Introduced 52 years ago, sold 44 million times through 12 generations, still 4 cylinders, the best selling car in the world and yes, it still is. The Toyota Corolla. What are my thoughts on this car? Well, I think it’s the very essence of the motor car, it had survived generation after generation, people just keep on buying them. I have listed 4 reasons below on why I think so.
1.) They're endlessly repairable
They’re unbelievably reliable, parts are plentiful. Couple that with Toyota’s unsurpassed after sales service, and you basically have a car that you could pass on from generation to another.
All its life it has been a mediocre motor car. Not in a bad way or anything like that, but in a way that actually people benefit from. With the Corolla, Toyota never took too much risk by not fitting it with not yet thoroughly proven, relatively new technology, the structure and the features of the Corolla aren’t exactly cutting edge, but it sits in the balance of modern and traditional automotive technology. And I think that’s the main reason why it’s so dependable.
2.) Corollas are astoundingly practical
For some people, the Corolla seems to be really rather boring, and I understand why they would think that, It has never been a head-turner, and that’s a good thing, a car that doesn’t steal the show is easier to carry. It’s understated.
The Corolla is also not popular in the performance motoring scene. It’s because the most powerful engine Toyota’s fitted it is only a 145 horsepower 2.0 liter, so it won’t win many drag races, but that’s alright, because it would mean that the Corolla would be efficient and economical.
The point of the Corolla is to be the “Car of the people”. It’s humble and honest, it doesn’t have to prove itself, the only thing it should do is, to be a really really solid, affordable, roomy, economical, comfortable, and utilitarian runabout.
3.) It's relatively cheaper
When you put the Corolla head-on with its closest rivals, the Honda Civic, the Nissan Sentra, the Mazda 3/Ford Focus, and the Mitsubishi Lancer. You probably won’t agree with me, Jeremy! These cars have leather, more powerful engines, better equipped etc., etc.
But those things are all just trinkets, Toyota has focused the Corolla to be superior on things that matter the most, quality parts, so they never deteriorate very easily. If you would appreciate where your money goes, and if you take a look at the service bills, you’d see that your Corolla isn’t hurting your wallet as much as its supposedly “superior” rivals.
4.) It is understated
Having given all the reasons above on why this car is a legend, it sold more than 44 million units and yet no one ever gives it a second look when they see one on the road, and that is what makes it great, it became part of our daily lives without ever being noticed. I really hope Toyota never changes the fate of the Corolla.
But look at this.
As we observe the rolling out of the 12th generation of the Corolla, we can clearly see that Toyota is shifting its direction, they no longer intend the Corolla to be a bland, boring, mediocre car anymore, based on appearances alone, you could see that the styling is now much more aggressive, it appears as though that the Corolla is just hitting puberty.
