The Corolla inspired this comparison. Redesigned for 2020, the Corolla sedan follows the new-for-2019 hatchback to showrooms with improved tech and promises a more satisfying driving experience. It’s an overdue change considering the last one we tested finished sixth in a comparison of seven cars, far behind the first-place Honda Civic. Ouch. That was back in 2016, and the Civic has barely changed since then. Surely the new 2020 Corolla can defeat the scarcely updated 2019 Civic?
The Civic is still that good. Toyota diehards take note, however: The Corolla drives much better than before. Our loaded 2020 Corolla XSE tester was weighed down by a $29,168 MSRP (no, we’re not joking). Near-$30,000 Corollas like our tester come with adaptive LED headlights with awesome LED accent lighting, an upgraded nine-speaker sound system, 18-inch wheels, and more.
Trust me, no one will look at your Corolla XSE and think “basic transportation.” Even the bare-bones 2020 Corolla L comes with LED headlights (only available on Touring for the Civic), a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay (gotta upgrade one trim to match that on the Civic), and a full suite of active safety tech. Where the SE and XSE get a 169-hp 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, the L, LE, and XLE make do with a 139-hp 1.8-liter I-4.
