Reliable Economy Sized Sedan Is Refined Toyota Corolla 2007

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Summary

For 2007 the Corolla sees minor improvements as the 2008 model year expects an entirely newly designed model. It is reliable, economical and refined. It is comfortable and compact and fits nicely in between the low priced Yaris and the slightly more expensive Camry. It has proven reliability and fuel economy to match, it is certainly worth a look for 2007.

Full Review 2007

The 2007 Toyota Corolla is among the best of the compact sedans.  It is reliable and economical yet refined and comfortable.  The Corolla comes in one body style, a four-door sedan.   For 2007, the XRS trim gets discontinued.  The 2007 models include upgraded drivetrains and other refinements.

'07 Corolla Trim Levels

The Corolla comes in CE, S, and LE trim levels.  The CE comes standard with air conditioning (with an air filter), AM/FM/CD stereo system, power steering, tilt steering column, tachometer, intermittent wipers, digital clock, outside temperature gauge, trunk lamp, and a dome light with delay.

Corolla S gets wider 195/65R15 tires and sporty styling cues: smoked headlight lens extenders, integrated fog lamps, and an aerodynamic body package with color-keyed front and rear underbody spoilers, rocker panel extensions, and rear mud guards. Inside, the S gets a unique cloth interior, a sporty tachometer, chrome accents, and a nice leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The S is also upgraded with power door locks, power mirrors, a vertical seat-height adjustment, and mirror-mounted map lights.

Corolla LE is upgraded with popular convenience features, including power windows, remote keyless entry, halogen headlamps, and variable intermittent wipers. The LE is distinguished with body-colored door handles; it lacks the sporty body cladding of the S and looks the better for it. Inside, the LE gets wood-like trim and upgraded cloth seating surfaces.

Driving the Corolla

The standard four-cylinder engine revs smoothly and delivers good acceleration performance.  Both the manual and the automatic transmissions offer smooth shifting, and the manual is very easy to operate. All models have a smooth, comfortable ride and responsive handling.  The power steering is just right, providing a nice feel without being too stiff or sloppy. The suspension has been tuned to give a smooth ride, which is helped by a relatively long wheelbase. It is soft and does a good job of soaking up bumps and road vibration. Body roll, or lean, is minimal and the car feels secure and stable at all speeds.

2007 Powertrain

The Corolla CE, S, and LE come with a 126-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic is available.  The base, four-cylinder engine it is significantly improved. It generates 158 horsepower and 161 pounds-feet of torque. With it, a five-speed-manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic is optional.   The standard 126-horsepower four-cylinder engine is quiet, smooth and refined. It delivers brisk acceleration performance with a broad power band for nice acceleration. There is no difference in engine, transmission or suspension between the CE, S, and LE trim levels.

Inside the Corolla

Interior changes for the 2007 model include close to half an inch more backseat legroom.  The CE and LE trims have split, folding backseats. The driver's seat has a much more substantial feel than in many cars in this price range, which makes it more comfortable for long journeys. Even the doors shut with a pleasant thud thanks to sound deadening felt mounted inside the door panels.  Storage space in the 2007 Corolla is generous. The glove box is big and there are small pockets in each door. Map lights for upper models are mounted on the rearview mirror. There's plenty of front legroom and headroom in the Corolla.  The trunk is one of the biggest in this class. The gooseneck hinges intrude into the cargo space and can crush fragile items if they are in the way, but this design results in a larger trunk opening than using the scissor-type hinges that require a larger flange around the trunk opening. The rear seats are split to allow access from the trunk.  The SE trim level gets its own sport-trimmed interior in darker colors, amber gauges and a three-spoke steering wheel.

Toyota Design

The 2007 Corolla S is distinguished by its sporty front spoiler, body-colored side rocker panels and rear skirt, along with its fog lamps and smoked headlamp masking. Corolla comes standard with 15-inch steel wheels, but looks like it could do with larger wheels and tires that would fill out the wheel wells more effectively. Aluminum 15-inch wheels are an option for LE models. The taillights match the shape of the headlights nicely. Part of the taillight module is actually mounted in the trunk lid. This is fine except that the design causes the trunk lid to be narrower than it might be.

Safety

Crash tests indicate the Corolla is one of the safest cars in its class. Safety is further enhanced by optional curtain-style airbags and side-impact airbags designed to provide additional head and torso protection in a side-impact. Optional anti-lock brakes help the driver maintain steering control after slamming on the brakes.

Conclusions

The Toyota Corolla is a sophisticated and reliable compact sedan. It features a high-quality, ergonomically excellent interior with comfortable, supportive seats. Not, though, that the Corolla is best suited for shorter people as far as interior space and comfort goes. CarGurus.com says "The Toyota Corolla is simply the best selling car ever. And it is one of the most highly evolved cars on the road today. " Cars.com adds "Agile handling, Automatic transmission well-matched to engine, proven reliability make this car a great choice."Another big plus with the 2007 Corolla is its large trunk, one of the biggest in this class.   Fuel economy range is estimated at 41 mpg Hwy, 32 mpg City.