The Toyota Corolla compact sedan is stuck in the slow lane as its competition zooms by. The updates it received for the 2009 model year and again for 2011 haven't been enough to keep pace in this quickly evolving segment.
From its dull driving experience and aging interior to its subpar gas mileage, the 2011 Corolla can't match what its competition offers.
We tested a top-level 2011 Corolla S with an as-tested price of $20,855. Other cars in its price range include new models like the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and redesigned cars like the 2011 Hyundai Elantra and 2012 Ford Focus.
Ride & Handling
Historically, one of the Corolla's better qualities has been its relatively comfortable ride that's well-suited to daily commuting. That wasn't the case with the S model I tested, whose ride quality is closer to the Kia Forte's taut tuning. The suspension transmits even minor pavement blemishes to the cabin, while bigger bumps produce a noisy jolt. The rough ride and considerable road noise recall an earlier era, when compact cars sacrificed refinement in the name of low-cost motoring.
The Corolla's body motions are relatively well-controlled when cornering, but unlike the redesigned Focus and the Mazda3, the car has no appetite for fun. Its numb steering is one of the biggest culprits; there's no feel for what's happening down at the front tires. I like to drive, but the Corolla did more to dampen my enthusiasm for it than any car I've been in lately.
Going & Stopping
None of the current crop of compact cars is especially quick, but most of them can keep pace with fast-moving urban traffic. The Corolla can, too, but there were times when the four-speed automatic's gearing made the car feel sluggish. The bigger issue, though, is a lack of drivetrain refinement — an area where competitors like the Elantra and Cruze have raised the bar significantly.
The 1.8-liter four-cylinder is a coarse little engine that you always hear, but which never sounds good. The automatic performs one-gear kickdowns with appropriate speed, but if you need a two-gear downshift be prepared to wait a moment for the transmission to make the selection — and for the extra engine noise that accompanies it.
Perhaps the oddest element of the Corolla driving experience is the car's tendency to surge a little while trying to maintain a steady speed (without using cruise control). It wasn't a one-time thing, either, as I could always count on it happening during my commute when traveling around 50 mph. Whether it's caused by an overly sensitive gas pedal or something else, it's the kind of thing that could drive you crazy on a road trip. The only other car I've driven that exhibited similar behavior was a Mercury Milan Hybrid I reviewed a few years ago.
The Corolla has long been a fuel-sipping choice in the compact segment, but its EPA-estimated gas mileage has been relatively consistent for the past few years, while the competition has seen big improvements. The 2011 Elantra is rated 29/40 mpg city/highway, and regular versions of the automatic-equipped 2012 Civic are rated 28/39 mpg. The automatic Corolla, meanwhile, gets what now seems like a lackluster 26/34 mpg.
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