Used 2014 Toyota Corolla S 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl CVT) Consumer Reviews
Ok for what it is, but headlights are bad
I've owned this car for a little over two years. Prior to that, I had a 4-speed 2001 Corolla CE that I owned for 5 years. Pros: - The engine is a typical Toyota engine, which means it hasn't changed much over the years. While it might lack some of the power compared to its competitors, I'd be pretty confident with it lasting a long time. - The CVT isn't too bad in this vehicle. Toyota put in artifical shift points so it feels more like a conventional transmission. Reliability seems to be pretty good as I haven't seen any failures posted online. - The interior is pretty nice. The S model has some nice stitching that makes it feel upscale. - The back seats are pretty roomy and comfortable. Granted, this generation is larger than the past ones, but it's good if you need to shuttle people. - MPGs are pretty good. I get 35 average with mixed city/highway driving. This drops to 32 in the winter. But I'm in general pretty light on the throttle. Cons: - The headlights are awful. I don't understand how so many people rated them as good. There's a "lid" on the LED headlights to prevent it shining out too much. What this does is creates a sharp cut-off for low-beams. To make things worse, because the lights are bright white, it means you can't see anything beyond the cut-off point. It also is very blinding to other drivers. I can't stand it when another Corolla comes up behind me. I honestly try to avoid driving at night with this car, but that becomes impossible to do in winter. I never had this issue with my old car. - Handling is poor and requires a lot of manual correction. The steering doesn't transmit a lot of feedback to the driver. - The CVT loves to rev up everytime you apply the gas even in small amounts. This causes the engine RPMs to jostle around a lot. Even with the artifical shift points, it's still a CVT at the end of the day and rather dull. Engine braking with it is barely there as it's designed for fuel economy. - The Entune system doesn't allow mp3 files and folders to be read like a directory on a computer. It insists on reading all the tags and sorting them that way. If you want to play files on a USB stick or CD, make sure they are all tagged correctly first. - The dashboard and interior lights are all bright blue or white and are constantly illuminated. I'd much prefer a softer color for night driving. - The automatic headlights were removed in this generation. Between this and the previous issue, I've seen other Corolla drivers with headlights off at dusk. That's not a good thing at all. If it wasn't for the headlight issue, this would be another Corolla that I would keep for many years. But because of the headlight issue, I'm probably going to trade it in for something else.
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Stylish saver
I purchased a Toyota as a second car. I'm very impressed with the fuel mileage that has been averaging 34-38 mpg. The car looks great, but is pretty unremarkable in performance, handling and overall fun (then again I did not expect much of a driving experience or performance out of a Corolla)
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So far, a great experience
So far, this has been a great vehicle! I've only had it a week but noticed gas mileage has actually been better than what's advertised on the sticker. I am averaging 30mpg combined and 40mpg average on the interstate and sometimes it goes even higher according to the gauge. I haven't seen anything below 30mpg, even in stop and go. Note that ,on the gauge, the number is the average mpg, where as, the slider is the actual mpg. This is my first Toyota lease experience and the whole thing has been great. I opted for the sport because it seemed the best value, vs options and it comes in the gray color I like. I think this is going to be the start of a great relationship.
Defective navigation
The navigation system stopped working. It's a manufacturer's defect, but they will not fix or repair it. They want $1,500 to replace their bad design. I loved Toyota's, but that is not acceptable. My next car will not be a Toyota.
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Reliable & economical
I cant complain. This car is sturdy, reliable, and cost effective.