The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by Toyota. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla managed to become the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars in the world since then. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, surpassing the Volkswagen Beetle. Toyota reached the milestone of 40 million Corollas sold over eleven generations in July 2013. The series has undergone several major redesigns.
The name "Corolla" is part of Toyota's naming tradition of using names derived from the Toyota Crown for sedans. The Corolla has always been exclusive in Japan to Toyota Corolla Store locations, and manufactured in Japan with a twin, called the Toyota Sprinter until 2000.
Early models were mostly rear-wheel drive, while later models have been front-wheel drive based. Its traditional competitors have been the Nissan Sunny, introduced the same year as the Corolla in Japan and the later Honda Civic. The Corolla's chassis designation code is "E", as described in Toyota's chassis and engine codes.
A new Corolla is shipping to dealerships from Toyota factories in Mississippi and Canada. We've finally driven the 11th-generation 2014 model, and, well, it's a Corolla. A quieter, bigger one with better seats, a smoother ride, crisper steering, a “seven-speed” CVT function that's actually preferable to a traditional automatic, and a special fuel-sipper model rated at 42 mpg. It’s all wrapped in styling that merits the use of the word, and it’s packed with the infotainment features modern marketing demands.
Parked alongside last year's model under San Diego's high August sun, the new Corolla glistens handsomely, looking less like that Nokia candy-bar phone your mother still uses. For all the standard LED headlamps and crisp folds, though, the creative metal bending stops well short of the inspiring Furia concept on which the production model is based. The 2014 Corolla comes only as a sedan—memories of Corolla hatchbacks, wagons, and coupes remain in history's dustbin alongside the hot-hatch FX16 and rear-drive AE86.
Quieter, Smoother
A 3.9-inch wheelbase extension smoothes out sharp ride motions and expands rear-seat legroom—by Toyota's measure, there are 5.1 additional inches of space for stems in the back. The front seats are a significant improvement; the S model's bigger bolsters feel awfully soft for a “sport seat,” but the entire range has added thigh, lumbar, and lateral support. That will make journeys longer than a typical commute less punishing, as will sound-insulating measures (seals, insulation, glass) and the longer overdrive ratios that quell highway hubbub.
The Corolla's traditional L, LE, and S models use a carry-over 1.8-liter twin-cam VVTi four-cylinder, rated at the same 132 hp as it was last year. Efforts were made to minimize mass, but curb weight rises with the added length. You might anticipate a commensurate loss of performance, but the car feels a tad livelier. Credit the pair of new transmissions: a CVT for the shiftless, which offers a “stepped seven-speed” function in S models, and a fresh six-speed manual. Clutch-pedal availability is limited strictly to frugal-minded buyers of the base L model or the indulgent experience seekers who opt for a nearly loaded S.
On the road, the electronically managed CVT—branded CVTi-S—banishes the usual drone of such a transmission, instead emulating the feel of a traditional automatic while being more efficient, quieter, and offering a better range of ratios. It’s certainly among the best CVTs ever but can't mask the 1.8-liter's lack of low-rpm punch. Engaged drivers will prefer the new six-speed manual. The shift throws are long but crisp, and the clutch feel is good. Predictably but sadly, the pedals are so far apart as to negate heel-and-toe downshifts; if you expected Toyota to let you find the brake and gas pedals with the same foot, you haven’t paid attention in a long time.
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