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2009 Toyota Corolla Review

March 31, 2009

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.

STYLING | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:One of the handsomest pieces of sheetmetal in Toyota's U.S. lineupAutoblogAttractive and ergonomic interior designEdmundsA lower, wider, sportier look to compete with Honda's CivicKelley 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. ConclusionThe 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. 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA STYLING | [7 out of 10] Autoblog: "One of the handsomest pieces of sheetmetal in Toyota's U.S. lineup" Edmunds: "Attractive and ergonomic interior design" Kelley Blue Book: "A lower, wider, sportier look to compete with Honda's Civic" The Toyota Corolla has ...

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 (12 total)

  1. By Ayman #1, Posted: 6/25/2008

    Mr

    complete exterior and interior photos and specs

  2. By lerone #2, Posted: 12/27/2008

    gregg

    wana buy ah corolla cause day look real good

  3. By William Hudgens #4, Posted: 2/2/2009

    MIS Operations

    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. By Gumero Austin #5, Posted: 2/11/2009

    Long Distance Driver

    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. By Lisa Davis #6, Posted: 2/15/2009

    Wheel is all over the road

    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. By steve Ford #7, Posted: 2/25/2009

    Power Steering is Dangerous

    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. By Eric W #8, Posted: 3/6/2009

    Corolla for Life

    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. By James #10, Posted: 3/30/2009

    Steering is near perfect

    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. By howard allen #11, Posted: 5/28/2009

    steering is very dangerous

    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 #12, Posted: 6/29/2009

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

  11. By Don Thomason #13, Posted: 7/19/2009

    My wife and I have 2 2009 Corollas (His and Hers). They are both the same and both are getting 49 mpg plus at 60 mph on Cruise Control on the freeway on trips. The steering takes some getting used to but is no means dangerous. We are completely satisfied with ours--I have 10,000 miles on mine and she has 7000 miles on hers. Don Thomason, waucondaone@q.com

  12. By Tom Miller #14, Posted: 8/3/2009

    My first Toyota since having a Corona (what the Camry was called man moons ago). The best thing about it seems to be the engine. It very efficient, but still peppy when you need it. My only complaint would is that all trims should have disk brakes all around. Home on, how much more could that be these days.

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