Corolla LE vs S

Are you having a hard time assessing the Toyota Corolla LE vs the Toyota Corolla S? It can be hard sometimes to pick the right level of trim when choosing a new car. You are often faced with long lists of features when viewing manufacturers’ web sites and they don’t always make it easy to pick out the differences. Often the best way to really compare two levels of trim is to view the vehicles in a showroom and have sales staff show you the differences. If you don’t have time for that right now though, here is a brief guide to the main selling points of the Toyota Corolla LE vs the Toyota Corolla S.

S is for Sport

As you might have guessed, the “S” in the Corolla S means sport. Therefore you will find a few differences in the looks of the Toyota Corolla LE vs the Toyota Corolla S. The Corolla S has a decidedly sporty look, which extends the already slightly aggressive lines of the new Corolla even further. The grill features chrome accents and a black insert. The S also has front fog lights, a chrome tipped exhaust, rear spoiler and body-colored heated mirrors as standard equipment. The wheel covers are also unique to the Corolla S, to further distinguish it visually from the LE and the rest of the trim range.

Interior Details

The LE is a step up from the base Toyota Corolla L, adding a smart 6-speaker audio system with voice recognition control, a touch screen and reversing camera. It also has more upscale interior trim. The Corolla S though, adds some more features to appeal to the sports oriented driver. These enhancements include sport seats, piano-black dashboard, steering wheel paddle shifters for the transmission and a full instrument cluster with trip computer. The steering wheel also has a leather wrap to add a little more flair to the Corolla S interior.

Power Train and Mechanics

While the Corolla LE and the Corolla S both come with continuously variable transmission, the S gets an additional sports mode for punchier driving performance. The Corolla S Plus version also comes with rear disc brakes and 17” alloy wheels. A unique option for buyers of the Toyota Corolla S Plus is the possibility to have 6-speed manual transmission as an alternative to the continuously variable transmission.

Price

Clearly then, the Toyota Corolla S comes with a little bit more, so naturally you will pay a little bit more too. The Corolla LE costs around $19,000 for the most basic version (there is also an LE Plus and LE Premium). The Corolla S, meanwhile, will set you back around $19,800. That’s really not a substantial price increase when you consider the extras you get with the sports version. If you want a Corolla S with even more specification improvements, you can get the S Plus, with choice of CVT or manual transmission for a price of just over $22,000.

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