More Than Just Your Cleaning Lady's Car? 2009 Toyota Corolla Review

The Corolla is a good little car. Several years ago, when we lived in the East and vacationed in Florida, our oldest daughter flew in to join our vacation for a while. The rental car she picked up at the airport was a Corolla and I was impressed with the amount of interior room this little car had. It's even bigger now. The only deal-breaker for me would be lack of leather availability.

A woman car it is!
I laugh when I see a guy driving a corola especialy when they bling it out to make it look less feminine.

The new car looks more grown up but I swear I saw a "blinged" out corolla with a lexus badge and a "IS250" badge on the streets of Chicago. I tried to take a picture of it...

I've seen that (blinged out, Lexus-badged Corolla). Who knows if it was the same one, but I thought it was pretty hilarious. I assume it was done "ironically".

WOW. The car got completely SLAMMED in this review. It even too me by surprise.

took*

It's funny to watch people drive the Corolla like it's a Ferrari.

lol :-D

You are cold my friend

LOL.

What's wrong with the new Corolla? Looks good to me and of better quality and more features than ever. It's again setting sales records (atleast here in Asia)

JUGNU

Looks are deceiving.

Watch out BMW!!

BAAHAHAHA

The corolla represents everything that a car should not be!

brilliant comments.

so howcum it is the best selling car in history? more than the model t. more than the vw bug.

by many MILLIONS.

yeah, the car "everything a car should not be" seems to be a BIGGER HIT than any 'real car!' LOL!

Wrong it is the biggest selling nameplate and also one of the the longest running nameplates.

If you use your logic then Mercedes-Benz is the best selling car period.

"The corolla represents everything that a car should not be!"

So u mean a car should not be reliable, durable, value for money, good quality...etc

Nice... stick to your crappy VWs and Peugeots.

JUGNU

kpaxx--

it is a model, NOT a nameplate. while it has been upgraded over the years, it remains a CONTINUOUS specific model TRACEABLE over 10 generations.

which MB model has had a longer continous run, with more examples produced?

LOL @ the cleaning lady title comment!

the truth about cars doesnt like anything toyota or lexus. its just not their cup of tea

Can't speak for the new Rolla other than I do like the way it looks over the last generation.

And as for performance goes, back in 2003 they did offer an XRS version just like the Matrix had with 180hp 2zz engine with VVTL-i (essentially VTec w/ lift), 17" wheels, fully lip kit, fog lamps, spoiler, moonroof, 6 speed only. It was a quick little car with a Celica GTS motor, worked out well.

I personally (which has been stated before), own a 2005 Toyota Matrix XR AWD. It is based off the same engine and chassis as the Corolla. But aside from that all the interior and exterior appointments are different, and in my opinion, much more upscale feeling. I got to drive a loaner Corolla CE once, everything was just subpar. My Matrix has a leather wrapped wheel and shift selector, moonroof, 6 disc in dash CD, fog lamps, lip kit, and other goodies along with being AWD for the winter slop and rain.

So call me what you will, but I can tell you I am not the demographic from this article. I am 27, engaged, have a career job with 4 years of college and get nothing but praise for my car from others for how much it can haul, to it's comfort (compared to cars in it's class), and its looks.

But if he says this about the Corolla, then he has to say it about the Civic, Sentra, and any other small compact out there today.

I respect the Corolla for being a reliable mode of transportation. But that's all it is. And I'll leave it at that.

That was a very misogynistic review. All the references to "cleaning ladies" and "secretaries" is circa 1970's square attitude. That reviewer is either a burnt old man who needs a "car" to pep up his life
or has a real problem with dealing with women in his life.

Nobody on this planet born or unborn would ever claim that Corolla is a car for the mid life crisis. AE86 noth wisthstanding (which is more of a freak child)
A lot of people need a perfectly reliable and non demanding trasport appliance that will work without complaining all the way till 250k miles.

Excitement, which is a big thing for the reviewer is probably not their goal from a car.

IMHO, while racing (SCCA), sports cars are all good fun, it does consume a fair amount of dosh that is generally not available or not considered for people who look at cheap high quality transport.

Warning - Typo's above need to be overlooked.

The post demeans working women and mothers by saying all they can buy is a Corolla. Them is fightin' words...

That said, I do agree with the review the build quality and materials have lost out. This is a problem with all the Toyota and Honda cars these days. It reflects their market dominance and over confidence. Hopefully enough complaints come in to force improvements.

The Asian variants of the Corolla are styled more tastefully, whereas the US version is desperate to look sporty.

TTAC has sunk to a new low with this review in their quest for wittiness mixed with a severe Toyota hatred.

Roomier, more stylish, more modern interior (some people like new car smell), more powerful and efficient base engine. What a lousy car.

And lament the loss of the Yamaha 1.8L if you must (I had it and loved it), but when the 2.4L is replaced with the 2.7L in maybe 2 years, the XRS should be a hot little number.

I am by no means a fan of this car, but it does the job that it's supposed to well. Why all the hatred?

Because it represents the overachievement of mediocrity, and pandering to lowest-common-denominator marketing-driven revenue-seeking design criteria, rather than trying to advance the performance or technology envelope?

Just a guess, considering the mind-set of the typical users of this site.

But if you polled the public at large, there probably would be much less hate.

never was a fan of this car, but it makes toyota billions, i know other manufacturers would do anything to add this in there lineup...

my cleaning lady is going to be SOOOO happy!

My housekeeper drives an Infiniti QX4.

hard to understand all the hatred, other than it being simply an extension of the general toyota/lexus hatred based on jealousy.

i used to own a 2000 ford focus, and it was the BEST HANDLING CAR in its class when new. and on until intro of the Mazda3.

coupla years ago, i swapped it for an '03 corolla. which of course, could not match the focus in handling. BUT, it got 33% better mileage! plus toyota reliability.

i checked a corolla owners' forum, and along with the usual engine and suspension upgrades suggested, i saw that the most cost effective was simply getting aftermarket rims and tires. i did so, and tadaaaa!...

it LEAPFROGGED the focus in handling! (and mine was not even the taut S model, but the LE.)

the VVTi engine also makes decent power and NICE SOUNDS when the hot cam kicks in.

this is quite a decent car. only people too big to fit in comfortably, and outright haters could have ANY reason to deny its basic goodness. esp. given its modest AIMS to begin with. (XRS available again, but it seems as before, few will find a real NEED for it!)

"The revised 1.8-liter engine offers a few more horsepower. More importantly for the Corolla’s target market, it’s noticeably quieter. Given Toyota four-cylinder engines’ long, flat torque curves and the car’s intended mission in life, the four-speed automatic is adequate. With improved sound insulation and a soft ride, the Corolla is truly the Lexus of small car freeway cruisers."


and it even LOOKS like a scaled down Lexus ES. i predict it will continue to break sales records.

A big improvment, although I would rather have the Civic!

Should not everyone make a car like a corolla?

I actually think you get a better car with a Mazda3 or a civic than this.

I am not bashing toyota here, but I think this car sells so well based on the Toyota name and marketing than what the car really is.

agreed. mazdaspeed 3 is a great little car. that's why it's on the car & driver 10 best list again for 2008.

The beetle has extraordinary comfy seats and a surprising amount of cargo space after folding down the rear seats. I also like the in-line 5-cylinder engine which is smoother than a 4-banger and only slightly rougher than an in-line 6.

Toyota knows their market. The car is an appliance.It's not meant to be a drivers car. It appeals to people that want good reliable transportation with a small dose of luxury thrown in.Many if not most people who own cars are not driving
enthusiasts. For them this car is perfect. Also it has been incredibly reliable for all these yrs.Toyota does well because it has the perfect formula.It's like driving a small Buick.Nothing wrong with this philosophy.

famed M.I.T. PhDs AND mechanics Tom and Ray Magliacci, aka Click and Clack, have said that the corolla is "the most overbuilt car" ever made.

only in recent years, to fend off Hyundai's price bottom scraping, has toyota cheaped out on some of the less critical parts. but so has everyone else competing in this segment. so corollas will likely STILL be the most trouble free and longest lasting.

people love 'em 'cuz like all toyotas, they PAY FOR THEMSELVES. once you're done with car payments, you just PAY YOURSELF instead, for up to 3x the length of the payments to the bank. or longer.

Actually that IS my cleaning ladies Corolla... ;)

Don't shoot me, but something tells me that a Corolla COULD be fun when tuned correctly. It's so nimble and tossable (-:

you don't get shot for TELLING THE TRUTH.

i used to own a ford focus, the BEST HANDLING car in its class when introduced.

the corolla i have now, fitted with aftermarket +1 tires and rims, actually OUTHANDLES the focus.

It's not a matter of how cheap and dependable it is... The Corolla has absolutely no class... They are boring looking and are no fun to drive. If you're just looking for a car to take you point A to B then by all means go for the Corolla!

It looks OK. But they are trying to hard on it. I think the Civic owns the Corolla. The Civic looks a lot nicer and is a better value than the Corolla.