2011 Toyota Corolla

The 2011 Toyota Corolla delivers a quiet ride with fuel-efficient engines, but reviewers prefer newer and more enticing alternatives like the best-reviewed 2011 Hyundai Elantra (Base MSRP: $14,830 to $19,980) and 2011 Volkswagen Golf (Base MSRP: $17,995 to $19,755). The Corolla is known for its impressive reliability record. The 2011 model year receives only some cosmetic changes and a reduction in the available trim levels. For more detailed information, see our full report on the nearly identical 2009 Toyota Corolla.

The Corolla has two engine options: a 1.8-liter four-cylinder and a 2.4-liter four cylinder. The 1.4-liter engine gets an EPA-estimated 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined with the manual transmission, and 26 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined with the four-speed manual transmission. The larger, 2.4-liter engine delivers a lower EPA fuel-economy rating of 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway/25 mpg combined with either the manual or automatic transmission. This is good fuel economy, but the newest crop of competitors are more fuel efficient and have automatic transmissions with more gears.

Standard safety features include electronic stability control, front airbags, side airbags, side curtain airbags, antilock brakes and active front head restraints. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the 2011 Corolla a Top Safety Pick, giving it the highest possible rating in front, side, rear and roof-strength tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not tested the 2011 Toyota Corolla as of this writing.

The starting MSRP for the Toyota Corolla Base model is $15,600, and the S model tops the range at $17,470.