Corolla or Corolla iM: Which is Right for You
The Toyota Corolla has always been known as a dependable, stylish, and budget-friendly sedan that is popular among college students, young professionals, small families, and pretty much all types of people. The Corolla iM offers many of the same features and benefits as the Corolla but in hatchback form.
So how do you know which is right for you?
Take a look beyond the exterior styling to some of the finer points of the Corolla and the Corolla iM.
Space for Passenger and Cargo
One difference between the Corolla and the iM is obvious: The space for cargo. That hatchback gives you more room to stack bags and packages when you’re shopping or carrying the kids from school to sports and other activities. The Corolla iM provides an impressive 20.8 cubic feet of cargo space, while the standard Corolla offers only 13 cubic feet in the trunk. That’s a significant difference!
Both models seat five passengers. Both have about the same legroom for the front seat – 42.3 inches for the Corolla and 41.7 inches for the Corolla iM. However, the Corolla iM loses a little rear leg room to the cargo area. It has 32.7 inches, compared with the Corolla’s 41.4 inches. Since most drivers would have children in the backseat, the loss of leg room shouldn’t be much of an issue.
Performance and Fuel Economy
The differences in performance and fuel economy between the Corolla and the Corolla iM are small, but they can be enough to make the difference for some buyers. Both the Corolla and the iM come with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, but because of some finer differences, the iM gets 137 horsepower compared with the Corolla’s 132. It’s not much, but it will give the iM a little more get up and go, which some drivers will enjoy.
Fuel economy is about the same for both models. The iM trails behind just 1 mpg, getting an estimated 27 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. The Corolla gets an estimated 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. The difference in fuel economy can be attributed to the slightly more powerful drive train on the iM. It might be enough to give some buyers pause, but most will consider it a fair tradeoff for the extra bit of oomph.
Technology and Safety Features
Both the Corolla and the Corolla iM come standard with safety features like ABS brakes, driver and passenger airbags, and front side and curtain airbags. They both also feature advanced safety features like a pre-collision system, lane departure alert, and backup camera.
The technology and convenience features reveal more differences. You get heated seats on the Corolla, as well as selective service Internet access, push button start, and full power windows (the rear windows on the iM are fixed).
The differences between the Corolla and the iM are subtle, but they can add up to making a big impact for certain buyers. It’s important that you take a test drive of each to see how the differences influence your enjoyment of each model.