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According to JD Power data reported in June 2025, the average price of a used vehicle in the United States is $29,440. For that same money or less, you could get a brand-new car like the 2025 Toyota Corolla sedan. The Corolla is legendary for its reliability, and although it's a compact car, it’s not substantially smaller than a Camry. Four adults and up to 13.1 cubic feet of their luggage fit just fine. And for 2025, a sporty new Corolla FX model joins the lineup.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The last time JD Power published a Corolla sedan review was in 2023. That test vehicle had a hybrid powertrain. Before that, a 2021 Corolla sedan review covered the XSE trim level equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine. Since then, Toyota has made a few changes to its smallest sedan.
Corolla sedans are available with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine or a gas-electric hybrid powertrain. The gas-engine lineup includes LE, SE, FX, and XSE trim levels, while the hybrid lineup is available in LE, SE, and XLE trim levels. Prices range from $23,530 for a Corolla LE to $29,385 for a Corolla Hybrid XLE, both inclusive of the destination charge.
For this 2025 Corolla review, Toyota provided a gas-engine test vehicle equipped with FX trim and the following options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $29,369, including the $1,135 destination charge to ship the sedan to your local dealership from the Blue Springs, Mississippi, assembly plant.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Standing up on the dashboard like a miniature drive-in theater screen, the new 10.5-inch TAM display looks like an afterthought rather than an integrated part of the Corolla's interior design. Also, if you prefer a low and reclined driving position, I'll bet it blocks a part of your forward view. A wider and lower solution would've been better.
The new display also eliminates the stubby volume and mute knob, replacing it with volume and mute buttons embedded into the lower frame of the touchscreen. (As was true before, you can tune the radio using buttons on the steering wheel, voice commands, or the screen.) Otherwise, Toyota arranges the TAM system the same way. Six icons on the left side of the display serve as shortcuts to main menus, providing access to deeper features and functions.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto continue, along with SiriusXM satellite radio and several connected services plans. Safety Connect is one of the most helpful features, equipping every Corolla with automatic collision notification, an SOS emergency call button, and quick access to roadside assistance for up to 10 years at no cost to you.
Drive Connect provides access to a navigation system, concierge service, and an Intelligent Assistant. Say, "Hey, Toyota," and the Intelligent Assistant (a digital voice assistant) quickly and accurately responds to your commands and queries. In my test car, it worked almost flawlessly.
Remote Connect is another upgrade, providing remote engine starting, a find-my-car feature, and the ability to monitor drivers who borrow the car. Wi-Fi Connect is available, transforming the Corolla into a rolling internet hotspot.
Overall, this is a sophisticated infotainment system for the segment, although it does not allow simultaneous viewing of information across different data panels. For example, you can't view the navigation map and the current music playing at the same time, so that creates unnecessary distraction as you change displays.
Unfortunately, most Corollas pair this technology with a mediocre six-speaker sound system. You can get a JBL premium audio system, but only in the Corolla XSE and Corolla Hybrid XLE.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
With the new-for-2025 Corolla FX trim, Toyota attempts to make a spiritual connection to the FX16 hot hatch of the late 1980s. Does the attempt land? Not really. Instead, it reminded me of the 2021-2022 Corolla Apex Edition, which also featured a lowered sport suspension and a rear spoiler that looks almost identical to the one decorating the Corolla FX's trunk lid.
Like the Corolla FX, the Apex Edition was more show than go, though you could get one with a six-speed manual transmission. The FX? Not so much, as it comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The Apex Edition also had a sport exhaust with more snarl than you'll get with the new Corolla FX. But I prefer the toned-down approach; why advertise intent by making a ruckus?
Toyota bases the 2025 Corolla FX sedan on the SE trim level. To that, it adds sport-tuned steering, a lowered sport suspension, exclusive 18-inch wheels with machined-finish detailing, blacked-out emblems, black exterior mirror caps, rocker panel cladding, and the aforementioned rear spoiler.
The interior is available only in Moonstone (a light gray) with unique orange stitching. A 7-inch digital driver display and the 10.5-inch TAM infotainment touchscreen are standard, along with wireless smartphone charging. A one-year trial subscription to Drive Connect is also standard with the FX trim.
The result is appealing. The Corolla FX is more subtle than the previous Apex Edition, and Toyota's decision to include the Moonstone interior instead of the typical black found in sport models is refreshing. It is a worthy upgrade over the SE trim, especially since it includes elements of the SE Premium option package in addition to the revised steering, suspension, and styling.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Most people don't know it, but the current-generation Corollas ride and handle remarkably well. They might not be quick in a straight line (the thrilling GR Corolla hatchback is the notable exception), but the SE and XSE variants are unexpectedly rewarding to toss through sets of twisties.
Naturally, then, the Corolla FX's sport steering and suspension enhance the car's already capable handling, and I enjoyed flinging it down Mulholland Highway in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu, California. Note that I said "down." That was a run from around 1,600 feet of elevation to sea level. Going uphill, the Corolla FX maintains speed without exerting too much effort, but there isn't much extra power in reserve.
Still, Toyota makes the best of what the 2.0-liter engine has to offer. A unique Dynamic Shift CVT, equipped with a gearset that serves as a first gear, makes the Corolla feel lively from a stop. Once the car is moving, the traditional pulley-type CVT takes over, and that's when the droning starts when you're accelerating hard.
Nevertheless, when you switch from Eco or Normal mode into Sport, the CVT keeps the 169 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque working overtime, so the Corolla FX typically doesn't feel slow. But it's not anywhere close to fast either.
Fuel economy isn't a bragging point either. The official EPA rating is 34 mpg in combined driving, but I observed 27.1 mpg on my mountainous evaluation loop. That's not even in the same neighborhood as the government estimate. Separately, during a day spent mostly on Los Angeles freeways with variable traffic, the car averaged 32.2 mpg. That might be more indicative of what a typical driver will see.Â
As for the ride, the Corolla FX is reasonably compliant despite the lowered sport suspension. However, you'll need to watch your velocity over speed bumps and avoid potholes whenever possible. The Corolla FX's front suspension isn't shy about transferring impact shock, and it can sound like something is about to break.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Four adults and a reasonable amount of luggage fit into the 2025 Toyota Corolla sedan. Sure, there are times when you might need more interior room, but renting a vehicle for those occasions rather than buying a bigger, more expensive, and less fuel-efficient alternative for daily driving might be a smarter idea.
Also, don't forget that the Corolla comes in a five-door hatchback body style, and there is a Corolla Cross model in the form of a small crossover SUV. They offer more utility than the Corolla sedan.
The Toyota Corolla is a mainstay of the compact sedan segment, but it faces numerous worthy rivals. They include the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia K4, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, and Volkswagen Jetta. Some of these alternatives offer efficient hybrid powertrains like the Corolla, and some are available in performance-tuned spec with more performance than the Corolla sedan.
Still, Toyota almost certainly benefits from "the mere exposure effect." Essentially, that theory says people prefer things they're familiar with. Toyota has been selling the Corolla in the U.S. since 1968 and has put over 50 million of them into customers' hands worldwide.
So, when you're considering a new, affordable car, the Toyota Corolla naturally comes to mind. Fortunately, there is plenty to like about it.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran automotive journalist with 30 years of experience in the field and has held automotive editorial leadership positions at Edmunds, JD Power, and The New York Daily News. Today, Chris owns a content agency called Speedy Daddy Media, and in addition to JDPower.com, his work appears on Capital One Auto Navigator, CarGurus, and Edmunds.
