2014 TOYOTA Corolla Review

As we head further into our drive, there’s one impression that becomes stronger and stronger. The Toyota Corolla may be a budget car, but it has the decency not to remind you of this. The vehicle comes with a level of comfort that places it one class ahead of its actual positioning.

You just sit in here, watch the hefty distance between the dash and the edge of the windscreen and the whole thing feels solid. And under this layer of a serious car, the Corolla treats you with nice padding all around the cabin. Thank you Lexus.

The last asset reaches its climax with the seats. They’ve completely reworked the urethane pads and the foam within the front and rear seats. The first are broad enough to hold any body type. They’ll allow you to eat up hundreds of miles with just coffee stops. And those headrests are one of the main reasons for which you get good whiplash injury protection.

Let’s not forget about the space - there’s enough room here for a family, even one with children that have been encouraged to travel with anything they own.

The result of all these efforts is that you're not forced to upgrade to an Avensis or Camry unless you really need them. This is where the Japanese show the Germans how you treat your customers with respect.

Don’t worry though, Toyota hasn’t turned water into wine just yet. Once you get up to highway speeds, the lower area soundproofing lets you down a bit. The rest of the cabin is well insulated, but there’s simply a tad too much noise coming from the wheel areas.

Body and Chassis

The biggest change brought by the Toyota Corolla’s new generation is a 3.93-inch (100 mm) wheelbase boost. This is share by both the US and the European models. In addition, both are longer, wider and lower than before. However, their actual dimensions are a bit different, as dictated by the independent designs.

The Euro-spec Corolla measures 4,260 mm (167.7 inches) in length, 1,775 mm (69.9 inches) in width and is 1,465 mm (57.7 inches) tall. Compared to its predecessor, the new dimensions make it 80 mm (3.2 inches) longer, 15 mm (0.6 inches) wider and 5 mm (0.2 inches) lower, with the rear overhang being shortened by 25 mm (1 inch).

When it comes to the American 2014 Corolla, this is 182.6 inches (4,638 mm) long, shares its width with the European model and is 57.3 inches (1,455 mm) high.

Despite the increase in size, the 2014 Corolla is actually a little bit lighter than the model it replaces. A greater amount of high tensile steel was used throughout the body, which allowed for more light metal to be featured in various other areas. As for the body rigidity, this is now superior.

Powertrain

The Euro-spec 2014 Toyota Corolla comes with three engines. The range starts with a naturally-aspirated 100 HP 1.33-liter petrol, which is followed by a 132 HP 1.6-liter engine. Those who want to burn oil receive a 90 HP 1.4-liter engine.

While the entry 1.33-liter unit only comes with a six-speed manual, the 1.6-liter engine also ads an optional CVT. As for the diesel, this replaces the CVT in the offer with a six-speed automatic.

In the US, the 2014 Toyota Corolla comes with a naturally-aspirated 1.8-liter four banger. This is available in two states of tune. There’s a standard version delivering 132 HP at 6,000 RPM and 128 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm. This is offered on all the models, with the exception of the LE Eco.

The green version amusingly gets the most power unit, with its 1.8-liter producing 140 HP at 6,100 rpm and 126 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. The extra oomph is some sort of side effect of the unit’s new Valvematic variable valve lift and timing system, which is actually there to boost efficiency. Toyota explains that it has limited production capacity for this engine, which is why it's not offering it in the other trims.

Further down the power line, customers can choose between a four-speed auto and a six-speed manual, with the latter available for the L and S models. In addition, the US market gets a CVT for the first time. They’re calling the pulley-type setup the CVTi-S and, like we said in the Open Road chapter, it’s worth some attention.

Toyota wants to keep the Corolla a budget vehicle, which is probably why they didn’t also fit it with a hybrid powertrain. This would’ve been an easy job, since Europeans get the Auris Hybrid, which is basically a hatchback version of the Corolla.

Road Connection

The 2014 Toyota Corolla keeps the suspension of its predecessor, with this receiving a few tweaks here and there. Thus, there’s a front MacPherson configuration, while at the back we have a torsion beam.

The new Corolla also features a revised Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. The ratio is now 8 percent quicker, the column angle has been lowered and there’s a new integrated ECU that manages everything.

As we got into the cabin of out Toyota Corolla test car, our nerdy side was drawn to the infotainment system. We started playing with Toyota’s Touch 2 with Go multimedia unit.

They had the Europeans in mind when they developed this and you can tell by the way in which the menus work. Compared to the more basic Toyota Touch 2, the version we tested comes with some pretty useful extra features.

We’re talking about a new layout for the map screen, while the voice guidance was also more pleasant to use. There’s also an emergency call feature. If you insist, you can even browse Toyota’s online customer portal.

The Corolla couldn’t miss the ever-present social media point - yes, there’s a new Twitter app. We have to mention that this is just the head of a longer application list.

However, the two versions of the system share the 800 x 480 screen resolution. They also help you avoid texting while driving, thanks to the on-screen SMS send & receive function.

Another highlight for this chapter is the Simple Intelligent Park Assist (SIPA). This has come a long way from the early automated parking systems - it’s pretty neat in operation, even though it still won’t beat a well-trained driver.

Switching to the US-spec 2014 Toyota Corolla, you can instantly tell the difference between the S trim and the inferior LE, LE Eco and L. That’s because the S comes with a glossy black finish for certain elements on the front apron and rear bumper. Sure, past Corolla S models were also visually distinguished, but this time the extra styling cues are much better integrated.

Don’t worry though, when it comes to safety, each available system is offered as standard across the range, including the eight airbags. We have to mention that European have to make due with seven, as the passenger knee airbag is missing.

The Toyota Corolla knows have to give you a subtle feeling of safety at all times. Whether you’re dealing with the clogged urban traffic or pushing along on the highway, the Corolla moves with confidence.

Everything’s clean, the car responds to your inputs, so you know that you can always rely on it. The ease with which this Toyota can be handled is mixed with its unbiased handling. The result is a reinforcement of the aforementioned feeling.

Nevertheless, you will have to remember that the CVT isn’t exactly a friend of swift acceleration. This means that when you’re out on the open road, you have to think things in advance.

As for when you do get into trouble, the 2014 Toyota Corolla’s crash test results show many positive results, but also a few negative ones.

The Corolla’s Euro NCAP crash test results show a dependable vehicle. A glance at the main figures reveals a five-star rating with 94 percent for the adult occupant protection, 82 percent child occupant protection, 67 percent pedestrian protection and 66 percent safety assist.

When it came to adult occupants, the Corolla provided Good protection in all scenarios. As for the “heavy duty” side pole impact test, the Corolla managed to provide Adequate chest protection and Good protection for the rest of the body areas.

The child protection was also worthy of the Good rating. What’s more, the hefty rear space of the 2014 Toyota Corolla allows you to easy fit a child seats of any size using the two Isofix mounts.

Exiting the vehicle, we find the front bumper provides good protection for pedestrian’s legs. Alas, the front edge of the bonnet isn’t as friendly, offering poor protection for the pelvic area. As for the rest of the bonnet, this provides Good or Adequate protection for the head of a hit pedestrian.

Unfortunately, if we go across the pound, we discover that the 2014 Corolla has received a marginal rating for the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) small overlap front crash test. The 2014 Toyota Corolla’s structure didn’t keep itself together, with the driver’s space being intruded. We have to explain this is more severe compared to Euro NCAP’s tests. It simulates the vehicle’s front corner hits another car or a pole.

The IIHS also tested other 12 cars comparable to the Corolla earlier this year. Half of these earned Good or Acceptable ratings, while the remaining ones had to make due with Marginal of Poor ratings.

However, the 2014 Corolla did receive good ratings in the Institute’s four other tests: front moderate overlap, side, rollover and rear.

Toyota wanted to give the world a 2014 Corolla that would keep people in a positive mood. This car was designed to make you feel good. Not directly, but by supporting you in whatever you decide to do. Well, they’ve hit their target bang on.

The 2014 Toyota Corolla makes sure you get to your destination without any disturbance. What’s more, its affordable nature is doubled by excellent value for money. The Corolla actually feels like a more expensive vehicle.

It’s spacious and refined and thus it can serve plenty of purposes. The Toyota Corolla makes a brilliant family or fleet vehicle.

Since we mentioned money, we have to explain that the European pricing for the new Toyota Corolla starts at EUR13,000. A model like the one we drove, with the 1.6-liter engine and the CVT gearbox, ranges between EUR19,500 and EUR22,200 - these are all starting prices including 19 percent VAT.

As for the US-spec 2014 Toyota Corolla, this ranges between $16,800 and $20,200. We’re talking about MSRPs excluding an $810 destination fee.

Toyota’s Corolla is all about transportation, not driving, but it doesn’t allow itself to fail the one behind the wheel in any way. This is what makes it special in its class, it’s the best part of the car.

However, this appliance-like, unemotional nature of the Corolla is the worst side of the vehicle. But if you want emotions, you won’t come here in the first place. You could go to the 2014 Mazda3 sedan, for example. The Corolla won’t mind.

It’s interesting how the Corolla once served as a base for the AE86 Coupe, which still lives on as a performance legend. Nowadays, Toyota decided to stick to its calculated approach and turned to Subaru for its GT 86 sports car.