Materials used in the seats appear classy with nice fit and finish. The driver's seat has a much more substantial feel than in many cars in this price range, which makes it more comfortable for long journeys. Even the doors shut with a pleasant thud thanks to sound deadening felt mounted inside the door panels.
Take a look inside a Corolla LE with optional leather seating and you could easily imagine you're looking inside a luxury car instead of a $17,000 compact. The leather seats have a luxurious soft pleated finish, while the center console and door panels have wood-like veneer trim. Okay it's fake but it's so well made that it looks more realistic than some real wood found in luxury cars. Both the LE and S models get a sporty leather-wrapped steering wheel that adds to the enjoyment of driving.
The XRS gets sport seats, a silver-colored instrument cluster and switch plates, optitron meters, and a leather-like shift boot and leather shift knob.
The dashboard is nicely laid out with exemplary ergonomics and a finish comparable to that of more expensive cars. Its top surface sweeps across the width of the car in a slight S-curve and wraps into the door trim. Each side of the center console seamlessly blends up to the lower portion of the dash. Four small vents are nicely inlaid into the upper part of the dash.
The radio is located high up so it is easy to reach while the three large round knobs for the heating and air conditioning system are located below. The handle for the parking brake is located on the left of the center console so there's room for a small storage cubbyhole on the right. Storage spaces are quite generous with small pockets in each door and the glove box is large. Map lights on Corolla S and LE are mounted on the rearview mirror, not the ideal location.
Three overlapping round gauges in the instrument pod contain a large speedometer, a smaller tachometer to the left and a water temperature gauge and fuel gauge mounted in a matching circle to the right. They incorporate red lettering on a plain white background and are easy to read at night. There's also an outside temperature readout on all models.
The rear seats split 60/40 to allow access from the trunk, though the opening is not that large, limiting pass-through with large cargo. The trunk is one of the biggest in this class. The gooseneck hinges intrude into the cargo space and can crush fragile items if they are in the way. Many auto manufacturers have switched to the scissor-type hinges that are located outside the storage space, though this design often results in a smaller trunk opening.
All in all, the interior has a high level of refinement beyond what one expects in a low cost sub-compact.
