2025 Toyota Corolla Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Toyota hasn’t redesigned the Corolla since the 2020 model year, and while the car has aged well thanks to regular updates, a redesign is likely in the works for 2027 or 2028. To drum up a little interest in the 2025 Corolla, Toyota makes a larger 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system available and introduces the FX special edition. This slots into the Corolla sedan lineup, positioned above the LE and SE, but below the XSE (an XLE grade is also available with the hybrid powertrain). Base pricing ranges from $22,325 to $28,040, not including the $1,195 destination charge.

Our Corolla FX test car started at $26,650. Options including a black-painted roof, a Convenience Package, an extended Drive Connect services plan, and a handful of dealer-installed accessories brought the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to $29,369, including destination. Toyota hopes you’ll think the new FX sedan evokes fond memories of the 1987 Corolla FX16 hatchback, which, except for die-hard Japanese compact car enthusiasts, has been largely forgotten. We’re not making that connection. However, it is reminiscent of the short-lived Apex Edition package Toyota offered in 2022, toned down for a stealthier look and driving experience.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we find the Corolla sedan mostly inoffensive aside from its insectile face. The FX treatment drops the car’s ride height by over half an inch, so it hunkers down on extremely attractive 18-inch wheels with a machined finish on the outer lip and spokes. Other FX cues include blacked-out emblems, black mirror caps, a reasonably tasteful decklid spoiler, and a chrome dual-tipped exhaust outlet.

Inside, every Corolla FX features a Moonstone-color interior, which is a treat and a departure from the black cabins that car companies usually install in their sporty models. The light gray hue and cloth upholstery, rather than Toyota’s sweaty SofTex artificial leather, make the FX an open, airy, and pleasant place to spend time while sitting in commuter traffic.

Simplicity is the rule rather than the exception. However, the new 10.5-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system lacks volume and tuning knobs, so you’ll need to retrain your brain to use the ones on the steering wheel. As expected, there is a lot of inexpensive plastic, but the soft dashboard pad, quality fabric, smooth leather-wrapped steering wheel, and decorative trim help make the Corolla FX look and feel more upscale than it is.

Dynamically, the Corolla FX distinguishes itself with a lowered sport suspension and sport-tuned steering. Otherwise, it features the same mechanical hardware as the Corolla SE and XSE, including a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine supplying 169 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 151 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.

That’s enough oomph to keep the Corolla from getting in its own way, but it isn’t close to class-leading power. For example, one of our favorite compact cars, the Mazda 3, offers 191 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque in its standard spec, with an available turbocharged engine delivering up to 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. So, don’t drag race one of those. It will make the FX’s fancy spoiler wilt.

To maximize the motive force, Toyota utilizes an ingenious Dynamic Shift continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) equipped with a gearset to accelerate the car quickly. Shortly after take-off, the pulley-system CVT takes over. This makes the Corolla seem quicker to respond and quieter while gathering speed, though hard acceleration runs still produce a dissatisfying drone, groan, and moan from the drivetrain.

Engine and transmission aside, the Corolla’s ride and handling are fundamentally sound. We did notice, though, that our test car did not handle potholes or speed bumps well. After crashing over a hole in the freeway at about 30 mph, we thought the right front tire would need to be replaced. It didn’t, but suffice it to say you’ll want to avoid holes and bumps with this dropped sport suspension.

In daily driving situations, the Corolla FX doesn’t feel too stiff, and the steering doesn’t feel artificially heavy. On the highway, the car cruises effortlessly, though wind and road noise are your constant companions and the feeble stereo speakers are incapable of drowning them out. On the mountain roads near Los Angeles, the Corolla FX proved more enjoyable to drive than you might guess. Going uphill, the CVT does a good job of sorting out power needs, and the Corolla doesn’t feel winded. Going downhill, the benefits of the car’s Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), revised steering, and slammed suspension are plainly evident.

Engineered to deliver a rewarding blend of ride and handling qualities, the TNGA platform has made the current-generation Corolla more engaging to drive since 2020, and makes the rip-roarin’ GR Corolla not only possible, but credible. Add the tweaked steering and suspension, and the Corolla FX sedan sluiced down Mulholland Highway like a little sports sedan. Power may not be in abundance here, but despite the P225/40R18 all-season tires, the grip is good, the handling is predictable, the brakes are trustworthy, and the steering is accurate. The FX isn’t stiff like a track-ready setup, but you can detect hints of the athleticism that defines the Toyota GR Corolla in this car.

On a day that took us all around suburban Los Angeles and through the city proper during rush hour, the Corolla FX averaged 32.2 mpg, falling short of the official EPA rating of 34 mpg in combined driving. On our evaluation loop, we observed an average of 27.1 mpg. That’s nowhere near expectations, but at least a Toyota Corolla hybrid is still available as an alternative.

Thanks to its manual driver’s seat height adjuster and fabric upholstery, the Corolla FX offers a comfortable driving position with good forward visibility. Thin windshield pillars, ample glass, and large side mirrors offer a panoramic view of the world. The car’s steering wheel is also comfortable to hold, but the padding on the center armrest is too thin.

Rear seat occupants sit high on a firm cushion that offers impressive leg support. There is just enough legroom, and the front seatbacks are fabric-wrapped, so knees and shins are safe from abrasion on hard plastic panels. However, headroom is in short supply, and the Corolla doesn’t have rear air conditioning vents. Throughout the Corolla, practical storage space is also in short supply. That’s particularly true regarding the center console between the front seats, where design takes precedence over utility.

Open the trunk, and the Corolla sedan offers 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space, exactly two cubes less than the larger Toyota Camry. The trunk is deep enough to carry full-size suitcases on their sides, and a 60/40-split folding rear bench seat expands capacity as needed. For those needing additional cargo space, there’s always the Corolla hatchback.

In addition to the new Corolla FX special edition, Toyota now offers a larger 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system in this compact car. It looks large in this small car, standing tall on the dashboard above the center air vents and single-zone automatic climate control system. We prefer to sit high behind the steering wheel, so it didn’t block our visibility. However, if you favor a low-slung position, it will likely do so.

This new screen looks conspicuously out of place and essentially advertises whatever is displayed there to everyone in the surrounding traffic. But, to some degree, that’s been true going back to the 2020 Corolla and its previous-generation infotainment system (which still had knobs and buttons surrounding the screen and the ability to show three data panels at once). With the latest Toyota Audio Multimedia system, you can see only one data panel at a time. Additionally, the drill-down menus are consolidated, requiring more of a driver’s attention to locate certain controls and settings.

As far as interactivity goes, Toyota has added volume and stereo mute buttons along the bottom of the screen, but for tuning the radio, you’ll need to use the steering wheel controls, voice controls, or touchscreen. There’s a volume control on the steering wheel, too. You’ll acclimate, but knobs that protrude enough to use them while wearing gloves would be better.

If the size, design, and implementation of the new 10.5-inch touchscreen doesn’t represent progress, the underlying connected services technology does. In addition to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Toyota provides complimentary trial subscriptions to numerous helpful plans.

For example, Safety Connect is standard in every Corolla, providing up to 10 years of service including automatic collision notification, SOS emergency assistance, and quick access to roadside assistance. That’s serious peace of mind.

Drive Connect is available, and unless you’re getting a Corolla LE or SE, you’ll enjoy a trial subscription lasting one year. It includes a navigation system, but the real benefit is the Intelligent Assistant. That digital voice assistant understands conversational commands and queries, and passed nearly all of our tests with flying colors. Of course, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto do the same thing, so extending the Drive Connect subscription isn’t necessary.

Remote Connect is also available (you get one year free with the purchase of a Corolla XSE). This upgrade includes remote engine start and stop, the ability to find your car when you’ve forgotten where you parked it, and the ability to monitor guest drivers. You can also activate Wi-Fi Connect, which turns the Corolla into a mobile internet hotspot.

Corollas have a subpar six-speaker sound system that is overly bass-heavy, even when all the settings are centered. A JBL premium sound system is available, but only for the top-of-the-line XSE. Those are also typically too heavy with bass. So, if you buy a Corolla, plan a visit to the aftermarket stereo shop.

Toyota equips every 2025 Corolla with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) collection of driver assistance systems. But blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert are extra-cost options on all but the highest XSE trim level. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), those two features are among the most effective at reducing crashes. While they’re not standard on the Corolla, that’s also the case with many other new cars.

Nevertheless, TSS 3.0 is an impressive offering in an affordable compact car. It includes forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centering assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam headlights, and a road sign recognition system.

Another TSS 3.0 feature is Proactive Driving Assist, which includes Obstacle Anticipation Assist and Deceleration Assist. We turned this on when we received the Corolla FX and turned it off shortly thereafter. In this Toyota, while driving in the city and on L.A. freeways, it proved too intrusive. We didn’t miss it.

On our Southern California evaluation loop, the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist (Lane Tracing Assist, as Toyota refers to it) proved effective, if not entirely flawless. The most irritating thing about using them was how frequently the technology requested steering input to ensure we were still paying attention. That got old fast.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2025 Corolla five-star ratings in all crash tests, as well as a four-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS named the Corolla a 2024 “Top Safety Pick,” but updated ratings for 2025 were not available at press time.

The 2025 Toyota Corolla is not a complicated car. The most unusual thing about it is the CVT and its launch gearset. The mechanical simplicity, coupled with the Corolla’s reputation for reliability, means it should be affordable to own over time. A three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty provide coverage equivalent to most other brands.

Toyota sweetens the deal with complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first two years or 25,000 miles, as well as free trial subscriptions to various connected service plans. And if our test car’s thirst for fuel is concerning, you can always get a Corolla Hybrid for better fuel efficiency.

We think the Corolla SE represents the sweet spot in the lineup. You can keep it basic, or you can spend more to add appealing features through the Convenience and Premium option packages. In short, it gives you options and avoids the plain vanilla look of the base Corolla LE.

As for the new Corolla FX sedan, it’s also a good value play if you want its sport-tuned steering, lowered sport suspension, snazzy wheels, and spiffy spoiler. Outright speed isn’t the only way to entertain yourself while driving, and those upgrades add a little more style and athleticism to a car that should last you a good, long time.

And if this compact sedan isn’t right for you, there are alternatives including the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia K4, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, and Volkswagen Jetta.