Toyota Corolla 2012 $18,995

The 2012 Toyota Corolla is newly available with a navigation system and adds such new-age essentials as a USB iPod interface and Bluetooth hands-free mobile-phone connectivity as standard on some models. The base-version Corolla also gains keyless remote entry and power windows and locks as standard. These changes inch Corolla into the modern age of onboard infotainment. But the car’s styling, powertrain, and performance remain dated compared with those of newer rivals, namely the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Volkswagen Jetta. Instead, Toyota’s five-passenger, four-door sedan stays devoted to a take-no-chances character that appeals to its legions of loyal buyers., , Should you buy a 2012 Toyota Corolla or wait for the 2013 Toyota Corolla? If Toyota’s fidelity to the tried and true strikes your fancy, buy a 2012 Corolla because the 2013 model probably won’t change much, either. Corolla’s next full redesign isn’t due until model-year 2014. So buying a 2012 Corolla instead of a 2013 means you’d have the car a year longer before the all-new replacement makes it even more outdated. You’d also sidestep an almost inevitable model-changeover price increase for what’s essentially the same car., , 2012 Toyota Corolla Changes back to top, Styling: The 2012 Toyota Corolla is a visual repeat of the 2011 Corolla, carrying over the modestly reshaped nose and tail that were part of the car’s model-year 2011 midcycle freshening. Toyota hasn’t tampered with this car’s basic shape or size, so the 2012 model remains essentially the same sedan that launched Corolla’s 10th design generation when it was introduced for model-year 2009. , , That’ll please buyers devoted to Corolla’s conservative character, enough of whom are around to keep this among America’s best-selling compact cars. It won’t, however, help Toyota attract shoppers intrigued by livelier new alternatives, such as the Cruze Focus, Civic, Elantra, and Jetta. The oldest car in its competitive set, the 2012 Corolla by comparison seems tired in appearance and old-fashioned mechanically. , , For overall exterior size, the 2012 Corolla is actually among the largest cars in the compact-car field. But its 102.4-inch wheelbase is stingy compared with that of newer models that stretch that key dimension. Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axles. It basically determines a vehicle’s passenger space. Indeed, Corolla is pinched for rear-seat space versus leaders in its competitive set. The Elantra’s wheelbase, for example, is 106.3 inches and the Civic’s is 105.1 and both feel far roomier inside than the Corolla., , Some competitors offer more than one body style, too: the Focus, Mazda 3, and the Kia Forte, for example, also come as versatile four-door hatchback body styles in addition to sedans while the Civic also offers a two-door coupe. The 2012 Corolla continues exclusively as a four-door sedan, though a wagon version is marketed as the Toyota Matrix. It shares the Corolla’s chassis but has a tall roof and is available with all-wheel drive., , The 2012 Corolla lineup offers three levels of trim: entry-level L, volume-selling LE, and sporty-looking S. Toyota for model-year 2012 eliminates a styling distinction by ridding the entry-level Corolla of black outside mirrors and giving it body-colored mirrors like those on the LE and S. And the 2012 LE graduates to 16-inch wheels, although like the 15-inchers that remain standard on the L model, they’re still steel units with plastic wheel covers. Sixteen-inch alloys are optional on the LE and standard on the S., , The 2012 Corolla S continues its impersonation of a sporty compact sedan, with a standard tail spoiler, aero body add-ons, fog lamps, a chrome-tipped exhaust pipe, and the 16-inch alloys. Inside the S gets extra bolstering for its front seats, metallic-style trim, and sportier instrumentation. , , Mechanical: The 2012 Toyota Corolla stands pat mechanically, and that puts it further be

• 4 Door
• Automatic w/overdrive Transmission
• Splash guards
• Air Conditioning
• Bucket Seats
• Power Door Locks
• Power Mirrors
• Power Steering
• Power Windows
• Rear Defrost
• Tilt Steering
• Tinted Windows
• AM/FM Radio
• Anti-theft
• Information Center
• Keyless Entry
• Trip/Mileage Computer
• Driver Air Bag
• Passenger Air Bag
• Traction Control