97: Toyota Corolla – the car for people who don’t like cars very much

The Corolla essentially exists as a car for people who don’t like cars very much. What these people are looking for is a car that looks like a ‘proper’ car (four doors, big boot), doesn’t cost too much, will be endlessly reliable (these people don’t like things like servicing or dealing with dealers too often), and is comfy and easy to drive.

Oh, and there’s no point in even getting started unless it’s going to get decent fuel economy and be cheap to tax, and hold its value. So, the Corolla easily ticks all the boxes necessary for people who don’t like cars very much to regard it as a decent purchase. And that it certainly is.

For those of us of a more enthusiastic bent, there’s not much to get exercised about here, but there’s no denying that the Corolla is well-built, well-engineered, well-priced, and, well, very comfortable. You won’t care much about it, but it’s a fundamentally very good car. Hopefully the next one will draw more on the sparkling C-HR for inspiration.

Best model: 1.33 Luna