Toyota Corolla Owners Like the Style of Their Car a Surprising Amount
If you’re itching to bring home a sporty new ride, the Toyota Corolla may not be on your radar. Since its debut on American shores in 1968, this historically best-selling compact has thrived on a reputation for dependability, fuel efficiency, and an attractive starting price point. However, thanks to changes to its styling, a new focus on performance, and a variety of trim levels to choose from, today’s Corolla is not your grandmother’s economy car.
What Toyota Corolla owners liked most and least
Every year, verified new car buyers are asked to rate their vehicles 90 days after purchase for the J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. The 2022 survey began in February 2022 and ran through May, gathering a total of 84,165 responses in these 10 categories:
- Driving comfort
- Driving feel
- Exterior styling
- Feeling of safety
- Fuel economy
- Getting in and out
- Infotainment
- Interior design
- Powertrain
- Setting up and starting
Toyota Corolla owners chose fuel economy as their favorite feature, which is not surprising given that fuel prices were skyrocketing all over the country. In fact, J.D. Power noted an across-the-board dip in fuel economy satisfaction for the first time since 2014. Even so, consumers still found driving gas-powered vehicles more exciting than their battery-powered counterparts.
The least favorite thing was getting in and out. While Edmunds disagreed with that finding, its review noted that seating, especially headroom for rear passengers, is tight. Overall, the Corolla placed at No. 8 out of the 13 compact models rated by the 2022 APEAL Study, which, according to J.D. Power‘s Frequently Asked Questions page, first began in 1996.
It’s surprising how much Toyota Corolla owners liked its exterior style
According to the 2022 APEAL results, the exterior styling of the Toyota Corolla was the second most liked category, followed by:
- Driving feel
- Feeling of safety
- Powertrain
- Setting up and starting
- Infotainment
- Interior design
- Driving comfort
Such a high score for style is surprising for a vehicle that has never been accused of being exciting or sporty. This is because Toyota’s emphasis in the past has been to deliver well-engineered, utilitarian vehicles that favor function over style. Its best-seller status proves this was a winning strategy. However, the simplicity of design that made the Corolla reliable and affordable to own and drive also branded it as downright boring, something that the automaker itself acknowledged.
The newest Corolla is anything but boring
As seen on Cars.com, the Toyota Corolla’s exterior didn’t receive a truly sporty upgrade until 2017. That year Autoweek reported Toyota president Akio Toyoda declaring there would be “no more boring cars” in the lineup. The 2017 Corolla debuted with a leaner, stronger, and more aerodynamic body. An imposing front grille and upswept LED headlights echoed the style of a car you’d expect to find on the track instead of in a grocery store parking lot.
The next style change came three years later. The 2020 Corolla rolled out with a more sculpted body style and available 18″ wheels. Not much has changed since then, though the S trims and up have sportier accents and higher-grade LED headlights. X trims feature headlights that move as the car corners to better illuminate winding roads.
Corolla drivers craving hotter styling and a truly exciting driving experience will want to check out the GR series, new for 2023. Among other sporty amenities, Car and Driver reports that this hot little hatchback features a three-cylinder 300-horsepower engine, six-speed manual transmission, and the GR-Four all-wheel drive system with changeable power distribution modes. The Toyota GR Corolla promises to be a good-looking compact that’s also fun to drive.
