Toyota Corolla 2.0 Diesel 2008 new car review
When released in the mid-1960s, it was a cheap and cheerful small vehicle that was reliable, frugal and easy to drive.
When the Toyota Corolla was released in the mid-1960s, it was a cheap and cheerful small vehicle that was reliable, frugal and easy to drive. It was a vanilla ice-cream car that while not being the most exciting flavour available, still satisfied the masses.
- Frugality
- Interior styling
- Torque
- Rattly engine
- A touch expensive
It appealed to the driving public so much so that since 1966 more than 32 million Corollas have sold worldwide. In fact, a Corolla is sold somewhere in the world every 40 seconds.
The base Corolla principles of reliability (a Toyota hallmark) and frugality have never engendered the model with any great styling appeal, which has been fine given that most competitors were until recently just as plain.
The thing is now though there are a great many small cars that combine quality engineering and great styling. The Mazda3, Citroen C4 and Honda Civic are just some examples. Toyota has seen this too and added some nuts and a drizzle of caramel topping to make the new Corolla a bit more special.
Inside and out
The latest iteration of the Corolla is a departure from the bland econo-box styling of its predecessor. While the exterior styling of the Corolla is a little sharper than before, the real surprise is the interior. Toyota has taken a leaf out of the funky Honda Civic’s interior design playbook with a combination of smart looking but practical elements that make the inside of the Corolla very appealing.
Features like the small screens in the middle of the speedometer and tachometer that display the trip computer information help to make the Corolla more enjoyable than before.
The high downward-arching centre console is the main attraction of the interior. It houses the gearshift and handbrake in a curving column that features space underneath to stash small items — perfect for caramel sundaes.
The gearshift looks high but the shift lever falls to hand very easily. The shift quality is not very mechanically satisfying — it doesn’t invite you into the heart of the driving experience — but it is light and easy to use with six well-spaced ratios.
The seats are adjustable, as is the steering wheel, and it is easy to create a comfortable driving position.
On the road
Diesels always confound the expectations of those of us who are used to a petrol diet. When driving the Corolla you only really need to use the power between 1800-3000rpm as, although the car will rev to 5000rpm, those extra revs do little to accelerate progress.
The engine is a 2-litre diesel unit (a 1.4-litre is also available) which, while being a little rattly, is smooth in its delivery. The fuel economy of a diesel appeals to the miser within us all and we managed a commendable 5.6L/100km on the combined cycle (Toyota claims 5.4L/100km) with 6.8L/100km around town.
Overall
With fuel prices being the bane of our lives it is nice to know road-trips have not been consigned to the ‘too expensive’ basket when cars like the Corolla are on offer. The Toyota Corolla diesel is a good car for commuting, especially for those people who drive on the highways a lot. It is a great feeling knowing that this car costs so little to fuel and can get you a great distance on one tank.
At $38,990 it is not that cheap but with the level of efficiency and power available from the diesel engine and very nice interior styling, the Corolla ain’t ‘plain vanilla’ anymore.
Note: This was reviewed as a new vehicle.
Image gallery
Also consider
Peter Louisson 
Kyle Cassidy 