2011 Toyota Corolla Review
The Toyota Corolla is the world's best-selling car of all time. Today the Corolla faces even stiffer competition. The 2011 Toyota Corolla is a five-passenger compact sedan available in base, LE and S trim levels.
Every 2011 Toyota Corolla is powered by a 1.8-liter inline-4 that produces 132 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. Every "Toyota Corolla "comes standard with stability and traction control, antilock brakes with brake assist (front disc, rear drum), front side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash testing, the Corolla earned a perfect "Good" rating in the frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.
In a class filled with cars that offer quality, reliability, comfort, good fuel economy and affordability, the 2011 Toyota Corolla is merely adequate.
The 2011 Toyota Corolla is struggling to compete against reliable cars that offer competitive packages that include affordability, top performance and quality cabins. The 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corolla were recalled because of faulty brakes and accelerator pedals.
The 2011 Toyota Corolla gets revised styling but a diminished model lineup as part of a midcycle course correction. Heavy factory incentives are helping Corolla stay neck-and-neck with the Honda Civic atop compact-car sales. Should you buy a 2011 Toyota Corolla or wait for the 2012 Toyota Corolla? Styling: Subtle revisions to the nose and tail strengthen the 2012 Toyota Corolla’s family resemblance to the larger, midsize Toyota Camry. The 2011 revisions do, however, suggest Toyota has a more realistic vision of Corolla’s mission. The 2011 Toyota Corolla lineup again begins with the entry-level Base version and returns better-outfitted LE and S models. The smartest buy should continue to be the 2011 Toyota Corolla LE, which justifiably has accounted for more than half of Corolla sales. Both models continue with 15-inch steel wheels, though their wheel-cover design is new for model-year 2011.
Keeping alive the sporty styling spirit of the departed Corolla XRS, the 2011 Corolla S gains fancy multi-reflector headlamps, front and rear spoilers, lower-body aero trim, and a chrome-tipped exhaust. The 2011 Corolla S model also gets a sportier new steering wheel with metallic accents and audio controls.
Mechanical: All 2011 Toyota Corollas come with updates to software and hardware associated with Toyota’s response to the sudden-acceleration recalls. Similarly, the 2011 Corolla continues to bundle a suite of safety features under Toyota’s Star Safety System label. Unfortunately, the demise of the XRS model with its four-wheel disc brakes means all 2011 Corollas retain the lesser front-disc/rear-drum brake setup.
A five-speed manual transmission remains standard on Corolla Base and S models; top rivals furnish six-speed manuals. An automatic transmission is standard on the Corolla LE and optional on the Base and S models, but it has just four speeds. The late Corolla XRS at least offered a five-speed automatic.
The 2011 Toyota Corolla experiences a minor features revival as part of its midcycle facelift. From the XLE’s standard equipment list the 2011 Corolla LE inherits variable intermittent wipers. The moonroof remains an S-model option. However, the navigation system and leather upholstery previously optional on the Corolla S and XRS models are no longer available.
Historically, Corolla’s base prices were justified by strong demand and made palatable by high resale values. A rough estimate would give the 2011 Toyota Corolla a base-price range of $16,200-$18,500. Look for the 2011 Toyota Corolla Base model to start around $16,200 with manual transmission, around $17,000 with automatic. Estimated base price for the 2011 Corolla LE model is about $17,600.
The 2011 Corolla S versions should start around $17,300 with manual transmission, $18,200 with automatic.
