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I was pretty sure they had reached the zenith of blandness and front overhang... but lo and behold, this thing has the schnoz and dull looks of an un-made up Barbara Streisand

(http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/00Rcc31d3h4V7/0x600.jpg)

(http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/01Jwfyi1xQgxs/0x600.jpg)
^^^Is this a 4x4 edition????

(http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/0elJ0GOe7x9AD/0x600.jpg)
^^^Interior is actually pretty snazzy, but a little bit busy

(http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/0cY41rg6pzg9g/0x600.jpg)
Is the whole engine in front of the front axle???

Another case of manufacturers equating "exciting" to overwrought details on a slab body (see: Ford Fusion). Will these looks alienate the Corolla's market base or bring in new customers? One way or another I don't want to get involved

Doesn't look too bad.

These pictures are unflattering, but it actually looks pretty nice.

Nice. In a Corolla, the only thing I'd look for is Taliban-worthy dependability. As much shit as the old one got from "car enthusiasts," it delivered where a Corolla should. I hope the same can be said about this one.

Sporty, the thing is a fucking Toyota Corolla. It sells because it is bland, dependable, and devoid of any surprises. People looking for excitement do not buy Corollas, so why on Earth would Toyota make it "exciting?" I think the new styling is more than "exciting" enough for a Corolla.

One of my best friends has an '09 Corolla LE. It isn't the sharpest drive around, but the thing has never failed him, it's comfortable, and does everything it's asked to do (take note this does not include lapping the Nurburgring).

I love driving the Corolla, its not sharp, but its a really easy car to drive the piss out of. Controls are light and easy.

I can't hate on Toyota overall. For the driving aficionados, they've got the FR-S, for everyone else, they've got the Corolla/Camry/Avalon trio. For the people wanting space, they've got god knows how many CUVs/minivans/SUVs. They've nailed down their client base.

Too big

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 07, 2013, 02:42:09 PM
Nice. In a Corolla, the only thing I'd look for is Taliban-worthy dependability. As much shit as the old one got from "car enthusiasts," it delivered where a Corolla should. I hope the same can be said about this one.

Sporty, the thing is a fucking Toyota Corolla. It sells because it is bland, dependable, and devoid of any surprises. People looking for excitement do not buy Corollas, so why on Earth would Toyota make it "exciting?" I think the new styling is more than "exciting" enough for a Corolla.

Looking at it now, its not too bad. The wheel gap is pretty damn obscene. But at least the details are interesting. A far cry from the concept Toyota was throwing around though as well as their promise of excitement.

I like the Corolla too. I had one for a rental in SF. Good at what it was designed to do.

So you went from "Holy crap! Toyota does the unthinkable w/new Corolla!!!" to "Looking at it now, its not too bad" all in less than a page?

Easy there, Chicken Little.

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 07, 2013, 02:48:55 PM
I can't hate on Toyota overall. For the driving aficionados, they've got the FR-S, for everyone else, they've got the Corolla/Camry/Avalon trio. For the people wanting space, they've got god knows how many CUVs/minivans/SUVs. They've nailed down their client base.

Yes, spot on. They have. With one honourable exception, their cars are not designed for and unlikely to appeal to enthusiasts. They are aimed at those who want an utterly dependable appliance that will get them from A to B with no hassle for years............ and at that, they are pretty good. But for anyone who actually cares even a smidgeon about how a car drives, they will find almost anything else to be preferable.

I see the base model still has a 4 speed automatic gearbox. This must be just about the last car in production to do so.

Even for the enthusiasts, the new GS and IS apparently do well in the dynamic department.

I think it looks good.

In this segment there's better looking options.

Quote from: Catman on June 07, 2013, 02:53:17 PM
Too big

No. Too heavy, plus the steering isn't organic enough and there's not enough soft touch materials in the interior.

Reminds me of a dodge dart

I think it looks fine though it is a bit puzzling that this has the Lexus styling cues (grill, up kick on rear window).

Another thing about "excitement," no one's driven it, what does anyone know about how it will drive? From what I read, the 4-cyl Camry isn't a bad drive, yet I'm sure plenty of these dipshit "enthusiast" types talked a lot of shit about it.

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 07, 2013, 04:54:23 PM
Another thing about "excitement," no one's driven it, what does anyone know about how it will drive? From what I read, the 4-cyl Camry isn't a bad drive, yet I'm sure plenty of these dipshit "enthusiast" types talked a lot of shit about it.

:lol:  This board criticizes vehicles all the time about being lifeless despite never having driven them.  What makes you think that's changed?

Go over to TTAC and read some of the post-article comments. They're hilariously dumb.

I like it a lot. The handsomme wheels (as shown) and some of its higher scale angles look similar to the upscale version of the MY13 Honda Civic EX sedan. There is something about the front headlights that remind me of an early model Ford Focus... But aside from those Honda Civic cues and a bit of familiarity to a FMC vehicle of the past (through my eyes), the 2014-MY Toyota Corolla's fresh, modern and not overly designed. The interior is refreshingly simplicistic but not stodgy.

Found the 2014 Corolla in a few different colors when checking e-mail messages just moments ago. A body from CA send pics of the new Toyota in various colors, including bright red (below):

I think the exterior looks perfectly fine. The interior doesn't "flow" at all, though... three different center stacks and multiple colors. Yuck. No me gusta on that part.

That looks awful.  What happened to Toyota's comforting conservative blandness?  This has all the overwrought styling cues of a Korean car.  Put Kia or Hyundai badges on it and I'd believe it.  The last Corolla may not have been exciting to look at, but it was a much better looking car than this. 

Toyota's looks have never been a problem for me, it's the other things; but it's how they did the other things that made them successful.  I wonder if the Corolla is so safe that this styling miscue won't hurt.  Possibly it will appear to the semi-blind younger generation more than before, as these hideous cars so often seem to do, and the older people who would have bought one would upgrade to the Camry if their finances allow.  Or, it could go like the Civic and hurt the company.  But then again, the Corolla never had an enthusiast following and the Civic did.

Overall, I think this will be a winner for Toyota, but just because it's a Toyota. 

Dare I say it, but the last Corolla actually looked somewhat good. It wasn't striking, but it looked good in S trim with the bigger wheels.

Why are people slamming this car when actually on paper it looks to be fairly competotive this time around? Its roomier than the already pretty big old car, stillq has that 4AT, but only on the cheap base trim has modern 6MT and CVT transmissions...

I'm not feeling it at all. The design looks like a mishmash of Honda and Ford styling cues that have been melted down and injected with Toyota blandness.

The new Camry looks pretty nice. This doesn't.

Quote from: r0tor on June 07, 2013, 04:24:49 PM
Reminds me of a dodge dart

Yeah, that's the first thing I thought of when I saw the front end.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 07, 2013, 02:30:22 PM
I was pretty sure they had reached the zenith of blandness and front overhang... but lo and behold, this thing has the schnoz and dull looks of an un-made up Barbara Streisand

(http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/00Rcc31d3h4V7/0x600.jpg)

Dear god, that's horrific!  Looks like it was designed by some comedy Chinese car maker.

The sheeple who blindly buy Toyotas will have to be literally blind not to run away in terror after seeing this mess.  :facepalm:

Barf.

God, that's horrible.

Why not do vanilla bland, instead?

It almost looks sporty. Certainly moved away from being bland. If anything I appreciate the slight change in Toyota's mindset. Therefore, I like it.

The new Corolla, now with a TRD Offroad package

Hmmm.   Whats the need for Scion?

This car looks good.  I'm not a huge fan of the black plasticky grill but the last generation or two of the corolla looked really bland.  This one has a little bit of swagger and aggression to it.  I'm wondering if the real nice black wheels will be standard or an expensive option.  They add a lot to the look.

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 07, 2013, 03:27:40 PM
I think it looks good.

http://www.lenscrafters.com/ (http://www.lenscrafters.com/)

Quote from: mzziaz on June 08, 2013, 12:26:26 PM
God, that's horrible.

Why not do vanilla bland, instead?

Not sure if serious, but this is why Toyota just can't win with some so-called "enthusiasts"...

Quote from: Vinsanity on June 09, 2013, 08:34:48 PM
Not sure if serious, but this is why Toyota just can't win with some so-called "enthusiasts"...

Nor do they have to. I doubt many people on here or any automotive forum would be interested in buying one, period. The bottom line is that most Corolla buyers will see this as them making the car a little more "sporty" and they'll buy the car just as they would have if it was bland as all hell. The redesign is a nod to the Korean design language which is popular these days. Nothing more, nothing less.

Quote from: Vinsanity on June 09, 2013, 08:34:48 PM
Not sure if serious, but this is why Toyota just can't win with some so-called "enthusiasts"...

Toyota doesn't really give a shit, these "enthusiasts" wouldn't buy the Corolla if the thing weighed 1500 lbs, was RWD+MT and had a built in ball scratcher.

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 09, 2013, 09:06:34 PM
Toyota doesn't really give a shit, these "enthusiasts" wouldn't buy the Corolla if the thing weighed 1500 lbs, was RWD+MT and had a built in ball scratcher.

:clap:

The supposed enthusiast world (and by that, I mean the few thousand that post on car forums and comment on jalopnik) is probably the least important market out there. If they put their money where their mouth is, there'd be brown M5 wagons with manual transmissions every where.

Quote from: MrH on June 09, 2013, 09:25:06 PM
:clap:

The supposed enthusiast world (and by that, I mean the few thousand that post on car forums and comment on jalopnik) is probably the least important market out there. If they put their money where their mouth is, there'd be brown M5 wagons with manual transmissions every where.

I wish Bob Lutz understood this.

Quote from: MrH on June 09, 2013, 09:25:06 PM
:clap:

The supposed enthusiast world (and by that, I mean the few thousand that post on car forums and comment on jalopnik) is probably the least important market out there. If they put their money where their mouth is, there'd be brown M5 wagons with manual transmissions every where.

DIESEL M5 wagons. Because the internet loves diesels

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 09, 2013, 10:20:04 PM
DIESEL M5 wagons. Because the internet loves diesels

Damn, you beat me to it!  :lol:

Quote from: Madman on June 08, 2013, 09:58:15 AM
The sheeple who blindly buy Toyotas will have to be literally blind not to run away in terror after seeing this mess.  :facepalm:

Well you know, going 539897575590745907759754975907509475474 miles without an oil change or unreliable flat tires is worth it!

Quote from: Vinsanity on June 09, 2013, 08:34:48 PM
Not sure if serious, but this is why Toyota just can't win with some so-called "enthusiasts"...

Why make ugly instead of bland?

So tell me guys, is making a universally accepted beautiful car harder or easier than making something 100% reliable?

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 09, 2013, 10:20:04 PM
DIESEL M5 wagons.

M 550D

Looks fine. Another appliance for the masses.

Quote from: 280Z Turbo on June 09, 2013, 09:27:33 PM
I wish Bob Lutz understood this.

But look how many CTS-V wagons they sold! :lol:

Bob Lutz is interesting, but ultimately, I think he was more a loud mouth in the right place at the right time than some visionary like some people like to make him out to be/

People don't realize how hard it is to make a good looking car that is still usable in daily life.

Quote from: 2o6 on June 10, 2013, 09:24:55 AM
People don't realize how hard it is to make a good looking car that is still usable in daily life.

No, cars are either ugly or pretty.  It's a yes or no question, and my opinion is the universal, objective, deciding factor on it.  I don't understand why OEMs just don't make all cars beautiful

:lol:

Quote from: mzziaz on June 10, 2013, 09:04:11 AM
Why make ugly instead of bland?

Because it's working for Honda and they want in on the phenomenon.

I'm not exactly appalled at this new design and sometimes a bit of change is good. I think Toyota is trying to grab some younger buyers for the Corolla. This is just anecdotal, but I find most Corolla owners around here seem to all be in their early 50's. This new design will appeal to a different buyer, and the 50's-60's crowd tend to hold on to their cars for quite a long time. Toyota seeking new blood?  :huh:

So. Usually everybody is mad at Toyota for having too bland-looking cars, correct?  Then as soon as they put something like this out there that isn't bland...everybody's mad at the lack of blandness?

I feel like some of you hate on Toyota just to hate on Toyota. :huh:

They're like Japan's GM. Everyone's favorite target to criticize.

THEIR CARS ARE SO BLAND.  UGH.

*Toyota releases not-bland car*

WHAT THE HELL. I WANT THE BLAND BACK.  SO UN-TOYOTA.

:facepalm:

Nobody said Toyota should go back to making bland cars. Strawman. First post was an admitted overreaction.  Distinctive isn't always better though. You def dont forget cars like the new Cherokee or IS. This isn't as bad but it's not really an improvement over the last one exterior wise

Good that they finally updated the transmission though.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 10, 2013, 12:23:33 PM
Nobody said Toyota should go back to making bland cars. Strawman. First post was an admitted overreaction.  Distinctive isn't always better though. You def dont forget cars like the new Cherokee or IS. This isn't as bad but it's not really an improvement over the last one exterior wise

Good that they finally updated the transmission though.

You take arguing on the internet very seriously, don't you?  I expected better. :lol:

Quote from: Raza  on June 08, 2013, 05:03:06 AM
That looks awful.  What happened to Toyota's comforting conservative blandness?   

Quote from: mzziaz on June 08, 2013, 12:26:26 PM
God, that's horrible.

Why not do vanilla bland, instead?

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 10, 2013, 10:18:12 AM
So. Usually everybody is mad at Toyota for having too bland-looking cars, correct?  Then as soon as they put something like this out there that isn't bland...everybody's mad at the lack of blandness?

I feel like some of you hate on Toyota just to hate on Toyota. :huh:

The good-looking Toyota products died out during the early '80s. IMO the '70s was their best decade of style.

This car looks tacky, ugly and still bland. It has nothing to do with "Toyota hate" IMO. A boring mainstream car can be made to look "nice" with the right body kits and add-ons. But here, these add-ons just don't work (at least for me).


Strangely, the new Camry can look pretty nice in sport trim.

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 10, 2013, 10:18:12 AM
So. Usually everybody is mad at Toyota for having too bland-looking cars, correct?  Then as soon as they put something like this out there that isn't bland...everybody's mad at the lack of blandness?

I feel like some of you hate on Toyota just to hate on Toyota. :huh:

You make it sound as if bland and ugly are the only two choices Toyota had.  Here's a radical idea; how about Toyota making a beautiful car?  You know, something that actually looks good?  Does Toyota actually know how to design such a thing?  If not, they need to hire some people who do.  Look what Peter Schreyer did for Kia.

I honestly think newer Avalons are seriously good-looking cars.  I wouldn't call them beautiful, but there aren't that many cars that I personally call beautiful.

Quote from: Madman on June 10, 2013, 09:29:29 PM
Look what Peter Schreyer did for Kia.

Design cars that are going to age like pornstars?

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 10, 2013, 09:55:09 PM
Design cars that are going to age like pornstars?

I don't agree - most Kias look pretty fucking Germanic. Like VW, but far more imagination. They will age well. Optima is what the Passat wish it looked like. Forte Koup is like a budget A5 - or a Civic with better proportions.


Hyundai, on the other hand....

Quote from: Madman on June 10, 2013, 09:29:29 PM

You make it sound as if bland and ugly are the only two choices Toyota had.  Here's a radical idea; how about Toyota making a beautiful car?  You know, something that actually looks good?  Does Toyota actually know how to design such a thing?  If not, they need to hire some people who do.  Look what Peter Schreyer did for Kia.

- The Corolla is not bad looking, neither is most of Toyota's lineup. You guys see the goddamn badge and go apeshit. None of their lineup is stylistically very daring or exciting, IMO including the FR-S.

- Car styling is a delicate balancing act between engineering, focus groups, and many other factors. This Corolla doesn't look horrible, but the proportions are usable.

No, the CC is what the Passat wishes it looked like. The versions of the Optima with smaller rims look like shit.

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 10, 2013, 11:07:09 PM
No, the CC is what the Passat wishes it looked like. The versions of the Optima with smaller rims look like shit.

- CC doesn't have usable proportions (roofline too low, but that's the premise of the the whole car)

- The small wheels look OK. I think those chrome wheels on the SX limited look like shit.

CC, Golf, Tiguan are VWs only saving graces design wise. Jetta and Passat will age like the pre-Schuyer Kias (i.e. nobody will remember or care about them at all)

Kia's current designs are nice and might age a little quickly but not like Hyundais. Mainstream design has pretty much been killed by regulations anyway.

Toyota did what they had to do I guess but they were talking a big game and fell short on the exterior IMO. Camry + Avalon strike a way better balance.

Quote from: MrH on June 10, 2013, 09:17:46 AM
But look how many CTS-V wagons they sold! :lol:

Bob Lutz is interesting, but ultimately, I think he was more a loud mouth in the right place at the right time than some visionary like some people like to make him out to be/

:lol:

In the movie Hit and Run, there's a chase between a Grand Sport and a CTS-V wagon.  At one point the a guy in the CTS says "I know this is a fucking station wagon, but this shit is so fast" or words to that effect.  Had me cracking up. 

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 10, 2013, 10:18:12 AM
So. Usually everybody is mad at Toyota for having too bland-looking cars, correct?  Then as soon as they put something like this out there that isn't bland...everybody's mad at the lack of blandness?

I feel like some of you hate on Toyota just to hate on Toyota. :huh:

I don't hate on them for being bland.  They don't make cars I want to buy, that's fine.  No one does anymore, really.  But they were at least not offensive to look at before.  Now this is. 

Quote from: 2o6 on June 10, 2013, 11:05:09 PM
I don't agree - most Kias look pretty fucking Germanic. Like VW, but far more imagination. They will age well. Optima is what the Passat wish it looked like. Forte Koup is like a budget A5 - or a Civic with better proportions.

The Optima?  That is exactly what VW set out NOT to look like.  The Optima will age horribly; as it is, it gets worse looking every time I see one.  So many fussy details, way too much unwarranted aggression for a family sedan, and a beltline higher than my roof.  The Passat is exactly what it meant to be; large, bland, and comfortable.  I'd never buy either, but at least the Passat doesn't feel like you're driving a neon sign that says LOOK AT ME!

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 09, 2013, 09:06:34 PM
Toyota doesn't really give a shit, these "enthusiasts" wouldn't buy the Corolla if the thing weighed 1500 lbs, was RWD+MT and had a built in ball scratcher.

I would definitely buy a Corolla under those circumstances... :huh:

:lol:

Car designs seems to either have very polarizing design or simply bland, or something that's dated really quickly.  There's no good middle ground. 

Have you the previous generation Civic that's really polarizing and current one seems to go too far the other way, and then you have the Fords and Kias being dated quickly.  But then again.. I thought cars like the current Accord and Mazda 6 seems to be a good compromise of everything.  Good looking but bland and non offensive and won't age rapidly... that makes for a good mainstream car design.

Quote from: Raza  on June 11, 2013, 10:24:05 AM
The Optima?  That is exactly what VW set out NOT to look like.  The Optima will age horribly; as it is, it gets worse looking every time I see one.  So many fussy details, way too much unwarranted aggression for a family sedan, and a beltline higher than my roof.  The Passat is exactly what it meant to be; large, bland, and comfortable.  I'd never buy either, but at least the Passat doesn't feel like you're driving a neon sign that says LOOK AT ME!

There isn't a single fussy line on the Optima at all. Its one of the most cleanly styled vehicles on the market. The greenhouse is fairly large for a car of this area....most other cars in the segment are smalker and higher. If anything the Fusion is more aggressive, and its really ugly as well.

The Passat is not just bland, but oddly proportioned.

This:

(http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/00Rcc31d3h4V7/0x600.jpg)

is hideous. It looks like it got halfway down the assembly line and everyone just went home for the day.

However, the white one in this photo:

(http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x246/1Atomic/image-1672.jpg)

actually looks pretty good, and a definite improvement over the outgoing model.

That is the first one I saw a photo of, and I thought they were going in the right direction.

(http://media.caranddriver.com/images/13q2/519487/2014-toyota-corolla-photo-519839-s-986x603.jpg)

But the front of that blue one, ugh! Bury it.

:huh:

I don't know why anyone is phased by this at all. It looks like a Kia. It has the same sort of styling cues that are exaggerated to make a milquetoast Kia Forte look 'aggressive'.

Big ol' 'meh' from me. :huh:

Quote from: 93JC on June 11, 2013, 08:22:35 PM
:huh:

I don't know why anyone is phased by this at all. It looks like a Kia. It has the same sort of styling cues that are exaggerated to make a milquetoast Kia Forte look 'aggressive'.

Big ol' 'meh' from me. :huh:

Proportions are a bit awkward. And the ride height is off.



I don't mind it, but I don't like the new Forte, either.

it's hard to design a roomy 5 seat small car that also looks good.  in a larger sedan, you have more room for the hood and trunk to balance out the increased height of the cabin as well as the increased tire size and increased width of the vehicle.  one of the worst examples of style i can think of to accomodate a roomy cabin is the toyota echo.  This corolla looks good.  Also it doesn't look anything like a smaller camry which is what the old corolla looks like. 

toyota is clearly aiming for a younger demographic here.  have they strayed too far to turn off the 50 year old buyers who buy corolla because it's the most sensible car purchase out there.  i don't think so.  these 50 or 60 year old buyers, what else would they turn to.  A gm or ford?  no way, these buyers don't cross shop a japanese model with a domestic.  they probably shun domestics because they were burned by them 2-3 decades ago.  gm's small cars don't look that good anyways.  the korean models and civic look just as "young" as this model.  maybe a jetta will appeal more to them now.     

Quote from: 2o6 on June 11, 2013, 11:51:42 PM
Proportions are a bit awkward. And the ride height is off.

Not to make too fine a point on it but... who cares? This looks like a refresh of the current one, which looked like a refresh of the one before that; they all have the same proportions and ride height.

Quote from: 93JC on June 13, 2013, 02:44:45 PM
Not to make too fine a point on it but... who cares? This looks like a refresh of the current one, which looked like a refresh of the one before that; they all have the same proportions and ride height.

It's not a refresh of a Kia Forte though.. :lol:

Quote from: Madman on June 10, 2013, 09:29:29 PM

You make it sound as if bland and ugly are the only two choices Toyota had.  Here's a radical idea; how about Toyota making a beautiful car?  You know, something that actually looks good?  Does Toyota actually know how to design such a thing?  If not, they need to hire some people who do.  Look what Peter Schreyer did for Kia.

What mainstream midsizers or econoboxes are "beautiful?" They're basic transportation. Nothing more, nothing less. Cars for people who don't love cars. I spent a lot of time hating on Toyota, but at this point, I find it easier simply not to care.  :huh:

So what the damn Corolla is a little more polarizing. Let some 17 year old girl who gets a Corolla as her first car to think she's driving something sporty. Who cares.