Short review of 2008 Toyota Corolla SE
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Price as tested: CDN$19750

With the introduction of Mazda3 in 2005, Honda Civic in 2006, Nissan Sentra in 2007; as well as the all-new for 2008 Subaru Impreza; Corolla has become the eldest car in the econocar segment. We are here to find out whether Corolla still has enough merits to hold on its own against the new peers.

When the current Corolla introduced back in 2003, it was an advanced econocar that is head-and-above the competition when it comes to refinement and NVH. Although it has consistently beaten by its competitions, Toyota’s hallmark quietness and smoothness remain intact. 126hp and 122 lb/ft of torque are nothing outstanding these days.

Corolla’s handling and ride compromise was also an ideal one for an appliance back in those days. Back in 2002, Mazda Protege has sharper handling but rougher ride. Honda Civic used to get overdamping ride but underwhelming handling. Turn back the clock 4 years, both Mazda and Honda have addressed their shortcomings. Mazda3 and Civic have become the most capable econocars in its class. Corolla, however, remains a very comfortable cruiser. It doesn’t have the sharpness of its rivals but rides more comfortably, actually it floats like a Camry. Steering and braking performance are what one expects from a Toyota commuter car. Doing everything well but nothing outstandingly.

The interior styling, as expects from Toyota, continues to be blend but ergonomically friendly. Freezing cold air conditioning. Comfortable velour seats and dash materials that are up to Toyota’s usual standards.

With the fierce competitions in the econocar class, Toyota really have to done a whole lot to win over the crowd these days. The redesigned model coming out sometimes next year has to be years ahead of the proven rivals, at the same time, match some newborn peers. That’s because new Saturn Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer are nothing but great cars.

The final year for Corolla will definitely be the tough one, even it can ride with Toyota’s reputation for reliability and refinement.

Overall rating: 4/5