My Take on the 2008 Toyota Corolla

If you are in the market for a reliable commuter or small family car, the Toyota Corolla should definitely be on your to-see list. The 2008 model has been redesigned to keep up with its main fellow Japanese competitor, the Honda Civic. The front end of the Corolla looks nice and sleek, and this car has a lot to offer besides its good looks.

There are three different trim levels you can choose for the Corolla: CE, S and LE. If you are on a tight budget, the CE is the base model with the smallest price tag. MSRP is listed at $14,405, which isn't too bad for a car of its class. The S adds some little features such as smoked DRL lenses, integrated front fog lamps, slightly larger tires and a couple more speakers, but it doesn't have any major changes. The CE version adds power windows, some fancier gauges and other little things but not much more either. Extra options are available to add on to the different models such as a six-disc CD changer, cruise control and power locks and windows, so you can add on specific features to create your perfect fit.

The engine for all models is a 1.8-liter four cylinder putting out 126 horsepower and 122 foot pounds of torque. That isn't a whole lot of power, but it makes up for it with great gas mileage. The 2008 Toyota Corolla has the gas mileage rating estimated at 28 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway for manual transmission and 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway for automatic transmission. The Corolla was never meant to be a hot-rod, so gas mileage is the main concern. The transmission choices are a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, and each is available for all the different trim levels.

Overall, the 2008 Toyota Corolla is a good buy if you are looking for an efficient, reliable commuter car at a reasonable price. Toyota has established one of the best reputations of any manufacturer for producing quality vehicles. I personally saw a late '80s Toyota pickup with over 500,000 miles on the original engine, and the engine was just starting to develop a major problem. Toyota has kept the high quality up throughout the years, and I don't expect it to stop any time soon. The 2008 Toyota Corolla is new and improved, and I see popularity, success and reliability in its future.