2025 Toyota Corolla

REVIEW AND TEST DRIVE

2025 Toyota Corolla Review

Toyota closely follows the compact-car recipe and adds a touch of Corolla FX flavor for the 2025 model year.

Christian Wardlaw | 

Jul 9, 2025 | 8 min read

Christian Wardlaw

So, you need a reliable but inexpensive new car. Naturally, the 2025 Toyota Corolla is on your short list of models to consider, and I won't steer you clear of one. In addition to being decent, reasonably priced, and dependable, the 2025 Corolla is also technologically sophisticated, reportedly safe, and surprisingly practical. As far as basic transportation goes, choosing a new Corolla is a no-brainer.

But should you? Well, that depends. The compact-car segment is competitive, and some rivals might prove more appealing. In particular, the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Mazda 3 lineups are more tempting in several ways. Not only that, but Toyota also infrequently updates the Corolla, so choosing an older, well-maintained, and lightly used model could make more sense than getting a new one.

Still, buying a new car brings with it a certain peace of mind. For the entirety of your ownership experience, you know who has driven it, where it has traveled, and how it has been maintained. Which brings us back to the question at hand: Should you get a new Toyota Corolla? Objectively, yes. Subjectively, maybe.

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About the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX Review Vehicle

The 2025 Corolla lineup includes a sedan, a hatchback, and a crossover SUV. The SUV is called the Corolla Cross, and this review doesn't apply to that model. Additionally, although there is overlap between the Corolla sedan and Corolla hatchback in terms of their base powertrain and equipment levels, the latter vehicle is available in a high-performance GR Corolla variant. To keep things simple, this review focuses on the 2025 Toyota Corolla sedan lineup.

This year, the Corolla sedan is available in LE, SE, FX, and XSE trim levels. Base prices range from the low $20,000s to the high $20,000s, including the destination charge to ship the car to a dealership from the Blue Springs, Mississippi, assembly plant. Hybrid models are also available, if you're willing to trade power for efficiency.

The Corolla FX is new for 2025, a sporty version that offers good value if not outright performance. That's what Toyota provided for this Corolla review, equipped with the Convenience package, a black-painted roof, an extension of the one-year trial subscription to Drive Connect services to three years, and several dealer-installed accessories. Those upgrades increased the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $29,369, which includes the $1,135 destination charge.

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Corolla FX Trim Adds Style to Toyota's Compact Car

With the FX trim, the Corolla features blacked-out exterior details, alloy 18-inch wheels, and a trunklid spoiler. Look closely, and you might discern the lower ride height, thanks to the sport suspension. The Corolla FX is available in black, white, or a dark gray Underground paint. As far as Corollas go, this version of the car looks good.

Toyota pairs those three paint selections with its Moonstone interior color, a light gray that offers a sharp, stylish contrast to the cabin's dark elements. Additionally, the Corolla FX features cloth seat upholstery, which I think is preferable to Toyota's SofTex artificial leather — I've found that SofTex can trap sweat on hot, muggy days and feel ice-cold in the winter. Orange stitching is exclusive to the FX.

The Corolla FX comes standard with a new-for-2025 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, jutting monolithically from the dashboard and looking even more out of place than the 8.0-inch screen in the LE and SE.

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During my test drive, a seat-height adjuster allowed me to position myself high enough to see over the towering infotainment display. The front seats are comfortable, and I found the steering wheel pleasing to grip. However, the center console armrest padding is too thin.

The back seat is also comfortable, but some taller adults might find the headroom and legroom to be in short supply. Also, I noticed during my test drive that Toyota doesn't provide air-conditioning vents for rear passengers. However, two USB-C charging ports can help keep devices juiced up.

Storage space is stingy front and rear. That is particularly noticeable in the front center console, which has a stylish design but lacks practical locations for stashing loose items, such as the car's key fob, house keys, and packs of gum or mints. The test car did have a wireless smartphone charging pad tucked under the dashboard. The trunk measures 13.1 cubic-feet, just two cubes shy of the larger Camry sedan.

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A Larger Touchscreen Pairs With Generous Safety Features

While the Corolla FX's 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system is new for 2025, it utilizes the same Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) technology introduced in 2023. The TAM system is user friendly and heavily relies on various connected service subscriptions to provide maximum functionality. However, it also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, so paying for subscriptions after the complimentary trial periods end isn't absolutely necessary.

My test vehicle had an active subscription to Drive Connect, which includes a navigation system and Intelligent Assistant technology — a conversational digital voice assistant. It worked exceptionally well, quickly and accurately responding to my usual testing commands as well as impromptu requests for help as I drove across metropolitan Los Angeles.

I initially had some trouble pairing my iPhone 16 with the TAM to use Apple CarPlay, but once I made the connection, it wasn't problematic thereafter. The TAM offers the opportunity to log in to your Apple Music or Amazon Music account directly from the system, or you can stream music via CarPlay, Android Auto, or Bluetooth. Unfortunately, Toyota reserves the optional JBL premium audio system for the XSE trim level, so the FX relies on the standard six-speaker setup, which is mediocre.

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Every 2025 Corolla comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0). This package of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) is close to comprehensive, but it does not include blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert. With most trim levels, these options are available.

However, TSS 3.0 does include adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist and an intrusive Proactive Driving Assist feature that I turned off shortly after taking delivery of the test car. The semi-autonomous adaptive cruise and lane centering work well enough, but they do require some correction on bends and curves. On straight roads, you'll likely need to regularly move the steering wheel to signal to the technology that you're still alert and paying attention.

Crash-test ratings reveal the Corolla to be a safe car. It receives five-star ratings nearly across the board from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At the same time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety assigns it top ratings in the assessments the organization has conducted.

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The FX Gets Better Steering and Suspension With the Same Power

The new FX trim level may look racy, but this version of Toyota's compact car utilizes the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine found under the hood of other Corollas. It produces 169 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, which is more than some rivals offer — such as the Nissan Sentra — but less than others — like the Mazda 3.

A Dynamic Shift continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) delivers the power to the Corolla's front wheels. It is a different type of CVT in that a gearset serves as a first gear to launch the car from a stop before the pulley-type CVT takes over. As a result, it feels quicker and more responsive when initially accelerating. However, under prolonged hard acceleration, such as when getting up to freeway speeds on an entrance ramp, a characteristic CVT drone is evident.

The Corolla FX offers Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes, which have predictable effects on how the car responds to throttle inputs. The official EPA fuel-economy rating is 34 mpg in combined city and highway driving, but on the evaluation loop, the FX averaged just 27.1 mpg. During a day spent mainly on Los Angeles freeways in variable traffic conditions, I averaged 33.2 mpg.

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Toyota equips the Corolla FX with a lowered sport suspension, sport-tuned steering, and 18-inch wheels wrapped in 225/40R-18 all-season tires. These modifications enhance the car's handling, and when driven with enthusiasm on a mountain road, the FX offers hints of what makes the performance-tuned GR Corolla so special.

However, in the city, that suspension crashes over speed bumps and potholes, so take it easy. Additionally, there isn't much isolation from wind and road noise on the highway, making the Corolla FX a loud companion on a road trip. That said, the sport suspension offers enough compliance that this version of the car provides a decent ride quality in addition to surprisingly good handling.

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Is the 2025 Toyota Corolla a Good Car?

Objectively, the 2025 Corolla is a good car. It is affordable, reliable, and safe. Four adults and their luggage will fit, and most people will likely see 30 mpg or better from the standard powertrain. It's a decent-handling car, too, especially the Corolla FX. And it offers the technology you want the most. However, the compact-car segment is fiercely competitive, and you may find alternatives such as the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia K4, Mazda 3, and Volkswagen Jetta to be subjectively more appealing.

Christian Wardlaw

Chris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.