It would be really difficult to find something to dislike in the 2020 Toyota Corolla specs. The vehicle has a wide range of built-in safety features in every trim, it’s a sporty 5-seat family car and it’s hard to find any other small car in 2020 that gets better gas mileage without sacrificing your dignity. If you’re weighing the merits of a small car purchase this year, here’s a closer look at what the 2020 Toyota Corolla has to offer.
What are the best specs to know about the 2020 Toyota Corolla?
- Impressive variety of trims available
- Shockingly great gas mileage
- Well-equipped for minimal price
The Toyota Corolla is easily one of the best-selling most widely known vehicles in the world, with more than 44 million sold by 2016. It’s so popular that it outpaced the Volkswagen Beetle in overall sales way back in 1997, in fact. The 2020 version offered a couple of new innovations, including standard Android Auto compatibility across all versions, and a new Nightshade package available with the SE trim version.
It’s hard to believe, but the dull little car that you might have driven in college years ago is now declared a “sassy little beast” by Kelley Blue Book in its 2020 review.
2020 Toyota Corolla Trims
The 2020 Toyota Corolla is available in 12 different trim versions, all of which have varying advantages: L, LE, SE Hatchback, SE, Nightshade Hatchback, Nightshade, Hybrid LE, XSE Hatchback, XSE, and XLE.
The most expensive trim is the XSE Hatchback, which can run as high as $26,826 fully loaded. The base L trim can found as low as $18,834, depending on what region you live in.
The base L, LE, and XSE versions are equipped with Toyota’s 1.8-liter “I” engine. It offers 139 horsepower and averages about 33 MPG in fuel economy. All versions of the 2020 Toyota Corolla are front-wheel drive with an automatic transmission, although some trims are available with a stick shift.
For a modest price increase, think about upgrading to at least the SE Hatchback trim for a modest boost in power. The SE, Nightshade, and XSE trims all feature a 2.0-liter engine with 169 horsepower, and get up to 35 MPG in fuel economy.
2020 Toyota Corolla Safety Features
There are still some luxury vehicles that don’t have as many safety features built in that the 2020 Toyota Corolla has at every trim level. Aside from airbags all around, electronic stability control, ABS and driveline traction control, every version of the 2020 Corolla includes Toyota’s Safety Sense (TSS) 2.0.
This includes a lane departure alert, front collision warning, brake assist and imminent crash braking. You can get all of those as optional add-ons on many other vehicles, but they come standard on the 2020 Toyota Corolla.
The 2020 Toyota Corolla enjoys a five-star crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
2020 Toyota Corolla Interior Features
The 2020 Toyota Corolla does NOT have any cheap hard plastic surfaces like you will normally find in an affordable small car. Everything is soft to the touch and made from higher-quality materials.
There’s a prominent 8-inch infotainment center in the dash with easy-to-operate buttons. Seating is extremely comfortable, if a bit cramped in the back.
Overall, the 2020 Toyota Corolla at even the base trims has an upscale cabin that will please most buyers. It has limited cargo space like you’d expect in a small car, but the rear seats fold down flat for extra room if needed.
2020 Toyota Corolla Fuel Economy
The Hybrid LE trim offers a gas/electric 1.8-liter engine that ranks extremely high for fuel economy. It gets a combined rating of 53 MPG for city/highway driving. With the rest of the trim versions available, the 2020 Toyota Corolla has an overall fuel efficiency average of about 41 MPG.
The only other small car on the market that does better in terms of gas mileage is the 2020 MINI Hardtop.
2020 Toyota Corolla Pros & Cons
If the 2020 Toyota Corolla is on your list for a potential purchase, here are some of the major pros and cons to keep in mind.
Pros:
- Loaded with standard safety features
- Fantastic fuel economy in all trims
- Great price-to-features ratio
- Best-selling small car in the world
- Reliable little workhorse that’s expected to run for years
Cons:
- Minimal leg room in the rear seats
- Engines lack “oomph” of larger sedans
- No trim version offers all-wheel drive
Perform a Vehicle History Check before any Car Purchase
The 2020 Toyota Corolla is still an extremely young vehicle. However, it never hurts to do your research before spending your hard-earned dollars on a car.
We recommend running a full Vehicle History check right here before purchasing any car, truck or SUV, no matter how excited you might be about its features or price.
