The current Corolla, however, is one of the
blandest-looking, most innocuous compact sedans on the market. A revised
grille design for the 2013 model year tried, but failed, to change
that. The Corolla isn't ugly, or off-putting, but it's also certainly
not attractive--especially when parked next to its competitive set. The
cabin is the same: simple and useful, but devoid of character or style.
People
who choose to drive out of necessity and practicality are going to find
everything they need from the Corolla's performance, but those who like
to drive may find the experience too appliance-like. The Corolla's
132-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine feels a bit short on
power on the highway--particularly with the four-speed automatic, which
has widely spaced gears and hesitant responses that can together add
drama to highway passes. In general, the Corolla is softly sprung and
lacking a handling and ride sophistication that many rivals now have.
The electric power steering is dull and overly light, and that combined
with the suspension makes the Corolla feel out of sorts on a curvy road.
Functionally, the Corolla hits all the marks--especially with respect
to seating space and comfort. Front seats are a bit short and spongy
and that's the only caution (really for taller drivers, who might not
find them as supportive), but otherwise there's plenty of headroom and
legroom as well as decent space for average-size adults in the back
seat. Ride comfort is good in most cases, and the Corolla's cabin is
well-isolated from road and wind noise; it's really up to par with
mid-size cars in this respect. The only blemishes we see are the lack of
detailing, the subpar look and feel of some of the materials, and a
little more engine noise than is typical.
The Corolla remains one of the better picks in this class for the
safety-minded. Safety equipment is typical within the class, with front
side airbags, side-curtain airbags, and active front head restraints all
standard. In addition to four-star federal results overall (plus
top-notch five-star ratings in side impact), the Corolla has earned top
scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in
all test categories—resulting in a renewed Top Safety Pick accolade for
2013.
Some important new tech features have been added to the
2013 Corolla; a new 6.1-inch touch-screen audio system with Bluetooth
hands-free calling, Bluetooth audio streaming, and USB connectivity are
included in all but the base Corolla L. Across the lineup, there are
three trim levels: base L, mid-range LE, and the somewhat
sportier-looking S. Corolla LE and S models get improved audio systems,
cruise control, steering-wheel audio controls, variable intermittent
wipers, and heated mirrors. And S doesn't offer performance that's much
sportier, it gets stitched seat accents on sport seats, fog lamps, alloy
wheels, a spoiler, additional body cladding, and a sport gauge cluster.
