Toyota Corolla makes sales history

The Corolla has a reputation for durability and resale value

The Ford Model T is the best selling car of all time, right? Wrong. Mustang? Nope. Volkswagen Beetle? Guess again. Although Beetles infested the world years earlier, and the Mustang galloped to market a full two years earlier, the boxy little Toyota Corolla, first introduced in Japan in 1966, has outsold it, with more than 25 million copies sold in 142 countries.

The Corolla was introduced to the US in 1968 as a two-door subcompact car. By 1970 the Corolla was the second best-selling import in the country. By 1997 the 20 millionth Corolla rolled off the production lines. In the decades since its introduction the Corolla has built up an enviable reputation for durability and resale value as a basic transport car. A Corolla was the first car for millions of financially challenged baby boomers, and many Corollas are now being driven by those boomers' grandkids. Talk about staying power!

What makes this ninth-generation model so popular? In one word--value. This car does almost everything well, and it does it day in and day out, year after year after year. And each new model that comes along every four or five years is a big improvement over the previous generation, thanks to keen competition from not only Honda Civic, but also Hyundai and Kia. Those last two companies offer good cars with better warranties for less money, so the sales leader has to keep getting better and better.

The 2005 Corolla S (for "sport") model I checked out for this review is basically a 2004, with a few tweaks. There are four Corolla models, ranging from the CE, S, and LE, to the new SRS. Prices start at about $13,370 for the CE. My S model, with a 1.8-liter 130-horsepower engine, air conditioning, automatic transmission, cruise, power windows, mirrors, locks, brakes and steering, listed for $17,097. Also included on the S model were 15-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler.

However, the S is not really a sporty car, in my opinion. That designation would have to go to the new SRS model, with its high-output 170-horsepower engine and sport-tuned suspension, which I hope to review for a future article. However, the S model does have side rocker panels, front/rear underbody spoiler, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and "sport" speedometer and tachometer that give the flavor, if not the performance, of a sporty car.

Bigger and roomier

But all of the 2005 Corollas have adequate power and handling characteristics to get the job done. After all, this is the world's best-selling car! Plus, it's roomier and more comfortable than ever before. Although the Corolla was initially Toyota's entry-level car, the Echo now handles that duty. The Corolla has grown from a sub-compact to a compact car, as its big brother Camry has also grown and moved upscale. Corolla's overall length has grown by 4.3 inches, and its wheelbase is up 5.4 inches to 102.4 inches.

To help push its added weight around, the current Corolla has five more horsepower, but no additional torque. The four-cylinder engine is smooth and quiet at most RPMs, and is, according legend, as reliable as a sunrise. It started instantly for me each time, idled smoothly, and provided adequate acceleration and passing power. With three test drivers aboard we had no trouble passing slow moving vehicles on two-lane highways. The four-speed automatic transmission shifts into high gear at about 75 miles per hour when the throttle is held to the floor. At that point, the engine is making quite a bit of racket, and engine vibrations are noticeable, but once you are in cruising mode the engine sounds almost disappear.

Wind noise is also well controlled, and the ride is unusually smooth and quiet for a small car. The variable-assist power steering is precise and the brakes are smooth and powerful, giving adequate stopping performance. With its front and rear stabilizer bars and McPherson front suspension, the car feels and drives more like a previous-generous Camry -- which is very good! But this car doesn't drink fuel quite as fast as a Camry -- Corolla is rated for 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.

Corolla's exterior styling draws mixed reviews (it is somewhat tall for its other proportions), but that high roofline enhances its creature comforts, which is what a high-value car is all about. The interior is where this car shines. Materials are of exceptionally high quality, almost Lexus-like, and the assembly is top notch. The comfortable seats are covered with thick, stain-hiding upholstery, and even the plastics used on the doors and elsewhere shout "quality." There are nifty features everywhere, such as a double cup holder that pops out of the rear of the center console for the rear-seat passengers, and a carved out area in the lower part of the rear doors that improves entry and egress. The front seats are mounted high off the floor, allowing foot room underneath for rear seat passengers, which I really appreciated since I spent some time back there. Americans purchase too many cars, I think, without ever riding in the back seat, and then wonder why no one wants to sit back there. I give this small car an "A" for rear seat comfort. A rear seat center armrest and rear air conditioning vents would be nice, but hey, those things obviously aren't required on the best-selling car in the world.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at steve@robertsonsphotography.com.