2025 Toyota Corolla Review: After Sixty Years, One Thing's Clear

In November of 1966, Toyota introduced a new little car to showrooms in its home country of Japan, taking on competitors like the Datsun 1000 and Subaru 1000. Two years later, the Corolla landed in the U.S., dwarfed by everything else on the market at the time. Fortunes would change after the 1973 energy crisis, though, when the fourth-generation Corolla helped Toyota grow in the U.S., due largely to being more fuel efficient than the domestic behemoths waiting in line for fuel.

As the Corolla approaches 60 in 2026, its 50 million milestone is already well behind it. It overtook the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1990s as the best-selling vehicle in the world, ever, a title it still holds today. So, what better way to celebrate the upcoming anniversary, then, than by sending a 2025 Corolla my way to spend a week in the Appalachians. And it's a bit of a special one, too, as this one is the Corolla FX, a tribute to the FX hatchback from the mid-1980s.

Introduced for the 1987 model year on what would be the fifth-generation Corolla's final model year of production, the FX was the automaker's first front-wheel drive hatchback Corolla. North American models were built at the automaker's NUMMI plant in Fremont, California alongside the Corolla-based fifth-generation Chevrolet Nova (later renamed the Geo Prizm). 

The hottest versions of the fifth-generation Corolla hatchback, the FX16 and FX16 GT-S, didn't offer much in the way of power — 108 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels — but their suspension setup delivered excellent handling around the twisty bits. Alas, the FX didn't sell as well as the rest of the family, so the hatch was left behind for more wagons, sedans, and a sporty new coupe when the sixth-generation Corolla turned up for the 1988 model year.

Unlike the FX sedan, though, the 2026 Corolla Hatchback FX will be limited to 1,600 examples in the United States. Those 1,600 (which will be offered in Ice Cap, Inferno, and Blue Crush Metallic), are set to arrive in showrooms this fall as of this writing.

The Corolla is the lowest-priced model in Toyota's 2025 lineup, with a starting MSRP of $22,325 for the base LE trim level (plus $1,135 destination charge). The top-tier sportiest model, the XSE, starts at $28,040 (plus destination), while the Corolla Hybrid models (which we review separately) range from $23,825 plus destination for the Hybrid LE to $28,190 plus destination for the Hybrid XLE. Meanwhile, the FX slots in between the SE (the trim upon which the FX is based) and the XSE with a base sticker of $26,650 plus destination. 

My example's total sticker with destination came out to $29,289, which include options like the Convenience Package ($530), a black roof ($500), carpet mat package ($299), and Toyota's Connected Services Trial ($325 for a total of three years of service). The Corolla FX can be had in Midnight Black Metallic, Ice Cap with the aforementioned black roof (my example), and Underground (a dark gray) with the same roof. You also get a black rear spoiler and gray metallic sport side rocker panels.

Under the hood of the gas-powered 2025 Toyota Corolla lineup is the same engine and transmission combo: the 2.0-liter M20A-FKS four-cylinder also found in the C-HR, Camry, Corolla Cross, and Lexus ES 200. It's paired with the K120 "Direct Shift" continuously variable transmission (CVT), which has one single physical gear and nine simulated gears for a total of 10. Total output across the range is also the same, too: 169 horsepower, 151 lb-ft of torque. The combined power meets the road through the front pair of 16-inch steel wheels with covers on the LE trim, 18-inch alloys on the SE, FX, and XSE trims.

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Should you choose the FX trim, those 18-inch alloys are finished in satin black with machined accents, which were shod in Dunlop SP Sport 5000 all-seasons on my test model. Handling is covered by independent MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar up front with a multi-link setup out back on SE through XSE trims; the LE's rear uses a torsion beam. 

All trims wear the same front 10.8-inch vented discs and solid 10.2-inch rear discs for stopping the compact sedan in its tracks. All in all, a fine package that'll get you there, just like the Corolla always has over its six decades of life on the road.

Remember having to manually adjust your seats? My 1997 Toyota RAV4 has those things, and the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX is the same way, offering six ways of adjustment for the driver, four for the front passenger. Only the XSE trim offers eight-way power-adjustable seating, and even then, it's only the driver who receives such abilities. This is an entry-level economy ride, after all. 

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The FX offers the same interior trim package no matter what color you choose for the outside, in the form of a two-tone white over black scheme with orange stitching throughout. Compared with the 2025 Prius Plug-In Hybrid I reviewed a while ago, the overall presentation felt open and airy, not to mention how well the white sections complemented the Ice Cap paint outside. Frontward visibility is very good, too, nearly on par with my aging Toyota crossover.

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The FX trim continues its contrasting themes with seating covered in Moonstone (light gray) cloth seats with orange stitching for front and rear occupants. The front seats are nice and supportive, while the rear seats are better-suited for smaller adults on short trips. The XSE trim's front seats are heated. Cargo space in the trunk is 13.1 cu-ft with the 60/40-split rear seat up, 23 cu-ft with the seat backs down. That's more than enough room to fit a 3-foot by 5-foot painting (something I actually did with a 2018 Corolla I rented to drive to a wedding years ago), though hauling the groceries around will suffice.

The 2025 Toyota Corolla can be had with either an 8-inch (LE) or 10.5-inch (SE through XSE) touchscreen to complement the 7-inch digital instrument cluster, augmented by a six-speaker sound system (LE through FX) or a nine-speaker JBL premium setup (XSE). Whatever you choose, you'll also receive wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a three-month trial of SiriusXM, and Toyota's suite of subscription connected services. Unfortunately, the OEM navigation was, like with the 2023 Corolla Hatchback XSE and 2024 Tundra Platinum I reviewed before, locked behind a subscription paywall; thus, I couldn't review that part (though I'm sure it looked and worked as wonderful as the one on the 2025 Prius Plug-In Hybrid). 

The aforementioned Connected Services Trial Offering package adds two additional years of Drive Connect (which includes up-to-date navigation, live-agent navigation assistance, and a virtual assistant; $15/month as of this writing) and Remote Connect (which allows you to start your car and unlock your doors with your smartphone or smartwatch; bundled with Drive Connect, $8/month on its own).

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Controlling the dual-zone climate system and radio is easy enough via the knobs and push-buttons available underneath the monolithic touchscreen. There's also wireless device charging, which I tried to use with my iPhone 15, though — for reasons I never fully diagnosed — my phone would stop charging only a few seconds after being placed on the pad. At least there are four USB-C ports (two up front, two for the rear passengers) to make up for that, if needed. Standard safety features include Toyota's Safety Sense 3.0 with Pre-Collision, adaptive cruise control, rear backup camera, and Toyota's Star Safety System, which includes braking assist and electronic brake-force distribution.

As with the FX16 of yore, the 2025 Corolla FX (and, really, all 2025 Corollas) isn't going burn down any barns with its stable of horses. In fact, even with the FX's Sport driving mode engaged for merging with interstate highway traffic, the CVT-backed powertrain complained loudly all the way up the ramp to the posted speed limit (or passing big rigs along the way to my usual photo stop). I noticed a few times the sedan would remain at a higher passing speed for a few seconds after I took my foot off the accelerator, which surprised me; chalk it up to CVT things. 

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Once calmed down, though, the compact Toyota was more than happy to glide along the open road. It'll glide past a few gas stations, too, with its EPA-estimated MPG range of 32 city/41 highway (LE trim) to 31 city/38 highway (XSE). The FX above is rated for a combined 34 mpg (31 city/39 highway). I managed around 30 mpg due to in-town driving. On the way down the mountain overlook, the Corolla's sure-footedness was on full display, especially with the FX's sport-tuned suspension.

Six decades is a long time for any nameplate. Only a handful can make that claim, too: the Corolla's company there includes the Corvette, the Ford F-Series, and the Mustang. From its humble beginnings in mid-1960s Japan to the dominating global force it is now, the little car that could would, did, and still does. 

The Corolla is a solid, dependable compact car mechanically, though the forward march of technology (such as locking some functions behind a paywall) and the groaning CVT do take away a bit from the driving experience. The FX trim is a nice tribute to the past, too, though it'll make more sense on the Corolla Hatchback when it arrives in a few months than on the sedan (as the 1987 FX was only offered as a hatchback). Still, if a new car is in the cards, whether for you or a family member, the Toyota Corolla is a good first-pick on the draft board. Happy 60th Anniversary, Corolla.