Toyota Corolla review: The best used small sedan – MoneySense

But before we get into the Toyota Corolla review, let’s give props to Akio Toyoda. In 2016, Toyota’s then-president and CEO (he stepped down in January 2023) declared that he was done with boring cars, delighting everyone who dearly missed the last-generation Supra, MR2 or Celica, amongst others. Toyoda knew he was making a bold claim—Toyota is one of the world’s largest carmakers, and ushering in sweeping changes takes time.

Since Toyoda issued that challenge to his team, however, the company’s progress has been brisk—it has released new versions of the Camry and Supra, as well as the company’s bestseller: the Corolla.

Is the Toyota Corolla a good car?

Yes, it’s a great car, and improvements have kept coming over the years. For model year 2014, Toyota launched an all-new version of the Corolla, complete with standard 17-inch wheels, a more chiselled exterior design and improved fuel efficiency thanks to a new transmission and ECO trim level. This 11th-generation Corolla was refreshed for model year 2017, just in time for the car’s 50th birthday: it received new safety features, styling updates and interior improvements. 

In 2019, the Corolla hatchback arrived, and 2020 marked the introduction of a new 12th-generation sedan model complete with available hybrid power. Model year 2021 saw the introduction of a sportier Corolla Apex Edition model with unique styling and a higher-performing suspension. The 2021 Corolla also got Android Auto, joining Amazon Alexa and Apple CarPlay functionality added the previous year. Additional airbags make for 10 in total, and advanced safety equipment is now standard across a wider range of models. If it’s in your budget, a 2021 Corolla is likely your best bet.

If we hadn’t told you the car in the photo above was a Corolla, would you have known? It looks particularly slick in Blue Flame paint, which is about as far from Corolla’s default livery of beige as you can get. Toyota front grilles can be pretty polarizing, but this car makes the design look cool. 

The excitement has been amped up inside as well—not as dramatically as on the outside, but what the interior lacks in style, the Corolla makes up for in function. Toyota’s expertise in build quality and ergonomics is on full display, and everything is tastefully designed. The dashboard features an eight-inch infotainment screen with Toyota’s Entune app suite.

On the safety front, Toyota’s got you covered with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and safety technologies including blind spot warning, collision warning, pedestrian detection, lane departure alert/steering assist, all-speed dynamic radar cruise control and automatic high beams.

The Toyota Corolla engine: What’s really inside this used car?

While the recent Corolla Hatchback is undeniably sportier than its predecessors, it isn’t ready for the big leagues just yet. Let’s look at the engine, a 2.5-litre unit that Toyota calls “Dynamic Force.” The good points: It makes much more power than before and sports a lofty 13:1 compression ratio but still runs happily and efficiently on regular gas.

The downside: The horsepower seems to be provided by Clydesdales instead of thoroughbreds (meaning it doesn’t really feel all that quick), the engine doesn’t sound thrilled to be revved past 4,000 rpm, and when we shift gears, its management software causes it to hang on to revs more dearly than an aging star quarterback clinging to faded glory.