The newer ones have much better handling, power, and comfort, along with some fancy features. They also have some significant downgrades. For the Corolla:
The touchscreen for the radio (etc) is too bright. It’s also a touchscreen instead of buttons.
The signal lights don’t react properly. There is no physical feedback when you lock in the switch, and it doesn’t cancel the lights immediately when you unclick the stick.
It gives useless warnings. Whenever a car merges in front of you, it displays a “there is a car merging in front of you” graphic where your speed etc. was on the dashboard.
It gives useless warnings part 2. It can usually detect the speed limit with its cameras, and displays them to you. It can’t detect “Resume Speed”, or “Construction Zone Ends” or any similar sign. When it fails like that or simply doesn’t see a faster speed limit sign, it gives you a solid red warning that you might be speeding.
It gives useless warnings part 3. Yes, I will totally check the back seat for passengers. Thank you, car. Yes, I will also obey all traffic laws and drive safely. Thanks for the reminder.
Visibility is worse, and the warning lights (e.g. blindspot detectors on the side mirrors) only partially mitigate that. It may be specific to the model, but I’ve seen a clear trend from 1998 → 2007 → 2022/2025.
Also, fuel consumption is similar over the decades for me, on similar models. All of the gains to efficiency went to more capability instead.
Anecdote time!
In the past couple weeks, I:
stopped driving my 2007 vehicle
rented a 2025 Toyota Corolla for a while
bought a base-model 2022 model year vehicle
The newer ones have much better handling, power, and comfort, along with some fancy features. They also have some significant downgrades. For the Corolla:
The touchscreen for the radio (etc) is too bright. It’s also a touchscreen instead of buttons.
The signal lights don’t react properly. There is no physical feedback when you lock in the switch, and it doesn’t cancel the lights immediately when you unclick the stick.
It gives useless warnings. Whenever a car merges in front of you, it displays a “there is a car merging in front of you” graphic where your speed etc. was on the dashboard.
It gives useless warnings part 2. It can usually detect the speed limit with its cameras, and displays them to you. It can’t detect “Resume Speed”, or “Construction Zone Ends” or any similar sign. When it fails like that or simply doesn’t see a faster speed limit sign, it gives you a solid red warning that you might be speeding.
It gives useless warnings part 3. Yes, I will totally check the back seat for passengers. Thank you, car. Yes, I will also obey all traffic laws and drive safely. Thanks for the reminder.
Visibility is worse, and the warning lights (e.g. blindspot detectors on the side mirrors) only partially mitigate that. It may be specific to the model, but I’ve seen a clear trend from 1998 → 2007 → 2022/2025.
Also, fuel consumption is similar over the decades for me, on similar models. All of the gains to efficiency went to more capability instead.