Our time with the Corolla was an interesting one to say the least. It started with a verbal assault from an insane driver in downtown Manhattan, a beach photoshoot that almost washed the car away and lastly a mutilated front right tire. We were more than glad to hand one of our first test cars back to Toyota after two weeks. Our review time with the car itself could not have been better though, as we were able to really understand why this is such a great selling car. It proved to be a great form of transportation to work, was thrifty when it came to drinking up our fuel dollars, quite roomy for a compact car and is available with a number of features.

The Toyota Corolla is not exactly a performance machine and everyone knows it. Maybe it's because we didn't have the S trim, which has stiffer shocks, springs and anti-roll bar, but there was definitely a bit too much body lean when speeds picked up and the roads curved. Most of us that buy a car like this though never really test it in that manner, especially if you really only want your car to get you to/from work, school, and your place with as little drama as possible. In the end, the 1.8-liter engine mated to the four-speed automatic got the job done.

There wasn't much steering feel at highway speeds, as well as some on-center issues that made constant correcting part of the daily driving routine. Suspension tuning has a lot to do with that aspect and the Corolla was definitely for the cruiser types.

City and low speed driving were where the Corolla shined. The steering was light enough to maneuver around town easily but not so much that manholes take control of the cars direction. The car fit nicely in Manhattan traffic and kept up with all of those obnoxious yellow cars. When taking it above 55 mph though, and we had a death grip on the steering wheel to keep the little guy in his lane and to try not to look like we just got your license as we swayed left and right.

One of the first things we noticed when we got the Corolla (besides that it doesn't have standard cruise control) was the delay in braking force. There seems to be an inconsistency between the distribution of brake pressure from front to back, or maybe the rear drums don't work very smoothly with front vented discs. Either way, they did their job and even helped me a few times when my mind wandered off or a crazy old woman in a Taurus decided to just come into my lane while we were going down a curvy, four-lane road.

Lastly, the lack of standard cruise on a top of the line trim level was somewhat disappointing. Every car these days should have the feature (you should make sure your next car has it too or you'll regret it down the road) and we would have definitely expected it to be standard on the XLE trim of any Toyota model.

Our initial thoughts after opening the door and getting inside pretty much went as follows, "OK, well, um...it has two glove boxes and Bluetooth! The plastic wood is so tacky though and has to go." Other than that, there weren't many initial thoughts about the inside of this car. Plain and simple, it's an interior and it gets the job done. It has four fan speeds for the HVAC system, the A/C worked pretty well on humid 85 degree days and we appreciated how there was a notch in between the five different air distribution locations for more control on where the air flows.

After some real time in the car though, we realized all of the little details that someone who owns this car would use or find useful. There are two gloveboxes, the bottom being great for larger items and the top for things like tissues, receipts, condoms or just random junk that you don't want getting lost in the deep lower one. The dual theme continues to the nicely padded, cloth-wrapped center armrest. The top portion is great for your iPod, wallet or something of that thickness and size that you want out of sight. After opening the second half, we were welcome by a nicely sized space that was padded at the bottom. It contained a 12V outlet for charging your phone, iPod or other MP3 player and had a small cutout at the top, front for an AUX cord or other wire you don't want getting pinched by the armrest lid.

The seat fabric felt very soft and even featured raised ripples that made us look like creeps as we caressed the bottom cushion of the passenger seat. Up front, we noticed that the seats get uncomfortable after about 30 minutes of driving though. With 6 foot and taller drivers, this could be because of a combination of the lack of lumbar adjustment on the standard 6-way adjustable seat, missing side bolstering and the need for more thigh support. We liked the tilt and telescoping steering-wheel but the rim just added to the list of things that made extended driving slightly unbearable, it was thin and didn't feel good being grasped for long drives.

Beyond the act of actual driving, we noticed some other interesting interior bits. There were water bottle holders in the front and rear door pockets, a surprisingly good use of what is often dead space for garbage, receipts or napkins. Moving to the center console though, Toyota decided to put the E-brake arm right beside the cupholders. This is both a good and bad issue because we actually began using the brake almost automatically as part of the process of parking the car. This is great because unlike foot pedal systems, this one makes drivers use the e-brake more often since it's a more in-your-face approach. The down side was that it takes up space, something that is difficult to come by in a compact car.

Some points that we noticed up front were that none of the dashboard components aligned with one another, but we never heard any squeaks, rattles or had any issues because of it. The texture of the dash looked and felt very nice, and we didn't notice any shiny cheap looking components anywhere. The LED backlighting of the gauges blended well with the sand colored interior but we wish the radio would lose the 90's green backlighting.

After opening the rear doors, we had no trouble fitting anyone in the back seat just as long as it was up to two people. Three across is a squeeze in any vehicle this size and even clever packaging can't solve this one. We should mention though that the floor is just about flat in the center (maybe stick your Chuy Bravo-sized friend there?). Six-footers had good headroom clearance even with the sunroof option, something that is almost impossible to find in other cars this size.

Thinking about hitting up T-Bell or BK? The backseat has two more cupholders that fold out of the back of the floor console. They're sturdy and contain springs that adjust the "holder" to fit your drink or fries, but like any rear cupholder, they don't do a good job when the driver decides to make a few quick turns.

Ditch your friends when it comes to moving something though and the Corolla rewards with a 60/40-split seat and a nice size trunk. The opening to the trunk was shaped awkwardly though, with a high bumper and small opening that makes reaching for things that roll to the backside of the rear seats more of a test of your yoga abilities than anything else.

Our tester was loaded with many standard and optional features that are not available on lower trim levels, a disappointment. Featured on our Corolla XLE was a JBL 6-disc, eight-speaker 440-watt system that offered XM Satellite Radio and AUX input. The system had a decent amount of bass, playing all types of genres very well but suffered when a few panels began to rattle whenever R&B or Hip/Hop was tuned in.

Illuminated steering-wheel controls are also on available only with the JBL system, another frustration. They offered the ability to control the volume, go through presets and switch between modes such as XM, FM, CD and AUX. Opposite to those controls were the On and Off-hook buttons for the Bluetooth phone that comes standard with the upgraded system as well. Set-up was quick, voice commands were usually understood on the first try as long as there was not too much background noise and the female voice was polite by saying "Pardon" whenever she could not understand us. Calls were very clear, with the music automatically muting and the other line never complaining about having any trouble hearing us.

A unique feature for the Corolla was a trip computer that includes instantaneous and average fuel economy, distance to empty, outside temperature and even average speed. The only other car that we've seen this feature standard on is the Chevrolet Cobalt, and for the most part the Toyota's computer was a bit liberal on its figures. One thing we did not like though, was that the digital clock was built into this screen, and that anytime we cycled through the trip computer, we would lose the clock and have to tap the little knob about five times to get it back.

Safer cars help save lives even when you are driving responsibly and can even help cut down on ridiculous insurance costs. This generation Corolla was packed with just about every safety feature available on the market that was optional just three years ago on most vehicles.

Our tester came standard with ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, which is standard on all 2009 models but came optionally equipped with vehicle stability control and traction control. Those last two are now standard on all 2010 models, making the Corolla one of the few in its class to offer the feature as standard equipment. EBD is coupled to the Anti-lock Braking System, and varies the amount of brake force between the four wheels of a car. A similar concept was on many cars before using proportioning valves, but the electronic system works faster and better. Brake Assist, or BA is also coupled to the ABS module and recognizes when the driver hits the brakes fast. In order to stop the car quicker and in a shorter distance, it applies full braking force even if the brake pedal isn't.

Every system one of these systems was tested out in real world conditions and worked effectively, with controlled ABS-activated stops that had a bit too much nosedive and a stability control system that kicked in at just the right time during quick moves on rainy roads. Tire pressure monitoring is standard, as it is on every vehicle manufactured after September 2007 and the standard list of six airbags was included as well. Newly standard on the Corolla are front seat Active Headrests, a feature that brings the headrest up and closer to your head when a seat mechanism detects a rear-end crash.

An excellent addition to the Corolla's roster of standard gear was automatic on/off headlights, but theCD does not believe that they should be a deal breaker for cars that don't offer them. The low beams on the Toyota shined with good distance and intensity at night, with the high beams providing an outstanding projection of wide and far-reaching light. Daytime Running Lights are also included and we believe are great at helping to prevent accidents. On the back of the Corolla was a four-LED center mount brake light and incandescent bulbs everywhere else. The reverse lights worked very well in dark areas, providing more than enough light to make backing up easy.

The EPA rates it with a 27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway rating with an estimated fuel cost of $1,399 over 15,000 miles with a gallon of gas at $2.80 (right around today's prices). We averaged about 32 mpg with a ratio of about 40% city and 60% highway driving. This included watching the instantaneous fuel computer one day and then turning it off so that we didn't feel jackrabbit starts were the norm. The Corolla is also rated as an Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle and emits 6.1 tons of CO2 for every 15,000 miles it is driven.

At the end of two weeks, the Corolla felt rock solid after being pushed to its limits in all types of situations. We'd give it a B+ because it's like the person that tries really hard, does very well but just isn't one that you'd kill to get in bed with. Therefore, don't expect the Corolla to help you pick up girls (or guys) left and right but know that when it comes to packing up every cubic foot of this car with people and stuff, the Corolla is the sensible choice compact. Oh, and the car was never at risk of being washed away, that would have just been ridiculous.

Photography: Courtesy of Brett Seamans and Shane LaVancher