Used 2021 Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla sedan was reborn just last year, and it is the best iteration yet of the world’s highest-selling nameplate. Now more than ever, the Corolla has the goods to battle for supremacy against longtime rival the Honda Civic, not to mention other popular players like the revamped Nissan Sentra and Hyundai Elantra.

The 2021 Toyota Corolla comes packed with safety and driver-assistance features that cost extra in an Audi, tech you still can’t get in a BMW, and refined driving manners that could have passed for a Lexus not that long ago. All at a price that begins under $20,000.

The new Toyota Corolla sedan is offered in a wide variety. There’s a choice of two gasoline engines, a hybrid model (reviewed separately) that attains up to 53 mpg, and even the option of a manual transmission for driving enthusiasts. Bolstering the lineup’s fun-to-drive factor is the new Corolla Apex, a limited edition with upgraded suspension, handling, and aesthetics. The Corolla is also available as a hatchback, also reviewed separately.

Throw in Toyota’s legendary reliability, great resale value, and two years of complimentary maintenance, and it’s easy to see why the Corolla is among the most recommendable cars in its class.

The competence of the Toyota Corolla’s new platform shines in its driving experience. This compact car is solid, quiet, and offers a comfortable ride without backing down when pushed. The steering is crisp yet tends a touch toward the light side, making it easy to wheel about.

Toyota has refined its continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) to take some of the elasticity out of its response. Most drivers won’t be aware of its presence and those who do notice, probably would be better suited to the manual version to more effectively exploit the Corolla’s independent suspension.

The 139-horsepower 1.8-liter engine in L, LE, and XLE trims is acceptable for everyday duties, but the SE and XSE models are more rewarding thanks to their 2.0-liter engine with 169 horsepower. In addition to having 30 more horses under the hood, they employ a special CVT that uses a mechanical first gear. The result is a CVT that feels less like a CVT.

Toyota describes the Corolla’s interior design philosophy as “sensuous minimalism.” The layout is clean and horizontal with few lines, and the dash dominated by an infotainment touch screen (7-inch diagonal on the L trim, 8-inch on all other models) that sprouts from the center of the dash.

The screen is flanked by physical buttons, volume and tuner knobs beneath and a climate-control system below. The instrument cluster is also digital with a standard 4.2-inch display, while a 7-inch configurable layout comes on higher-trim levels. Soft-touch materials cover all the upper surfaces, and on the SE and XSE, the front bucket seats are more contoured to provide additional support.

Cloth upholstery is standard and can be upgraded to a SofTex leatherette. The cabin has a light, airy feel to it along with materials and a level of fit and finish you’d expect in a more premium vehicle.

Like the cabin, this latest Toyota Corolla has a contemporary look with a front end dominated by a large trapezoidal mesh grille. The headlight units feature LED daytime running lights with two or three elements per side, depending on the trim level. The Corolla’s profile is clean, with a soft character line rising from the front wheel arch through the rear deck.

From the back, the taillights are connected by a single strip running across the decklid, and on Sport models, the rear diffuser accentuates the car’s wider stance. While the front end shares a family resemblance to the redesigned Camry and Avalon, the overall shape and look of the Corolla are more on the understated 4-door side of the ledger than a flashy, Euro-inspired sports sedan.

The sport Corolla SE grades have more aggressive elements like smoked rear light housings and dark gray metallic front grille. The new limited-edition Corolla Apex model takes this further with its own distinct treatments.

SPORT TRIM
No one will confuse a Corolla for a Subaru WRX; however, if you like to shift for yourself and experience the nimbleness of the independent rear suspension, the Sport trim level with the 6-speed manual transplants the fun factor from the Corolla Hatchback into the sedan. SE models with an auto transmission get the special CVT (see driving impressions) and a Sport mode.

The Corolla comes in several trims: L, LE, XLE, SE, and XSE. Starting with the L trim, the Corolla includes LED headlights, 15-inch steel wheels, 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and new for 2021, Android Auto support. Significantly, all new Corolla models come with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite of assists. This includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, radar cruise control (with a stop-and-go feature on CVT models), Road Sign Assist and Lane Tracing Assist that helps to keep the vehicle centered in its lane. All new Toyotas also include two years/25,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

For just $450 more, we recommend stepping up to at least a Corolla LE. That bit of money buys a better-equipped Corolla with an 8-inch touchscreen display, 16-inch wheels, automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, premium fabric. It also has a rear-seat armrest with cupholders – a small detail that’s a big deal if you regularly have rear passengers or use the car for ride-sharing.

Corolla SE models have the more powerful engine, available manual transmission, and sporty features like 18-inch wheels, paddle shifters (on CVT models), and sport driving mode.

XLE and XSE trims add amenities like a power moonroof, power-adjust driver’s seat, alloy wheels, JBL premium audio, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, and heated front seats and SofTex faux leather. Those models also include blind-spot monitoring, now with rear cross-traffic alert for 2021.

Options vary by trim but include blind-spot monitoring, navigation, premium audio, wireless phone charger, and adaptive front lighting.

The Toyota Corolla comes with a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder in L, LE, and LXE trims. This engine makes 139 horsepower and mates to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). SE and XSE trims use a 2.0-liter engine that makes 169 horsepower and offers a choice of a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT with a mechanical 1st gear. New for 2021, the Corolla features a fuel-saving engine shut-off that can be disabled by the driver. All Corolla models are front-wheel drive.

1.8-liter inline-4
139 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
126 lb-ft of torque @ 3,900 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30/38 mpg, 29/37 mpg (XLE trim)

2.0-liter inline-4
169 horsepower @ 6,600 rpm
151 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29/36 mpg (SE manual), 31/40 mpg (SE automatic),31/38 mpg (XSE)