Overview & Reviews

Well into its fourth decade of production, the compact Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car in automotive history, and for good reason. Small, inexpensive, fuel-efficient and as reliable as the day is long, the Corolla is the quintessential economy car. As long as you change the oil on time and don't hit a tree, any Corolla should provide dependable transportation well past the 100,000-mile mark. That's why so many shoppers keep buying Corollas year after year.

Since its 1968 introduction in the U.S., the Toyota Corolla has come in a variety of body styles, including a sedan, coupe, hatchback and wagon. More recently, however, it has only been available as a sedan. Today's Corolla has almost as much rear passenger space as a midsize sedan and its fuel economy is impressive. Although rivals boast sportier designs and more entertaining driving dynamics, a Corolla is nonetheless an excellent choice for smart consumers on a budget.

User Reviews:

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  Sad to See It Go - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By herzogtum71 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  I have done nothing to this car except routine maintenance in almost 10 years. Over 110,000 miles it has averaged just under 35 miles per gallon. If they sold a new Corolla wagon in the US as they do in other countries, I would go for it. (The cargo area in the Matrix that is sold here is not as big as these other Corolla wagons.) I need to trade this one because of new drivers in the family -- need an automatic transmission and new-generation airbags.

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  Toyota is forever! - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Don - December 23 - 2:00 pm

  Handle great, 34MPG in city, 38MPG on highway, Cruises at 70 with little effort, Very roomy interior, good visibility for control Comfortable on long trips

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  Better than I thought - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By mrfoam - December 23 - 10:00 am

  I had done extensive research, so I was ready for a fight at the dealership. Since I went through Costcos website, I got the car for $600 over dealer cost. The salesman actually quoted a lower price than I was expecting. I bought the car for my wife, but I find myself driving it all the time. The best surprise is the height. No longer do we have to pull ourselves out of the car (like with our 94 Corolla). There is also much more room in the back seat - it really does seat 5 people. I heard one salesman refer to this car as the "The Little Camry". Great Looking - Great Comfort - Great Gas Mileage

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  better than honda - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By formerhondaowner - December 23 - 10:00 am

  We traded a 2000 Honda Civic which was fine and very reliable but tested the Corolla and fell in love with the ride, design inside and out and the size/safety features. It is bigger and seems to be better built than the Honda 2000 and 2002 models. Great car so far..only 2 weeks old.

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  rethinking my purchase - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By toyotaS2007 owner - December 22 - 6:53 pm

  First time new Toyota Corolla-S owner (had 2 used Hondas prior to this). Agree with this cars tendency to drift & shake in wind or rain. Im religious about scheduled maintenance, yet car shut down on me spontaneously on the highway. Had only 130K miles on it. Engine Control Unit had to be replaced! Same thing happened to my brother who has a 2006 Corolla-S. Now with the Toyota recall fiasco, Im rethinking this purchase...shouldve stuck with Honda.

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  Over 3 years and Im still giddy - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Zippy - December 19 - 4:13 pm

  I test drove the Civic and the Corolla, and the Corolla was faster, tighter and got better mileage. I still wanted something quicker and tried the XRS. It was WELL worth the extra money. I LOVE driving this car! That said, the power curve is not at all smooth and Ive adjusted how I drive to compensate. You almost have to plan ahead. I put a graphite gear shifter knob on it which really improved my ability to "feel" the gears and shift with accuracy. The car pushes a little around corners, but I guess thats safer than the alternative. I didnt know it only took premium until after two tanks of regular. I dont like paying more for gas, but its still worth it.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By David Green - December 18 - 11:30 am

  I just bought this car as a replacement for an aging Lebaron and cant be happier. It is very quiet and rides very nicely. My only gripe would be that ABS should be standard in this day and age but overall this is a great car for what you pay.

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  60,000 miles on s-speed manual - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By Schooby - December 17 - 5:35 am

  I purchased this car brand new in Charleston, SC for $15,600. It features the 6-speed manual trans. I have just hit 60,000 miles and the car runs excellent. I average 41.6 miles per gallon, when the car was brand new it was 41.9 to 42 miles per gallon, mostly highway driving at 60 MPH. I am still on the original factory tires and they still have a decent amount of tread left. I change my oil every 5k miles using the cheapest 0W-20 full synthetic I can find usually at Napa. The main complaint is the Blue Tooth, periodically it will disconnect from my phone for no readily apparent reason. It is not the phones fault as I have had 4 different phones in this car and the blue tooth will disconnect and sometimes take 20 minutes to an hour before connecting again. Also quite frequently while parked the car will not go into reverse. You must inch the car forward in first gear to get the gears to line up for reverse. This happens abut 1 in every 4 times I need to use reverse while stopped. Not a big deal. The cup holders are in between the gear shifter and the center console arm rest, so tall drinks with straws may interfere with your forearm while shifting. I had the cruise control installed aftermarket for $400, both the brake and clutch pedal deactivate the cruise. The car isnt very fast off the line nor is it fast when passing unless you grab a much lower gear and get that engine to rev up higher. This car is designed to be affordable and reliable and it is exactly that. at 41.6 miles per gallon it is very cheap to drive. During the past 60,000 miles I have had no warranty issues at all, the only thing I had the dealership do was adjust the headlights a little bit lower. From the factory they seemed high and I was constantly having other drivers flash their high beams at me thinking I had my brights on. My wife complains that the head rest tilt her head too far forward and she flips them around while driving. I do not have this problem. She is 5ft3in tall I am 5ft8in. This is a timing chain driven engine which is a plus, no timing belts! Driving in the hills of Western NC near Ashville the car did very well on the interstate in 6th gear at 70 MPH, steep grades may require dropping into 5th gear. AC works well in 95+ heat and cools the car rather quickly

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  2009 Corolla S 4A - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Chan - December 16 - 10:40 am

  Its a great car for the city and for the highway, and it definitely does draw looks from other drivers. The car picks up very quick, and brakes even quicker, its a little pricey as compared to other compacts but I feel I got my moneys worth.

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  Great fuel economy and value for cost - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By PATraveler - December 15 - 8:13 am

  Getting 41 mpg+ on just 2nd tank of gas which makes everything else non-significant. Runs very quiet. Automatic lights and door locks nice features. Missing features: need clock in radio. Have to reach for door arm rests; uncomfortable. Seats arent comfortable for long trips - lumbar area. Std. fabric quality is poor,will snag and show dirt quickly; already missing leather seats. Trunk latch in dumb place on floor, along with gas cap release, which will surely catch snow and dirt. Extra half inch of head room would have been nice as well as adjustable foot pedals. Since it only cost 20 bucks to fill it up after driving all day, I will learn to like everything else about the car.