2008 Toyota Corolla Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Write a review
Not everybody wants a car that goes fast and has fun. For them, there is the 2008 Toyota Corolla.
Ubiquitous on North American highways and byways, the popular 2008 Corolla looks the same now as it did in 2003 when the car was last redesigned. It’s not particularly imaginative, but neither is the toaster sitting on your kitchen counter. Appliances are like that. And unless they’re painted a vibrant colour, you don’t even notice them.
An introvert’s dream car, the Corolla has an equally dull interior. Especially in contrast to the Honda Civic’s futuristic cabin, the Corolla’s innards represent the automotive equivalent of pleated khakis. From a quality brand, of course.
You won’t need to open the owner’s manual to figure out how this car works. Everything is located right where you expect to find it, and clear markings, large buttons, practical knobs, and helpful switches make using the car an exercise in simplicity.
While the Corolla looks big inside, it lacks legroom. The front seats don’t slide back far enough to accommodate taller drivers, and the standard seat-height adjuster, as appreciated as it is, doesn’t help matters. Backseat leg space is tight, too. But the headroom isn’t a problem in this tall car.
Every 2008 Toyota Corolla is equipped with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with power specs of 126 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque, sent to the front wheels. It is not exciting. Not even with the five-speed manual gearbox, and especially not with the common four-speed automatic transmission.
However, Toyota’s engineering prowess is on full display in the simple yet refined Corolla. The engine runs smooth, acceleration is decent, and the ride is quiet and compliant. Plus, the car feels solid, like it's screwed together with care by people who care.
Fuel economy for the four-cylinder is rated at 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 5.3 on the highway with the manual transmission and 7.8 L/100 km city, 5.6 highway with the automatic.
Even in the compact car class, buyers expect features like power mirrors, a tiltable steering wheel, and an AM/FM stereo with a CD player. And all of those items are standard in the cheapest Corolla, the CE, along with 15-inch steel wheels.
In Canada, the 2008 Toyota Corolla CE comes with an optional 20th Anniversary Edition package to commemorate the company’s 20 years of building Corollas with a Canadian postal code. This package adds on special badges, air conditioning including a cabin air filter, power door locks with keyless entry (and auto-locking doors on automatic models), power windows with driver's side auto-down, aluminium alloy wheels, and a power moonroof. A simpler Convenience package is also available that adds only the power door locks, keyless entry, and air conditioning.
To move up from CE trim, you have two choices. You can go the upscale route and pick the Corolla LE, or you can go the sporty route and get the Corolla Sport. The Sport trim is mainly a styling exercise, adding ridiculous amounts of lower body-kit plastic that resembles stitched together overinflated balloons. Features are similar to the 20th Anniversary CE and include 15-inch aluminum wheels, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, variable-speed intermittent wipers, fog lamps, and a rear spoiler. Cruise control and a power sunroof are optional.
The Toyota Corolla LE avoids the tragic body kit but goes overboard on the fake-wood interior trim. This model does have fancy electroluminescent gauges, though, along with power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry, premium cloth seats, and cruise control. A power sunroof and front seat mounted side airbags, front and rear head/side curtain airbags, and an anti-theft system are available as part of the Moonroof package.
Toyota provides plenty of places in which you can stash your stuff. The glove compartment and the bin under the centre armrest are both a good size, and other items stow in the door panel slots and a dashboard tray with a cover.
Trunk space is generous, too, measuring 385 litres. A 60/40 split-folding rear seat is standard, enhancing the Corolla’s ability to carry cargo.
Aside from dual front airbags, the Corolla includes no meaningful safety equipment. You can upgrade the car with side and side-curtain airbags and antilock brakes (ABS). All are highly recommended.
In crash tests, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2008 Corolla a 5-star overall rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) isn’t as positive. In the moderate overlap, frontal-impact test, the Corolla earns a Good rating. In the side-impact test, though, the car gets a Poor rating unless it has the side airbags. Then, according to the IIHS, it rates Acceptable.
Dependable, efficient, and simple, a 2008 Toyota Corolla isn’t going to cost much to keep on the road. Plus, it’s likely to be worth more than competitors when the time comes to sell it as a used car. And that’s good because with prices ranging between $15,785 and above $22,000 with all of the upgrades, it commands a premium over other choices.
Note: Images show a US model.
User reviews for 2008 Toyota Corolla
Write a reviewWhat users have asked
2008 Toyota Corolla Pricing
Trims & specs
Air Conditioning
Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation
Audio System
Antenna Type: element · Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio · Total Number of Speakers: 4
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 10.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 7.9 · Rear brakes: drum
Comfort Features
Door sill trim: aluminum · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front and rear · Foot pedal trim: stainless steel · Shift knob trim: alloy
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: front · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: trunk release · Power outlet(s): two 12V · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Engine
Exhaust: performance
Exterior Features
Body side moldings: black · Door handle color: body-color
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Safety
Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front and rear · Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Spare Tire
Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary
Steering
Steering ratio: 19.5 · Turns lock-to-lock: 3.40
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Stabilizer Bar: diameter 24 mm · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Stabilizer Bar: diameter 20 mm · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Wheels
Wheel covers: full
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent
Air Conditioning
Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front and rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: element · Single disc in-Dash CD · Premium Brand: JBL · AM/FM radio · Total Number of Speakers: 6
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 10.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 7.9 · Rear brakes: drum
Comfort Features
Door sill trim: aluminum · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front and rear · Foot pedal trim: stainless steel · Shift knob trim: alloy
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: rear · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Power outlet(s): two 12V · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Engine
Exhaust: performance
Exterior Features
Body side moldings: body-color · Door handle color: body-color · Mirror color: body-color · Rear spoiler color: body-color
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Roof
Moonroof: tilt · Sunroof: tilt/slide
Safety
Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: front
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front · Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Spare Tire
Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary
Steering
Steering ratio: 19.5 · Turns lock-to-lock: 3.40
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Stabilizer Bar: diameter 24 mm · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Stabilizer Bar: diameter 20 mm · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Wheels
Wheel covers: full
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent
Air Conditioning
Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front and rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: element · 6 disc in-dash CD · Premium Brand: JBL · AM/FM radio · Total Number of Speakers: 8
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 10.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 7.9 · Rear brakes: drum
Comfort Features
Door sill trim: aluminum · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front and rear · Foot pedal trim: stainless steel · Shift knob trim: alloy
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: front · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: trunk release · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): two 12V · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls
Engine
Exhaust: performance
Exterior Features
Body side moldings: body-color · Door handle color: body-color · Mirror color: body-color
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Roof
Moonroof: tilt · Sunroof: tilt/slide
Safety
Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front and rear · Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Spare Tire
Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary
Steering
Steering ratio: 19.5 · Turns lock-to-lock: 3.40
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Stabilizer Bar: diameter 24 mm · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Stabilizer Bar: diameter 20 mm · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Wheels
Wheel covers: full
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent