2011 Toyota Corolla

The Corolla has always been one of the highest sellers in a segment where all the people are out to get the best possible deal out of a car. That said, it has very tough competition from the likes of the Volkswagen Jetta, the Hyundai Elantra, and the Kia Forte in terms of which car is out there to provide the most out of each dollar spent. 

The 2011 Toyota Corolla gets all the heat because of how well-priced the trims are, with the range starting at $15,900 for the L trim that comes standard with a manual gearbox. An automatic gearbox is available but costs $800 extra, and the same goes with the range-topping S trim. In terms of features, the L trim comes standard with the bare necessities that ensure a good drive for daily commutes, with the options pouring on the LE and the S trim. 

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The Toyota Corolla’s base trim is too basic for one’s tastes, but does good for the one who wants a bare-bones car. For the others, we recommend the LE trim that adds a lot of convenience features and also adds the opportunity to customize the car via packages and options which further enable the influx of some of the goodies of the range-topping trim. 

The 2011 Toyota Corolla comes fitted with a 1.8L Inline-4 that produces a very modest 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque that does a very good job of driving in the city and on the highway. That said, the engine is also tuned for improving fuel economy - a trait that people look for in the segment. The engine sends all the output to the front wheels only via either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. The automatic transmission is very smooth and does help a lot in the acceleration, however quick it may be. 

Talking of the driving experience, the Corolla fits the bill perfectly in the city with a light steering and a small turning circle that aids in U-turns as well as in overall maneuverability. The clutch pedal is light and the shifting via the manual gearbox is very smooth. The automatic transmission takes away the clutch pedal but the gear-shifting remains as smooth as the manual albeit with better acceleration. The cabin is roomy and there is impressive visibility, even thrugh the rear windshield. 

The setup on the Corolla is very similar to the Korean cars in the segment, with the latter producing more output than the former. This difference in power also lends the Elantra and the Forte an advantage in acceleration, both of which take almost 9 seconds to the 60mph mark. The VW, on the other hand, does a very similar acceleration performance to the Corolla but lags behind by some milliseconds, despite having a bigger engine. 

The 2011 Toyota Corolla is powered by a 1.8L Inline-4 engine which is primarily aimed towards providing fuel economy, while also outputting decent acceleration figures. That said, the EPA estimates the engine to give 28 MPG in the city, 35 MPG on the highway, along with a combined rating of 31 MPG from its 13.2-gallon fuel tank. If one opts for the 4-speed automatic, the ratings drop to 26/34/29 respectively. On a wider spectrum, the drop isn’t considering the ease of driving the automatic transmission brings in. 

The Corolla’s engine is pretty fuel-efficient in the city and posts the highest numbers in the comparison but, while on the highway, both the Hyundai and the Kia provide a bit more efficiency, averaging 37 MPG which translates to more highway range, in case of the Kia. The VW’s bigger engine might not be the most frugal, but remains the one with the most highway range of 493 miles which is primarily aided by the biggest fuel tank in the segment. 

Inside, the 2011 Toyota Corolla is as basic as its price suggests with the amenities pouring in from the LE trim onwards. The L has a very basic monotone dashboard that houses the AC vents, and the infotainment system whereas the higher trims add some soft-touch points as well as a dual-tone scheme to make the visuals better. The center console and the door panels remain basic, with some cubby spaces to hold stuff and, in the center console, a couple of cupholders. 

The seats on the Corolla are surprisingly comfortable and are the best companion for one who is considering a very comfortable office commute, every day. Manually adjustable seats are standard across the range, with height-adjustability available only for the driver’s side. The higher trims get upgraded cloth upholstery that brings in some design changes to make the visuals better. The rear seats offer a decent amount of space but the bench is a bit too low for taller passengers which might make the long drives uncomfortable.

The cabin space of the Corolla is on par with its rivals with no difference whatsoever in real-life but on the spec sheet, the Forte’s cabin offers much more space than the others in both the rows. Talking of cargo capacity, the Corolla’s trunk of 12.3 cu.-ft is the smallest in the comparison but the trunk opening makes loading and unloading easy while also aiding in sliding stuff in. The Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra have similar trunk volumes, while the Volkswagen Jetta leads the segment managing capacity of 15.5 cu.-ft. 

The interior of the car is rather decent for the price with no frills whatsoever and is highlighted by:

• Cloth upholstery
• Trip computer
• Steering-wheel audio controls
• Power locks
• Air-conditioning
• Power windows (optional on L trim)
• Power mirrors
• Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• 60/40-split-folding rear seat
• Height-adjustable driver seat

How intuitive is the infotainment unit?

The 2011 Toyota Corolla comes standard with a very basic infotainment system that is carried on to other trims as well. The system shows the current radio station tuned in to, or the current track playing and comes with a 4-speaker set up as standard, which is upgraded to a 6-speaker unit from the LE trim onwards and, for the range-topping trim, includes Bluetooth and iPod/USB audio interface. These upgraded audio system features are available on the LE as a part of the Premium package. That said, some of the highlighting features of this system are:

• AM/FM radio
• four-/six-speaker sound system
• auxiliary audio jack
• CD player
• Optional Bluetooth
• Optional iPod/USB audio interface

The 2011 Toyota Corolla gets a design refresh and now looks more aggressive and pleasing in terms of how the design panned out. The front fascia now has a new grille and new headlight design with a blacked-out surround and a new fog lamp design. The front bumper has also been tweaked but the changes aren’t significant. The side of the car remains as simple as the previous model years with a typical sedan look. The rear now gets a new LED tail lamp design and a more aggressive rear bumper. The range-topping trim also gets a spoiler which adds to the visuals, but none to the aerodynamics. 

The Kia Forte is lighter than the Corolla and has better proportions that are also seen in the interior as well. The Corolla is one of the lightest sedans in the segment with the lowest width and the most height, which carves in space inside. Its shorter wheelbase also helps in handling and maneuvering in the city and through tight spaces. The 2011 redesign has lent an aggressive look to the sedan, which is highlighted by:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Power windows
• Power mirrors
• Daytime running lamps
• LED tail lamps
• Fog lamps
• Optional sunroof
• Sporty body kit and rear spoiler on range-topping trim

The 2011 Toyota Corolla is a pretty safe car with a rigid chassis and all the necessary safety features that are there in modern cars. In terms of driver-assistance features, Corolla’s list is rather scarce with only cruise control on offer that too on the LE trim. There are no other driver assistance features available but the car has held itself pretty well when tested to the mettle, scoring the 2011 Top Safety Pick for the “SMALL CAR / 4-DOOR SEDAN” by the IIHS while the NHTSA gives a 3-star rating. Some of the highlighting features in Corolla’s safety list are:

• 4-wheel ABS
• Stability control 
• Smart Stop braking technology
• Daytime running lamps
• 6 airbags
• Tire pressure monitor
• Front seat active headrests

The 2011 Toyota Corolla is a basic car which does everything that a person expects of a daily driver with no frills whatsoever. There is ample comfort for your commutes, with some interior features that add to the comfort but begin from the LE trim onwards. The driving experience is pretty normal and the engine is pretty fuel-efficient with decent range. The one thing that the Corolla excels at is reliability and if that’s your major preference, the 2011 Corolla is the answer to your next commuter.