A modern automotive success story, the Toyota Corolla enters its tenth generation as compact royalty.
Part of Toyota’s line of “crown” cars, Corolla is Latin for “small crown,” and is joined by Corona (Latin for “crown”) and Camry (Anglicized pronunciation of “kanmuri,” the Japanese term for “crown”) in a regal line-up.
Inaugurated in 1966, the Corolla, now in its tenth design stage, has sold close to 40 million cars, or about one every 40 seconds, making it, arguably, the best-selling car on earth.
Corolla’s main component of buyers is women in their 40s and 50s who seek to drive a reliable, economical car. While this newest incarnation of Corolla was tweaked to attract younger buyers, so far, the older ladies still seem to be the primary purchasing segment.
The exterior has been redesigned to help target youthful drivers, and its design team went to Turin, Italy to create a sporty demeanor. With slightly more rounded architecture, but still with the personality of its conservative predecessor, the ’09 Corolla is about an inch shorter, a half-inch longer and 2.5 inches wider than the ninth-gen Corolla. Built with the same 102.4-inch wheelbase as Gen-9, the newest Small Crown is 178.7 inches long, 69.3 inches wide and 57.7 inches high, with an unforgiving 5.8 inches of ground clearance.
Any perceived sportiness comes from moving the A-pillars a bit forward and the C-pillars to the rear. Front-fender flares show a bit of athleticism, and fluid architecture includes a sculpting of lines that carry from the hood toward the rear and side lines that emphasize the vehicle’s low profile.
My Blue Streak Metallic test Corolla was also enhanced by such exterior features as multi-reflector halogen headlamps, color-keyed folding outside power mirror and color-keyed outside door handles.
I test drove a 2009 Corolla 4-door with LE trim during a cold winter week and found this new generation to be adorned with safety, comfort and convenience features that should keep it as a top seller in the under-$20,000 range.
Economy has been a Corolla lynchpin, and the ’09 version retains that credo with its 1.8-liter 4-cylinder dual overhead cam engine. Built for conservation rather than power or speed, the set-up warbles out 132hp. Mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission, it puts out 128 lb.-ft. of torque in a broad, flat torque curve that provides decent acceleration at high speed and fuel efficiency at low speeds.
Don’t expect the 2723-lb. Corolla to be a performance and style tuner as is; speed is not an issue. At the track, I ambled from zero to 60mph in a relaxing 10 seconds flat and was able to stroll down the quarter-mile in 17.8 seconds.
Speed aside, you get what you bargain for with Corolla – fuel efficiency. The front-wheel drive Corolla is EPA rated at 27mpg in city driving and 35mpg on the highway. My testing of the vehicle in and around northern Maryland, Baltimore, Washington, DC and Central Pennsylvania during some very cold, but clear weather afforded me an average fuel consumption of 31.3mpg.
The ride is a soft one thanks to a stiff body structure, MacPherson strut front suspension with a stabilizer bar, and torsion beam rear suspension with coil-over shocks. Electric power steering is able and responsive.
Safety is a Toyota watchword and Corolla is outfitted with a driver and passenger advanced air bag system that includes an occupant classification sensor. The system also contains driver and front passenger seat-mounted side air bags, front and rear side curtain air bags, 3-point seat belts with pretensioners, active front seat head rests, child protector door locks and tether/anchor system, and engine immobilizer and direct tire pressure monitoring system. Corolla also employs a 4-wheel anti-lock brake system with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist.
The cabin is surprisingly roomy for a small car, with seating for five and 37.9 inches of headroom up front and 37.2 in row two, 41.7 inches of leg room in row one and 36.3 behind, with 54.8 inches of shoulder room for driver and co-pilot and 54.6 in the rear. Designed for better comfort and convenience, the cabin offers a variety of easy-to-reach storage spaces, and the rear bench seat is built with a near-flat rear floor to enhance the comfort of the middle passenger in row two.
Interior amenities include air conditioner with clean air filter, 4-speaker sound system with AM/FM/CD WMA/MP3 player, power windows, shift-activated power door locks, outside temperature display, illuminated gauges, tilt/telescopic 3-spoke steering wheel, driver’s vertical seat height adjuster, digital clock, dome light with time delay and covered center console box.
Base priced at $16,650, my test Corolla stickered at a price-as-tested $18,453. The increase included such add-ons as cruise control ($250); an all-weather guard package of heavy-duty heater, rear seat heater, heated outside mirrors and anti-chip tape ($150); remote keyless entry ($245); vehicle stability control and traction control with off switch ($250); carpet floor mats and trunk mat ($199); cargo net ($49) and delivery and processing charges of $660.
The tenth generation of Corolla looks like a natural ascension to the crown.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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