Toyota Corolla 2010

Toyota Corolla 2010: Beside the larger Camry, the Corolla is one of the most vital vehicle in Toyota's lineup, however its redesign in 2015 left most of us below at Cars.com flat. The outside is past conservative, the interior doesn't contrast well to competitors from Honda and Mazda, and also its base engine is anemic.

Get in the more powerful XRS trim level. The last generation of the XRS was a fun-to-drive favorite of mine. Some of that delight is felt right here, however with a $18,860 starting cost-- my test cars and truck's sticker floated near $23,000, and that really did not include navigation-- it doesn't resemble the experience of driving a performance-oriented version like the Honda Civic Si or Mazda3 s, and it hardly manages to hold its own versus its rivals' non-performance base designs.

The test vehicle was a 2009, however the 2010-- already for sale-- showcases no substantial changes. The majority of rates is likewise the same.


Toyota Corolla 2010


Performance

The greatest upgrade to this extra expensive trim has the engine. The base Corolla's 132-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is changed with a 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder, as well as the larger engine can be teamed with a smoother five-speed automatic transmission as opposed to the base model's somewhat-outdated four-speed. A five-speed guidebook is standard for both engines. The brand-new engine equates to a much more delightful driving experience compared with the rest of the Corolla schedule, but that resembles claiming a Big Mac is a lot more excellent compared to a 59-cent hamburger. It must be.

What buyers ought to think about is how the XRS stacks up against the competitors. I would certainly rank it much behind the 197-hp Honda Civic Si in terms of delights, and behind the revamped 167-hp Mazda3 s in regards to all-around performance. I 'd likewise say the base Mazda3 sedan, with its smaller 148-hp engine, is on the same level with the XRS. Also a base Civic as well as its hallmark high-revving, 140-hp engine would certainly fare well against the more expensive XRS.

The XRS' stopping is also much boosted over the conventional Corolla, however again, that's because the baseline is so insufficient.

Gas mileage clearly takes a hit due to the upgraded power. The XRS obtains 22/30 mpg city/highway, compared to an exceptionally prudent 26/35 mpg for the base model with the manual transmission. The Civic Si gets 21/29 mpg however has almost 40 hp greater than the XRS.

Exterior

A highlight of the XRS trim is its look. The rather uninteresting appearance of the common Corolla is tarted up right here with more aggressive body moldings, bigger wheels-- 17-inchers replace common 15-inch wheels-- and a back looter. My red examination vehicle did certainly look sharp, and a little much less like the economic climate box it is than does the base Corolla.

Inside

My XRS tester had an optional Natural leather Bundle. The seats themselves were quite comfortable, wrapped in rather premium black natural leather. Yet that's where the highlights end. Among the Corolla's big disappointments is its dull, rather roughshod interior. While Toyota has actually always been just one of the leaders in terms of indoor high quality regardless of the section, the Corolla's plastics look and feel economical, and also the controls are unpleasant. In short, nothing pleased.

The XRS does not obtain an altered interior, although my test car's all-black indoor concealed a few of the imperfections I noticed in other Corollas. Top quality isn't on par with the Civic, as well as the brand-new Mazda3 has both beat in regards to interior decoration, with its jumping lines and ingenious places for screens as well as controls.

The Corolla's rear seat is additionally tight. Although rear legroom and clearance numbers are close to the competitors, hip area in back is significantly less than in the Civic or Mazda3. I didn't have a problem positioning a convertible child seat in the Civic or the last-generation Mazda3, yet in the Corolla my 15-month-old son's feet were hanging in between the pail seats, quite near the front occupants.

At 12.3 cubic feet, the trunk is greater than adequate; it's larger than the Honda's as well as Mazda's.

Features

Toyota provides a variety of a la carte options, which in theory allows you pick and choose the ones you want. Many dealers, though, only order autos that have the bundles with the most preferred alternatives. My examination auto's warmed leather seats were $1,490, a Power Package was $635 and the transmission was $1,190, bringing the total amount with location charge to $22,925.

Corolla XRS in the Market
With its considerable price, it's clear that the XRS drops well behind in the affordable compact section. I would certainly compare it carefully with Nissan's SE-R, yet even that vehicle includes a lot more taking care of prowess.

Nonetheless, the XRS was never ever made to be the most effective performance compact; it's just a step up from the base Corolla. In that it succeeds, however when you consider all the fun-to-drive compacts with exceptional insides that can be had for the very same loan-- like a Civic, Subaru Impreza or Mazda3-- the Corolla swiftly becomes an afterthought.

None of this appears to have actually hindered cars and truck buyers, though. The Corolla stays one of the most popular portable car in the nation and is constantly among the very successful lorries of any kind of type.