Buying a used Toyota Corolla (2013-2018)

Excitement always builds when a new Toyota Corolla is imminent. Corporate buyers instinctively know when the time has come to roll their fleets into something more modern while private owners whose cars haven’t seen the far side of 50,000km still feel the need for another one.

The ZRE182R Corolla that arrived in 2013 must have tricked a lot of habitual buyers into thinking they had bought something more exotic than a Toyota. The new version still came as a sedan or hatchback and in multiple levels of trim, yet even in basic, fleet-spec form it was interesting from any angle.  

Mechanically there wasn’t much to see, except that Toyota had replaced its conventional four-speed automatic gearbox with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that used planetary gears and pulleys like buyers had on their bicycles to transmit power.

Manual versions remained available and in entry-level Ascent trim sold for less than $20,000, with the auto $2000 more.

Equipment included a quality air-conditioning system, decent six-speaker sound with CD player and MP3 facility, front and rear electric windows and remote locking. Wheels at this level were steel, but they did come shod with decent tyres that encouraged owners not to take a chance on cheap rubber when replacement time arrived.

Climb to $23,990 and the Ascent Sport added 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, uprated seats and fancy interior fittings including a multifunction screen and array of remote controls.

Skip past Corolla’s mid-spec SX and into play came the Levin ZR. These were not the actual lap of luxury but partial leather trim with heaters for the front seats, a more detailed dash display and upmarket embellishments did help create that image.

Mechanically, the Corolla had undergone one very significant change, but not to the engine.

September 2015 brought a not-unexpected revamp, with reshaped lights and more substantial bumpers helping create a more distinctive and distinguished look. Price restructuring left the Ascent manual a tad below $20,000 and the CVT-only ZR at an enticing $28,990.

A few months later came the first Toyota Corolla Hybrid, with self-charging technology lifted from the proven Toyota Prius. A battery under the back seat added 80kg or so to the weight of a hatch but helped cut average fuel use by 40-50 per cent.

Buyers didn’t need to pay huge money to access that saving either, with the $26,990 Corolla Hybrid slotted in just $1500 above the mid-range SX. Unless you were a cab operator and needed the extra space offered by a Prius there was no longer much incentive to buy the older, more expensive design in preference to a petrol-electric Corolla.

Tests found that a conventional CVT Corolla on ULP would return a combined city/highway consumption figure of 6.7L/100km where the CVT was able to average 4.4L/100km and extract 1100km from a 45-litre tank of 91RON unleaded petrol.

With so many Corollas destined for fleet ownership, Toyota took user safety very seriously indeed and loaded even the lowest-spec model with a range of protective systems and devices.

Even basic Ascent variants came with head, knee and curtain airbags plus brake assist, traction and stability control systems and belt pretensioners.

Video of ANCAP’s 64km/h impact test showed the utterly obliterated front-end of a 2014 Corolla Ascent sedan but the passenger cell surviving with minimal damage and loadings on the data-acquiring occupants deemed survivable and worthy of a five-star rating.

The Toyota Corolla is a Toyota Corolla. The shape changes but characteristics that have been slowly evolving since the mid-1980s – when the model switched from rear- to front-wheel drive – remain similar.

In all that time there hasn’t been a model that handled like a barrowload of wet cement, yet equally there hasn’t been anything so inspirational that, after tackling a challenging road, you would slide out of the seat with a big grin and say, ‘Hey, let’s go back and do that again.’

ZRE182R Corolla versions did the job their designers intended and buyers expect. Only when something goes awry are you going to feel at risk or uncomfortable when driving or being conveyed in a Corolla.

The power steering is effective enough and the front-end delivers plenty of grip and confidence. The rear suspension, in the interests of keeping build cost down, is attached to a basic beam axle that skips and chatters when the bumps are severe and can run out of travel when the weight of rear seat occupants is excessive.

Forward vision with the 182R’s repositioned pillars is excellent and judging where the car’s corners are when parking is easy. The seats were an improvement on previous models as well, with taller bolsters.

Space and convenience in the hatch are excellent and not too bad in the sedan. Both have folding seats to expand the load area in differing ways but only the sedan accommodates a full-size spare wheel.

The 103kW 1.8-litre engine is proven and willing. It won’t match the output of a Ford Focus but there are plenty of Corollas still kicking about with these engines aboard and lots of kilometres on the ‘clock’.

In automatic form, which is how most new buyers prefer their cars, the Corolla with its continuously variable transmission is less of a known quantity and time will be the judge of Toyota’s take on the technology.

At present, Toyota’s version is regarded as class-leading, with the CVT mimicking the behaviour of a conventional automatic. Its ‘stepped’ shift pattern gives drivers the impression that it is upshifting and able to avoid the surging felt when driving other CVT-equipped cars.

Wheel and tyre packages with suspension settings tuned to suit make a difference. The Conquest and SX sit on steel or alloy wheels with 55-series rubber and deliver very acceptable handling.

Move to the ZR, which in the used car market is only marginally dearer, and the combination of wider 17-inch alloys and 45-series tyres make an appreciable difference to steering feel and grip.

>> These Corollas were not involved in the Takata airbag debacle, but some early ones were recalled to check for problems with the airbag sensor wiring that could open a circuit, triggering a warning light but more importantly deactivating bag deployment. They should all by now be fixed.

>> Look down low for signs of impact or quickie repairs to damage around that very vulnerable plastic nose. Also look at the sill mouldings that can crack or be dislodged due to contact with speed humps.

>> If the car you’re considering is approaching a major service milestone (150,000km etc) call a dealer or trusted mechanical workshop to check the estimated cost. Corollas aren’t overly expensive to maintain but major tasks such as replacing brakes, all the fluids (especially in CVTs) or servicing the air-conditioning can influence the amount you might pay for a used vehicle.

>> The CVT transmissions in these cars haven’t been around long enough for age-related problems to emerge but be aware of issues that might affect higher-kilometre cars. A ‘recalibration program’ conducted by dealers during 2020 involved adjustments to the CVT’s ‘brain’ but no component replacements. Overseas reports indicate that sensor issues had caused some transmissions to select ‘limp home’ mode when there was no mechanical fault.

>> Trim materials used in these cars are of good quality and should last up to 20 years without significant wear. If a car you’re considering has frayed fabric, cracked plastics or mouldy carpets, forget it and find one that hasn’t been neglected. 

Used vehicle grading for Toyota Corolla:
Design & Function: 15/20
Safety: 14/20
Practicality: 15/20
Value for Money: 15/20
Wow Factor: 12/20
Score: 71/100

Also consider: Hyundai i30, Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf