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Review of the 2009 Toyota Corolla

2009 Toyota Corolla

Price Range $15,350 to $18,860

suitable for: Diapers
School
Teens

22 to 27
City MPG

30 to 35
Hwy MPG

5 Seats
2 Rows
2 Latch Connectors
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Interior

The interior is nice. The fabric upholstery wasn’t staticky; there were lovely wood accents that weren’t overwhelming. There was a simple, modern stereo that wasn’t too intimidating, and the cupholders were terrific. There wasn’t any visual clutter. The Corolla isn’t humongous on the inside, but when the kids and I got in no one said, “It’s too small!” or “She’s/he’s touching me!”

The Latch connectors were easy to access, and booster seats fit flush against the rear seatback. The seat belt receptors took a little getting used to, but they were simple and easy for the kids to use after a few days. Another thing I like about the backseat is there’s no hump in the floor. I’m thrilled that I’m seeing this more often in my test cars. This makes a smaller car feel a lot bigger for the driver. I can set my bag on the floor behind the center console and reach it easily; plus, nobody will step on it. That being said, a rear-facing child-safety seat might be a pretty tight fit in the back.

There were enough storage spaces to keep my stuff corralled. There’s an auxiliary input jack and a mounted holder for your iPod. I’ll update the phrase, “A place for everything, everything in its place” to “There’s a place for my iPod, and my iPod is in its place.” The trunk accommodated my every need, but don’t get me wrong, the Corolla’s not going to get you from the membership warehouse to hockey practice (have you seen the size of those bags?!) to the golf course with ease. But you wouldn’t expect it to. Rather, it’s a great car if you don’t frequent Costco with the whole family, and your kids are in dance and soccer.

shopping around: At cars.com

key interior: Features

  • Front and rear cupholders
  • MP3 capability
  • Rear 60-40 bench seats

available interior: Colors

  • Ash
  • Bisque

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