What's New for 2000

Review

The Toyota Corolla has gone through many changes since it was first introduced in 1968. Over the course of its long life, the Corolla has appeared as a hatchback, coupe, wagon and sedan. The world has seen enough people fall in love with this car to make it one of the best-selling vehicles in the history of automobiles.

Now while that's neat and all, we're sure that what's really important to you and your wallet is whether the modern Corolla still has what it takes to stomp out its competitors. The current Corolla platform was introduced in 1998. In those two short years, the Dodge Neon, Ford Focus, Mazda Protege, and Volkswagen Golf have all been substantially redesigned or newly introduced.

To fend them off, the Corolla comes equipped with a 1.8-liter, all-aluminum, DOHC four-cylinder engine that cranks out 125 horsepower. This is five more than last year, thanks to a variable valve timing and lift system that Toyota calls VVT-i. VVT-i employs continuously variable intake valve timing to provide greater engine performance, better fuel economy and reduced pollution over a wide range of rpm.

With the exception of minimal legroom for both the driver and passengers, the Corolla's interior ergonomics are flawless. Toyota also managed to pack a multitude of interior storage compartments into the Corolla, including a small pullout drawer in the dash and a large bin under the HVAC controls. There is very little road noise and the Corolla handles quite well for a compact sedan.

The Corolla is one of the best compact sedans on the market. Few competitors (with the exception of Honda) can match Toyota's run-forever reputation and high levels of build quality. But the Corolla will certainly have its work cut out for it in 2000. Equipped with options most customers are expecting these days (such as ABS, CD player, and cruise control), the price of a Corolla can quickly jump to more than $18,000.