2015 Toyota Corolla

As usual, the Corolla is tuned to deliver brilliant gas mileage and adequate performance. The comfort and cabin quality of the 2015 Corolla has improved by leaps and bounds. The 2015 Toyota Corolla offers a compelling package in the subcompact sedan, yet it isn’t without any competition, and it rivals the likes of Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra.

The 2015 Toyota Corolla sedan can be had in four main trims, i.e., L, LE, LE Eco, and S trims. Further LE, LE Eco, and S trim further bifurcate in two more sub-trims in the form of Plus and Premium. The sub-trims are mostly limited to visual enhancement or convenience feature additions, while the mechanical features are the same as the main trim. There is one engine option and a manual gearbox on the base trim and a CVT transmission on the higher trims as standard. Prices for the base trim start at $16,950 and go up to $19,195 for the topmost S trim. 

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The 2015 Toyota Corolla is sparsely equipped in the base trim, so we suggest stretching your budget a bit by going to the LE trim. The LE trim commands approximately one grand premium over the base automatic trim but adds few nifty features like keyless entry, cruise control, automatic climate control, Entune infotainment system, etc.

There is only one engine option on offer in the 2015 Toyota Corolla, and that is a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 engine. The engine puts out a mediocre 132 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. It comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic in the base trim and CVT gearbox as standard on the higher trims. The same engine option is also available on the LE Eco trim but with a different Valvematic technology coupled with an intelligent CVT gearbox as per Toyota lingo. The result of all this mumbo-jumbo is that this engine puts out a slightly higher 140 hp and slightly lower 126 lb-ft of torque. The Corolla with the standard engine and the CVT gearbox manages a 0-60 mph time of 9.4 seconds and covers a quarter-mile in 17.2 seconds.

The rivals also offer a similar powertrain configuration, but the Elantra comes with a 6-speed automatic instead of a CVT found on the Civic and Corolla. The Elantra also puts out the highest 145 hp and 130 lb-ft of torque, but the Civic clocks the fastest 0-60 mph time of 8.8 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 16.9 seconds. The Elantra was one-tenth of a second slower than the Corolla in the 0-60 mph run, while it took almost the same time for the quarter-mile.

The Toyota Corolla has long been known for being a fuel-efficient vehicle, and this year isn’t any different. According to EPA estimates, the standard Corolla with the manual gearbox has a gas mileage of 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, while the same Corolla married to a CVT manages to return 29 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. The star of the show, the Corolla LE Eco trim manages the best 30 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on the highway. As standard, you get a 13.2-gallon fuel tank on the 2015 Corolla.

The Honda Civic was not only the quickest in the previous comparison but also managed to return the highest gas mileage of 30/39/33 mpg in city/highway/combined, respectively, and that is one mpg more in all the three conditions compared to the Corolla. When comparing the overall range, again Honda Civic takes the center stage by offering a class-leading figure of 435 miles combined.

The cabin of the 2015 Toyota Corolla is a welcome departure from yesteryears Corolla’s dull and uninspiring cabin. There are no more hard touch and shinny plastic in prominent places, and it seems like the cabin of the Corolla received more than enough attention from Toyota designers finally. The dash looks modern and has a well-contoured and streamlined design.

As usual, the controls are well-placed and the seats are wide and comfortable. The ingress and egress are also easy, thanks to the wide-opening door and not-so-low seating position. The base trim gets 60/40-split folding rear seats, while the higher trims add a center armrest with two cup holders. The rear seat legroom is surprisingly more than generous for the segment.

The front row space in all the three sedans is tied neck to neck, but when you come to the rear seats, the Toyota Corolla turns the game in its favor with the class-leading 41.4-inches of rear legroom, while the rivals like Civic and Elantra could only manage 36.2-inches and 33.1-inches of rear legroom. When it comes to trunk capacity, the Elantra with 14.8 cubic feet of trunk takes the lead, followed by Corolla’s 13 cubic feet of trunk space. Key interior features include:

• Fabric-trimmed seats
• Tilt/telescopic steering wheel
• Power door locks 
• Available automatic climate control
• Available SoftTex-trimmed seats
• Available 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat

How intuitive is Toyota Corolla’s infotainment unit?

As standard, the 2015 Toyota Corolla comes with a 4-speaker stereo and AM/FM/MP3/CD player. The real deal is the 6.1-inch touchscreen that comes with Toyota’s Entune infotainment system. This system comes with a six-speaker sound system, navigation, SiriusXM All-access with a 3-month trial, etc. Key infotainment features available with the sedan include:

• Four speaker stereo
• AM/FM/CD player
• Available 6.1-inch touchscreen display w/ Entune
• Navigation
• SiriusXM
• HD Radio
• Bluetooth
• Available voice recognition

After a complete redesign in 2014, the Toyota Corolla got the love it or hate it kind of looks. The quirky front is accentuated by the oddball-designed headlights. The big front grille imparts an angry look to the Corolla. The rear, on the other hand, looks less offensive and much better integrated and executed. The side profile is sans any dramatic design flair, and this is where you get to see how long the Corolla is and how it manages class-leading legroom. As standard, you get 15-inch steel wheels that can be upgraded to 16-inch alloy wheels.

Except for the length, the rest of the dimensions are under one inch give or take among the three sedans. As for the length, the Corolla measuring 182.6-inches is the longest sedan and comes with a 106.3-inches of wheelbase, which is similar to Elantra’s. The Corolla is also the tallest, measuring 57.3-inches that is 0.8-inches taller than the closest Civic’s height. Weighing 2,855 lbs, the Toyota Corolla is the heaviest sedan of all. Key exterior features include:

• 15-inch steel wheels
• Available 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome-tipped exhaust
• In-glass AM/FM antenna
• LED Daytime Running Lights
• LED low-beam headlights w/ halogen high beams
• Available moonroof
• Available rear spoiler

The 2015 Toyota Corolla underpins a strong and sturdy chassis and comes with Star Safety System as standard. This reflects in the fabulous ratings Corolla received in both the agencies’ crash-test. The NHTSA gave a perfect score of five out of five stars in the overall rating, front, and side crash test. On the other hand, IIHS gave the 2015 Corolla a score of ‘Good’ in its four out of five parameters, while it gave the Corolla a second-lowest rating of ‘Marginal’ in the front overlap test. As standard, you get vehicle stability and traction control, 8 airbags, 3-point seatbelts, front and rear crumple zone, etc. Key safety features include:

• Brake assist
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution
• Whiplash-Injury-Lessening front seats
• Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
• Vehicle stability and traction control

Over time the Toyota Corolla has not only bested its past self but also upped the ante in the compact sedan segment. Although it still lacks in the performance and handling department, that remains the least of the concerns for the budget-buyers in this segment as for this slight bargain they get a sedan that delivers class-leading fuel economy, has a spacious cabin, generous cargo capacity, and good safety ratings. As for the performance and handling, if those are your priority, then the Honda Civic is the right choice for you, otherwise, it’s Corolla all the way.