Toyota Corolla vs. The Competition

The 2019 Toyota Corolla and 2019 Nissan Sentra are both top picks for economy sedans, but which offers more of what Provo drivers need? Next to the Nissan Sentra, the new Toyota Corolla is stronger, better equipped, and comes standard with driver assists. Compare the Toyota Corolla vs. Nissan Sentra below!

Corolla vs. Sentra: Which is Best?

See how the Corolla and Sentra stack up in terms of performance and features:

• Performance: The Nissan Sentra S is powered by either a 124-hp 1.8L inline-4 or 130-hp 1.8L inline-4. The Toyota Corolla L, on the other hand, gets a 132-hp 1.8L inline-4.
• Features: You’ll find adaptive cruise control, illuminated vanity mirrors, and carpeted front/rear floor mats as standard on the Corolla—but not the Sentra.
• Safety: The Corolla has a long history of being a safety-first sedan. That’s why it comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense™ P (TSS-P), which includes Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist and more.
• Free Maintenance Warranty: Unlike the Sentra, the Corolla comes with free maintenance for 24 months/25,000 miles, so you can drive confidently through Lehi.

Starting MSRP

Both of these Toyota cars are affordably priced, but the smaller Yaris models come with a lower price tag than the Corolla:

• Toyota Yaris
• L – Starts at $15,350
• LE – Starts at $16,450
• XLE – Starts at $18,550

• Toyota Corolla
• L – Starts at $18,700*
• LE – Starts at $19,135*
• LE Eco – Starts at $19,535*
• XLE – Starts at $22,135*
• SE – Starts at $20,645*
• XSE – Starts at $22,880*

Interior Space

Both the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Yaris offer seating for up to 5, but the Corolla provides a bit more room for those passengers to stretch out:

• Toyota Yaris
• Headroom (front/rear) – 38.2 inches / 36.8 inches
• Leg room (front/rear) – 41.9 inches / 34.4 inches
• Hip room (front/rear) – 48.6 inches / 49.5 inches
• Shoulder room (front/rear) – 53.1 inches / 50.0 inches
• Cargo capacity – 13.5 cubic feet

• Toyota Corolla
• Headroom (front/rear) – 38.3 inches / 37.1 inches
• Leg room (front/rear) – 42.3 inches / 41.4 inches
• Hip room (front/rear) – 53.0 inches / 43.9 inches
• Shoulder room (front/rear) – 54.8 inches / 54.8 inches
• Cargo capacity – 13.0 cubic feet

Standard Features and MPG

With either the base trim Yaris or Corolla, Lehi drivers will find a wide range of standard comfort, convenience, and tech features such as:

• Bluetooth® connectivity
• Voice activation
• 6-speaker sound system
• USB connection
• 12V power outlet
• Rearview camera
• Collision warning system

The base model Corolla comes with some additional features that are either not offered or only available on higher trims of the Yaris. These features include:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic high beams
• Entune® Audio
• Lane departure warning

Both of these vehicles provide efficient performance, but the subcompact Yaris offers better fuel economy. The base trim Yaris has an EPA rating of 32 mpg city / 40 mpg highway, while the Corolla mpg is rated at 28 mpg city / 36 mpg highway.

Standard Features

While drivers from Draper will find that both the Corolla and Elantra come with a wide range of standard features in the base trim, the Toyota is equipped with a number of high-tech features to keep you entertained and connected on the road. These Corolla exclusive features include:

• Bluetooth^® phone and audio
• Siri^® voice activation system
• Speech text messaging
• Entune^® Audio

In addition, the base trim Corolla L model also comes with advanced driver assist and safety systems that are not offered on the base level Elantra SE:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Collision warning system with automatic braking
• Pedestrian avoidance system
• Lane departure warning

It’s also important to note that the Toyota Corolla earned a 5 Star Safety rating form the NHTSA, while the Hyundai Elantra only managed a 4 Star rating.

Fuel Economy

The EPA fuel economy rating for both of these sedans is very close, but the Corolla provides the better mpg on city streets. If you do a lot of driving in and around Provo you’ll save more at the pump when driving the Corolla.

• Toyota Corolla L Fuel Economy
• City – 28 mpg
• Highway – 36 mpg
• Combined – 32 mpg

• • Hyundai Elantra SE Fuel Economy
  • City – 26 mpg
  • Highway – 36 mpg
  • Combined – 29 mpg

Fuel Economy

Most drivers in the small sedan segment are looking for a vehicle that will save them money at the gas pump. While both of these vehicles are efficient, the Corolla gets better mpg ratings than the Mazda3.

• 2019 Toyota Corolla MPG – The Corolla LE Eco is able to get up to an EPA-estimated 40 mpg highway and 30 mpg city.
• 2018 Mazda3 MPG – There’s no version of the Mazda3 that’s able to get better than 37 mpg highway and 28 mpg city, according to the EPA.

Standard Features

Whether you choose the 2019 Toyota Corolla or the 2018 Mazda3, you can look forward to standard features like a touchscreen-based infotainment system, Bluetooth® phone and audio connectivity, a 6-speaker audio system, and a rearview camera monitor. However, while the Mazda3 gets a low-speed forward collision warning system, that Toyota Corolla’s full suite of driver assistance features, Toyota Safety Sense® P (TSS-P) includes all of the following:

• Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD)
• Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA)
• Automatic High Beams (AHB)
• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC)

Cargo Space

The Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 sedans both come with comfortable standard seating for up to five passengers, but the Toyota Corolla’s trunk measures 13.0 cubic feet, edging out the Mazda3’s trunks of 12.4 cubic feet.

Safety

The Toyota Corolla makes even busy Provo drives safer thanks to standard safety systems like whiplash injury-lessening seats. These seats flex up and forward, absorbing much of the impact from a rear-end collision to help reduce serious neck and back injuries to front-seat passengers. Toyota drivers also have access to a driver alert monitor that sounds an alarm and suggests a break if it detects a drowsy or inattentive driver. The Honda Civic lacks both whiplash protection and a driver alert system.

Warranty Protection

While the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic offer shoppers similar overall warranty protection, Toyota provides a perk Honda does not – free basic maintenance. For the first two years or 25,000 miles, you own your new Corolla, the automaker will pay for oil changes and any other required maintenance; you need only use a qualified Toyota service center to take advantage. Honda doesn’t offer a complimentary maintenance service for the Civic.

Visibility

The Toyota Corolla is designed to look good, but more than that, this compact is engineered to make sure you can see well, too. In recent IIHS safety testing, the Corolla’s headlamps received high marks for visibility and convenience, thanks to the automaker’s use of the latest in headlamp technology; the Corolla’s headlamps offer clearer, brighter light, as well as a standard auto-dimming feature that automatically switches to low-beams when oncoming traffic is detected. In the same testing, the Civic’s headlamps received a “Poor” rating. Plus, if drivers want auto high beams, they’ll have to look elsewhere, as Honda doesn’t offer auto-dimming lights on the Civic.

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Performance and Fuel-Efficiency

The 2017 Nissan Sentra FWD comes with a 1.8L 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed manual transmission, which outputs a total of 130 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. The 2017 Toyota Sentra FWD is powered by an identical engine, but swaps the manual for a CVT, resulting in 132 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. In addition to its slightly stronger output, the Corolla is also more efficient, earning one mile per gallon more than the Sentra in the city and on the highway. Altogether, the 2017 Toyota Corolla scores an EPA-estimated 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway rating.

Luxuries and Technologies

As two similar sedans, the new Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra offer many of the same comforts. Inside either one’s cabin, you’ll find seating for five passengers, as well as an onboard computer, cruise control, a CD player, power windows and door locks, and a split-folding rear seat. Where these two sedans differ, however, is standard technology. The Toyota Corolla comes standard with Entune Audio, which features a 6.1-inch touchscreen, a 6-speaker audio system, and Siri Eyes Free. These features are all optional upgrades for the Nissan Sentra.

Safety Ratings and Features

In NHTSA crash tests, the 2017 Nissan Sentra scored a second-best four-star overall safety rating, while the 2017 Toyota Corolla netted a top five-star score. This makes the Corolla the safer pick for you and your family. What’s more, the 2017 Corolla is newly equipped with standard Toyota Safety Sense™ (TSS-P), which includes a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. Again, the Sentra requires upgrades to obtain similar features.

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Safety

The 2017 Toyota Corolla and the 2017 Kia Forte are both solid, affordable sedans, making them great choices for daily commuters and first-time buyers alike. But which one offers you the best experience for your money? Well, in the fields that count, the Corolla comes out on top.

For example, in terms of safety, the Corolla utterly outclasses the Forte, being named a 2017 Top Safety Choice+ by the IIHS—a title the Forte can’t claim for itself. The Corolla also comes standard with a rearview camera, an essential feature that the Forte is going to charge you extra for. And the Corolla offers its comprehensive Toyota Safety Sense-P system, which packages a range of smart driving features for help you drive safer.

Features

Affordability shouldn’t mean giving up all the features and creature comforts you crave, which is something the 2017 Toyota Corolla understands. That’s why it comes with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, making it easy to find and control everything you want to. The Kia Forte doesn’t offer any standard touchscreens—and if you opt for one, you’re going to get a puny 4.3-inch one. In addition, the Corolla offers its proprietary Entune infotainment system, which combines navigation, audio, apps, and hands-free calling into one convenient control panel.

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