The exterior shape for instance is just pressed metal with coatings of paint.  There’s nothing really spectacular about the Corolla—the lights the grille, the general lines of the car are all functional.  Like its competitors, the 1.6 Gli (the mainstay challenger) has 14-inch tires, a third brake lamp, and the 3D-look head and tail lamps.  Sadly, the car fails to really put out a sense of awe and head turning experience.  This is so unlike the Ford Lynx, which, despite its 323 origins, has a body design that’s at least a stand above the rest in the 1.6-liter crowd.  

Moreover, this model is a far cry from the luxury-box design of the previous Corolla.  In fact, if the model year would be hidden away, one would think that Toyota mistakenly reversed the design blue prints of this model and the previous one.  From a reduced-Lexus look of the previous generation, the newest model has the words ‘fleet car’ written all over it. 

On the plus side, the Corolla has good fit and finish quality.  Although the doors don’t close with a Mercedes-like solidity, it could easily outclass the other compact sedans.  There’s no doubt about it, but the Corolla is one solid choice when it comes to reliability and durability (that’s probably why they’re used for fleets anyway).

Inside, the story is the same: bland and uninspired.  What’s more, some of the ergonomics don’t really make any sense and could have improved more.  Although the window switches and radio controls could be operated with considerable ease, the ventilation controls are too low to be reached without having to stretch out like a gorilla.  

However, the interior quality is at par with the level of some luxury sedans.  In fact, that’s the only thing that’s pretty much great with owning a Corolla.  The interior surfaces such as the dashboard and the doorframes have consistent quality made with soft-feel plastics.  The stalks and the window switches, although from the same batch of parts as the Toyota Hi-Lux and Toyota Echo fit very well and are sturdy enough to be operated without the fear of snapping them off.
This Corolla is the first to use the '3D' effect lamps . Unfortunately for Toyota, it seems that this didn't achieve the effect that it should have provided which is a sense of class.
Although this model is relatively new, it looks older than the car it replaces. It seemed that Toyota went for something more conventional with the Corolla's approach this time around.
Although the soft-touch plastics filled the interior, there are still some cheesy bits such as the windows switches which were stolen from the Toyota parts bin.