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A silver 2021 Toyota Corolla Apex travels on a highway lined with foliage

There Are 2 2021 Toyota Corolla Trims to Choose From if You Want a Fun-to-Drive Car

One of the fun things about buying a new car is customizing it to your liking. Standard features are great, but the options you choose really make a car yours. You’ll likely drive the vehicle for several years, so you want it to be as close to perfect as possible. Choosing from various trim options …

One of the fun things about buying a new car is customizing it to your liking. Standard features are great, but the options you choose really make a car yours. You’ll likely drive the vehicle for several years, so you want it to be as close to perfect as possible. Choosing from various trim options is one way to get the style you want. If you’re in the market for a 2021 Toyota Corolla, there are two trim packages to consider if you want your car to look especially nice.

Take a look at these two 2021 Toyota Corolla trims.

A 2021 Toyota Corolla review

CarGurus was impressed with the 2021 Toyota Corolla when the publication test-drove and reviewed the car. It gave the compact an overall score of 7.8 out of 10. The vehicle really shined in technology and safety, earning a 9 in each category.

The folks at CarGurus also liked how the Corolla looks and feels, giving it an 8 in that category. The review specifically called out the SE and XSE trims. They said those two “add some spice to the basic commuter-car recipe.” The SE and XSE trim levels add even more beauty to the 12th-generation Corolla, which the review says is “arguably the most attractive” in the model’s lineage.

What do you get with the Toyota Corolla SE or XSE trim?

To make an informed buying decision, you have to know what comes with each option. According to Toyota, here are some features you’ll get if you choose the Corolla SE or XSE package.

SE features

With the Corolla SE trim, you get a gray metallic front grille with LED accent lighting, with the same color side rocker panels and a color-keyed rear spoiler. The SE also gives you 18-inch machined alloy wheels. Inside, expect premium sport seats with sport fabric inserts. If you bump it up slightly to the SE Nightshade Edition, the wheels are blacked out and the gray metallic elements are swapped out for black elements. You also get black accents on the mirror caps and door handles.

XSE features

If you go up a level or two to the Corolla XSE trim, the rear spoiler will also be in the front grille’s metallic-gray color. You’ll also get a power moonroof you can slide or tilt that also has a sliding sunshade. If you live in a cold climate, you’ll like that the XSE gives you heated front seats. You’ll also get a leather-trimmed tilt and telescopic steering wheel with paddle shifters. The XSE comes with more safety features, including a blind-spot monitor and alerts for cross-traffic.

What will these extra features cost?

Whenever you get upgrades on a vehicle, you’ll pay more for it. So you’ll have to weigh the benefits of the extra features versus the extra cost for the trim package.

In the 2021 Toyota Corolla’s case, the base-level L trim has a starting MSRP of $20,025. If you want to go with the SE trim, you’ll be laying out a couple of thousand extra based on its $22,475 retail price for its standard features.

From there, the SE Nightshade Edition requires a few more $100 bills at a starting MSRP of $23,175. Then there’s the XSE, which again raises the price by thousands. If you want to get to that level, the MSRP starts at $25,925, nearly a 30 percent premium over the L trim.

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