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Toyota Corolla is among the best of the compact sedans. It's reliable and thrifty, but it's also refined and comfortable. Some have described it as a baby Toyota Camry or a baby Lexus, the latter particularly true with a Corolla LE equipped with the optional leather interior. Cloth or leather, the seats are comfortable and supportive. Big heating and air conditioning controls, simple, straightforward radio controls, well-designed cup holders, and plenty of cubbies for storing stuff make for a convenient interior. Getting in and out of this four-door sedan is easy and the back seat is surprisingly roomy and comfortable.

The four-cylinder engine revs smoothly and delivers good acceleration performance. The Toyota Corolla earns an EPA-estimated 32/40 mpg City/Highway when equipped with a manual transmission. Both the manual and the automatic transmissions offer smooth shifting, and the manual is very easy to operate. All models have a smooth, comfortable ride and offer response handling.

Redesigned and re-engineered for 2003, the Toyota Corolla is relatively unchanged for 2004.

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Toyota Corolla comes in one body style, a four-door sedan (not counting the Matrix). All Corollas come with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder 16-valve engine and a choice of a manual or automatic transmission Three trim levels are available: the base CE, the S, and the luxurious LE.

CE ($13,570 or 14,370 with automatic) comes standard with air conditioning (with an air filter), AM/FM/CD stereo system, power steering, tilt steering column, tachometer, intermittent wipers, digital clock, outside temperature gauge, trunk lamp, and a dome light with delay.

The Corolla S ($14,515 with manual gearbox, $15,315 with automatic transmission) features sporty styling cues such as smoked headlight lens extenders, integrated fog lamps, and an aerodynamic body package with color-keyed front and rear underbody spoilers, rocker panel extensions, and rear mud guards. It also gets wider 195/65R15 tires. Inside, the S gets a unique cloth interior, a sporty tachometer, chrome accents, and a nice leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The S model gets a vertical seat-height, power door locks, power mirrors, and mirror-mounted map lights. Power windows with keyless entry are available as an optional package.

The Toyota Corolla LE ($14,780 manual; $15,580 automatic) adds remote keyless entry, power windows, halogen headlamps, and variable intermittent wipers. The LE gets body-colored door handles, lacks the sporty body cladding of the S and looks the better for it. In place of the S model's sporty interior finish, the LE gets wood-like trim and upgraded cloth seating surfaces. An optional leather package ($900) is available for the LE that gives the car a luxurious feel and includes cruise control. Aluminum wheels ($390) are available, which improve the appearance of the LE and may improve its handling slightly. Options you should be sure to get are the anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution ($300) and side-impact airbags ($250), both of which can save lives and reduce injuries in an accident. Other options include cruise control ($250) and a sunroof ($750).