The 2015 Toyota Corolla lineup continues to offer two different 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines; and rest assured that with either version, you’ll get approximately the same level of performance and fuel efficiency. L, LE, and S trim Corolla models are powered by a base 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 132 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. The LE Eco trim, with its 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, has Valvematic, which has a broader range of continuously variable valve timing, for better fuel economy as well as a boost in engine output, to 140-horsepower. In most Corolla models ( LE, S, and LE Eco) , there’s a continuously variable transmission ( CVT) ; with it, Toyota has managed to tune in a reassuring, almost linear feel during light and moderate acceleration, while minimizing the ’drone’ that plagues CVTs used in other small cars. S models get a special version of the CVT that pretends it’s an automatic, with seven simulated gear ratios and steering-wheel paddle-shifters to click through them. The Corolla S ( perhaps at odds with its own mission) is the model you should move toward if you enjoy driving; it gets a suspension tune that’s buttoned-down in the way you might normally expect of a sport sedan—with a special Sport button that firms up the steering, and a ride that feels firm yet absorbent and nicely damped. Other models in the lineup remain a bit springy and pillowy.
The Corolla might have been considered mid-size just a few model years ago. With its redesign last year, the Corolla gained nearly four inches in wheelbase, and that almost directly translates to some meaningful increases in back-seat space. Even those six feet tall can now ride behind other six-footers—an almost unhead-of feat among small cars. There were improvements in front-seat comfort, too, with more adjustability and longer cushions than before, or than what you’ll find in some rival models. Trunk space is abundant, too, with a long, flat floor, plus flip-forward rear seatbacks in all models.