2017 Toyota Corolla SE

I was pleasantly surprised when my ICAR reservation at Enterprise yielded this relatively new (<5K miles) 2017 Corolla in SE trim. I've seen many Corollas on National's Emerald Aisle and they've all been the lower LE trim, so it was great to see the better equipped SE model in the EAN fleet.

The SE designation is new for 2017, which also marked a mid-model refresh for the Corolla. Other key changes for 2017 include the addition of Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) across all models and a slightly refreshed nose. The SE features new Multi-LED headlights, along with LED DRLs that move to the bumper and some really nice looking 17" wheels. This Classic Silver SE did not have Smart Key or a moonroof, both of which are available in an optional premium package. As equipped, with no additional options, the 2017 Corolla SE has an MSRP of $20,445.


Inside, the SE trim offers a leather-wrapped steering wheel and comfortable seats trimmed in leatherette and cloth. A 6.1" touch-screen (with physical volume and tuning buttons) sits above the single-zone auto-climate controls for the air conditioning. No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but the interface is fairly intuitive (disclaimer: hard for me to fairly judge since I have a Toyota at home).

A 4" color display sits between the gauges and is configurable. I couldn't find a digital speedometer view, though.



Compared to the "bare bones" BMW 5-Series I had rented a few days earlier, the Corolla impressed with safety features. First off, a backup camera is standard (across all trims). More impressive, the aforementioned standard Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) includes a pre-collision system with automatic braking, lane departure alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control, and automatic high beams.



I didn't get a chance to put many miles on the Corolla, as its primary task was to take us to Downtown Vegas and back. It was more than adequate for 3 adults and shopping bags, so I wouldn't consider this a full test of its capabilities. I was happy getting 1) a low-mileage Enterprise rental that still had the new-car smell and 2) having it be a higher-trim level than I would have expected. The inclusion of impressive safety technology across all trims is also something I hope to see spread to other manufacturers.