and All-Wheel Drive...almost any version you can think of. It has spawned other car lines off its platform like the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Chevrolet Nova, Chevrolet/Geo Prizm, and even an SUV derivitive.....the Toyota RAV4. The car's history, and its derivitives, are too complex to go into here with just a couple of paragraphs.....and many of you already know the history well anyway, so I'll skip the details and get to the current, 10th-generation model, new this year but classified as a 2009 model.
Five versions of the new Corolla are offered in the American market, all of them 4-door sedans.....Base Corolla, LE, XLE, S, and XRS (the former CE designation is dropped). All but the XRS use the 132 HP 1.8L in-line four....the XRS uses the 158 HP 2.4L version. Base Corollas and SE models get a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, LE and XLE models the 4-speed automatic only, and the XRS a choice of 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic (the 5-speed automatic, IMO, should be a option in all of the versions, but isn't). What has happened is that there was really a re-shuffling of the former trim lines. The former CE designation for the entry-level model vanished this year and is replaced by the Base Corolla. Last year's LE model, with the wood-trim interior, loses the wood trim and becomes the intermediate model. The XLE model, new this year, with what I consider the nicest Corolla interior and upholstery, takes the place of last year's LE. The mildly-sporting Corolla S model continues more or less as before, and the more overtly-sporting XLS model gets a new larger engine. Don't you just love the games that auto marketers play? They always were, and always will be, the bane of my existance......if it weren't for them, I'd have little to b**ch about in life, even in retirement.
After looking at all five of the new Corolla versions today, I clearly liked the looks of the XLE best, though I wish it had the LE's smooth-riding 65-series tires (the XLE has alloy wheels and firmer 55-series rubber). But the review request was for an LE automatic (and a quick comparison to the Hyundai Elantra), so, of course, I'll concentrate on that model....the LE. Nevertheless, I found the LE, although somewhat plainer and less attractive inside, quite pleasant to drive for a small car.
American-market Corollas have often been criticized as dull, boring, and appliance-like to drive. Yes, there was a little of the appliance-drive in the new Corolla as always, but I was impressed with the car's suspension, steering, ride/handling combination, smooth drivetrain, low noise level, and good all-around small-car engineering.....all but the brakes (we'll get to that later). Despite the traditional Corolla appliance-like feel, I found it pleasing to drive, and, so, far, would rate it and the new Hyundai Elantra among the best of the newer small cars I've been in. Though the Honda Civic is extremely well-built, has a gas-electric Hybrid version, and has perhaps the world's easiest-to-use Front-drive manual transmission, it has some quirks that the Elantra and Corolla don't, and I don't like the Civic's two-tier dash and digital speedometer.
OK. Now for the details.
Model Reviewed: 2009 Toyota Corolla LE Automatic
Base Price: $16,650
Major Options:
All Weather Guard Package $150
Carpeted Floor Mats/Trunk Mat $199
Destination/Freight $660
List Price as reviewed $17,659
Exterior Color: Capri Sea Metallic
Interior: Beige cloth
Drivetrain: FWD, Transverse-mounted, 1.8L VVT-i in-line 4, 132 HP @ 6000 RPM, Torque 128 ft-lbs. @ 4400 RPM,
4-speed automatic transmission.
PLUSSES:
Excellent paint job.
Attractive exterior colors.
Relatively smooth ride.
Good noise isolation for a small car.
Nice-sounding stereo.
Perky engine.
Smooth-shifting transmission.
Good ride-handling combination with nice steering feel.
A good small car for long-distance-travel.
Inexpensive to insure.
Good gas mileage.
Tilt/telescope steering wheel new this year.
Solid exterior hardware.
Solid-closing doors.
Roomy, twin gloveboxes.
Nice, easy-to-use stereo.
Handy trunk-mounted rear seatback fold-down lever.
MINUSES:
Excessively spongy brakes.
Woodtone trim restricted to XLE model.
Somewhat Plain-Jane interior trim and upholstery on LE model.
Cheap, unpleasant climate-control dials.
Poor access underhood.
Distracting odometer and radio/clock backgrounds.
Relatively small fuel and temperature gauges.
5-speed automatic available only on XRS version.
EXTERIOR:
The first impression you get of the new Corolla as you walk up to it is that of a downsized Camry.....in fact, except for the Corolla's smaller size, it is not easy to tell the exteriors apart at first glance. I am not a big fan of the Camry's new styling, so naturally I wasn't terribly impresed with the Corolla's new looks (I liked last year's styling better), but of course, styling is a subjective issue (you'll notice I didn't list it as a negative), and others, of course may find it attractive.
The body sheet metal seems to be solid and of high quality, panel gaps are very tight, and the doors close with a precise, solid thud sound....the front ones slightly more so than the rear. All exterior hardware and trim is quite well-done and of high quality, especially the two side mirrors which swivel and snap with a very firm, precise feel....some of the best I've seen. The paint job, in the Toyota/Lexus tradition, was a class act for quality, smoothness, and absense of orange peel, although, ironically, the cheaper Toyota Yaris seemed to have even glossier paint (the Yaris of course, is built in different plants than the Corolla). Several paint colors offered on the new Corolla are tasteful, attractive, and classy without being too garish or funeral-home dull. My test car had a beautiful Capri Sea Metallic (a color on the LE/XLE models only) that was a medium bluish/green turquiose. Turquoise/aqua/teal shades were popular in the late 80s/early 90's but seem to have disappeared lately....I don't know why. It's one of the classiest colors on the market. I wish, though, that Toyota would offer the equally gorgeous butternut yellowish-gold from the Matrix on the Corolla sedan.....they don't.
The LE comes standard with stamped-steel wheels and silver plastic wheel covers. The plastic used on the Corolla's covers felt much more solid and less flimsy than the ones on the Elantra I reviewed a few days ago. Like the Elantra, the Corolla LE uses reltively smooth-riding 65-series tires......which are getting harder and harder to find in today's performance and handling-obsessed auto world.
UNDERHOOD:
Open the prop-rod supported hood (no, still no struts), and the transverse-mounted, 1.8L in-line four does not have the easy access of many Corollas
of yore. Toyota succumbed to the tendency of so many automakers to bolt a big, plastic engine cover on top (only this one is black where most of them are silver), and the engine is crammed in rather tightly, so do-it-yourselfers need not apply. I remember my late mother's 1994 Corolla wagon and how easy it was to do oil changes on that car.....I did most of them for her myself. Not any more. But it is not all disappointing....Dipsticks, battery, filler caps, and fluid reservoirs, however, on the new Corolla, are still fairly easy to reach.
INTERIOR:
Overall, I wasn't especially impressed by the LE interior's rather dull looks...I already stated above that I thought the XLE model was more attractive, and the Hyundai Elantra definitely, IMO, had a classier interior for the same or less money. Much of it was dull, hard monotone or muti-tone plastic, but the gauges, controls, and displays were most quite well-done, with the usual superlative, easy-to-read Toyota labeling on all the buttons and controls. My test LE model was exactly the way I like a car to be...no distracting and compliacted NAV/stereo system, simple stereo controls, no push-buttons on the steering wheel, and no complicated I-Drive controller devices. This is a car you can DRIVE, not play around with electronics.
All of the interior hardware, with one execption, was solid and well-done....that lone exception being the cheap, flimsy, black plastic spin-rings on the climate-control ***** that wobbled and felt like something out of a toy car from K-Mart (the Camry suffers from the same thing, except that the whole ***** themselves wobble).
The primary speedometer and tachometer gauges, as noted, are typical Toyota simplicity and readability, with the increasingly common light-blue illumination and red needles, but the matching fuel and temperature gauges in the lower corners could be a little larger for an easy glance. And, like the Elantra, the Corolla has distracting, low-contrast backgrounds for the odometer and radio/clock display....only the Elantra's are bluish/purple with black digits and the Corolla's are yellow-orange with black digits. Still not that hard to read, but the design could be better.
The steering column, new this year, has both manual tilt-and telescope functions.....a Corolla first. As mentioned above, I liked the simple design
with no push-buttons added (some Corollas, depending on options, do have the steering wheel buttons). The seats, while of course not sports-car seats,
have some side support in the bolsters, but are not quite as comfy-soft as the Elantra's seats. They are fairly comfortable, but, like many Toyota products, have short cushions lack some thigh support. The cloth upholstery on the LE was not as nice as that on the XLE's more plush cloth, but nontheless seemed to be a good, fairly durable grade of fabric. The stereo was quite nice for this class of car...and, as I mentioned, had clearly marked and easy-to use controls. Handy twin-gloveboxes lie on the right side of the dash; both of them are relatively roomy and have a solid-sounding and solid-feeling latch.
Headroom was fine for tall people in front; generally fine for people in the rear except that my 6' 2" frame and baseball cap just barely brushed the ceiling in back....the ceiling over the front seats (this car did not have a sunroof) has an indentation that raises it about a half-inch higher than in back, plus, of coures, the slant roofline common to so many of today's cars. Legroom was fine for me in front, but again just OK and marginal in back.
CARGO AREA/TRUNK:
The trunk is fairly well-finished, but the dark gray carpeting on the floor and sides feels a little thin. As on the Hyundai Elantra, a nice pull-lever is built into the top of the trunk....pull it, and the rear seats drop down for loading long items. On the right side of the cargo floor are two handy little cubby-comartments for carrying relatively small items. The temporary donut spare tire, like on most cars, is under the floor....a donut spare tire, IMO, is probably not out of place considering this class of car and relatively low cost. The Camry-style swept rear roofline, of course, eats into some of the trunk lid's size, but the opening itself and the size of the trunk is OK for a small car.
ON THE ROAD:
I stated in the opening section that I found the Corolla LE a pleasant car, overall, to live with, and this is the main reason why...its road manners. Start the 1.8L four up with a conventional key and switch, and it settles into a rather smooth, quiet idle. Toyota and Honda-designed fours are usually the smoothest and quietest ones in the buisness, and this one did not dissapoint. Given its limitations as an economy-car engine, it did not disappoint on the road either, with smooth, non-peaky power, although, of course, with 132 HP and 128 ft. lbs of torque, it was no dragster. Still, it has ample power for this class of car, and will at least get out of its own way when you ask it to. It is smooth on the road but not super-quiet....some exhaust drone is heard, especially under hard acceleration, but the sound insulaton is generally well-done. If more power is desired, of course, there is the XRS version with the 2.4L 158 HP four.
Likewise, the 4-speed automatic transmission, despite lacking an automanual shift-gate and an extra gear to the sportier XRS version's 5-speed, was nice and silky, with smooth, quiet shifts and agenerally refined attitude. Yes, I stated above that I think Toyota should make the 5-speed automatic available on all Corollas, but there's nothing really wrong with the 4-speed...it is smooth, quiet, and a nice transmission for everyday driving.
The chassis, like that of the Elantra, was, IMO, almost ideal for a small car. The relatively tall 65-series tires (why can't more cars have them?) absorbed bumps and noise very well. The suspension, to my tastes, did a good job of balancing ride and handling....a small-to-moderate amount of body roll combined with a ride smooth enough to be comfortable even for long distances, despite the short wheelbase. Steering response, though not sports-car crisp was fairly good, and the new electric power-steering system, unlike the novicain-numb electric systems you find on some vehicles, provided a smooth, relatively firm-effort steering feel (for a Toyota), especially as road speed increased. For my tastes, this is probably the best steering system and the most well-balanced suspension/chassis I've seen yet in an entry-level Toyota product.....especially if you are not into corner-carving.
The engineers also did their jobs on the noise isolation and ride quietness, both of which are excellent for a small car. Road/tire noise, wind noise, suspension noise, and, of course, powertrain noise, are all well-muted, though it obviously falls short of a Lexus LS460's tomb-like quietness, and, as previously mentioned, some exhaust drone is heard.
Unfortunately, it looks like the engineers spent too much time at lunch when it came time to design the brakes. No real problems with the pedal spacing or hang-ups with big shoes, but the pedal response has some of the most marked sponginess and flabbiness I've seen in some time.....probably since I drove the Chevy Tahoe (full-size GM trucks/SUV's are notorious for their weak brakes and sponginess). Press the Corolla's brake pedal and it feels like a wet noodle under your shoe. If you keep pressing it hard, you do get some response. Like most new cars today, the brakes have ABS and electronic safety features, but as this was a brand-new car that was not broken in, I did not slam the brakes hard enough to test the ABS, EFD, or Brake Assist on dry pavement (those are strictly emergency features), but I can say that the pedal response in normal driving and braking was, IMO, less than satisfactory. I will be watching for some auto-magazine tests to see what kind of stopping distances they get....they, of course, unlike me, test their cars to the limit (I just do general-driving reviews with some moderately-hard stpping and handling).
All in all, though, I think that, like the Elantra, this would be a good small car for a long, relaxed trip, if the seats are comfortable to you. Its powertrain and road manners are quite refined for a small car, and it cruises and drives much like a slightly smaller Camry.
THE VERDICT?
Toyota has done a nice job on the 10th generation American-market Corolla, though, like with some other small cars, the marketers have made too many restrictions on which options, equipment, and colors are available on whicn trim lines. And those trim lines themselves have been needlessly reshuffled with an alphabet game. While there are some hints of cost-cutting here and there, the car is generally built quite well, with good materials except for some flimsy interior dials. The road manners and powetrain refinement are excellent for a small car, the car has a stellar relability record (one of the best in the auto industry), and, if not a limo, it is roomy enough inside for at least moderately tall adults. It has good EPA mileage figures (the 4-speed automatic, with the 1.8L engine, actally outdoes the manual in city MPG), and, of course, uses lower-priced regular 87 octane (just check the pump price of premium fuel nowadays).
But the Hyundai Elantra offers similiar refined road manners, a more attractive interior (IMO), a much longer warranty, at the same price (or lower) than a Corolla. The Elantra's engine is slightly noisier (nobody outdoes Toyota or Honda in producing smooth, quiet four-cylinders), its steering response/feel slightly less crisp than the Corolla's, and its road/tire noise slightly higher. But the two cars are similiar in many ways....and I can recommend both to the typical small shopper with no reservations at all.
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-06-08 at 06:39 PM.
03-06-08, 04:18 PM
#3
Despite the traditional Corolla appliance-like feel, I found it pleasing to drive, and, so, far, I would rate it and the new Hyundai Elantra among the best of the newer small cars I've been in...
...and I can recommend both to the typical small shopper with no reservations at all.
I'm glad to hear that the Corolla continues to focus on value without sacrificing too much quality when compared to its competitors.
I asked about the Corolla because, just like the Camry, it is one of Toyota's mainstream vehicles; the OLD Corolla sold over 371k units in 2007 alone! To cheapen an already cheap car would have been disastrous, and I'm glad that the Corolla continues to maintain its heartiness, unlike the drastic changes that the new-gen Camry went through.
As far as the brakes are concerned, I have always thought that most (if not all) Toyotas suffer the "spongy brake gene." I've driven almost all Toyota vehicles currently on sale in the U.S. market, and I haven't found one that supplies efficient braking habits. Of course, Lexus vehicles have been able to address this issue, but I wish it would translate to Toyota vehicles as well...
Last edited by PhilipMSPT; 03-06-08 at 04:31 PM.
03-06-08, 04:18 PM
#5
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MMarshall, nice review!
Just a suggestion, it would be nice if you come up with some kind of rating scale for each section review. for example, interior (5/5 starts or something)
Just a suggestion, it would be nice if you come up with some kind of rating scale for each section review. for example, interior (5/5 starts or something)
03-06-08, 04:28 PM
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Great review, sounds like Toyota did a good job on the new Corolla and it's not a dissapointment as some other sites say it is.
How would you compare the refinement of the new Corolla compared to the old one? With regards to the interior, how was the fit and finish? Were there any squeeks and rattles? How does the interior quality and fit and finish compare to the previous Corolla?
The Corolla LE in Canada is optioned differently and if you were to have reviewed a Canadian LE then you'd have 3 less minuses.
The Canadian Corolla LE comes standard with Auto Climate Control (from the European Corolla), wood trim, Smart Entry, push button start, alloy wheels, and Optitron gauges, among other things.
Here is a picture:
Overall the Canadian Corolla LE comes better equipped than the US LE, no doubt due to the fact that the Canadian market likes compacts a lot more than the American market. I would say the Canadian LE is more equivalent to the US XLE right now.
Combined with the recent MSRP reductions that Toyota Canada has implemented, the 2009 Corolla LE right now is a great deal for Canadians. Of course, even the base model is a great deal as well.
How would you compare the refinement of the new Corolla compared to the old one? With regards to the interior, how was the fit and finish? Were there any squeeks and rattles? How does the interior quality and fit and finish compare to the previous Corolla?
The Corolla LE in Canada is optioned differently and if you were to have reviewed a Canadian LE then you'd have 3 less minuses.
The Canadian Corolla LE comes standard with Auto Climate Control (from the European Corolla), wood trim, Smart Entry, push button start, alloy wheels, and Optitron gauges, among other things.
Here is a picture:
Overall the Canadian Corolla LE comes better equipped than the US LE, no doubt due to the fact that the Canadian market likes compacts a lot more than the American market. I would say the Canadian LE is more equivalent to the US XLE right now.
Combined with the recent MSRP reductions that Toyota Canada has implemented, the 2009 Corolla LE right now is a great deal for Canadians. Of course, even the base model is a great deal as well.
03-06-08, 05:10 PM
#7
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I thought about that, but I do the reviews and the PLUSSES/MINUSES lists in such detail that IMO it is difficult to boil everything down to simple 1-10 numbers. Take the Cadillac Escalade's huge and complex interior, for instance. It is such a jumble of good parts, bad parts, nice design, lousy design, solidness, cheapness, good-vs-lousy fit and finsh, etc....that it is almost impossible to assign a single number to it. That's why I prefer a separate list of plusses and minuses and explain each part of the vehicle in as best a detail as I can. Most of my readers seem to like it that way.
But thanks for the suggestion.
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03-06-08, 05:13 PM
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03-06-08, 05:18 PM
#9
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=PhilipMSPT;3337711
Thanks Mike.
Thanks Mike.
Sure. Anytime.
As far as the brakes are concerned, I have always thought that most (if not all) Toyotas suffer the "spongy brake gene." I've driven almost all Toyota vehicles currently on sale in the U.S. market, and I haven't found one that supplies efficient braking habits. Of course, Lexus vehicles have been able to address this issue, but I wish it would translate to Toyota vehicles as well...
03-06-08, 05:40 PM
#10
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How would you compare the refinement of the new Corolla compared to the old one? With regards to the interior, how was the fit and finish? Were there any squeeks and rattles? How does the interior quality and fit and finish compare to the previous Corolla?
General refinement, new vs. old? I like the new one's steering, suspension, and drivetrain more, though the old one wasn't exactly a truck either. The steering feel, especially, with the new electric power-steering system, is notably better than the old one, though I wouldn't put either of them in BMW's league for steering.
The Corolla LE in Canada is optioned differently and if you were to have reviewed a Canadian LE then you'd have 3 less minuses.
The Canadian Corolla LE comes standard with Auto Climate Control (from the European Corolla), wood trim, Smart Entry, push button start, alloy wheels, and Optitron gauges, among other things.
The Canadian Corolla LE comes standard with Auto Climate Control (from the European Corolla), wood trim, Smart Entry, push button start, alloy wheels, and Optitron gauges, among other things.
Here is a picture:
Overall the Canadian Corolla LE comes better equipped than the US LE, no doubt due to the fact that the Canadian market likes compacts a lot more than the American market. I would say the Canadian LE is more equivalent to the US XLE right now.
Combined with the recent MSRP reductions that Toyota Canada has implemented, the 2009 Corolla LE right now is a great deal for Canadians. Of course, even the base model is a great deal as well.
Combined with the recent MSRP reductions that Toyota Canada has implemented, the 2009 Corolla LE right now is a great deal for Canadians. Of course, even the base model is a great deal as well.
I agree, though, that the Canadian LE's interior looks impressive (and that's a good picture you posted)
.....perhaps the Canadian LE takes the place of the American-market XLE in Canada?
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-06-08 at 05:45 PM.
03-06-08, 05:47 PM
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It seems like the Canadian LE up here is our "XLE" so to speak. The XLE is the most luxurious model, but up here in Canada we don't have an XLE, so Toyota Canada made the LE our "luxury" Corolla.
It's also interesting that you can't get Auto Climate Control at all on US Corollas, but it's standard up here on our Canadian LE.
It's also interesting that you can't get Auto Climate Control at all on US Corollas, but it's standard up here on our Canadian LE.
03-06-08, 05:56 PM
#12
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Well, when it is way below zero up there during a Canadian winter, I guess folks want the best climate-control system Toyota can put on the car. Where I live in the DC area, for example, it rarely gets below 10 or 15 degrees.
03-06-08, 06:01 PM
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Also given how big compacts are in the Canadian market, it makes sense to offer more toys and options.
