2011 Toyota Corolla S

Every time I drive a Toyota Corolla, the same thing happens: I expect to be let down by this most dour of compacts, and I walk away impressed by how well the Corolla does its job. This time 'round, things are a bit different -- the Corolla faces a rash of tough new competitors from Korea and the United States. How does the conservative Corolla measure up? Read on.

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Let's be frank: The Corolla is a bit of a relic. The Corolla received its last ground-up redesign in 2009, but that car was little different than the previous version, which dated from 2003. The Corolla gets a round of changes for 2011, but there's a reason this sort of update is known as a facelift: You can't run from old age. In terms of style and technology, the Corolla has been left behind by most of its competitors.

That said, the Corolla does cover all the basics: It's roomy, easy to see out of, pleasant to drive, and as well built as your average bomb shelter. For 2011, all Corollas come with electronic stability control and two years or 24,000 miles of free routine maintenance.

I drove the $18,230 "S" model, the (supposedly) sporty edition of the Corolla, with extra body trim, jazzy seat cloth and snazzy alloy wheels. But the S shares its 132 hp engine with other Corollas, and with its numb electric power steering, indifferent handling, and a stability control system that beeps annoyingly if you try to corner at more-than-prudent speeds, there's not a lot of fun to be had. Even the 5-speed stick in my test car failed to liven things up, although the only alternative is a stone-age 4-speed automatic, and my average fuel economy was just so-so at 33 MPG.

I prefer the base model, which comes standard with air conditioning and a four-speaker CD stereo for $16,360, or the Corolla LE, which comes with power everything and an automatic transmission for $18,360. (Last year's top-of-the-line XLE model is, inexplicably, gone for 2011.) Those cars better represent what the Corolla is all about: Roomy, reliable and dispassionate.

But if you strive for something more, there are plenty of good choices out there. My favorite is the Hyundai Elantra, which has more style, more space, and significantly better fuel economy than the Corolla, plus a 5 year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty to ease concerns about reliability. Ford's new-for-2012 Focus is significantly more fuel efficient, a lot more fun to drive, and offers a better selection of options, as does the Mazda3. If you want to mix economy and fun (and you can drive a stick-shift), look no further than Chevrolet's miserly Cruze Eco. If you prefer a safe bet, the Honda Civic is all new for 2012 and offers a bit more pizzazz.

All that said, it's hard to argue against the Corolla's basic attributes of practicality and reliability. There are a lot of cars that do the job better, but the Corolla still works pretty well. -- Aaron Gold

Disclosure: The vehicle for this test drive was provided by Toyota. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.