2014 Toyota Corolla First Drive

Edmunds.com

2014 Toyota Corolla First Drive

A first drive report on the redesigned 2014 Toyota Corolla compact sedan.

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7driver

What a hunk o' junk!

skw0123

Waiting for the small-offset front crash test to see if Toyota completely mailed this in.

dfelix70

This car looks like it's in a class or two below its intended competition. The Focus, Elantra, and Dart, and even the Civic looks worlds better than this. Granted, its' a huge improvement over the previous, tired jellybean, but, it looks like something Dodge would have designed 10 years ago.

agentorange

I think we need a poll. Should this is car be called the Maytag because of its appliance like objectives and likely reliability, or should it be called the Temazepan because just reading about it induces a coma? Answers from those still awake to... ZZZZZ.

fortstring

hmm, i think the design is a bit better than the last one. it's scion-esque. the 80's like interior is pretty nice, actually. if only toyota would shoehorn in a more potent engine though.

banhugh

How's the 4-speed automatic transmission of the 2014 model Corolla working?

zoomzoomn

It's usually sad how much gets lost in translation in the transition from pre-production show car to production model and this car is no exception. Not nearly as stunning as the Furia concept. Actually looks too much like any recent Kia, or Hyundai...and that's not a compliment!

http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2014-toyota-corolla-set-for-unveiling-before-2013-los-angeles-auto-show.html

hlisle

Yawn....

darda71

This is new? I thought the new corolla was suppose to be sporty and better looking? Doesnt look sporty, looks like typical Toyota basic transportation. Why by Toyota when there is so much better looking cars out there.

fordson1

It's like instead of reviewing the actual car, he's reviewing Toyota's reputation for reliability. We know all that - either talk more about this newest rev of the car, or write a shorter review.

emajor

Would've liked more information on the performance of the car itself (engine, NVH, transmission behavior, road noise, front seat comfort, driving position, etc.). I know it's popular to reflexively bash Toyotas like a bunch of zombies, but there is one feature on this car (and the current Civic) that would make me consider it over its more interesting competitors like the Cruze, Focus, or Mazda3: backseat room. For many buyers, compact sedans are tools for moving people around, not sports cars, so a tiny backseat kills a primary reason for buying one in the first place.

seppoboy

Oh no, they are keeping the "Corolla S", I was hoping they would drop that model! I hate getting alongside a Corolla S in traffic, there's no way I can keep up with a sports car like that.

fortstring

@emajor: Yup, exactly, this review has too few important details, it seems mostly a large summary of what we already know. This dearth of information that matters to car enthusiasts and buyers makes the Corolla vulnerable to the usual detractions. Wish th

engineer_mba

I don't like the front end on the S model. The regular front end looks better. Why does the front end on the S Model need to be differentiated? Is this really important on this type of car? I am also curious to know about driving position and driving dynamics. I am just over 6 feet tall and found the driver seat leg room in previous Corollas to be limited. When I drove these as rental cars, I practically sat with my legs "splayed" around the steering wheel (Is this how Shaq feels?). Also, the steering feel was somewhat numb. Hopefully the Corolla has improved in these areas.

rmhpmi

Toyota will sell a gazillion of these. Like they have for the last 50 years. I would confidently recommend one to my mom, or my aunt. Give ME a Mazda3 however.

lions208487

As boring as the new lunch box is, Toyota will sell a ton of these. I think the only car that is as pointless as this in the segment is the new Sentra.

Civic, Focus, Mazda 3, Elantra, and Dart all all better options.

rh67_

Always amazes me how car makers think a tachometer is more important than an engine coolant temperature gauge in a basic commuter car like this Corolla. My 2002 Corolla doesn't have a tach, but it still gives me all the info I need.

Also, the HVAC controls have been degraded from the simple 3-knob system in the previous Corolla. Now the driver has to look away from the road to adjust fan speed & direction, and that's dangerous.

jeffinoh

Its nice. Its modern. Its suited to its mission, and its built in USA. That's how Toyota manages to sell so many cars all over the world. If ya want sporty, they have that in plenty of other cars. Edmunds just drives so many free Corvettes etc they forgot what regular cars are like. Driven Car Reviews does a much better real world review of cars. Corolla Not Sporty. Big news.

unionbuster

Tired, uninspiring, ancient, lackluster.

Also high-quality, backed by a respected nameplate, assembled by real (non-union!) American workers, and not a goddamned Daewoo.

Toyota will continue laughing all the way to the bank.

bmwzimmer

Interior looks pretty decent plus it has 2.5" more legroom than a Camry. Exterior is already dated....

wdrauch

There's plenty of sheep out there that will buy whatever Corolla Toyota produces. I know they're reliable and have excellent resale value, but so does the Civic, which, at least, looks decent and drives well.

frank908

@dfelix70
You're giving too much credit to Dodge. The Dart looks like it could have been designed 20 years ago too and the interior looks like it was cloned from a 1993 Eagle Vision. Let's not get started on the 1970s stigma-inducing name of Dart.

noburgers

So it might not pull in any converts but it looks like today's Corolla driver will trade for another one. Same formula that Camry has thrived on. The rear legroom improvement gained with the longer wheelbase is the only thing that caught my eye. I guess I've been a fan of the Civic over the Corolla (owned only one before graduating to larger cars and larger family).

stovt001_

I'm really baffled by this car. Toyota had a car that was nice enough when new, but had grown antiquated and had no outstanding traits at a time when the compact class was exploding in competitiveness and quality. All Toyota had to do was bring the basic philosophy into the present with modern components, and since they didn't have to fix anything major, invest a bit in some kind of fun. Instead, they kept all the antiquated hardware, slapped some Civic-esque styling on it (possibly as a clever nod to the philosophy they used on this redesign) and called it a day. It will still sell like mad here in the US because American buyers have rubbish taste in cars, when they can be bothered to buy a car instead of a truck that is.

dfelix70

@frank908, LOL, fair enough. Yes, the Dart exterior and interior has that "I-really-wanna-grow-up-to-be-a-rental-car" look about it. Either way, it's still more interesting than this new Corolla and it actually looks like it belongs in this cl

camrydriver69

Why mess with success? I agree the car is not the best it could be, but at the same time it's not a bad car and Toyota has the luxury of not having to re-invent itself to win back market share.

To a lot of people fuel economy, reliability, safety, and low cost of ownership are the most important factors when choosing a car. I wouldn't call them "sheep" or say they have a "rubbish" taste in cars and look down on them because they chose that over aggressive styling or performance. You could argue that people who gravitate towards sports are luxury cars are "sheep" because they are interested in the more superficial aspects of cars instead of practical. You guys should be praising the Corolla for making yourself feel good about your "superior" taste in cars.

stovt001_

@camrydriver69: But the new Corolla's fuel economy is only middle-of-the-pack at best, Toyota reliability doesn't have the unblemished track record it once had while the reliability of the competition has caught up, and it is too soon to say what cost of

stovt001_

Sorry I meant compete with the Corolla, not Focus. Focus would be an example of a competing car.

desmolicious

This is the sexiest car Toyota has made in a long time.

agentorange

Been reading some other comments around the Web. Jalopnik reamed Toyota for calling a stretched model with the same interior "new". I also have issues with the growth of the Corolla. The point of a small car is that it is SMALL. This thing likely crosses the threshold for EPA mid-size. Being able to put a 6ft passenger behind a 6ft driver is handy, but it tells me that the car is no longer small. Small cars are supposed to be small to have less weight, less drag and better fuel economy. If one of these new Corollas gets anywhere near its EPA estimates I'll be very surprised.

explorerx4

I don't think there's any proof the Jakarta cabs are the same as the NA Corolla.
Do you think Indonesia cares about the EPA? NHTSA? Toyota designed different gas pedals for there NA and Japan built Camrys.
I don't make the assumption theses cars are identical, didn't see anything about airbags mentioned in the safety features.

alex38

At first glance, I thought promising. But that front end just awful, interior looks overdone and continues away from clean lines of past. Most disappointing is continuous use of 4-cyl as most competitors now using 6-speed autos. CVT also something that wouldn't interest me. I'd take a Chevy, Civic, Elantra/Forte or Mazda before I went with Corolla personally..

nismo2z

Ahhh, still at the bottom of it's class!

tdogule

So does that mean we're getting a new Matrix to go along with it?

nissan_rocks

This car and the words "attractive" or "sporty" should never be found in the same sentence. You could not sell me one, reputation? for what? recalls?

roger03

I think that this new Corolla finally looks good!
I read the worries in your negative comments.
And you have good reasons to worry.
Imagine the most reliable compact car on earth now being good looking, as spacious as a mid-size and still being affordable.
That guys is a quadruple threat.
This car is going on top, no brainer!

shatner

Always amazes me how car makers think a tachometer is more important than an engine coolant temperature gauge in a basic commuter car like this Corolla.
_____________________

Why? When is the last time you saw a car overheat? Maybe the 80's?

martinbuck

The last time I drove a Toyota it was a 1.8 Corona (same drivetrain as the Corolla). On a motorway I tried to get it to do something, but it just sat there and refused. I felt like half an hour of my life had been sucked away, with no gain to me.

I now drive a 10 year old Mazda. At least it gets the message to get up and boogie once in a while. It's sometimes a little too lively, but never boring. Unlike every Toyota I've ever been in.

rhav8r

Oh Edmunds, you disappointed me..

Just to clarify; In Indonesia the taxi company didn't use Corolla but Toyota Yaris (The Sedan Version). Don't believe me? Just Google "Jakarta Taxi".

You might mean Bangkok, Thailand. I knew for sure that they uses Toyota Corolla as their car of choice for taxi fleet.

ctizzle

Know what?!? I'm going to stop bashing Toyota for making garbage like this, and start bashing the car buff sites like "Edmunds" for not telling it like it is with this thing. Go back and read reviews of the Focus, Dart, Cruze, or even Elantra and you'll see SOME forms of actual crticism of the vehicle. Edmunds (as usual) glosses over every shortcoming of this vehicle, and would rather tell you how bulletproof Toyota is!

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beancountant

I think a lot of folks are too focused on style. This Corolla is not the best looking but, what's good looks when the car is not reliable. I could say, after owning three corollas, they are very reliable.

drjjjj

New knee bag, 6sp standard, conventional engine vs problematic direct injection, more leg room and more upscale in out! Well done! I'm not a fan of cvt trannys!