Cars.com Faceoff: 2008 Ford Focus, 2008 Honda Civic, 2009 Toyota Corolla

In honor of graduation season, Cars.com took three of the most popular compact sedans on the market and decided which one should get a big bow put on top. Even if you’re a Hoops McCann and no one gets you a car for your hard work, these three are sensible first-car choices for the newly employed, too. But which one takes the cake? See if the Honda Civic can stand up to the redesigned Ford Focus and all-new Toyota Corolla.

Cars.comparison: Graduation Gifts

Friday Fleet Notes: 4.25.08

This Friday's fleet notes come packed with insightful takes on the Saturn Astra, Infiniti EX35, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic EX-L, and Toyota Matrix XRS. Our staff had plenty to say, both good and bad, about the vehicles, so be sure to check out their posts, then link to the expert reviews after the jump.

2008 Saturn Astra

• This was a bummer for me. I was soooo looking forward to driving this car, but when I got behind the wheel I was again greeted by anemic acceleration. However, unlike the Corolla, the Astra XR is supposed to be a fun-to-drive machine. I did not experience much fun. It handled well but felt heavy. The automatic transmission was a dog, and do I need to mention the controls? A fellow reviewer called them hieroglyphics because the symbols are so hard to translate. There’s no USB or AUX-in capability either, not even as an option. Eegads. It was nice-looking, though, I’ll give it that. — David Thomas, senior editor

Cars.com Reviews 2009 Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla has long been one of the best-selling cars in the U.S. Even last year, when its design was clearly showing its age, it saw increased sales, mainly due to high gas prices. Toyota has finally redesigned the compact car for 2009, and Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays put it through its paces in a full review, as well as in a video. Surprisingly, the new Corolla isn’t the slam-dunk economy choice anymore, even though there’s still plenty to like.

2009 Toyota Corolla Expert Review
2009 Toyota Corolla Videos

Frugal Compacts Add Up with Basic Options

The compact car segment is no new place to find low base prices and a good deal on a new car. After having three major players in our hands over the past few weeks, including the 2009 Toyota Corolla, 2008 Honda Civic and 2008 Ford Focus sedans, we were scraping together specs and options to evaluate the competition. When we started to compare the cars, something surprised us. Mostly optional features that we think are necessary for a comfortable and safe daily driver — automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, keyless entry, power locks, antilock brakes, side airbags and a CD player — have a funny way of changing each car’s relative value.

Recall Alert: 2003-04 Toyota Corolla, Matrix

Toyota is recalling 539,500 2003 and 2004 Corolla and Matrix cars equipped with power windows. The bolts in the power window system can loosen and cause the window to shatter. 

There have been 143 incidents that led to broken windows, so this is not an isolated case. Toyota says there has been one minor accident and 15 injuries directly related to the defect. A notice will go out to owners later this month. Dealers will replace both front window bolts at no charge. 

The company says owners with these loose bolts will hear an abnormal noise from either window when they’re being operated. For more information, concerned owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331.

Toyota recalling Corolla, Matrix cars because of power windows (Chicago Tribune)

Toyota Prices New 2009 Corolla and Matrix

The redesigned Corolla and Matrix will arrive at dealerships next month, and today we learn more about how much each of the new models will cost. The range for the Corolla will be $15,250 to $19,950, and the Matrix will range from $16,190 to $21,850. The base 2009 Corolla will cost $845 more than the 2008 base model. Toyota has changed the base CE trim level to a “Standard” trim level for 2009, just to help confuse things some.

The Matrix’s starting price of $16,190 is $680 more than the outgoing 2008’s $15,510. None of the prices include a $650 destination charge. A full breakdown of trim-level pricing is below, as is where you can find more information, photos and specs of the new models.

Video: 2009 Toyota Corolla

The Corolla has withered on the vine as far as technological updates go over the past few years, but it sure hasn’t slowed down in the sales department. Managing editor Patrick Olsen gets a closer look at the redesigned 2009 model, which will go on sale early next year.

Up Close With the 2009 Toyota Corolla

• The latest Corolla improves in some areas but disappoints in others. The dashboard has lots of hard, cheap plastic — like the last Corolla did — but it manages to look respectable and well-fitted.
  
  Kudos to Toyota for including a two-tier glove compartment. It offers plenty of space and, in combination with the decent-sized center console, makes the Corolla one of the more storage-friendly compact cars out there. The A/C controls, in contrast, are a step down. I thought the previous Corolla had high-quality knobs and dials for a compact car, but Toyota seems to have ditched them for the cheaper controls from the Yaris.
  
  The cloth seats and faux wood trim in a XLE model on the show floor were inviting enough, but the leather seats in a nearby XRS model seemed to be too big for the Corolla's britches — it's an economy car, and the cheapish leather won't fool anyone into thinking it's something pricier. With managing editor Patrick Olsen (6-foot-1) up front, I (6-foot) had limited rear-seat legroom but enough headroom to sit up straight without scraping my noggin above. — Kelsey Mays, 1:05 p.m.

Related
More on the 2007 LA Auto Show
2009 Toyota Corolla

2009 Toyota Corolla

• Competes with: Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus
• Looks like: A baby Camry
• Drivetrain: 132-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder or 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: February 2008

The Toyota Corolla is arguably Toyota’s second-most-important model, and it took a long time for a new version to get here. The look certainly mimics the current-generation Camry, with an angled grille and sharp headlights. The exterior may not be radical, but Toyota rarely dares too much, especially in mainstream cars. That’s why it has Scion, after all.

Inside gets a nice new look — everything seems clean, simple and well-laid-out, hopefully with improved materials.

Power for Standard LE, XLE and S trims is rated at 132 hp from a revised version of the previous four-cylinder engine, with mileage figures of 27/35 mpg city/highway, no specifics on mileage with the different transmission choices. The outgoing Corolla gets 28/37 mpg using new 2008 EPA testing. A performance XRS trim level will reappear for 2009 with the same 158-hp four-cylinder found in the Scion tC and xB. It gets 22/30 mpg in this application and is mated to either a five-speed manual or automatic.

We’d expect prices to stay close to the $14,405-$15,615 starting prices of the 2007s, as has been the trend for other recently redesigned models. Many more photos below.

New Toyota Corolla and Matrix Debut Today

Update: 1:31 p.m. CST Check out the all-new Corolla and Matrix and let us know what you think.

Later today — lunchtime for most of the country, brunchtime for the West Coast — Toyota will drop the veil on the redesigned 2009 Corolla and 2009 Matrix at the SEMA specialty show in Las Vegas. We’ll be posting all the information we can gather as well as photos as quickly as possible. Make sure to check back in.

Toyota to Unveil New 2009 Corolla, Matrix in Vegas

The importance of the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, which focuses on the automotive aftermarket, has grown in recent years, as Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota have all used the event to launch new vehicles and concepts. This year, Toyota is upping the ante with plans to unveil its redesigned 2009 Corolla there on Oct. 31.

The Corolla has aged well up to now and is still one of the best-selling cars in the country. However, it certainly deserves this redesign. Toyota also announced today it will roll out the 2009 Matrix at SEMA. The mini-ute/wagon/hatchback shares an assembly line with the Pontiac Vibe, which will also get a new design this year, though we’re unsure at which show GM will roll it out. 

We’ll have more information on the new Corolla and Matrix as Halloween approaches.

Related
Toyota's Next Matrix More Powerful, New Name Possible (KickingTires)
GM Speeding 2009 Pontiac Vibe to Production (KickingTires)