Review: 2021 Toyota Corolla Apex Edition (Manual) - Problematic Pricing
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- I spend a week with the 2021 Toyota Corolla Apex Edition with the very rare manual transmission and find that while the Apex trim improves the handling of the Corolla, the pricing ($26,455) ruins the value of this trim when faster and better-equipped vehicles are available for the same or less money than the Apex Edition. What do you think of the Apex Edition Corolla? Thanks to Toyota for providing this vehicle to review.
Time stamps:
0:00 Exterior
2:43 Interior
3:46 Initial impressions
6:35 Acceleration
8:03 Handling
12:29 Thoughts after a week
13:45 Fuel economy
15:07 Pricing
19:33 Final thoughts
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Wow! times has really change. I remember when manual transmissions was standard in most cars.
Often in the history of consumer products, de-evolution happens. Things get fancier, more complicated, and more expensive.
I really love that final pricing segment with all the comparisons to calculate the true value of the car. I think a lot of people really appreciate your insight on such a topic. Great video, Matt!
Thanks Yanal!
@@MattMaranMotoring I agree this was nicely done.
As always, a fair and honest review, along with a comparison of the competitors in this class. Thanks Matt.
Great review and I must say I REALLY appreciate the shots of the car driving. So many car reviewers never show the car actually in motion. Always a shot of the exterior while parked, then interior shot while driving. So kiddos to you for sure.
I think this is a nice looking car, it looks better as a hatchback. This vehicle should have at least 175 horsepower and be sold for $22,000. With the manual transmission, of course. It is way overpriced as it is.
Just picked up my '22 SE Apex 6spd 3 days ago and it has surprised me for sure. I've only ever driven a Camry and an RS 8.0 Scion TC, and the Corolla is surprisingly aggressive in it's stearing segment. It's definitely not a fast car, but it feels quick if that makes sense. Not only is it a fun car to drive as Matt has stated, but it's also extremely reliable, and very good on gas. Rated at almost 40mpg highway. Can't ask for a better car for the price point. Great reviews Matt. Thanks for everything you do!
I remember I use to watch this dude all the time but I thought he stopped making videos haven’t got notified until today
Great review Matt!
I got my Apex for the price of a regular SE lol out the door 27 with fees and taxes included, it wasn't until after I sealed the deal that the floor managers and finance department realized they sold me an Apex edition. They didn't even know what an Apex was!
The finance department thought they had sold me a 2020 corolla le with 6200 miles on the clock as it was a demo but they didn't realise the one I was getting only had 1200 miles on the clock, so when I found out it only had 1200 miles instead of 6200 miles, l bailed out with the car before they even realized lol
7:11 That hitchhiking leaf is probably super stoked to be part of Matt's video for a good 5 seconds
Just noticed that. Made me laugh. lol
This is an excellent and thorough review.
Thanks Matt Keep up the good work
Good review and good video but how are you sustaining the channel with no views? Looking back on past videos, 10-30K views is all that can be expected. Harsh. I do enjoy the videos!
Toyota needs to throw their V6 in there and this will be a tremendous game changer
Would it fit ? 🤷🏻♂️
Camry inline 4 would fit. Or do Yamaha tuned like they did on XRS
It would be competing with the camry competitors and that would hurt sales for both corolla and camry. It would also leave an open road for the corolla competitors to boost sales. Pricing would also be stupid on the corolla
No they need to make a fun high roving engine like the beams 3gste.
ew no lol
Really wish this was RWD. Apex badge reminds me of the AE86 Apex Sprinter Trueno
pro tip : watch series at kaldroStream. Been using them for watching lots of of movies recently.
@Camilo Xander Yea, I have been watching on Kaldrostream for since november myself :D
I got the Kia Forte GT GT2 DCT fully loaded for 25k. Best decision I made. If you like manuals, you can find a Forte GT for around 21k-24k.
Hey! How is that going btw? I really really really like the sound of that car past 4K RPM, it's literally the best sound I've heard in the price segment. Whats your experience been like?
Awesome and fair review 👍
Cute little car if you could find a manual and it was able to get 35+ miles to the gallon. For the money and performance I’d be looking at the other options he mentions in the video. Great review!
Another “sporty” marketing stunt from Toyota🤦🏼♂️ This was a huge missed opportunity.
More reliability over performance. Such a shame.
Looks great but no performance
@@angryox3102 Exactly. All bark no bite!
That's because Toyota target audience is 30+. Honda and Subaru target the edgy 18-25 year olds.
Somebody needs to turbo these
I'm South African, and I must tell you, I love this car to bits, especially in manual transmission. I hope they are being imported in South Africa soon. Much love for this car
27k is a bad price point. however.... apex manuals are coming down to around 24k which is a more enticing option
This car is not worth the price in my opinion. Just gives you an idea of how much toyota will want to charge when the GR corolla goes on sale though. Expect that to cost $35k
Corolla Apex is a limited production vehicle so it's a collector's car. Buy it and sell it in 50 years for a 1 million dollars.
@@braetonwilson4296 In some cases that happens. This is a corolla that made no attempt to be special. Its A cheap car with some new wheels and cheesy stuck on body kit. It will never be worth anything. We arent talking about supras and rx7s here.
@@braetonwilson4296 I promise you nobody will pay a million dollars for a Corolla LMAOOO doesn’t matter how collectible or rare it is it’s just a stiffer corolla
@@braetonwilson4296 Hard to tell via text but I'm 99.9% sure you're being sarcastic about it being a collectors car.
@@bfielder9097 you would be correct, sir.
Making a performance version that doesn't increase power at all is silly. Even if it had a whopping 10HP more it would make a bit more sense. Same as with the TRD Camry/Avalon.
You were trying to hold back from laughing at the pathetic acceleration....be honest.
This was kind of a ridiculous version, once the turbo i3 from the Yaris comes to the new corollas, Toyota should have a decent compact sport hatchback/sedan
@@tinuthomas531 "I wanted a performance car so I got a three cylinder."
No one, ever.
@@tim3172 there’s plenty of 3 cylinder performance engines. The one in this Yaris I’m talking about is a turbo i3 pushing 275hp, mated to a 6 speed manual trans with AWD. If you don’t think that’s fun then you probably dream about owning boring businessman’s cars
Matt made a few mistakes. First, he said the SE stick shift manual is cheaper than the automatic. That's wrong, the manual is more expensive than the automatic. Second, he said the regular SE has 16 inch wheels and doesn't have 225 tires. That's wrong, the regular SE Corolla sedan has 18 inch wheels and 225 tires, just like the Apex.
@Lady Calibre That is true for you in Canada. Here in the USA, the regular base SE Corolla sedan has 18 inch wheels and 225 tires. Matt and other professional reviewers focus is on the USA, since that's where most of his audience is located.
26k! Outrageous. That's civic si money and the civic si is a real sport compact.
Which unfortunately is no longer available in America
@@LearnAboutFlow Well the Si sedan is still going be available, they’re just getting rid of the coupe.
@@LearnAboutFlow The si will still available, its the si coupe and all civic coupes in general that will no longer be offered.
@@yasiona2946 Not in America, at least according to Honda's USA site. Maybe it's coming out later next year?
Just found this. No Si in any style. www.autoblog.com/2020/07/17/2021-honda-civic-info-dump/
im so glad i got the veloster n last week for less price
How much?
A Veloster N for less than 26k? Was it used?
Better looks, better performance but (subjective) ugly af
Definitely used. The 2021s start at $32k and go up from there.
@@LearnAboutFlow I got my 2020 performance pack brand new for $23750 out the door. I bought it April though when everyone thought we were all going to die.
Had Toyota had the vision to put in a more powerful engine, with only 120 manual examples built, this would have been a collectors car (perhaps!) one day. Unfortunately the Civic Si is still the better bargain for many reasons, although the Apex does look better in my opinion. Toyota phoned it in on this.
That's for the GR model which will still get destroyed by the Si, N-Lines, GT, and even a Nissmo/SE-R models.
@@thescramble4309 lol it's not gonna get AWD. It's a Corolla.... They know it ain't gonna sell well. Even if it did the Kona N would BTFO of it lol.
Toyota phones it in a lot because they bank entirely on their reputation
@@boygonewhoopdataZZ its literally getting the Yaris gr powertrain
Avalon TRD= ricer grandpa
Camary TRD = younger ricer
Corolla TRD= teenager ricer
Every other car owner = calling up a “ricer” because their car broke down and Toyotas never do...
Supra = BMW ricer?
I'm 12, can't drive and Anything that's not a lambo or ferrari = ricer
@Thor Odin son Doesn't matter they're still cars you can daily and take to a trackday and have fun that's all that matters
@Thor Odin son I can't tell if you're just being stupid or you actually don't know the purpose of those cars he listed
Not my cup of tea but the effort counts in my book. Keep improving Corolla
Neat car, problem is the Civic Si exists in the same price bracket and a wrx isn’t far off
No problem at all for Toyota, they are still number one in sales.
@@eclecticcar3465 I believe he's specifically talking about that trim, not corolla in general.
Expensive, no engine upgrade, rough ride. Only thing I like is the exterior look.
It’s not a fucking Cadillac
You know something's up when it's slower with the automatic lol considering that's almost never the case anymore
Dude I have that same shirt AND that same car! Yes sir have very good taste!
Good lookin corolla no dout, i have a 2017 LE and still looks modern but mostly just the interior and front grill
I agree the pricing is too high I have a XSE manual hatchback and I paid $23,000 for it fully loaded digital tachometer etc.
The acceleration really isn’t that bad. I daily drive a Corolla. It just takes a second or two for the acceleration to kick in after you mash the throttle. This guy literally tried for like a half second then let off. In other words, throttle response isn’t instant, but once it kicks in it gets going
Wow! times has really change.
Toyota offer the Corolla in a couple of models that let you choose a manual transmission, IMHO this is the silliest and I can't imagine anyone buying it.
When you go to the official Toyota website you see a SE trim Corolla sedan with a manual transmission is priced about $2,000 HIGHER than the SE Corolla hatchback. Admittedly, there is no Apex Edition hatchback (AFAIK), but to me, if you MUST have a Corolla with a 2 liter engine (there are still models with the OLD, REALLY OLD 1.8 liter engine) an SE or XSE hatchback makes a better value proposition.
BTW, Really liked the split screen that showed the road you were one while keeping you " in the picture ".
This looks nice but the GR Corolla is where it’s at
Does North America have it tho
If you think this trim is expensive, the GR will give you a heart attack. lol.
I love this car I owned a 99 corolla ce I put coil overs on it an 18 inch wheels I loved the way it drive I always said if it was a manual it would of been the best road trip car that's perfect just need a turbo
I really like the light colored interior. Much better than all black.
I like the manual transmission for this type of car. I prefer the looks of the Civic. Korean cars are typically good value, however the advantage is less than it used to me.
You can get a base WRX for this money any day of the week...
If you plan on having a car over 100k and still drive like new this wins hands down
I would rather buy a Corolla Apex than WRX
A honda accord se is quicker than the wrx too.
@@vnitto that's a 30k+ car though
@@vnitto wrx is .1 seconds, awd, has a turbo instead of vtec. Plus it’s very easy to tune and eat 300hp. I wouldn’t compare the 2 at all.
Nice review. Especially for the 1% of buyers who'll get the Corolla with a manual trans.
(Not being sarcastic. Just being honest.)
Do wish it came with remote engine start though. Especially since you can get that on the Honda Civic, integrated into the key-fob.
Does Toyota charge more because it’s so reliable ?? Or is the Toyota Corolla just a good chasis ???
Honestly you really do have to step on the gas for these manual corollas. On my 2020 SE, I average like 26 mpg in the city. I’m not driving aggressively either but that first gear requires so much throttle.
They’re making them look sick and better.. but I’m still waiting for Toyota to make this Sedan and the hatchback RWD!!!.. they already made the Camry AWD which is prefect, but would love to see both corollas hatch/sedan RWD!!
The hatch looks so much better
You are so lucky in US. I paid 36k euros for a hybrid Corolla.......and now they sell a GR Yaris for 39.900 euros
What is the HP?
You can get the 2018+ camrys for around 15k with only 40k miles or less.
The real question is are they foreshadowing what’s to come?
I love the look
It makes you wonder what the Corrola would have been if they offered the Camry's 2.5, 4 cylinder. At least that has 200+ hp. Tq will still be wanting, but turbo lag will be nonexistent. Albeit turbos are fairly good nowadays that most won't notice.
Thats what they should have offered. Honda utilizes the 1.5t in both the Accord and Civic. So Toyota could have followed through and made it so that the Carolla and Camry shared the base Camry engine. Maybe even save some money along the way and throw out the 1.8 and made the 2.0 standard across the board and the 2.5 optional.
19:39 Leaf sticks on the front when he says if youre scared of turbochargers
Those seats look comfy
Exterior of the car is so attractive.
You know what is awesome about a Corolla, they come in a hatcback. Corolla, Hybrid, Sport/Apex, Manual, Hatchback. Unicorn. Not available in the US. =)
This car's only downfall is the price! Although if you think about it, how much would it cost you to do all the mods to make a normal SE into an Apex SE? Let's see: one exclusive color (cement grey) a body kit, wing, lighter and harder wheels that cool pads and rotors better, exhaust, stiffer sway bars and lowering springs. (Let's not forget, these are all genuine TRD parts, plus installation.)
That price seems correct for a car that's going to out last its competition. Others might be quicker yes. Better ride comfort. More luxurious. But they're not a toyota.
I work at a toyota dealership in California. Every single Corolla has a 3k markup at my dealership. Nuts! People paying almost 30k for a basic Corolla!
I work at a Toyota dealership in NY and it's the same thing. All the Corollas have markups but they're all being sold fast. We have no problem selling Corollas.
@@braetonwilson4296 Good to know it's not just my dealership. I work as a technician so can't speak for sales at my dealership.
Why the markup? Is there limited supply?
@@MattMaranMotoring Yes the pandemic has disrupted supply. However, these new 2020-2021 Corollas have been extremely strong sellers. Finally, Toyota has hit the winning formula of reliability, sexy looks, and fun to drive all in one sleek package.
Kia Forte GT and Civic Si may have more low end torque but they will never be as reliable with their nasty turbos. Turbos just put too much strain on the engine. Plus they have GDI which leads to carbon build up unlike the dual injected Corolla engine. Corolla and RAV4 are our two top sellers in my dealership and so we mark them up because we know they'll still be sold.
In the Sacramento area of northern California, you can pick up a Corolla for about $1500 under MSRP.
Interesting that Toyota resurrected the Corolla Apex name. A few of my friends had AE92 and AE101 Apex Corolla GT Levins and Truenos.
Matt instead of a fully load Apex I'd get the turbo Mazda 3 AWD.
That is one nice looking Corolla.
So to make a long story short, just get a forte gt and call it a day
I really wish toyota would have put a bit more engine performance into the apex line. It looks sporty, sounds sporty and I imagine it's rides pretty sporty too but in the end it's just a basic corolla engine.
Holy shit that's a good looking Corolla in black.
I actually want this you can have fun with manual, look good and gets great gas mileage.
Not to mention bulletproof reliability
Swap out the engine for the 2.5 from the Camry and this would be an amazing deal and super fun car. Dreamers gotta keep dreaming.
Who would this car be for?
I checked it out at my local dealer, it was an automatic since it’s limited.... it looks great, but the price is too high. I can buy a Camry instead.
Honestly they should've just made a rwd corolla hatch or made the gt86 into a hatchback and made that the corolla apex
The manual trans is a $390 option so it's not more to get the auto. And the Civic SI is auto only for 2021 only the type R has the manual and it starts at 38k
23k more like.
I test drove one felt a little cheap compared to my 2018 Tacoma TRD pro
With 220H.P. it would be a fun car.
Any of the 1.6T for 22k-26k are far more loaded and more fun than this body kit Corolla. Also one can easily spend 500$, put in 93, and easily gain 50hp/75tq.
Yeah I’ve been a big fan of the 05-06”Corolla xrs but like you said with the current competition of 1.5t or 1.6t it’s just disappointing and mostly a waste of money. I own a 18” Hyundai ElantraGT sport and it didn’t take me much to make 256 wheel torque with several bolts on a tune. But more importantly my Hyundai hatch cost me $22,500. The only bright side you’ll see on the Corolla is that’ll last you longer tho and the 8 injectors is good selling point. Don’t need to worry about carbon build like us direct inject turbo guys do
I cant see any reason for this thing. The competition blow it out of the water. It either needs more performance or cost 5k less
This is why a lot of Corolla's are up on the used market, even 6 months old, for almost $5k off. If someone REALLY wants this Special edition with a manual - wait till someone gets tired of the ride quality and find it for $10k less in a year or two lol.
I kept my eye on this model and kept seeing reviews and looked at the other trim levels... I'm glad I waited and shopped around - with many dealerships giving me 3 day or 1 week test drives. I'm getting a 2020 Camaro SS for $32k out the door lol. I'll keep my daily beater a little bit longer until I pay off my wife's car and then upgrade to something far greater that a lowly, overpriced and overrated Corolla or even a Camry.
I mean the Camry is a great car, my dad has the 2019 XLE V6. But its not tuned the way I like - its way too soft and feels like its not giving me all 300hp when I mash the throttle.
I wanted a Toyota for its reliability because I've had Toyota's in the past and they've been great. This is just a disappointment.
@@rotor13 sir, I’m gonna need more information on that camaro , honestly I’m very serious about looking for one but can only find them for 45k ;/ . If I can get one for 32k man who wouldn’t pull the trigger .. how much down , apr .. if you don’t mind . Is it used ?
So this is the Elantra's competition?
When we hear we either accept or reject or we translate what we hear according to our knowledge or we compare what is being said to what is already known or we oppose one idea with another. All these characteristics deny the act of listening and that act of listening puts away anything that is not true.
There is a reason why a Kia discount is higher than the Toyota discount. Just sayin'.
Which of the cars you'd mentioned will still be on the road after 250K miles?
Only time will tell but historically Civic Si has been able to easily get 250k. We’ll see how the turbo versions hold up.
Idk but I put 215k miles on my 15' Kia Forte Koup before I fell asleep and crashed it 😂 obviously I never missed maintenance on it. Oil changes at 3k, the timing chain tensioners at 85k were still good but I changed them anyway. The interior had its rattles but with state of the roads where I live, it's to be expected. Never had a problem with my Kia. Other than the massive depreciation hit right off the showroom floor, the drivetrain was pretty reliable
This is the bs manufacturers pull to make you buy expensive automatic transmissions. They're fast and work ok but are more complex than automatics with fewer gears and you'll be stuck with the cost out of warranty. They say we dont buy manuals but you cant find any cause people bought then all up. For example if youre looking to buy a 2016 accord v6 manual, I doubt you could find one so easily and whoever does have one to sell will know what they have
This is not an enthusiast's car- and that's ok. This is a Toyota Corolla... except its the SPORTY ONE! Nobody is gonna cross-shop this with a Civic Si. I can say with certainty that this car was NOT designed for enthusiasts, or really people who know anything about cars at all. Example: Stacey just graduated college. She's been driving around in a '99 Nissan Sentra with 115 horsepower since she was in high school. Now, Stacey has her nursing degree and wants a cool car, but she doesn't have CRAZY money to burn on a Porsche, and Toyotas are more reliable anyway, right? So she goes to the dealer, looks for a small car. She doesn't know much about the corolla, other than it's inexpensive, reliable, and made by Toyota so it's automatically better than anything else on the market. But Stacey doesn't want just the REGULAR corolla.. she's a nurse now! So, she treats herself to the sporty one- the Apex Edition. Compared to the '99 sentra it's more comfy, rides better, and is WAY nicer on the inside. It also has nearly 170 horsepower, 54 more than the sentra to be exact. And it looks so badass with its bodykit and blacked out badging. So she leaves the lot happy as a clam, driving the fastest, nicest, newest car she's ever owned.
Stacey doesn't really care about pushing the car to its limits. She doesn't care about how high it revs or how many camshafts the engine uses. It's an engine- it moves the car and that's it. This is a badass Toyota Corolla built for people like Stacey. Someone who criticizes it for lacking power or steering feel or WHATEVER is gonna go buy a used Civic Si like everybody else and never look back. This is not the car built for that person and it really shouldn't be viewed as such.
Great description and I agree, there will probably be some of those people. But I feel like any good consumer should cross shop and compare models to ensure they get the best car for their needs and wants. Even if they only want a Corolla and like the body kit a little more, a regular Corolla SE still has 95% of the same bold look and styling (plus a better ride) for less money.
(*.... in my opinion) Lol.
That’s true, and if I were Stacey I’d still probably look for the Si- except it doesn’t come in an automatic and most people in the US now can’t or won’t drive a stick unless they’re an enthusiast I think. Perhaps that’s why they made so few of these cars with a manual, idk. I still kinda feel like it’s a bit of a pandering to Toyota nerds cause I’d take an Si or a ln ST any day over this haha
$27K for a Corolla? It doesn't even measure up to an Si. Seriously Toyota, WTF are you thinking?
I suspect they are thinking a sporty façade for the people that will ONLY buy Toyota and don't cross shop the segment.
26k? U can get a wrx for about that. They're crazy.
You can get a kia forte gt for around 21k that has it beat in every respect with a better warranty and 200 hp
I think the price is just the engine and $4k of body kits 🥺
I have said this is the bes tlooking corolla in years and looks miles ahead the civic and those claw taillights.
Man beautiful car! But if it had 200hp and all wheel drive it would have been even better.
I was gonna buy this.. but the forte gt was worth it 🥰
If you are car enthusiasts, you probably won’t care for this, absolutely reliable we already know but...😒
hey matt - i'm not in the market for a car and this car doesn't interest me, but i'm letting this run all the way through ads and all because i know your views are down. best of luck!
Thank you David, I really appreciate it, that really helps!
@@MattMaranMotoring No problem, Matt. I have been watching your videos (in the background) and hitting the thumbs up button on all of them for a while now but the segment that keeps me totally subscribed for sure is your weekly update which I DO actually watch -- super good video you put out every week!
🔥🔥
Had this car for a year and yup just like people said, it needs a v6 or even 200 hp like the camry abd this will zoom!
This should be named corolla eBay edition. Most parts looks like bought from eBay by Toyota.
Corolla looks the best for me
Ooohhh. I don’t think you’ll be getting any Toyota press cars for awhile after that review. I 100% agree though. I was looking at Corolla hatches a year or so ago and saw the same with that. For only a little more you could get into a civic si or even a Veloster n. Ended up with a Veloster N performance because of heavy discounts. Some one else comment that reliability isn’t enough to get sales. I think that’s what they’re counting on. But with 10 year/ 100000 miles warranty’s out there, who cares. I’ll take my chances with Hyundai and I won’t even have the car by the time it runs out.
Toyota (and most companies) are fine with criticism if it’s fair. They priced it, they know where it lands. I don’t think they’ll be surprised by the complaint and other reviews share the same criticism. Congrats on your Veloster N! Great choice!
@@MattMaranMotoring Thanks man!!! I watched your review about 10 times before I got it. Your review and The Tophers made my mind up. Thanks for the good, honest reviews. Made the decision easy.
Probably will just get the SE and wait for the GR Corolla to come out
Too slow. Stuck in a mud pile almost -Conor McGregor
I deliver to the Toyota proving grounds in the middle of no where , and they have cars they are working on wrapped of coursed .. all mostly trucks and SUVs but i do see one small hot hatch with big ass exhaust on it, prob the GR corrola.
That's awesome! Thanks for the info! Please let me know if you ever see anything else interesting! Nobody knows where the new 86 is at yet and they've been silent during the whole new BRZ reveal.
@@MattMaranMotoring yeah will do, it's hard to snoop around so I can only see what's in front of me lol they are under huge metal tents. Lucid motors also works on their cars in the same area.
I feel like with the 2.5 they could have positioned this as a Civic Si competitor.
I'd get the hatch...
In profile it actually looks exactly like a 2006-2010 Civic Si!!!!