Used Toyota Corolla Quick Facts
- The last two generations provide the quality, reliability, and value for which the Corolla is famous, combined with the latest driver safety systems.
- The Toyota Corolla has been in production for over 55 years and consistently scores high for reliability and resale value.
- The latest Corolla offers a hybrid engine option.
The Corolla is one of those rare cars that spans generations. It’s the kind of car a kid can bring home to their parents or grandparents and get an approving thumbs-up, followed by stories and photos of the elders’ first Corolla. When it comes to dependable transportation, a used Toyota Corolla has a lot going for it, especially the older models. While it can’t tow a boat or venture off-road, the Corolla is the perfect choice for those seeking a reliable small car that’s safe, easy on gas, and won’t break the bank.
- What Is the Best Model-Year Used Toyota Corolla?
- Toyota Corolla By Generation: Which Should You Buy?
- Should You Buy a Used Toyota Corolla?
- Is the Toyota Corolla Reliable?
- Used Toyota Corolla Model Years to Avoid
- Does the Toyota Corolla Hold Its Value?
- Does the Corolla Come in Coupe or Wagon form?
- What Kind of Gas Mileage Does the Corolla Get?
What Is the Best Model-Year Used Toyota Corolla?
The last two generations provide the quality, reliability, and value for which the Corolla is famous, combined with the latest driver safety systems. However, if you’re a fan of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or hybrid engine technology, only a 2020 or newer Corolla delivers all three.
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Toyota Corolla by Generation: Which Should You Buy?
12th Generation: 2020-Current
The 12th-generation Corolla is the most stylish in a long while. Although not much larger than the generation it replaces, the 2020 and newer Corolla models offer improved content, better ride and handling, and more engine options. There’s a choice of two 4-cylinder engines (one rated at 139 horsepower and the other at 169 hp) and a hybrid engine with a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 52 mpg. The non-hybrid engines get between 32 and 34 mpg, depending on the engine and choice of automatic or manual transmission.
Along with forward collision warning and avoidance, auto high-beam headlights, and lane-departure warning, the Corolla’s standard Safety Sense-P driver-assist suite expands to include traffic sign recognition, lane-tracing assist, and adaptive cruise control with a stop-and-go feature, making it easy in traffic.
On the entertainment front, Apple CarPlay arrives, with Android Auto eventually making its way into the Corolla in 2021. A JBL audio system is also available.
Trims include the base L, popular LE, sporty SE, and feature-rich XLE and XSE. The lineup also includes an APEX trim package for the SE and XSE that offers better handling, upgraded suspension, and unique styling.
RELATED: Best Toyota Camry Years to Buy Used
Model-Year Changes:
2025: A new FX trim is added while the Nightshade exits. A 10.5-inch touchscreen is made optional across the trim range.
2024: No changes.
2023: The Corolla gets a midcycle refresh with updated styling. The 1.8-liter engine and manual transmission option are dropped, leaving the more powerful 2.0-liter as the Corolla’s standard engine. Corolla L trim discontinued.
2022: New Apex and Nightshade editions.
2021: New equipment includes rear seat airbags, engine start/stop, and Android Auto. Rear cross-traffic alert joins the options list.
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11th Generation: 2014-2019
The 11th-generation Corolla has a sportier look than the previous one, but the two are nearly identical under the skin. The 4-cylinder engine is the same, but a new continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is offered on the Eco models, touting better fuel economy than the 4-speed automatic. The Corolla offers a 6-speed manual only on the SE trim. A longer wheelbase nets more rear-seat legroom, and overall, the interior feels more modern. There’s a tad more trunk space, but a smaller opening makes it difficult to take full advantage.
If you’re an Apple CarPlay or Android Auto fan, you’ll have to look elsewhere. However, later models get Toyota’s Entune audio system, which features Bluetooth streaming, iPod integration, and a CD player. Thankfully, several companies now make an adapter that will allow cars equipped with Entune 2.0 or later versions to integrate CarPlay and Auto without having to swap out the factory head unit.
Model-Year Changes:
2019: The sedan is unchanged, but a new hatchback model debuts this year.
2018: No changes.
2017: Toyota’s Safety Sense-P comes standard, adding adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and avoidance, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. The 4-speed automatic gets the ax.
2016: The Entune audio system gains Siri Eyes Free.
2015: Minor visual updates mark the significant changes.
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10th Generation: 2009-2013
The 10th-generation Corolla is longer, lower, and wider than the ninth, delivering more style and performance. The sporty XRS trim features a 158-hp 2.4-liter engine, a significant improvement over the standard 138-hp 1.8-liter engine, which provides 12 more ponies than the same engine in the ninth-gen Corolla. Standard features previously optional or unavailable include satellite radio, side-curtain airbags, and front-seat side-impact airbags. New features include JBL audio and navigation.
Model-Year Changes:
2013: No significant changes.
2012: The base L and LE trims get more standard equipment and an available audio unit with Bluetooth.
2011: The Corolla gets revised styling and drops the XRS and XLE trims.
2010: The Corolla gains standard traction and stability control.
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The Corolla Early Years: Generations One through Nine (1969 to 2008)
Ninth Generation: 2003-2008
The Corolla grows larger, seemingly treading on Camry territory and sharing the larger sedan’s 2.4-liter engine.
Eighth Generation: 1998-2002
A slightly fresher version of the seventh-generation Corolla, these are some of the car’s blandest years. The engines are fuel-efficient but short on power, and the interiors are just OK.
Seventh Generation: 1993-1997
The Corolla of the ’80s officially dies with this generation. No more fun features or sporty iterations, just a very unassuming sedan that’s easy on gas, very reliable, and climbing the sales charts to become one the world’s best-selling automobiles.
Sixth Generation: 1988-1992
The last of the “fun” Corolla years, this generation includes a sport GT-S coupe with a 16-valve engine, models with fully independent suspensions, and many cool interior upgrades. There’s even an all-wheel-drive option.
Fifth Generation: 1984-1987
This was the last generation to offer both front-wheel and rear-wheel drive (GT-S). It saw the Corolla explode into the mainstream, offering buyers everything from basic transportation to powerful sporty coupes with interiors and features unlike any domestic subcompact.
Fourth Generation: 1979-1983
An economy box with better engine and suspension technology than the previous Corolla, this generation brings a boxy and bold look to the brand, making it very popular with young buyers.
Third Generation: 1975-1978
More models arrive wearing the Corolla name, including a two-door liftback and a fastback coupe. The Corolla’s impressive fuel economy helps it rocket to record sales, aided by fuel shortages throughout the 1970s.
Second Generation: 1971-1974
Building on the original’s success, the second-generation Corolla features improved legroom, an automatic transmission, and more powerful engines.
First Generation: 1969-1970
Although Toyota began production in 1966, the Corolla didn’t arrive in the United States until 1969. The first-generation car couldn’t have been simpler, with a modest 60-hp engine, a manual transmission, and very little in the way of bells and whistles.
Should You Buy a Used Toyota Corolla?
A previously owned Toyota Corolla is one of the best used car values on the market. Provided it’s been properly maintained, the Corolla will likely provide years of trouble-free driving, require minimal fill-ups, and enjoy high resale when the time comes to trade in.
Is the Toyota Corolla Reliable?
The Corolla has an excellent reputation for reliability and longevity. Even older models going back 10 or more years hold up better than rival models from brands like Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, and Nissan. The Corolla’s uncomplicated design and carryover mechanicals help minimize repair costs. However, the Corolla is not perfect and it has experienced some issues and recalls. For the major ones, you can see a complete listing by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
Used Toyota Corolla Model Years to Avoid
The most problematic years are from 1998 through about 2008. Early models suffered issues with oil consumption, while Corolla models from the mid- to late-2000s have engine, transmission, and suspension issues.
Does the Toyota Corolla Hold Its Value?
The Corolla holds its value exceptionally well, on par with the Honda Civic, and better than the Nissan Sentra, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, and Volkswagen Golf.
Does the Corolla Come in Coupe or Wagon Forms?
Late-model years (2019 and newer) offer a choice between a sedan and a sporty hatchback. Between 1992 and 2018, the Corolla was a sedan-only affair. However, prior to 1992, you could find sporty coupes, fun hatchbacks, and even an all-wheel-drive wagon.
What Kind of Gas Mileage Does the Corolla Get?
Before 2014, most Corolla generations returned a combined fuel economy rating of around 30 mpg, with the manual models doing slightly better. Fuel economy improves a few mpg after 2015, with the LE Eco averaging about 34 mpg. The most fuel-efficient Corolla is the hybrid model, which touts a 52-mpg combined fuel economy figure.
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See other used Toyota articles: Best Toyota Highlander Years to Buy Used and Best Toyota RAV4 Years to Buy Used
