COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT:
The first thing I noticed when I jumped into this 2011 Toyota Corolla LE for the drive home on Friday was the cloth seats. I'm not a fan of cloth seats, and they made for a warm cabin over a warm weekend. And, your clothes stick to them. Thank goodness the air-conditioning unit was up to the task of cooling things off quickly.
The cabin was fine, with plenty of legroom and headroom. I was able to find a good seating position pretty easily, and there's a good view out all around. All of the audio/HVAC controls were easy to use and within reach.
We stopped by a big-box store to pick up a new TV stand, and the pulls in the trunk made it easy to knock down the back seats and slide the long box in. No problems on the way home or in getting the box out. We also were able to load up packing boxes from a home-improvement store the following day with room to spare.
On the expressway, the Toyota 1.8-liter four-cylinder eventually got us up to speed, but you have to really put your foot into the gas for passing maneuvers in the Corolla. Otherwise, I had no big complaints about the engine. The brakes were fine, but there were moments of jerky sensitivity or more pedal travel than I would have liked. But, I did notice that even in all of our travels in and out of metro Detroit, the gas needle was slow to slide down, which was nice.
Overall, the Toyota Corolla is fine, but to me, it's not much more than that. I know this has been a big seller for Toyota, but there are so many more (and more interesting) smaller-car options these days--the Hyundai Elantra, the Chevrolet Cruze, the Ford Fiesta and Focus, etc.--that I would look to those before I went for a Toyota Corolla.
2011 Toyota Corolla LE
Base Price: $18,060
As-Tested Price: $20,485
Drivetrain: 1.8-liter I4; FWD, four-speed automatic
Output: 132 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 128 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm
Curb Weight: 2,800 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 29/29.6 mpg
Options: Power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade ($890); 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with P205/55R-16 tires ($580); AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, six speakers, satellite radio, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod connectivity, CD text display, auto sound leveling, hands-free phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth wireless ($570); alarm ($359); cupholder ashtray ($26)
