1.17.2016

Same (Good) Car, New Low Price: The 2016 Toyota Corolla S

Front 3/4 view of 2016 Toyota Corolla S
The 2016 Toyota Corolla S.
A year and a half ago, our Publisher and Executive Editor wrote a review calling the then-new 2014 Toyota Corolla S "the first desirable Corolla in a generation".

Everything Michael said then stands now.  But there is a bonus.




Side view of 2016 Toyota Corolla S
2016 Toyota Corolla S.
Give most manufacturers two model years and they will give you a base price increase of $150 to $400. Toyota is one of those rare carmakers that actually cuts prices.  We saw it last year when we tested the 2015 Lexus ES 300h, which cut the navigation package price by $830 from the year before.  And now we see it with an entire car.

The 2014 Corolla S Michael tested had a base price of $20,400. 18 months later, I have just finished a week in an identically equipped Corolla S with a base price of $19,995.  In two model years, $405 has come off the price of the car.

Interior view of 2016 Toyota Corolla S
2016 Toyota Corolla S interior.
Where's the catch?  There isn't one.  No de-contenting, no switching equipment from standard to optional.  Same 132 horsepower, same 29 miles per gallon in the city and 37 on the highway, Same list of standard features including automatic climate control, Entune audio system with voice recognition and Siri Eyes Free, leather-wrapped steering wheel, paddle shifters, backup camera and more.

And the options on both the 2014 and 2016 (driver convenience package and moonroof) are priced the same, too. The only change upward is in delivery, processing and handling fee, which is now $835 instead of the $810 of eighteen months ago, bringing the as-tested price of our vehicle to $23,190, down from the 2014's $23,570.

Michael called the '14 "a staggering bargain".  Toyota has now sweetened an already sweet deal.