Big Two Toyota

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• Summary

Walk Around

The Toyota Corolla is an attractive car though not one that will attract a lot of attention. Overall, the styling is conservative. Fit and finish are at a high level for such an inexpensive car.

The current Corolla is bigger than pre-2009 models. With just a quick glance you might confuse it with a Camry because size is main distinguishing feature between the two. The light housings are similar, driven by styling heritage and modern safety standards. In any case, it's immediately recognizable as a Toyota, and from behind as a Corolla.

Corolla S and XRS receive different lower nose and tail sections, the area around the fog lamps bearing a distant similarity to the Lexus IS, and trunk spoilers. It's a look that works better on the Corolla XRS by virtue of its larger wheels. It also works best on darker colors because the added panels appear more integrated.

The Corolla is slightly longer than the Honda Civic. The Nissan Sentra is noticeably taller and bigger. The Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris are subcompacts, which are smaller than compact-class cars such as the Corolla.

Interior

2010 Toyota Corolla

The Corolla has a comfortable, pleasant interior. Materials and patterns are understated. The standard cloth upholstery appears two-tone at first between bolsters and cushions, but it's just an illusion caused by the texturing. The wood-grain trim on the XLE adds visual warmth not often seen in compacts and helps break up color monotony.

Leather upholstery is available on the sport seats in the S and XRS models, though apparently leather is not offered on the XLE. Wood grain trim is available on some models, but the faux wood reflects glare more than the standard trim does.

A dash is conventional, framing speedometer and tachometer with fuel and ancillary data. Corolla XLE and XRS employ electroluminescent Optitron gauges popularized by Lexus for utmost clarity. Controls used often are on the tilt/telescoping steering column stalks, with others on dash and center stack. Basic three-ring climate controls bring the desired temperature and you can add a high-capacity heater with rear-seat ducts.

A navigation system is available, but with two caveats: First, you cannot get the top-of-the-line JBL sound system in conjunction with it. Second, it lacks voice recognition and Bluetooth. Still, Toyota's navigation system is easy to learn to use and it works very well.

The front seats are comfortable, and getting in and out of them is easy. The sport seats in the XRS use heavier bolsters for more support when cornering, though they are not well suited to people with large frames.

The rear seat is apropos for the class. The floor is flat except for a small incline to the back of the console. The split folding rear seats puts the narrow section behind the driver so you can carry long objects and still put two riders behind the passenger.

Outward visibility from the driver's seat is quite good, the narrow pillars paying dividends in lane-change over-the-shoulder glances. A low dashboard and windshield base enhances forward visibility, though the driver can's see exactly where the front of the car ends.

Storage spaces are well thought-out, even to details like a cord slot so your personal electronics connection doesn't get pinched. A sliding-top console comes on upper level models that's appreciated on long drives.

A remote release opens the trunk lid, which springs from the top of the bumper and bisects the taillights for a wide loading space. Cargo space of 12.3 cubic feet is about average and isn't hindered by black boxes and big speakers hanging down under the back window. A temporary-use spare is under the floor.

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