2011 Toyota Corolla Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Toyota Corolla overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Corolla, and includes Toyota Corolla safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

After a second try at selling a performance-oriented Corolla, Toyota has once again pulled the plug on the XRS model for 2011. Same goes for the luxury-oriented XLE, which leaves the Base, S and LE trims as the trio of survivors, all of which bear freshened front and rear styling and draw power from the Corolla’s single remaining engine, the well-established 1.8-liter four-cylinder.

Just two years after a significant redesign, the Corolla has once again gone under the knife for some visual tweaks and a restructuring of trim levels. The family lineup now starts off with the Base, which like the Standard model it replaces, offers standard air conditioning, power mirrors, and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. Toyota will even add power windows, provided you’re willing to pay a little extra.

The mid-level model is now the Corolla LE. The 2011 LE builds on the Base’s foundation by adding cruise control, power windows and locks, keyless entry, two extra stereo speakers, and body-color exterior accents. More significant are the options that become available when you move up to the LE, including a power sunroof, Bluetooth capability, a USB port, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Filling the top spot is the 2011 Corolla S. As you might expect, the S stands for sport, but with the Corolla it is cosmetic in nature. The S gets standard alloy wheels, a lower body kit, a rear spoiler, more aggressive seat bolsters, steering wheel audio controls, and distinct instrumentation.

The demise of the XRS also marks the end of the line for the 2.4-liter engine. Unfortunately, the five-speed automatic transmission that was offered with this higher-horsepower choice also departs, leaving a five-speed manual and yester-tech four-speed automatic to cover all the bases. Those transmissions are mated to the Corolla’s only engine, the 132-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder. Fuel economy is rated at 28-mpg city/35-mpg highway with the five-speed and 26-mpg/34-mpg, respectively, with the automatic.

Most of the changes delivered with the debut of the 2011 Corolla are superficial and have no impact on safety or reliability, though there is one exception. All trim levels are now equipped with Toyota’s Star Safety System, a bundle of features that includes stability control, traction control, and antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution. Despite this step forward, the company continues to fit the Corolla with rear drum brakes, not even offering four-wheel discs as an option.

Despite this omission, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety names the 2011 Corolla a Top Safety Pick for its top-notch performance in the offset frontal, side impact, rear crashworthiness, and roof crush strength evaluations.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revised its crash-test program for 2011, raising the threshold for achieving the top 5-Star crash-test ratings. Under the new guidelines, the Corolla receives a 5-Star rating for the driver in the frontal and side-impact tests, a 4-Star rating for the front seat passenger in the frontal-impact test, a 4-Star rating for rollover resistance, and a dismal 2-Star protection rating for the rear passenger in a side-impact test. Especially as pertains to using the Corolla as a family car, this 2-Star rating is concerning.Reliability is unlikely to be a problem for the 2011 Corolla. The model long ago established itself as one of the most dependable vehicles in its class, and both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates are secure in their predictions of above average long-term durability.

The Toyota Corolla is about as far removed from driving excitement as Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is from Harvard Medical School. This is a car best purchased by people who simply want to get from one place to another at a sedate speed while enjoying a soft ride, who place a great deal of trust in the Toyota brand, and who cannot imagine buying anything else in the compact car class.

Clearly, that’s not where we stand. We tested a 2011 Corolla S, which looked sporty but was not. Indifferent interior assembly quality, downmarket interior materials, an uncomfortable driver’s seat and position, and driving dynamics in need of a defibrillator machine were our chief complaints about the car. It didn’t help that we only got 28.6 mpg with the five-speed manual transmission, short of the EPA’s combined 31-mpg rating

The Corolla is slow, the mechanicals are uninspired, and the braking, steering and handling characteristics are confidence sapping. But since the Corolla continues to be a best seller – even with its cheap and unsophisticated four-speed automatic, torsion beam rear axle, and drum rear brakes – maybe none of this opinion even matters. Obviously, Toyota doesn’t seem to be having any trouble selling these cars.

It wasn’t hard to see the end coming for the relatively inefficient and only moderately more powerful Corolla XRS. More perplexing is that, with the departure of the XRS, the four-wheel-disc brakes and five-speed automatic transmission have also vanished. The XRS’s exit makes sense, but tossing out its superior brakes and more competitive transmission does not. We’re also concerned about the Corolla’s 2-Star side-impact rating for rear passenger protection because lots of Corollas are used to transport kids. However, given the Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, we’re neutral here. As transportation appliances go, the Corolla is a good one.

By Thom Blackett and Christian Wardlaw