2018 Toyota Corolla: The Safe Choice Gets A Little Edgy

The Toyota Corolla has been a best-selling compact sedan for over 50 years. It has been at or near the top of the compact car sales charts for a long, long, time. The 2018 Toyota Corolla offers respected Toyota reliability in a package that can seat five, is easy to park, and gets good fuel economy.

Let’s Start With A Little Toyota Corolla History

The Toyota Corolla was introduced in 1966. It became the best-selling car worldwide by 1974. The Corolla became the world’s best selling nameplate in 1997 and has held that title ever since, selling 43 million units to date. The current model is the eleventh generation of the Toyota Corolla.

From 1966 through the mid-1980s, Corollas were rear-wheel drive, and were then switched to front-wheel drive. The front-wheel drive gives Toyota Corollas good traction in rain and snow, while freeing up more space for passengers and cargo. Toyota Corollas are currently produced at North American facilities in Cambridge, Ontario and Blue Springs, Mississippi.

2018 Toyota Corolla Trim Levels And Pricing

The 2018 Toyota Corolla is available in six different trim levels: L, LE, LE Eco, XLE, SE, and XSE. 2018 Corolla pricing starts at $18,550 for the base Corolla L, and goes up to $22,730 for the Corolla XSE.

What’s New On The 2018 Toyota Corolla

All 2018 Toyota Corolla trim levels get driver and front passenger illuminated visor vanity mirrors. The Corolla XLE and Corolla SE trims feature a leather-trimmed 3-spoke steering wheel with controls for Bluetooth hands-free phone, voice command, audio, and the multi-information display. This is the second model year since the Corolla’s 2017 more extreme styling appeared on the scene – edgy, indeed!

Extensive Standard Equipment On 2018 Corolla

The 2018 Toyota Corolla has a long list of standard equipment, which includes:

• Bi-LED headlights

• LED daytime running lights

• Bold front fascia with black metallic grille

• Color-keyed power outside mirrors and door handles

• Intermittent windshield wipers

• Air conditioning with dust and pollen filter

• Integrated backup camera with projected path

• Six-way adjustable driver’s seat

• 60/40 Split fold-down rear seat

• Cruise control

• Tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth hands-free phone controls

• Power door locks with automatic locking

• Overhead console with map lights

• Center console with storage compartment

• 12V Auxiliary power outlet

• USB port

Two Engine Options In 2018 Corolla

The standard engine in the L, LE, XLE, SE, and XSE trims is a 1.8L four-cylinder with 132 horsepower. The high-efficiency LE Eco comes with a 1.8L four-cylinder with Valvematic technology and 140 horsepower. The LE Eco gets the best mileage of any non-hybrid Toyota – 40 Highway MPG!

2018 Toyota Corolla transmission options include a slick-shifting six-speed manual or an efficient CVT automatic.

It May Be A Compact, But Corolla Has Big Safety Systems

All 2018 Toyota Corollas come standard with Toyota Safety Sense-P (TSS-P). This system bundles the pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control, and automatic high beams.

Other important standard safety systems include eight airbags, vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution, and brake assist.

The 2018 Toyota Corolla Is The Safe, Reliable Choice, But Doesn’t Look It

The 2018 Corolla embodies all the qualities that Toyota has been building into it since it came upon the scene more than 50 years ago. It is reliable and safe, with lots of standard equipment. It is inexpensive both to buy and to own. And with its recently upgraded expressive styling, it no longer looks like the box it came in!