The Best Year For The Toyota Corolla
2018 Toyota Corolla by EurovisionNim — CC BY-SA 4.0
More than ever, the 2020 model year is by far the best year for the Toyota Corolla unless you put it up against its 2021 successor. But today we’re going to look at the 2020 Corolla and find out what makes it such a good pick for someone shopping for a good deal on a great sedan.
The Toyota Corolla has been a successful selling sedan in the US and the world for decades. Like many other small impact cars, it came to the US as a fuel-efficient alternative to the heavy, gas-guzzling all-steel cars that America was still trying to push as hot sellers in the 1970s. Now the Corolla stands today as one of the best-selling sedans in America.
2020 Toyota Corolla Competitors
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Elantra
- Mazda3
- Nissan Sentra
- Subaru Impreza
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Trim Models and Which One Fits You Best
There are eight different trim models to choose from: the L, LE, SE hatchback, SE sedan, hybrid LE sedan, XSE hatchback, XLE sedan, and the XSE sedan. Since we think that every trim model has its own set of highlighted perks, including a good price tag, technology, and safety features, you would have to do your own budgeting and test driving to figure out what trim model would best fit your lifestyle.
What’s New for the 2020 Corolla
The 2019 Corolla hatchback received a complete redesign, but it still needed some work. So for 2020, Toyota brought out a new trunk version. This included an updated interior that looked and felt much more competitive to its rivals and some better-looking exterior curves to top off the design. Also, for the first time, Toyota adds a hybrid to the Corolla lineup.
Powertrain and Gas Mileage
The best year for the Toyota Corolla L, LE, and XLE comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 139 horsepower and 126 lb.-ft. of torque and uses an automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) to get the power to the wheels. Gas mileage comes in at an EPA-Estimated 30 city / 38 hwy mpg.
The SE and XSE sedans come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that pumps out 169 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque and either uses a six-speed manual or a CVT transmission to convert power to the wheels. Fuel economy comes in at an EPA-Estimated 29 city / 36 hwy mpg for the manual transmission and 31 city / 40 hwy mpg for the CVT transmission.
Hatchback models get the 2.0-liter engine with the same horsepower and torque ratings as the 2.0-liter engine above. They will also either come with a manual six-speed or a CVT transmission. Gas mileage varies by just a little bit with about a 1 number lower difference in all segments, and that just accounts for the little extra weight the hatchback carries.
The hybrid Corolla comes with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder mated with an electric motor for a combined rating of 121 horsepower and 105 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is also connected to a CVT transmission and gets an EPA-Estimated 53 city / 52 hwy mpg.
THE BEST USED SUVS UNDER $10,000
We looked into price, reliability, features, and more to create this list of the best used SUVs under $10k on the market today. Take a look - some of the best used SUVs have gone mostly overlooked or forgotten.
2020 Technology Features and Amenities
The 2020 Corolla has a welcoming interior presence with features like a 7.0-inch or an available 8.0-inch touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
In the last few years, the Toyota Corolla was lacking these features when their competition wasn’t. You will also feel more updated with advanced voice recognition and Bluetooth music streaming with WiFi Hotspot, and SiriusXM radio.
If you go for the higher level Corolla SE, XSE, or the XLE, there could be an optional JBL premium nine-speaker audio system, with HD radio and integrated satellite navigation. You also see things like a color 7.0-inch instrumental gauge cluster, power and heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, driving mode selections, and much more.
2020 Toyota Corolla Safety Features
The best year for the Toyota Corolla scored a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institution of High Safety (IIHS), scoring a rating of Good (best rating giving out) in almost every category except for headlights where the Corolla scored Acceptable/Marginal depending on the trim level.
The Corolla also received a Superior rating in front crash prevention thanks to their Autobraking safety system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also agreed, giving the Corolla 5 of 5 stars overall.
These accomplishments were mainly thanks to the many standard advanced safety features the Corolla comes with. The Standard Toyota Safety Sense system comes with Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning with Assist, Road Sign Detection, Automatic High Beams, Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Low-Light Detection, and Cyclist Detection.
THE BEST USED LUXURY CARS ON THE MARKET
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Warranty Worthwhile
Not only are the warranties on the Toyota Corolla more than reasonable, but these sedans are also known for their long-last abilities. Purchasing a 2020 model will leave with most of the factory warranties still in play which can be transferred over. That puts you in the driver’s seat of a car that is more of an investment than it is anything else.
New car warranties come with a bumper-to-bumper: 36 months / 36,000 miles; powertrain warranty is 60 months / 60,000 miles; roadside assistance warranty is 24 months / unlimited distance.
If you buy your Corolla pre-owned, the benefits are even better. A certified pre-owned program benefit should come from the dealership with a maximum age/mileage warranty of 7 years / 100,000 miles powertrain warranty (whichever one comes first); basic warranty terms of one year / 12,000 miles (whichever one comes first), and a roadside assistance program. All that comes after a dealer certification required 160 or 174-point inspection.
As always, if you’re not sure what all that means or what all that covers, make sure to ask the dealer - it’s your right to know and their duty to make sure you understand.
Why Should You Buy a 2020 Toyota Corolla?
If you’re looking for a fun, dependable sedan, then the bigger question here is “why shouldn’t you shop for a 2020 model that we state our claim is the best year for the Toyota Corolla?” We think the facts speak for themselves. So if you’re ready to buy, the CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car.
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