2013 Toyota Corolla Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Toyota Corolla as a used buy.

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

Toyota Corolla Ascent and Holden Cruze Equipe 1.8 go head-to-head in this comparative review.

At last there is a Corolla with character, engagement and desire. Yes, you are reading me right. No longer is Toyota's top seller a plain Jane with about as much imagination as a fridge. Instead, the 11th generation Corolla is great to look at and drive, while adhering to its traditional virtues of reliability, good

We use the word ‘competitive’ advisedly, Australians are showing a strong preference for small passenger vehicles rather than the large family sixes they used to love with a passion.VALUEThe Mazda3 has been at the top of the sales tree for the last two years, but is getting on in years and Toyota wouldn't mind a tilt at the crown. Nissan Australia is also in the race with it’s all-new Pulsar. Toyota and Nissan have both priced their entry level models at $19,990.When the big three car makers start to get really serious about maximising sales buyers are the real winners. These cars are all very well priced, but you may still be able to squeeze another few dollars out of the transaction.TECHNOLOGYNew Toyota Corolla is powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine that’s based on the one used in the outgoing model. It has significant changes to improve power and torque characteristic and reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.Transmission choices are a six-speed manual and a continuously variable automatic on all models. The CVT can act as a pseudo manual by choosing one of seven preset ratios should the driver feel they need to hold a particular ratio at any time.DESIGNCorollas have long had a reputation for being sensible, logical buys that are on the boring side – until now. Toyota’s new chief, Akio Toyoda, a direct descendant of the man who set up the company, didn’t like the ‘boring but sensible’ tag being given to his company’s products, so he suggested to designers and engineers that more character might be nice.When the big boss says he would like something it makes sense to listen and respond. From a styling point of view the 11th generation Corolla is right up to date, with a clean front where the lights and grille blend neatly and in the side view which has a real Euro look.At this stage the Corolla is being sold only as a five-door hatchback, sedans won’t be seen till fairly late in 2013; for competitive reasons Toyota Australia won’t reveal the date. In the meantime the existing old model Corolla sedans will remain on sale.SAFETYAll models come with a solid range of primary and secondary safety equipment, with stability control, ABS brakes with assistance, seven airbags and lap-sash safety belts on all five seats.DRIVINGOn the road we were impressed by the characteristics of the continuously variable transmission. Some find the ‘slipping-clutch’ sound of the original CVTs irritating. The new Toyota unit is more gradual in the way the engine revs rise when you need power quickly. The result is an efficient engine / transmission combination that should please the revheads just as much as those who care for the environment.Revheads will just love the way the engine is automatically blipped during manual down changes through the preset ratios on the CVT. However, the above comments on the CVT are based on our test drives of the Corollas at the press launch late in 2012. Toyota Australia is very wary of adverse reports on this type of automatic transmission, so gave us a manual for our extended test.We found the manual to be light and easy in its actions. It mates well with the engine, which is happy to pull at low revs if throttle pressures are minimised to save fuel. However, the car wasn’t as economical as we anticipated, typically using nine to eleven litres per hundred kilometres in heavy-duty driving around town. This came down to about seven to eight litres on easy paced country trips.Handling of the new Corolla is excellent, all the more so when you remember it’s a family hatchback with no pretensions to sportiness. Australian engineers were involved in the earliest stage of development to ensure our local drivers got what they wanted.Turning in is neat and the car responds promptly to driver inputs. The Corolla can be steered on the throttle if you want to really push it hard. The electrically assisted power steering is nicely weighted and gives good feedback.Comfort on poor roads, not necessarily unsealed ones, isn’t as good as on previous Corollas due to the sporting revisions to the car’s character. Keen drivers will be happy with the comfort / handling compromise, but if you demand comfort ahead of all else it might be worth checking it out on some rough roads during your own road testing.VERDICTToyota’s Corolla has been a favourite in Australia for almost five decades, even being built in this country for quite a few years. We see no reason why our love affair with this car shouldn't be every bit as strong as in the previous 10 generations. Can it oust Mazda3 and fight off Pulsar to pick up the top spot? Time will tell…

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one?What is it?This is Toyota's top of the range generation 11 Corolla with all the gear and the best looks too thanks to liberal use of chrome highlights. It's the same under the skin as the others except for slightly sharper steering response compared with other lesser Corollas.How much?This one goes for $28,490 with the CVT auto adding two grand. We would suggest it's money well spent.What are competitors?Too numerous to list - some are Lancer, Pulsar, i30, Mazda3, Civic and Impreza.What's under the bonnet?A revised version of the previous 1.8-litre petrol twin cam four banger with about the same power as before, rated at 103kW/173Nm.Drive is to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual (with annoying throttle flare on up changes) or a silky seven step CVT with paddle shift in the Levin ZR.How does it go?Quite impressive actually. No sports hatch but good, punchy honest performance with no fuss and surprising economy. Smooth running and feels like it will (nearly) run for ever.Is it economical?Yes, we saw 6.6-litres/100km without really trying. And it's 91 RON, not premium.Is it green?It has adequate green credentials - minimal fuel use helps, the manual with a four and a half star rating, and the CVT with a five star rating in the Green Car Guide.Is it safe?Five stars - seven air bags.Is it comfortable?Very. The Levin ZR has plenty of luxury kit and attractive leather upholstery, excellent SUNA satnav, premium audio, large format reverse camera, plenty of seat and driving position adjustment, Bluetooth, you name it.What's it like to drive?Surprisingly good given the disparaging remarks often heard about "Corollas." It's totally unjustified in this case because this one is a relatively engaging drive - to a point of course as it's primarily aimed at general duties. But there's an edge to it and it's is good to steer.Is it value for money?Yes, other makes will struggle to stay with Corolla.Would we buy one?Absolutely. We'd even consider the test car at around $30k. Like the looks, the chrome bits and the striking looks inside and out. Corolla is no longer a shrinking violet.

I can tell you two things after driving the new Corolla. One is that it's very good and two is that we'd take the CVT over the manual any day of the week. That's a big call, especially for a car wearing a "sport" badge  but it's clearly the better performer. Too bad the CVT is going to set you back another $2K.

Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 go head-to-head in this comparative review.