2009 Toyota Corolla Consumer Reviews Page 9

Great Car... Mostly

Written by: Willy on 11/21/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

This is an update. This car is well built and gets good gas mileage. That is expected of Toyota. What I have found after driving the car for over 10,000 miles is that it is not very comfortable. The seats are kind of hard when driving more than 2 hours and the arm rests are too hard. Now for the reason for the update: This new car, the car that was to be my reliable commuter, is now parked for the winter. After a 3 hour trip two weeks ago. On the way there there was some heavy rain and wind. The car was nearly uncontrollable! The tires hydroplaned often. On the way back it snowed. The car was blown around and was difficult to drive. All season tires worthless. Be careful!

Favorite Features

Mileage, looks (S model). Fun to drive in nicer weather.

Suggested Improvements

Clock, Temp display. Armrests are hard. Seats uncomfortable on longer drives, OK for daily commute. Unstable in wind. Tires hydroplane. Won't even try snow. Very loud going through puddles (water hits body panels, so does road salt, gravel etc). iPod dock?

6 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Update

Written by: Don on 11/18/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla LE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

This is an update of my earlier review. Now that we have had our Corolla for several months I can be more accurate about the mpg. With careful driving we can get 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, using the AC will reduce this to about 28/38 mpg. This is fantastic for any car. Fast drivers will of course get less. We drive between 65 and 70 on the freeways. All in all the Corolla is a great value for the money.

Favorite Features

Fuel efficiency, seat comfort, quiet, build quality.

Suggested Improvements

Clock location

9 out 9 people found this review helpful

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A Pleasant Surprise

Written by: Saleem on 11/16/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla LE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

After buying a car, it's a great feeling when you realize that the car is a lot better than what you had expected. I brought it as cheap car for my long daily commute and I am extremely happy with it. It's a little weak on power, but besides that, it is great. I am getting an "average" of 39 mpg. Great for single person commuting. I would recommend Camry if there will be more than two passenger.

Favorite Features

Comfortable seats, very nice stereo, very easy to use cruise control.

Suggested Improvements

A little more legroom in the back seat. A little more power without compromising the gas mileage.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Should've gotten the Yaris instead

Written by: Ex-Toyotafan on 11/14/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I went to the dealership to get a Prius and ended up with a Corolla. Bad decision. If I was looking at fuel efficiency and fun to drive and style in a Toyota, I should've listened to my gut feeling and picked up the Yaris hatchback instead. It's far more pleasing to the eye. The Corolla only excels in build quality and fuel efficiency. These are major things for most people and most people seem to definitely go past the looks and driving dynamics of this awkward-looking refrigerator. The interior is not bad except it looks more like the Korean cars of yesteryear, the floaty ride is good if I am the passenger and 4-speed auto is to dated, so as the drum rear brakes.

Favorite Features

Fuel efficient.

Suggested Improvements

Let's start with the exterior look. This car looks like it was already 10 years old as soon as I drove out of the dealership. It was the nicest Corolla in the lot though.

5 out 19 people found this review helpful

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Worth every penny!

Written by: Rose on 11/12/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla XLE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

We bought this car last month after much contemplation. No matter how we put it this was the best choice for our money in this economy... & yes I used to drive a BMW 525i so it was not an easy decision for me. So far we are very happy with the performance of this car. Mileage is excellent, runs smooth, not so great on the luxury but the money we spent on BMW repairs, I rather go for an okay looking car that is cheaper to maintain and lasts much longer. The feel of steering is amazing like a luxury vehicle. Mileage is unbeatable. I am petite, my husband is 5'11" and we find the arm rest okay when it's slided front but could have been better.

Favorite Features

I love the wood trim, it goes great with the silver exterior. CD player and audio is great. No bump in the back for more passenger room. Great trunk size with foldable backseats. Daytime auto light, auto lock when reverse, keyless entry & trunk option. Door knobs & Exterior look.

Suggested Improvements

Clock should definitely be on the dash and always visible. Placement of rearview mirror is awkward and it should be bigger. Cupholder flaps could be bigger & able to hold water bottles too. Coin holder is tilted.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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A lot of features from a trusted brand

Written by: DY on 11/12/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I've had the chance to own several new cars in the past 4 yrs ranging from a luxurious sport sedan to a crossover. The engine didn't start to feel "powerful" until about 300 miles. I test drove the LE trim w/ std wheels and it felt like it would tip over in turns, but the S I bought has wider 16" alloy wheels and feels much steadier; XRS w/ wider 17" should handle better yet. Steering is very soft & seems to have a mind of its own. Ride is nicely isolated, and road surface noises are muted well compared to my crossover. Interior looks much nicer than the Civic IMO, but several interior areas like the dash and center console are made of hard "cheap" feeling plastic.

Favorite Features

Daytime running lights w/ head/tail lights that turn on when it gets dark. Bright headlights & fog lights make nighttime driving easier. Mix of city/hwy driving has averaged 31 mpg. Large HVAC buttons. MP3 disc player w/ 6 speakers. Vehicle stability control, side curtain airbags, std. ABS.

Suggested Improvements

The clock should be on the center console by itself, not by the speedometer mixed with the multifunction display. The optitron LED console should be std. across all trims. There should be a warning light indicating when a taillight has burnt out; I've seen too many cars with burnt out light bulbs.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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A Corolla with Camry Power

Written by: Frederick on 11/09/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla XRS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

This is a Corolla, but it looks sportier than previous model. Personally, I like to to look like a Corolla S which got a 1.8L powerplant - i.e. people will think that they can easily pass me. My XRS usually surprises people driving an Integra who think they can overtake me from stop (except they brutally cut into line, then I give up). It got tremendous torque for such a small car. However, it does come with a price - the gas mileage isn't great at all. Besides, the suspension is a bit too stiff. You can feel every manhole cover and every uneven spots on the road - a bit annoying. Aside from that, it is a nice little car - storage is great and interior feels spacious.

Favorite Features

The 2.4L powerplant. Spacious interior. Look. Handling (despite the weird-feeling drive-by-wire steering wheel).

Suggested Improvements

No drive-by-wire steering wheel please. Can it be sold without those skirts/spoiler/moonroof? Stiff suspension (good for handling corner but don't expect it to be comfortable). Interior feels cheap compared to the Mazdas.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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2009 Toyota Corolla S

Written by: CTM on 11/07/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

The Corolla S is affordable, has great styling, an interior that doesn't rattle, an engine that will scoot- is quiet- and gets way over 30 mpg, and most importantly, is a "compact" car that has a respectable trunk. I am averaging 37 mpg so far with about 70% highway driving. The car will easily accelerate when you need to pass. The transmission is great, picks a gear and does not struggle up hills-- quick to comply with a downshift if you put your foot down. The trunk opening is HUGE, much larger than a Cobalt. Seats are comfy. AC blows cold. JBL stereo is incredible, I set ASL off, Bass +2 and Treble +4. Turn it to 45 and ROCK

Favorite Features

Smooth engine, great MPG, excellent styling, JBL stereo is loud and full of bass, nice wheels, subdued orange/amber gauge lighting, 2 car chargers, 2 Glove boxes, huge trunk opening, cold AC, small cubbies next to center stack to hold your cell phone.

Suggested Improvements

Add another car charger inside the trunk.. don't make the doors automatically unlock/lock when the transmission is shifted.. a better dampened/thicker/meatier trunk mat

2 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Gas miser

Written by: the ole man on 10/31/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Had an 08 and put 27000 on it, but the 09 is so much better. We just got back from a trip down to SC. and I averaged 39 mpg @ 65 to 70 mph. I am tall and had no complaints about comfort. I even like the electric steering now that I am used to it. The one thing I do not like about it is the special tool I need to remove the oil filter for doing my own oil changes.

Favorite Features

The s model design.

Suggested Improvements

Clock should be in the radio.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Exactly what I was looking for

Written by: NinjaRob on 10/30/2008

Vehicle

2009 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

My new Corolla S is exactly what I was looking for. Great looks, nice interior and Toyota reliability. While some reviews on this car put is behind the competition, I think the real points are missed. Let's face it, people buy Toyota's for their reputation of being safe and reliable. This new Corolla is all that, plus it looks great and is very comfortable. It is my third new Toyota and I hope I remain as happy with this car as my previous Toyotas!

Favorite Features

Interior design, decent sound from factory 6-speaker system. XM radio, smooth ride, great looks, price. Should I go on?

Suggested Improvements

Anything has room for improvement. I feel Toyota has done a nice job making a decent car with the new Corolla. Nothing major needs changed.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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