Picture Gallery: 2009 Toyota Corolla S | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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It turns out the Corolla S is not that much different than the CE; a few odds and ends here and there, such as sport fabric seats instead of regular fabric (although I’m not sure I could tell the difference without a side-by-side comparison); stainless steel scuff plates; a few little interior touches; standard power door locks and windows and air conditioning.
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The Corolla S is powered by a 1.8 Litre, 16-valve, dual overhead cam engine generating a respectable 132 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. As previously mentioned, my tester is equipped with a manual transmission — a five-speed.
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Fairly well-equipped basic transportation is the theme here. This car has everything you would ever need, including cruise control, at a reasonable price of only $18,930.
My pocket book is hurting a little from last week, so here is hoping for excellent fuel economy to save myself a few pennies at the pumps.
2009 Toyota Corolla S
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $18,930
For more information on Toyota and the Corolla visit Toyota Canada
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Others have mentioned it before: Honda came out with a shocker when they introduced the love-it-or-hate-it jelly-bean Civic with its Star Trek dash layout. Toyota decided to play it cool, with a mild refresh of the front and rear of the vehicle to make the car look less bubbly than before.
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The instrument cluster is one-dimensional. Nothing fancy here; it does the job but is plain as well. Overall, that is probably the best way to describe the Corolla — plain. Everything fits together well, everything looks nice enough but nothing stands out and makes you think: “Wow that’s cool — I want one of these!”
Interior space is comfortable for four adults, including one with a broken leg in the rear with no complaints, and headroom is excellent all around. The driver’s seat is comfortable, and with a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, finding that perfect seating position is a snap.
So far, 200km of comfortable, no-drama driving, and less than a quarter tank of fuel used up!
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Unfortunately… no, not really. The driving experience is somewhat disconnected, but not completely. It isn’t like the car is incapable of driving around corners and having a little fun, but it just won’t coax you on. Take one corner quickly and you think to yourself that it went pretty well, then the next corner you don’t attack, there just is no urge.
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The engine feels strong enough for this category but certainly won’t win any drag races. It will, however, accelerate smoothly and keep up with traffic without straining. Winding the engine over 3,000rpm doesn’t really feel right in this car for some reason, while competitors like the Honda Civic and Mazda3 love to be revved out for more power.
The five-speed manual transmission has medium throws and is easy to use; the clutch is a little rubbery near the floor but engages fairly high, making shifting easy around town.
The only odd driving characteristic that needs to be pointed out is the transmission’s gearing. It seems as though all the gears are placed nearly 1,000rpm apart (probably closer to 800rpm). When accelerating briskly and shifting at 3,500rpm, the car dips very low and out of the power band causing the car to go from peppy to… well, slow, after the shift. The five-speed manual is also begging for another gear on the highway, revving close to 3,000rpm at only 100km/h.
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I put 415km on the Corolla this week and only 29 litres of fuel would go back into the tank. The gas gauge at the time was reading just over one quarter of a tank remaining. That is an average of 7.0L/100km (I left the significant digits out of this text). That is amazing! And to be honest I did not drive it like a fuel miser all week; I had some fun with the manual transmission and kept up with traffic at all times.
That is better than the Hyundai Accent I did a highway run with and achieved 7.1L/100km (okay, not by much), better than the Toyota Yaris I tested back in 2007 and the Honda Fit as well. Of course those were different days, with different driving routes, etc., but the numbers are impressive from a vehicle as large as the Corolla.
If you are looking for a family sedan that sips fuel, don’t look much further than this!
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2009 Toyota Corolla S
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $18,930
For more information on Toyota and the Corolla visit Toyota Canada
July 01, 2008, 01:19:54 am Wing,
I would be curious to hear your take on how Corolla's powertrain compares to the Astra's as you drove one fairly recent. The reason I'm asking is because they both have a similar combination engine/tranny.
I test drove an Astra today and I found it kind of wired in a hard to explain way - slow to accelerate, hesitant to down shift when I was pushing the gas, slow to react to press/depress the gas. I know you cannot expect much performance from such powertrain, but still … The truth is I drive a Mazda3 2.3L 4AT and a V6 Outlander V6 6AT so I'm used to more power, but still curious on how two very similar powertrains (by numbers) compare.
July 01, 2008, 08:16:30 am Why they insist on using those old trunk hinges???
July 01, 2008, 12:11:34 pm ..WHY has the New (2009!!!) Corolla been trashed in the US car Mags/ sites?
July 01, 2008, 12:30:16 pm
I'm not sure if its the comfort issue or what but I'm more and more displeased with my XRS. Its a good car, its well made, its well put together, but there are some annoying issues for me including leg room. I'm wondering how long I should keep it....initially the idea was to keep it for a very long time.
July 01, 2008, 01:05:24 pm
Car magazines are probably about the most corrupt rags out there. Ever see one of the big ones really pan a car? Of course you haven't. The job of these "journals" is to sell advertising. Have a look at Car and Driver's page and see "The Best Reasons to Buy American."
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/best_worst_lists/the_best_reasons_to_buy_american_feature
Four of the five featured vehicles are gas guzzlers that Detroit can't move. However, the Detroit based companies run lots of advertising to move their product. Often the advertising budget is more than the engineering.
Ever notice where the car makers (and I include the German makers, they REALLY put on big shows to move their overpriced junk) have their new model releases? Well, it isn't in Detroit. They fly these "journalists" to places like California, Spain or even South Africa, put them in nice hotels, wine them and dine them and then send them home, all expenses paid. Now, if said "journalist" were to say, "The Zaperoo Onynx V-10 is a POS!" what do you think are his chances of being invited to another new model release?
Car mag guys roar around in other people's cars on other people's dime. Now, if I had the chance to do a road trip in a Dodge Charger Hemi and somebody else was paying the tab for EVERYTHING, including your toothpaste, I would LOVE it to pieces. And what is there not to love? I CRAVE big V-8 cars with huge power and deadly stereos. After said trip, articles extolling "canyon carving in the twisities with just a hint of oversteer" grace the pages of the esteemed auto magazine. Since I didn't pay for the 92 octane gas at 10 mpg, I would hardly note it. Take a look at the press that relatively poor selling cars get in the big mags. The great majority of vehicles sold in North America are grocery getters but we read about Porsches and Corvettes. Why? Well, the makers make tons of money when they sell them. Lavishing luxury on "journalists" is just part of the advertising budget. What is even worse is the so called "journalists" have come to expect it.
Toyota is famous for boring launches. They do pay for the flight to the test centre and maybe a cheap motel but that is it. No hospitality suites, no expense accounts. They don't need to. People who drive Corollas know they are getting a good quality vehicle at a fair price and couldn't give a flyin' you know what about "canyon carving." Toyota knows its product will sell like crazy. They can spend more money in engineering and less on advertising. They are producing the thing all over the globe. They have low unit costs. They make supertanker loads of money, something not one of the "Ten Best Reasons to Buy American" makers do.
Never forget, it is all about money in the car business. When you walk in the door, the sales or service department sees you as a money making opportunity.
Go back the Car Driver article I quoted. Toyota will sell zillion times more Corollas than all five of those cars COMBINED.
Iceandfire, I agree with you on the Corolla. I found the pedal-steering wheel relationship weird and the legroom too short for me. But have a look at the demographics of Corolla buyers and you will see why. There are just not a lot of really tall white guys buying them. The tall white guy demographic doesn't often buy Corollas. Toyota knows who buys their cars and builds them to suit. Eighty percent of car buying choices are made by women, incidentally. Dad can try to sell Mom on a Honda Fit manual but she will not have any part of it. She'll take the Corolla LE automatic any day and if Dad wants peace, he'll live with it.
Finally, I applaud Canadian Driver for testing cars that most people can actually afford to drive.
July 01, 2008, 01:41:08 pm ..NO REAL answer yet!!! and by the way "Honda Owner" don't "doctor " my statements in yer "quotes" "QUOTE!!! i never said Huh Huh!!?......i've read several sites (NOt just mags) and they damn with faint praise the 2009 Corolla...yet we Canucks seem to think it's the best thing since Harper & Mulroney
July 01, 2008, 04:51:19 pm safristi, you are missing the point. The 2009 Corolla will sell like hotcakes all over the world. Toyota knows their market and build their product to suit it. They will sell every one they build which really isn't hard since Toyota only builds cars that dealers order.
Whether car reviews like the Corolla is a moot point; consumers love it.Toyota sold 52,826 units in the USA in May 2008. Toyota makes money. That is how to be successful in the car business. It doesn't put much on your bottom line to make a product people don't want to buy.
Canada's market doesn't actually matter that much. Fewer cars are sold here than in California.
July 01, 2008, 05:11:04 pm so see yer "doctor" elswhere inna whirrled!! BUT leave my statements as they are...OK dopey!!!!
July 01, 2008, 11:38:55 pm Where have you seen the trashing?
C&D comparison test, 3rd out of eight cars tested:
The top-of-the-class mileage is consistent with Toyota’s reputation these days, and so is the hospitality of the Corolla’s interior. No other here came close. Annoyance-free and verve-free, you might say; competence is the only flavor we detected.
CR comparison test:
Far from exciting, but effortless to drive, comfortable, and great on gas.
Edmunds.com:
The 2009 Toyota Corolla S is not quick, nor is it particularly fun to drive, but for an estimated base price of $16,500 and an estimated $21,975 in this configuration, we think you can probably overlook this car's sloppy steering while you're listening to your iPod and consulting the nav screen and warming your buns on the comfy heated sport seats. Plus you'll be averaging over 30 mpg.
Basically the same results from everyone. Interestingly the top rated small car for both C&D and CR is the same, the VW Rabbit.
July 02, 2008, 05:26:59 am So Wing finished with a 7/100 average, hum that's the same as our Sentra.
July 02, 2008, 10:01:18 am I drive a 2007, 5-speed yaris sedan. I often get between 6.5 - 6.7 L/100km, so i'm suprised that the corolla is giving you the best fuel economy you've achieved, but it's not an overly suprising result looking at the 50L challenge you guys had not long ago... Anyways, might want to test out a new yaris, or perhaps one that's been broke in a bit. (as a note i drive a good bit on the highway, and my mileage changes to the low 7's in the winter with snow and winter tires on...)
July 02, 2008, 10:06:26 am As a comparison, I averaged about 9.5L/100km in my Mazda3 over the course of it's life with me.
July 02, 2008, 10:59:30 am
If Europe includes your "all over the world" then I have to chime in and say "not in Europe". Toyota sales in Europe are very poor and at the moment in a downward spiral.
Toyota and selling like "hotcakes" is not happening in Euroland.
Back to the article, IMO this MY Corolla is the best Toyota has offered in North America as far as refinement and substance. Still lacking in the amount of features offered for a segment that will be the hottest segment in the next few years.
July 02, 2008, 11:30:16 am
What features? Do you mean things like power accessories? The Corolla can be had with stuff like power wndows, keyless entry, cruise control, etc. If you're after safety gear, it has ABS, side bags and curtain bags standard. Yes, the US gets available leather and power seat that we don't get, but I'm not sure that is such a goof. The Corolla LE used to be available with those things here, and so few buyers opted for it, I'm not sure it made sense to offer it.
July 02, 2008, 11:51:25 am Interesting commentary on CTC culture: comments about the Corolla S outnumber comments about the EVO MR 8-to-1.
July 02, 2008, 11:52:44 am
If Europe includes your "all over the world" then I have to chime in and say "not in Europe". Toyota sales in Europe are very poor and at the moment in a downward spiral.
Toyota and selling like "hotcakes" is not happening in Euroland.
Back to the article, IMO this MY Corolla is the best Toyota has offered in North America as far as refinement and substance. Still lacking in the amount of features offered for a segment that will be the hottest segment in the next few years.
I can see that... If one was in Euland there are Citroens, Fiats, Renaults, Focii, Seats, skodas and all kinds of cheaper ( and faster) non-loaded VWs, Audis, BMWs and Mercedes. Why would one buy ANY Japanese car with those choices.
Here however, a Corolla would not be my choice but would be a very wise and sensible choice.
July 02, 2008, 12:09:46 pm Plus in Europe there are plenty of fuel-efficient cars so Toyotas don't really standout like in North America on this respect.
In Europe you can have many cars that are fuel efficient AND good looking AND fun to drive. Here you still have to compromise quite a bit.
July 02, 2008, 12:19:35 pm I have nothing against the New Corolla....being a 4 time Japanese buyer..None Toyota tho' interestingly? OR not relevant here.....but my point was that the stories i have read from US sources,seem to damn the car with faint praise..isn't that wot they need wif $4.25 gasoline..........hell Obama & McCain should mandate one in every driveway......
July 02, 2008, 02:01:16 pm
At 7.0l/100km in the real, perhaps this is the kind of car the USA indeed needs.The Corolla posted all-time best-ever USA sales of 52,826 units in May 2008. Somebody must like it. It is all about making money and Toyota is rather good at that.
Europe limited Japanese imports for for many years, making it harder for the Japanese makers to get a foothold. These limits were finally lifted for the 2000 model year. There are also many Toyota models that we don't get here such as the Auris and the Aygo. The 1,8 litre Corolla would be considered a large car there. The EU is also a smaller market than the USA, roughly 10m units per year vs 15m in the USA.
Still, in 2007, Toyota sold 1.24 million cars in the EU in 2007, up 10% over 2006 and 132,550 of them were of the hugely profitable Lexus line. This compares to slightly over 2.75 million units sold in the USA. Clearly, Toyota has more competition in Europe where fuel efficiency is paramount. Their lack of diesels in the past years didn't help them much in Europe.
GM would be very wise to bring the Opel Corsa 1.3 CDRI here, I drove one in Europe last year and loved it. Great car, more than adequate power, tons of torque and 4 litres/ 100 km.
Canada is really small beans when it comes to car sales.
July 02, 2008, 07:12:41 pm
Still, in 2007, Toyota sold 1.24 million cars in the EU in 2007, up 10% over 2006 and 132,550 of them were of the hugely profitable Lexus line. This compares to slightly over 2.75 million units sold in the USA. Clearly, Toyota has more competition in Europe where fuel efficiency is paramount. Their lack of diesels in the past years didn't help them much in Europe.
You need to adjust your EU sales numbers drastically. Please read http://www.acea.be/images/uploads/files/20080604_PRPC-0712-FINAL.pdf
EU 2007 car sales was just under 16,million.
BTW Toyota sold just under 40,000 Lexus cars in EU for 2007
BTW the Corolla is not considered a large car, come on man.
We know what large cars are and C segment vehicles are not considered "large"
July 02, 2008, 08:39:27 pm Weren't the Japanese imports heavily taxed before (~€4k for a €20k car)? And still are but to a lesser extent...
That's why some Korean and Japanese manufacturers built plants in the EU, to get rid of those taxes for non-EU made models...
July 15, 2008, 08:58:34 pm I wish i kept my toyota corolla over my nissan anyday
July 13, 2009, 03:11:57 pm
WHich engine? Must have been the 2.3 litre Mazda. The 2.0 litre Mazda is more efficient than the Toyota given its larger displacement.
July 13, 2009, 03:18:26 pm yes 2.3
July 13, 2009, 03:20:57 pm