Some cars are sporty at illegal speeds. It’s impressive but a bit pointless for the average buyer.
Other cars are sporty from stoplight to stoplight. There’s a reason why you find so many driving a Miata at gatherings of car enthusiasts. Affordable cars that are fun to drive at neighborhood speeds and keep you from speeding fines are the true gems of the automotive world.
They often become secret classics — cars enthusiasts remember, but the rest of the world forgets.
Inspired by a Minor Reagan-Era Classic
The 1987 Toyota Corolla FX-16 was one such secret all-star. It was an affordable pocket rocket — a little 3-door hatchback with a lustier engine and tighter suspension tuning than your everyday Corolla. It didn’t look like much, but car lovers adored it for its affordable price and everyday athleticism.
Toyota is bringing it back. Sort of.
The 2025 Toyota Corolla FX special edition pays homage to the FX-16 with steering and suspension improvements designed to turn the affordable Corolla into a performance car for day-to-day driving.
Toyota hasn’t announced pricing for any 2025 Corolla yet. The 2024 version starts at $23,145 (including a $1,095 delivery fee), with prices for even the most well-equipped versions staying under $30,000.
Steering, Suspension Upgrades
Unfortunately, Toyota didn’t give it an engine upgrade this time. The FX uses the same 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 169 horsepower as every other Corolla. It uses the same continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), too. So it’s not going to rocket from a stoplight like the original.
But engineers retuned the steering rack “for the ultimate sporty feel,” Toyota says. Standard lowering springs tighten the suspension and give it “the perfect aggressive stance.”
To differentiate the FX from other Corollas, Toyota gave it a larger rear spoiler, black roof, black mirror caps, black badges, and satin black 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, Moonstone sport fabric seats get orange stitching. It debuts a new 10.5-inch multimedia screen that will be standard on the FX and optional on other 2025 Corolla models.
Not the Sportiest Corolla, but Likely the Bargain Sporty One
Sure, purists will say Toyota could have done more to improve the performance of the FX to match the ethos of the FX-16. But in a year when the average new car buyer is paying over $48,000, we’re happy to see any low-cost car with performance enhancements.
The extraordinary GR Corolla will continue to bring the fight to the Civic Type R and Elantra N. But all those cars carry sticker prices well out of the field of affordable small cars. The Corolla FX has the potential to be reasonably priced fun. It’s good to see Toyota pursuing that target again.
