2020 Toyota Corolla is all about #savethemanuals – but will you buy it?

The Corolla sedan is all new for 2020. The big news is the availability of a hybrid system, a first for a Corolla. The less known fact is that the SE has a special version with a manual transmission called, drumroll, “SE 6MT”.

Manual Corollas are nothing new except for the fact that the sticks were always thought of as the cheapest models. It used to be that manual Corollas were bought by people who didn’t want to spend the additional money on a slushbox. But times have changed and now all other Corollas are automatic out of the box. Toyota could have just stopped making the Corolla with a manual transmission and no one would have noticed.

But they didn’t. Not only did the stick make it into the new 2020 Corolla production, it’s got its own special model and it happens to be pretty good. Thanks, Toyota for putting a product to a hashtag. Now do it in the Supra, too!

The SE 6MT gets a naturally aspired two-liter four-banger that makes a decently healthy 169hp at 6,600rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,400rpm. This is a step up from the typical Corolla 1.8-liter engine that makes 139hp. The SE trim is far from being a stripper, with color-keyed trip and gray accents. Nice looking, 18-inch wheels fill the wheel wells. There is a sunroof, automatic climate control, eight-inch display with Apple CarPlay but unfortunately without SiriusXM radio. The seats are wrapped in quality material and general fit and finish is very good and does not feel cheap. As it stands, for $22,750 this is a lot of car for the money.

Like all Corollas, it has just the right amount of room front and back – it’s not super spacious but it’s far from being cramped. The trunk is rather big too, and the rear seatback folds if more is needed. It’s a Corolla like they have been for years, except for the fact that this new generation of Corollas is in every way better than the previous generation. For instance, when closing the door there is no more of that empty tin can sound. Based on Toyota’s new TNGA-C platform, the chassis feel stiff and steering is direct with significantly more feedback. 

I believe that developing a new car with a manual transmission can now be more challenging for automakers than before. Cars have changed, we have changed. We now have push-button ignitions. Like many modern performance cars that are still stick, the Corolla has a rev-matching feature. It can be disabled for those who don’t need no stinkin’ computah to make them shift bettah. Same for the brake hold feature that prevents roll-backs. Like many modern cars, all of the new Corollas have active collision avoidance systems. All of those somehow have to work with a manual transmission.

Gone are hand brake handles, much needed in a manual transmission car. The parking/hand/emergency brakes are now electric. Here, Toyota had to make it work with the manual transmission. On this Corolla, the hand brake automatically engages itself once the engine is shut off. But it also disengages itself after the following scenario: the doors are closed, driver’s seatbelt is buckled, and the clutch pedal is being released. Smart bugger. It can, of course, be released manually, too.

So, this well-equipped, nicely priced, more powerful, manual Corolla sound great so far, right? Yes… But there are some issues. A few, but they are noteworthy:

  • That peppier two-liter engine is still as soulless as any Corolla engine of the last two decades. It feels heavier than it should be and therefore unmotivated. A slightly lighter flywheel would raise the fun content exponentially.
  • The clutch pedal is very light and soft. That’s good for your left knee but will also always remind you that you’re driving an econobox.
  • The shifter feels like it was designed for/by someone who has never driven a manual car before. Gates are well defined by they’re big, or loose. No one will ever miss a gear but there’s no joy in speed shifting it, either. S2000 this is not.
  • The chassis feels like it was designed with cost and longevity in mind but then someone re-valved the shocks and changed the springs rates for that sporty feel. Because probably that’s what happened. It maybe sportier than a Corolla but it’s still a Corolla. This is in contrast to the Corolla Hatchback which has much better chassis tuning.

The 2020 Corolla SE 6MT is a very good little car. But knowing that only enthusiasts buy cars with manual transmissions I feel like they could have turned it up a notch, polished it up a bit, made it even more special at a minimal cost. Nonetheless, we all should be glad that it’s here. And it’s here not because of a hashtag but because it is a global model vehicle and there are still places that prefer manual transmissions over automatics. The handful of you that will buy this low volume model will be getting a modern unicorn and possibly the last of its kind, at least in North America.

Disclaimer: Toyota provided to the vehicle for the purpose of this story. Images were provided by Toyota because my fancy camera stopped being fancy. 

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21 responses to “2020 Toyota Corolla is all about #savethemanuals – but will you buy it?”

  1. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    My only real disappointment is that the hatch is so tiny (there’s not much more usable room than my Mazda2). Still, it’s decent enough to drive, and should last roughly forever, and looks more expensive than the price. I’m shopping in CAD, but out of the other reasonably drivercentric picks, the same money gets you a base Civic or Mazda3 (both of which are down on power), or a base Golf (what I’d probably pick, but might start regretting somewhere between year 5 and 10).

    1. Kamil K Avatar

      I don’t like the base Gold at all. And somewhere between year 5 and 10 it will new one of everything.

    2. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      I would sooner save a few thousand, buy a Fit Sport, and actually enjoy driving.

      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        Have you driven a new Corolla though? I spent a weekend with the current hatch (in XSE trim), and it wasn’t exactly thrilling, but at least felt like something that could easily be a really great hot hatch. And, depending on your uses, the Fit could get exhausting quickly (based on my 2, 3500rpm on the highway can be a little much).

        Admittedly though, the Fit is a powertrain swap away from absolute greatness.

        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          To be honest, no, but I rode shotgun when my friend test-drove a ’19 hatchback XSE. He was thinking he might replace his 2015 Civic Si sedan, which is getting on in miles. His reaction was so immediately negative that I didn’t even bother to drive it myself, just for the experience. His impressions were that the shifter was rubbery, the clutch was soft, and the engine unworthy of even tractor duty. As a passenger, I could feel that the chassis wasn’t as crisp as that of his Si, and the interior was as plain-jane as I’ve ever seen. That, and it was this garish Smurf-blue color on the outside. We were both glad to walk away from that one. (He still owns the Civic, but has recently been tempted by Subaru STIs and a Focus RS he saw on a nearby used lot.)

          I agree with you that the Fit Sport runs out of “go” on the interstates, but it’s damned fun around town, where the peppy engine feels just right. It fits the “slow car, driven fast” mold that I seem to enjoy more now that I’ve outlived my teenage-through-30s lust for horsepower. It’s pretty spartan on the inside, but somehow didn’t feel as low-rent as the Corolla. I’m no Honda fanboy, having never owned one myself, but my subjective general take on modern Japanese cars (in America) is Mazda>Honda>Subaru>Toyota>Nissan.

          1. Maymar Avatar
            Maymar

            I drove a CVT, so I can’t opine on the manual. I actually like the interior for being relatively minimalist (if I have AC and a radio, I’m pretty happy). I’d agree to it not being crisp necessarily, just really competent and not floppy for a Toyota.

            Also, if I could get a Civic Si for $2500 more than one of these Corollas, there’d be no question, but up here, it’s a $30k car (while the Corolla is the same ~$22k). We get a little screwed in that there’s not much worth a damn under $30k (although the bargain basement stuff is at least adequately cheap).

  2. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    other big news: this thing actually looks good, just like the hatch! i saw an Avalon yesterday and did a double-take – in dark gray it was big and menacing without looking silly like the previous design.

    how can Toyota be building the Mirai and Prius at the same time it’s making these great-looking sedans?!

    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      I saw an Avalon yesterday and thought it had been in an accident that knocked out the grille. Then I saw another and realized Toyota simply didn’t make one for it. Designers apparently decided that a “big gaping hole covered with black plastic simulated chicken wire” was good enough for myopic seniors.

  3. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    I bought a 2007 Civic with a 5-sp manual brand new, so I would buy this 12 years ago.

    Resale is tougher, so you have to factor that in, but it makes 35% of your driving more enjoyable, 40% no different and 25% worse. Almost a push.

  4. danleym Avatar
    danleym

    The biggest problem with a Corolla is its name. To me, a Corolla is a boring econobox, a decent logical choice for a cheap/reliable car, but lacking any soul whatsoever. They could all of a sudden make a great Corolla, but I wouldn’t notice because as soon as I hear that name I lose interest.

    1. kogashiwa Avatar
      kogashiwa

      Nothing a Trueno badge and a panda paint job wouldn’t fix.

    2. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      They could have called it the “Toyota Altezza Asskicker Super Sport” and it would still be a boring econobox. But you’re right, even if Toyota engineers and designers staged a coup over the beancounters and built a fantastic cheap sedan, saddling it with the Corolla name would almost certainly kill it.

    3. kogashiwa Avatar
      kogashiwa

      Nothing a Trueno badge and a panda paint job wouldn’t fix.

    4. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      In Europe, Toyota tried this out and called the Corolla “Auris” for a while. In effect, they destroyed decades of brand-building, confused the granny market looking for their next Corolla, reduced Corolla resale values, and fooled no one to believe that the Auris is anything but a Corolla. Hence, they brought the name back.

      In the mid-90s, Toyota had gotten so much pelting for the Corolla being boring, they brought out the googley-eyed one. What was the motor press’ reaction? “Too excentric”, “scares off customers” etc.

      But I think Corolla customers don’t care, and they’re good customers for Toyota – at least here. Regular OEM services, not too harsh driving and one big expectation overshadowing everything else: Ease of use in everything, reliability included.

    5. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      In Europe, Toyota tried this out and called the Corolla “Auris” for a while. In effect, they destroyed decades of brand-building, confused the granny market looking for their next Corolla, reduced Corolla resale values, and fooled no one to believe that the Auris is anything but a Corolla. Hence, they brought the name back.

      In the mid-90s, Toyota had gotten so much pelting for the Corolla being boring, they brought out the googley-eyed one. What was the motor press’ reaction? “Too excentric”, “scares off customers” etc.

      But I think Corolla customers don’t care, and they’re good customers for Toyota – at least here. Regular OEM services, not too harsh driving and one big expectation overshadowing everything else: Ease of use in everything, reliability included.

  5. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    Emphatically, no. It takes more than a six-speed manual to make a Corolla appealing. In fact, the SE 6MT may do more harm than good to the “save the manuals” cause. You stated above that the shifter feels sloppy, the clutch take-up is vague, the engine is uninspiring, and the suspension tuning is half-baked. If anything, this might turn would-be enthusiasts away from manuals. Granted, the Corolla isn’t as ugly as most of its Toyota siblings, but that doesn’t make it pretty so much as inoffensive. It’s like being the least-annoying Kardashian.

    If you want to give credit to a company for legitimately supporting the case for the manual transmission, then honor goes to Honda for the Accord Sport 2.0T. That’s a car with a precise shifter throw, lively engine, and well-sorted chassis. It’s a car for someone who appreciates the essence of the Civic Type R, but can’t stomach the hatchback’s ridiculously immature styling. I’ve seen new 2019 models sold for $28k, which I think is an even better value than the Corolla.

    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      I dare say a shift kit and firmer suspension bushes would go a long way, the latter is understandable for a base-model car and I wouldn’t even call this a warm version. At least it will have decent rear seat & cargo room, unlike the hatch.

      IMO the Golf R is the best ‘adult’ hot hatch.

      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        It’s a shame VW doesn’t offer the Golf R drivetrain in the Golf SportWagen. That’d be my kind of hot hatch.

        1. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          They did in Australia and I think in the UK and Europe

  6. Tiller188 Avatar
    Tiller188

    “Now do it in the Supra, too!”

    This.

    “But knowing that only enthusiasts buy cars with manual transmissions I feel like they could have turned it up a notch, polished it up a bit, made it even more special at a minimal cost.”

    Also this, but I feel like that might be asking a bit much, as it is rather a niche thing. Then again, if it IS a niche thing, and if you’re going to do it at all…

    At any rate, I love that Toyota is doing this, but no, a manual alone does not a fun car make (although it helps a heckuva lot). Besides, I’ve already bought my #savethemanuals car.

  7. Bichage Richard Avatar
    Bichage Richard

    Quite nice!.Let them produce manual gearbox station wagons.