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:

• 

  Good but Not Great - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Good but not Great - November 26 - 7:16 am

  Overall it is a great car. Fun to drive, a lot of pep for a car this size (without A/C, and only driver). Good design, holds up well. Got the car Feb 2005 - and it has 90,000 miles on it Sept 2008. No Major complaints, would recommend to anyone. Had to get the ECU changed within the first couple of months because it was hard to start. The tires wore extremely bad on edge even after Toyota Dealership aligned them Only 16K on 60K tires. Got them aligned recently and it has been much better. Passenger window rattles at any speed. Also the idle/tensioner pulley makes ticking noises and has been replaced 5 times, yes five times. Without the extended warranty Im sure this would probably be costly.

• 

  I love my Sandpiper! - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By taylorruckus - November 26 - 6:39 am

  My great-grandmother bought this car new, and when she passed it went onto my grandmother, and now its mine. With 265,000 miles on it, this car is so unbelievably reliable! I have never broken down. Its only problems are a leak in the power steering fluid (an $800 fix, but no problem if you just top off the fluid every other week), broken interior lights and weak door handles that break every couple of years. This car is such a ridiculous value if you need something that will get you where you need to go-- and I get at least 29 miles to the gallon, sometimes more.

• 

  Transmission Problems - 2011 Toyota Corolla
  By joenenninmo - November 19 - 9:52 pm

  At a steady speed, steady rpm between 2000 and 3000, on flat surface the rpm suddenly drops 200 to 500 rpm then jumps back up to cruise. Does this every fifteen seconds or so almost all the time. Dealer service says "Oh yeah, thats what Corollas do" "Theres no fix" Its VERY annoying. May have something to do with Downhill Braking assist of the electronic transmission. VERY annoying. Many other owners have reported exact same thing and Toyota doesnt appear to be doing anything about it. I would avoid Corrollas until they fix this.

• 

  A Corolla with Camry Power - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Frederick - November 18 - 2:20 am

  This is a Corolla, but it looks sportier than previous model. Personally, I like to to look like a Corolla S which got a 1.8L powerplant - i.e. people will think that they can easily pass me. My XRS usually surprises people driving an Integra who think they can overtake me from stop (except they brutally cut into line, then I give up). It got tremendous torque for such a small car. However, it does come with a price - the gas mileage isnt great at all. Besides, the suspension is a bit too stiff. You can feel every manhole cover and every uneven spots on the road - a bit annoying. Aside from that, it is a nice little car - storage is great and interior feels spacious.

• 

  Excellent Transportation - 2002 Toyota Corolla
  By Felito - November 16 - 2:00 am

  Amazing little car it gets 39 MPG with 5 speed manual transmission. Excellent commuter. I paid $11,800 for this jewel brand new and it has been a very reliable automobile. Its going on 60K miles and no problem. It has Air Conditioning but no power windows.

• 

  Lived Up to Rep - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Steve Marsh - November 15 - 10:39 am

  Got pretty good deal on 2010 LE Toyota Corolla. Paid few hundred dollars less than average cost. Decent miles for a 2010 (75,000 miles). No significant bells and whistles, so pretty basic. Previous owners spilled bucket of pickle juice on back seat, so a repeated ordeal trying to remove smell, but just bad luck. Overall pleased.

• 

  I made the right decision!!! - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By lifeisgood76 - November 11 - 10:00 am

  I realy like this car. It was between this, the civic and the Hyundai Sonata. I chose this one because the inviting interior, the sporty look, and the whole price/package. I am enjoying this after the first week!

• 

  The Best of Many Worlds - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By P. Onsager - November 9 - 2:36 pm

  I spent a lot of time deciding on a car. I was almost sure I wanted a Civic Si, but when I randomly saw and test drove the XRS, my search had come to an end. It combines comfort, very decent styling, excellent interior materials and build quality, and easily the most rev-happy engine in its class. It can be driven mildly, as it doesnt actually hit 170hp until high (6-7k) rps but if you actually enjoy driving, its a blast. Love revving way up in 1st and youre good to go from there on out. Combine these things with the fact that Toyota has maintained a reliability record that with Honda has been on the decline, and you have one great car...if youre lucky enough to find one!

• 

  Almost Flawless - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By pat - November 5 - 7:46 pm

  A member of my family bought this car new in 97. I took ownership in 05 with 130K miles. This car has never been a problem!! Besides scheduled maintenance there has been little work done. It now has 190K miles on original wheel bearings, axles, exhaust, alternator, starter, engine, tranny, you name it. We have never seen a Check Engine light or had any sort of breakdown. I would drive it cross-country tomorrow if I had to. The only problem that has come up, besides just starting to use oil (1 quart in 2000 miles) is that the AC wont work in cool weather to defrost the windows but works fine in summer heat. Absolutely the best car Ive ever owned.

• 

  cute, fun car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By alexp - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Nice car. What I would expect from a car for $15K. Sports package (name only), not really sporty except for looks. Engine options and handing options would be nice for this S package. Fun to drive. Engine even has a little kick to it.