The following review is for a 2021 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at.

Introduction

The 2021 Toyota Corolla sedan or hatchback is hardly flashy, but it still boosts the automaker's small-car credentials. For starters, the resale is excellent; and the hybrid is a fabulous value–it's a Prius without the odd styling. The Corolla has grown stylish and nimble over the years, while the cabin is a neat blend of function and form. 

For 2021 every Corolla gets Android Auto compatibility, two more airbags, and available satellite radio. 

The base model and the Hybrid are somewhat slow, although the Hybrid makes up for that with 52 mpg. Meanwhile the SE and XSE models use a 169-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 that's brisk, although a bit short on refinement. All Corollas deliver steering that's not too heavy and a ride that's not too bobbly. 

The base engine is a 1.8-liter inline-4 mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), a powertrain that satisfies the Corolla's mission as innocuous but capable transportation. There's plenty of room in the front, and more passenger room in the rear in the sedan than the hatchback, as well as better cushions for some reason–and Hybrids have the best rear cushions of all. Three passengers in back is a squeeze, however. 

The sedan's roomier rear seat comes with a sacrifice in cargo room; hatchbacks have plenty of storage behind the back seats, as well as behind the fronts when the rear seat is folded. 

Every Corolla gets automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control, while blind-spot monitors are standard or available on almost every model. 

With the 1.8-liter engine and CVT, the Corolla L is EPA rated at 30/38/33 mpg, and basically the same with the manual transmission. The Corolla XLE gets 1 mpg less. 

Corolla sedans with the 2.0-liter engine and automatic get 31/40/34 mpg, while the manual gets 29/36/32 mpg; the 2.0-liter Corolla XSE is EPA-rated at 31/38/34 mpg. 

Corolla hatchbacks begin at 28/37/31 mpg for the 6-speed manual; CVTs rate 32/41/35 mpg except in XSE trim, where they rate 30/38/33 mpg. 

Hybrids soar above the rest of the lineup, at 53 mpg city, 52 highway, 52 combined. 

Both the IIHS and the NHTSA rate the Corolla about as highly as small cars get. The NHTSA gives it five stars, while the IIHS makes it a Top Safety Pick, which would gain a '+'? if the Corolla had better headlights. 

Lineup

The $20,780 Corolla L sedan gets power features, cloth upholstery, LED headlights, a 7.0-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility. 

The $21,245 SE hatchback has standard power features, 16-inch wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen. 

An LE gains bigger wheels and tires. 

The $24,355 Corolla LE Hybrid, gets all the LE gear except for its smaller 15-inch wheels. 

The $25,180 Corolla XLE adds a sunroof, a power driver seat, and synthetic leather upholstery, with options for navigation and wireless smartphone charging. 

The $26,680 Corolla XSE has navigation and synthetic leather upholstery, with options for ambient lighting and premium audio. 

Walkaround

Toyota has gone aggressively stylish with many of its models, but not the Corolla. The hatchback is sharp, almost striking, while the sedan is sedate, having a traditional outline with interesting details. 

The hatchback has an emphatic grille but it's not as outrageous as the Toyota Mirai or Prius. The sedan lacks the suggestive sweep of a Honda Civic, or the smoky eye of a Nissan Sentra; however, it does adopt some of Toyota's racy design cues. Its LED headlights fishhook into the front fenders, and its lower glass and rear-end scoops give it some of the drama it's lacked since the 1980s. 

Interior

The Corolla cabin is simple, open, and airy. It's uncluttered, with cutlines and seams omitted where possible. The controls are smartly arrayed, the console is low, the surfaces well defined, and fit-and-finish good. Some Corolla dash panels get stitched swatches of leather-like upholstery, and all get a touchscreen that stands atop the dash billboard-style, where it's easy to see and use. 

The hatchback and sedan front seats are durable and shapely, but the hatchback loses some room with its protruding dash. The hatchback front seats slide on long tracks and cut into rear seat space. Nor is head room generous. 

Cargo fares better. The hatchback has 18 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which fold down for even more space. 

The sedan is more popular, with a 106.3-inch wheelbase (3 inches longer) and its much better front seats-especially in the Corolla Hybrid, which wears a fine-knit synthetic material. Sedan seats have a wider range of adjustment and can be covered in leather, with heating for the front row too-but more important, have access to more head and leg room. We wish the steering wheel had a longer telescoping action. 

In back, 6-footers won't quite have enough room to sit upright, but knee and shoulder space are good for two large adults. The seatbacks fold down to expand the sedan's small 13.1-cubic-foot trunk. 

Driving Impression

The latest Corolla is pervasively competent. It has more flair than before in its power, ride and handling. The Hatchback is more interesting to drive, thanks to its larger 2.0-liter inline-4 with 169 hp, coupled to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. The engine is willing, although noisy at high rpm. It's a slick performer with the 6-speed manual, which rev-matches for smoother downshifts. Expect a 0-60 mph time of about 7.5 seconds. 

The Corolla's architecture allows it to make the most of its multilink suspension. It has both a controlled ride and precise steering, even on base versions with 16-inch wheels; 18s are available but not necessary. Corolla SE and XSE sedans also use that engine, but their ride is more attentive. 

But we prefer the lesser Corolla with the 139-hp 1.8-liter inline-4. It may be slower, but it's not too slow, and it's also quieter and calmer. It's fine in the more sedate driving that will be asked of it. It also handles the road with a more relaxed attitude. Its steering tracks true, but with even lighter effort, and its tires don't slap like those on the SE and XSE. 

The Corolla LE Hybrid is the same story only better. It's a Prius without the statement that comes with the Prius styling. The Corolla shares the Prius' hybrid 1.8-liter inline-4 making 121 hp, which means it strains to hit 60 mph in less than 10 seconds, but at 52 mpg, who cares? Its 15-inch wheels and tires generate a softly damped ride. Its all-electric driving range is minimal, and its steering is not communicative, but those are just two more things that aren't big downsides when you're looking at 52 mpg. 

Summary

For less than $25,000 the Corolla Hybrid is the big winner in the lineup; it brings the Prius powertrain without the Prius shout-out. In the other models, you have to decide how much acceleration, and how much passenger vs. cargo space you need. We like the smaller slower engine because it's quieter and more refined. 

 

-by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection.