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2009 Toyota Corolla Review

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

One of the handsomest pieces of sheetmetal in Toyota's U.S. lineup
Autoblog

Attractive and ergonomic interior design
Edmunds

A lower, wider, sportier look to compete with Honda's Civic
Kelley Blue Book

The Toyota Corolla has always been arguably the most conservatively styled vehicle from a brand known for, among other things, its conservative styling. For 2009, however, the designers in Japan have breathed a little life into the Corolla Toyota.

Exterior styling varies somewhat across the lineup on the 2009 Toyota Corolla. ConsumerGuide notes that the "Corolla offers five trim levels for 2008 vs. three for 2008," and visual appeal ranges from virtually non-existent up to surprisingly sporty on the Corolla Toyota. Of the five trim levels on the 2009 Toyota Corolla, which Edmunds lists as "base, LE, S, XLE and XRS," the XRS is by far the most noticeable on the road. Autoblog calls the 2009 Corolla XRS "one of the handsomest pieces of sheetmetal in Toyota's U.S. lineup," featuring "speedy-looking bodywork." All versions of the 2009 Toyota Corolla include what Kelley Blue Book calls "a trio of character lines" running from front to back, as well as a "low front air intake" that helps add "visual width below the Toyota signature mesh grill." Motor Trend finds that the new Toyota Corolla is "a longer, lower, wider" car than the outgoing model, which helps improve the car's appearance.

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com found the interior of the 2009 Toyota Corolla to be designed for functionality and ease of use above all else. Cars.com writes that the "cabin seems affably tidy," and finds most everything about the interior of the Toyota Corolla "tailored for straightforward usability." However, this usability detracts from overall styling, which ConsumerGuide feels is "a noticeable step backwards from the previous-generation Corolla." Overall, Autoblog appreciates the "intuitive ergonomics" of the interior, but notes that "everyone, even domestics, have stepped up their interiors lately," which causes the Corolla to pale somewhat when compared to competitors.

Conclusion

The 2009 Toyota Corolla certainly isn't the most stylish vehicle in the world, but the XRS looks sporty enough, and the interior is uncluttered, if unremarkable.


Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Honda Civic emerged in 2006 from a redesign with a spacey interior and less backseat room, but with a better sense of style and road feel than the new Corolla. The Hyundai Elantra's a big bargain compared to the Toyota, as is Hyundai's larger Sonata compared to the $22,000 Corolla XRS. The Nissan Sentra has jazzier style and a better backseat, while the Mazda3 is the zippiest of all, and it can be tweaked out in turbocharged Mazdaspeed3 form.

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See the Toyota Corolla in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Comments (10 total)

  1. Mr

    By Ayman | Posted: Jun 25th 2008, 06:05:49 AM

    complete exterior and interior photos and specs

  2. gregg

    By lerone | Posted: Dec 27th 2008, 07:23:26 PM

    wana buy ah corolla cause day look real good

  3. MIS Operations

    By William Hudgens | Posted: Feb 2nd 2009, 11:53:47 AM

    I love the car but not the "Digital Clock" in the dashboard. Now my kids can't see the clock. In the brochure shows the Clock as a separate device and not included with the multi information display.

  4. Long Distance Driver

    By Gumero Austin | Posted: Feb 11th 2009, 07:16:53 AM

    Electronic Power steering dangers -
    On a few cars they didn't calibrate the new steering. Some will notice that it will not track straight. It will seem to pull to the left or right. But this should be a recall but I am just one person.

  5. Wheel is all over the road

    By Lisa Davis | Posted: Feb 15th 2009, 10:47:16 PM

    I am having a little issue. It's like driving a shopping cart. My steering drifts all over the road. I almost ran into sign.

  6. Power Steering is Dangerous

    By steve Ford | Posted: Feb 25th 2009, 12:23:30 PM

    Driving many hours day the car is pulsing from right to left. My neighbor has one the same year and it drives just fine. The Toyota Dealer says it's just a common complaint but it's normal.

  7. Corolla for Life

    By Eric W | Posted: Mar 6th 2009, 05:57:00 PM

    What Happened the the new Corolla? I just bought the new 2009 and the steering is something awful. Someone is going to get HURT! It takes the wheel and sometimes wont give it back.

  8. Steering is near perfect

    By James | Posted: Mar 30th 2009, 06:06:19 PM

    I've had my 09 XRS for about 7 or 8 months now and I've never had any problem with steering. I can let go of the wheel for a good 8 seconds at 120kph with little to no drift in either direction. I drive it every day.
    This steering problem that some people are having definitely doesn't happen on all of them.

  9. steering is very dangerous

    By howard allen | Posted: May 28th 2009, 10:36:04 PM

    steering is a constant correction over correction etc and is extremely dangerous.the dash gages are difficult to read in most daylight conditions.clock and temperature gages should have dedicated spaces.as it is you have to take you eyes off the road to long to read all the info.gas/temp gages to small

  10. By pucho | Posted: Jun 29th 2009, 10:01:54 PM

    Steering problem
    my car swings left and right; don't feel safe!
    dealer said it's like any other luxury car. are they funny?

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