Toyota Corolla Overview

Toyota Corolla is among the best of the compact sedans. It's reliable and thrifty, but it's also refined and comfortable. Some have described it as a baby Camry or a baby Lexus, the latter particularly true with a Corolla LE equipped with the optional leather interior. Cloth or leather, the seats are comfortable and supportive. Big heating and air conditioning controls, simple, straightforward radio controls, well-designed cup holders, and plenty of cubbies for storing stuff make for a convenient interior. Getting in and out of this four-door sedan is easy and the back seat is surprisingly roomy and comfortable.

The four-cylinder engine revs smoothly and delivers good acceleration performance. Corolla earns an EPA-estimated 32/40 mpg City/Highway when equipped with a manual transmission. Both the manual and the automatic transmissions offer smooth shifting, and the manual is very easy to operate. All models have a smooth, comfortable ride and offer response handling. Corolla earned the New Car Test Drive editor's choice for best compact sedan for 2003 and is likely to retain that title for 2004.

Redesigned and re-engineered for 2003, the Toyota Corolla is relatively unchanged for 2004.