Stickin' it to the man!

The Toyota Corolla is a survivor. Introduced in 1968, it has gone through 9 generations of change, all culminating in today's version. To say the Corolla is fully matured would be an understatement. It might surprise some people that the Corolla is the best-selling car in history, with over 25 million vehicles sold since it was introduced, surpassing even the venerable VW Beetle.

My wife and I just bought 2 new 2006 Corolla's, one black (mine), and one white (hers).

Why we bought them
With gas prices skyrocketing, we were spending around $500 a month on fuel for our vehicles - a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport, and a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am GT Coupe - and, simply put, we were tired of throwing our money away on fuel. Furthermore, with gas prices poised to strike $5.00 per gallon by the end of the year, we both decided that we needed to do something to protect ourselves from $1000 in fuel costs each month. In other words, we'd rather be gaining equity in real property (cars) than giving it to the oil companies. So economics were the main force behind our decision to buy these cars.

The Contenders
So, knowing that we needed to find some fuel efficient cars, I started doing the math and the homework. We did NOT want a subcompact car, what we did want was a compact 4-door sedan. Eventually I got the field narrowed down to 3 vehicles, the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Mazda 3. There were initially a lot of cars that fell into the range of what we wanted, but after looking at the specs, reliability ratings, safety ratings, and prices, it was clear that only the 3 models listed really stood out from the pack.

Toyota, Honda, and Mazda battling for the top spot
After narrowing down the field, I really started diving into the numbers, professional and customer reviews, and all of the information available. After digesting all of that data (anyone got some pepto?), the Corolla came out on top for the following reasons:
1) Gas mileage The Toyota had the best (or equal) rated gas mileage (30/38 - auto trans) of all three (Mazda 3 - 28/35, Civic - 30/38 (tied w/Corolla)).
2) Reliability - All of the reviews and information I received and reviewed pointed towards Toyota as being the most reliable brand on the market.
3) Price - Toyota was less than or very competitive with the other two models.
4) Style & Comfort - Of all 3 vehicles, I thought the Toyota was the nicest looking, had the highest quality trim, and was the most comfortable vehicle.

Really, at this point, it was between the Corolla and the Civic, the Mazda 3 was out of the picture because of the lower gas mileage and lower reliability ratings, although I did like the styling of the Mazda, and thought it was more "fun" to drive. Unfortunately for Mazda, we were not interested in "fun" driving, we wanted fuel savings.

With all that being said, the Civic, Corolla, and Mazda are all excellent vehicles, and I would not dissuade anyone from buying any of these 3 models, it really comes down to priorities, and personal taste. For us, it was the Corolla.

Am I biased against American Car Makers?
Some of you more "Patriotic" types probably noticed that nowhere in this review have I mentioned GM, Ford, or Chrysler. I should tell you straight away that I worked for GM for a number of years, and for the first 15-20 years of my driving life, I only owned American-made GM vehicles, and I do feel a certain loyalty to GM. HOWEVER, at this stage of the game I sincerely feel the need to do what's right for my family's finances, and pick the most reliable and efficient vehicle for our hard-earned money. Unfortunately, the American carmakers still seem to think that we all want to drive the big, powerful, ego-boosting macho-mobiles without regard to economy or reliability, and, unfortunately, I fear that will be the end of all three eventually. Consider that GM, Ford, and Chrysler can (belatedly) only eke out a tiny car that cannot - or barely can - get 30mpg, and are many times less reliable than their foreign counterparts, which also get superior gas mileage, and you can probably see my point. Would I have preferred to buy a GM vehicle? You bet, especially since I have about $2,000.00 in GM card earnings that I could apply to any GM vehicle, but to be perfectly frank, GM did not have any vehicles that fit my needs for efficiency and reliability. I truly hope that the big three get their heads on straight and figure out that the future is in economy and reliability, before it's too late.

Do the math!
OK, so a lot of you are probably asking "hey, if you want to save money, how does it make sense to buy two brand new cars?". Excellent question! Well, we traded the Pontiac in, and got what we owed on it. We kept the Isuzu because it's a 4WD vehicle (handy, since we live in Indiana), and I need it for towing, plus it's paid for, so there's no monthly payment involved. Sooo, after figuring the new payments, offset by fuel savings, insurance savings, and figuring in the new car payments against the old one, we come out just about even with what we were paying for the Pontiac and fuel costs with 2 vehicles getting 16mpg. So basically, the second Corolla is free! You cannot beat free.

Corolla Trim Levels
There are four trim levels available on the 2006 Corolla. The "CE" trim is the base model, the "S" is the sport model, the "LE" is the family model, and the XRS is the performance model. There is minimal difference between the "CE", "S", and "LE" models, except that the "S" model looks a lot cooler than the "CE" or "LE" models because it adds ground effects, a spoiler, chrome accents, and a pseudo-leather wrapped steering wheel. The "XRS" model has a slightly bigger engine, and a special 6-speed manual transmission. The "CE", "S", and "LE" models all sport a 1.8L 126hp I4 engine, while the "XRS" model has a 164hp version of the same engine. Obviously the XRS has lower fuel efficiency (26/34 vs 30/38) than the other 3 models, so we did not consider it, and I won't be mentioning it any further in this review. The "CE", "S", and "LE" trim levels all come standard with a 5-speed manual transmission, 4-speed automatic (w/overdrive) is available for $1000 more. The "XRS" version only comes with the 6-speed manual. The manual transmissions get about 2mpg more than the automatic transmissions. All trim levels are 4-door sedans, 2-door models are not available.

The base prices (MSRP/Invoice) for the various models are:
CE - $14,105/$13,047
S - $15,150/$13,710
LE - $15,315/$13,859
XRS - $17,880/$16,179

My wife and I bought the "S" model. All information in this review, past this point, will refer to the "S" model only.

There's a $580 destination charge on all models, and depending on where you live, there may be an advertising fee of a few hundred dollars as well. Don't forget to figure in your state tax, trade-in value, and buy-out for your trade-in when figuring your cost and financing.

At the time we bought our Corolla's, Toyota was offering 4.9% financing or $500 cash back. Obviously the 4.9% would save you more money unless you're paying cash.

Standard Features
The Corolla "S" model comes standard with Air Conditioning, cold weather package, faux-leather wrapped steering wheel, tilt-wheel, 4 speaker stereo with CD player, chrome accents, fog lamps, color-keyed mirrors, body moldings, door handles, underbody spoilers (f&r), side rocker panel moldings and mud flaps, a chrome grill surround, daytime running lights, automatic headlamps, driver & passenger front airbags, and 15' steel wheels (P195/65R15).

What ours cost
The MSRP on our vehicles (they are identical except for the color) was $18,300. We got them for about $16,900 each. It should be noted that we bought ours using a special discount from my wife's employer, which was $100 over invoice. You may or may not be able to swing a similar deal, depending on how good you are at negotiating.

Optional Features
The "S" models we bought also included power windows, mirrors, and door locks, keyless entry, automatic transmission, cruise control, power sunroof (slide/tilt), color-keyed rear spoiler, and cloth floor mats. Also available are side-curtain airbags, Antilock Brakes, a couple of JBL sound systems, and stability and traction control. These options are typically not found on vehicles on a dealer's lot and will require you to special-order a vehicle.

Fit and Finish
Overall, I would rate the interior and exterior fit and finish of the Corolla "S" as excellent. The car looks and feels very solid, and the interior is well finished and exudes more of a Lexus feel than anything else. The exterior is also excellent, and the Corolla "S" really does look quite sporty, but the sportiness is limited to cosmetic differences, the engine and performance are exactly the same as the "CE" and "LE" models.

Interior Space
Like many people, when I initially thought of the Corolla, a picture of a small subcompact car immediately came to mind. In fact, before 2003 the Corolla was classified as a subcompact car, and it truly was small. The 2003 redesign, however, put the car in the compact (as opposed to subcompact) class, and now they are a lot larger, about the same length and height of a Camry, if a bit narrower, and the interior is quite spacious. I am 6'2" tall and I have no problem fitting into the driver's seat comfortably. I have about 3 inches of space above my head (even with the sunroof, which reduces headspace by about an inch), and my knees do not touch the steering wheel, console, or my chest! In addition, I don't have to put the seat back all the way. In other words, there's plenty of room. I haven't ridden in the back seat, but it looks to me like there's plenty of room back there for 2 adults. In short, this is no clown car!

Performance
The vehicle, as equipped, is quite peppy and does not feel underpowered at all. My own daily commute consists of 60% city and 40% highway driving. In the city, the car gets up and goes quite quickly from a dead stop, usually jumping off the line a lot faster than everyone else (and I'm not trying to beat anyone), and on the highway the car is adequately powered, and has no problems jumping up to 70 or 80mph with everyone else. I will say, however, that once you're at 80mph, don't plan on zooming around people when you want to pass, you're only driving a 126hp vehicle, not a 6-or-8 cylinder horsepower king. You will pass, but you don't have a lot of power overhead at 80mph. Engine noise is generally very quiet, even at highway speeds and from a dead stop. It's not silent, but it's quiet enough so that you will not notice. The ride is generally very smooth, and feels more like a midsized sedan than a compact. Handling is a bit touchy, but you get used to it pretty quickly. Certainly if you're used to driving a full-sized luxury sedan you are going to notice a difference in handling and power, but do you want to save money or not?

Fuel Efficiency
Obviously almost everyone buying a Corolla is interested in great fuel efficiency and low cost. Now, I've only had the car for a week, and haven't had the chance to fill up the tank yet, but by my calculations I am getting over 30mpg. Consider that I am just breaking in the car now, and that mileage improves on most vehicles as you approach the break-in mileage, and I expect to see 35mpg or more in my car, which is pretty darned good for 60% city driving. I will post more data regarding fuel efficiency as I get some actual numbers. Oh, the gas tank, according to specs, has a capacity of 13.3 gallons, which gives the vehicle a range of around 500 miles at 35mpg.

UPDATE 4/22/06 Filled the gas tank for the first time. The needle showed 1/8 of a tank, and it took 10.4 gallons. The actual fuel economy is right at 32mpg. I expect this to improve as the car is broken in.

UPDATE 5/5/2006 Filled the tank again last night, it took 10.2 gallons, and I had driven 360 miles, which puts the mileage at just over 35mpg. And I only have 1000 miles on the car, so I'm still breaking it in. Sweet!

UPDATE 6/7/2006 Well, I've filled the tank a number of times since my last update, and I am getting between 33 and 37 miles to the gallon, and averaging 35. I think the difference in mileage is entirely dependent on my driving habits, if I drive like I just don't care I get about 33mpg, and if I consciously drive for fuel economy, I get around 37mpg. This is all commuter travel with 60% city, 40% highway. We'll be taking a road trip soon, so stay tuned for highway-only numbers.

UPDATE 7/19/06 We've taken a couple of 100+ mile highway trips, and the Corollas got between 38mpg and 39mpg, about exactly what the EPA estimate is. Note that these numbers were achieved with the cruise control set at 70mph (the speed limit around these parts), and that I would expect significant fuel economy gains at a steady speed 55mph to 60mph, I would think in the range of 41-46mpg. I may do a test sometime in the future and find out for myself. Note that at 55mph the auto trans engine is running at exactly 2000rpm, and at 70mph it runs at around 2800-3000.

UPDATE 9/26/2006 Actual mileage is averaging about 33.5mpg city, and 38mpg highway over 10,000 miles. That's about the best you're going to get in an all gas car!

UPDATE 4/27/2007
I noticed over the winter that my fuel economy went down by 3 or 4 miles per gallon, to around 29-30mpg city/hwy mixed. As soon as the weather warmed up I was back to around 34mpg. So, outside temperature defeintely makes a difference!

Reliability
Toyota has the reputation of being the most reliable car brand on the road today, and for good reason. Their vehicles are exceptionally well designed and constructed, and the Corolla's in particular have been through a lengthy (almost 40 years!!!) maturation process, which results in a car that is cheap to buy, cheap to own, hardly ever has a problem, and is inexpensive to fix when there is a problem. In other words, the Corolla is ultra-reliable, and you will probably never have anything more than minor, age-related problems with it. There are many users on Corolla forums that have put 300,000 miles on their Corolla's! I have yet to read a negative user review on a Corolla.

Resale Value
Toyota has the highest resale value on the market today. Nobody can touch them. Add the skyrocketing price of gas into the equation, and you may be able to sell a 3 or 4 year old Corolla for close to the price you originally paid for it! Outstanding!

What I don't like
I've been singing the praises of the Corolla, but I do have a few minor complaints. The stock radio is marginal at best. Kind of tinny and doesn't get very loud. Bass is lacking and it gets distorted at higher volumes. In addition, the positioning of the radio is awkward, and most people won't be able to reach it without leaning forward. The steering column would be a lot better if it telescoped instead of being fixed, and would make finding a comfortable driving position a lot easier. Also, a trunk release button on the keyless entry keyfob would be nice, as would a locking glove box. I really think the side-curtain airbags and antilock brakes should be standard on the vehicle.

Get 'em before they're hot
My advice to anyone who is thinking about buying a Corolla or any other fuel-efficient vehicle, with the purpose of cutting fuel costs, is to buy NOW. In a couple of months, gas is going to top $4 a gallon, and by the end of the year, it will probably hit the $5 mark. If things deteriorate (further) in the middle east, I think the sky is the limit. When gas prices start rising to those levels, you're going to see about 100 million people looking to trade in their gas guzzlers for fuel misers, and you're not going to be able to get a Corolla, Civic, or any other efficient vehicle for anywhere near MSRP because demand will be so high. So do it now, and start reaping the benefits.

A word about Hybrids
You're probably thinking "What about the hybrids? Won't they save me even more in fuel?". Well, yes and no. First off, you can't get a Hybrid for MSRP or less, there's just too much demand for them and not enough of them being produced. Second, they don't really get the mileage that you see on the sticker. For example, even though the sticker says a Prius gets 60/51, your real-world mileage is going to be more like 50/45. Third, you are going to be paying at least $5000 more for a hybrid than for a comparable gas-only vehicle. Consider that you're only getting about 10mpg over what a gas vehicle can get, and then do the math, and you're not saving anything with a hybrid for 5-7 years. Now, if the next generation of hybrids get somewhere in the range of 80-100mpg (actual), that equation changes dramatically, but for now, in my opinion, it does not make economical sense to buy a hybrid. On the other hand, if your primary concern is to reduce your impact on the environment, then maybe a hybrid does make sense for you and is worth the extra expense.

My philosophy on cars and trucks
Let's face it, most of us only use our vehicles for getting to work and driving around town, with maybe the occasional couple-of-hundred mile trip for vacations and visiting family. In this light, does it really make sense to spend $40,000 or $50,000 on a great big gas guzzler that gets less than 20mpg? Is there any value added in all that extra expense, or are you just wasting money at your expense and at the profit of big corporations (auto, oil), and people in the middle east who may or may not be spending that money to try and figure out a way to kill all of us evil Americans? To me, a vehicle is a conveyance, not anything else. It's a way to get me from point A to point B, and although I'd like to get there in comfort and luxury, I would much rather have an efficient vehicle and spend the money I'm saving on my family, or saving it for the future. Now, if you have so much money that you don't care about saving, or the environment, or if you're concerned with impressing other people with your inflated vanity, then I can see buying some hulking status-symbol of a vehicle, but if you're with me and 99% of the "regular" people in this country, I would advise you to forget about what the big car companies are telling you and select and treat and buy your vehicle for what it really is - a conveyance. In other words, don't waste your money on luxuries that are going to take money away from you and your family, without adding any value to your life.

Final Thoughts
All in all, I would highly recommend the 2006 Toyota Corolla. It's peppy, efficient, priced right, and, in my opinion, gives you a great value for your money. There are other choices out there in the sub-compact and compact classes, and I'd advise everyone to do their homework, take some test drives, and figure out what is the best one for their needs. For me, it was the Toyota Corolla, and I hope that this review has helped you see the light and given you some food for thought.

See ya!
--Thrasher