The Toyota Corolla is the world’s best-selling passenger car for a number of reasons. The Corolla offers textbook Toyota reliability, a comfortable and well-conceived cabin, and fuel-efficiency that rivals many hybrids and sub-compacts. For 2009, the tenth generation model has been redesigned, but maintains the same characteristics that have produced 30 million sales and counting.
Standard Corolla models offer a 1.8-liter base engine that outputs an adequate 132 horsepower. This four-cylinder mates with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. Both setups yield impressive fuel economy to the tune of 27 in the city and 35 on the highway—without hybrid batteries, motors and computer systems.
As in the past, the Corolla offers a soft, compliant ride. Its emphasis is on road comfort, which makes it a fantastic daily driver or commuter car. It is also ideal for longer highway journeys. But don’t expect the Corolla to handle like a champ or zip you in and out of traffic the way a Mazda 3 or a Mitsubishi Lancer would. The Toyota Corolla might disappoint some younger drivers looking for a more responsive experience on the road.
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