by Anthony Fongaro - Photos via Toyota- 12/16/2021
There are a lot of compact cars in the market. Most of them are from Korea and Japan and have improved in quality and technology. Since compact vehicles are quite efficient and small, they are a good compromise for the city and suburbs. When I think about small cars, one comes to the after I really think. It’s the Toyota Corolla. The Toyota Corolla has been around since 1966 and is now in its 12th generation. With all of the updated competition, does the Corolla still stand up?
Let’s start with the stereotypes surrounding the Corolla. It’s bland, it’s boring, it’s slow, e.t.c. When I heard that I was testing a Corolla, I was thinking the same thing. Apparently, Toyota also thought that the Corolla was bland because they created the SE Nightshade Edition. Basically, it’s an edition that replaces chrome with black trim. Some of the modifications are a sporty black mesh grille, mirrors, badging, rear spoiler, and 18-inch black alloy wheels. Combined with the white paint, the Nightshade Edition makes this Corolla stand out from the more bland models.
When you hop into the interior, you see a busy-looking design that already looks dated. The black interior is helped by the strips of silver plastic and blue stitching on the seats and center console. Sit in the non-heated driver’s seat, and you’ll notice the seats are comfortable but things start getting disappointing. The steering wheel has your basic adaptive cruise control and media buttons which are easy to use. Look ahead, and you have some weird designs. The tachometer is half a circle, the speedometer is circular with a silver surround, and the small display is a rectangle. If this isn’t weird enough, the display is on the right, rather than in the middle.
The infotainment system is ok and easy to use, but the backup camera looks like it’s from the early 2000s. Climate control buttons and switches are simple to use, and you have an auto-hold feature. Now it’s time to plug in your phone for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You can’t find it, right? You look in the center console where you see a USB-C. This isn’t the port you need. I had to look in the owner’s manual to find that the regular USB port is an inch under the climate control. It’s the worst placement of a USB port I’ve ever seen. You also have to use an actual key to start the car.
There really shouldn’t be any surprise that a $23,000 car has low-powered engines and usually a CVT. Not surprising, that’s semi-true about the Corolla. The SE Nightshade Edition has a 2.0-liter inline-four producing 169-horsepower and 151 lb-ft. Combined with a CVT, the front-wheel-drive Corolla gets to 60 MPH in 7.9 seconds. Yes, it is loud and slow but the CVT wasn’t the worst I’ve ever used. There’s only one mode which is Sport mode. It does make the Corolla accelerate a little harder but is only useful for merging onto, on, or exiting the highway. The Corolla does ride alright and the good seats help.
The standard adaptive-cruise control, lane keep assist, and lane-departure monitoring systems are easy to use. Oddly, blind-spot monitoring was missing from this standard safety suite. When I tested the Corolla, it was around 35-degrees in December, so take the MPG with a grain of salt. I averaged 30 MPG, which is 3 MPG lower than the EPA claim. Speaking of numbers, the Corolla SE Nightshade Edition costs $23,000 and has no options. That’s pretty inexpensive until you look at the competition. The Corolla’s competition is fierce. Is it up-to-snuff? No, not really.
Before, when I said that the Corolla can be seen as boring? That’s because it is. Even as the Nightshade Edition, the Corolla has some uninspiring exterior designs. The interior is a bit of a mess with a lot of cheaper materials compared to a Mazda3 or Kia Forte. Speaking of the Kia, both the Forte and Hyundai Elantra have 200-horsepower options for the same price. Does this matter? Also, no. I’m sure that the Nightshade Edition won’t be a high-volume sales success, but the Corolla will be. It’s decent transportation for the masses with some good tech and is inexpensive. If you want to look at the Toyota Corolla, I’d also look at the competition.
The numbers
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