2019 Toyota Corolla: Truly a Cub-to-Bear Classic for all (your) ages

If you really are one of those practical bears and the one place you need to show it (especially for your spouse) is in the transportation department, a good way to do that would be to drive a Toyota Corolla. This is a car that has been around longer than many of you, and that’s because it’s been practical, affordable, not all that flashy but there when you need it and always good for a comforting, sobering ride home.

Unchanged from last year, the 2019 Corolla (I tested the hatchback) is part of the Eleventh Generation of the car (that’s old – and classic) and still gives some decent gas mileage (30 city / 40 highway) and plenty of cozy room inside.  You can make a full-on bear cross-country road trip in the 2019 Corolla and have all be fairly comfortable for long stretches of motorway. Starting at $18,700, this is one of the least expensive small cars to explore if money is a factor when purchasing a new car (chuckle, because when is money not a factor?).

Yet alas, there are and have always been some downsides to consider. Edmunds.com says its acceleration is poor for its class, and yet, having been a lifelong driver and fan of the Corolla, I find this year’s model one of the fastest and peppiest ever. Okay, well, I am biased, but this is the car you buy and stick with if money is a concern but you don’t want to be stuck with a used car and surprise repair bills every year.

Even though Edmunds.com calls it “a snooze to drive”, this car is perfect for all you inner city, groovy bears.  It’s small enough to park anywhere, illegal or otherwise (“hey, officer, I was just running in to buy some pills for sick mother, honest”). You can get most of your friends in it and have them sit comfortably. And you really will enjoy the drive, assuming your friends aren’t true holes or fussbudgets.

You can even get the 2019 Toyota Corolla in Blue Flame(r), which is the color they gave me, as seen here. Hmm.  I guess they know me quite well.

I found a little gem of a video on YouTube, and I think it gives a good overview of the Corolla for those who may be unfamiliar with this urban, working man’s everyday economy vehicle. 

They seem to be good guys, donating to local charities that help low income mothers and children, distressed animals and local arts programs, and that’s always a good sign that they are gay-friendly. Personally, I like that in businesses from which I shop.

At another LGBT publication where I once worked, a colleague was known as the luxury, A-List car guy who knew everything about all the luxury brands like Mercedes, BMW, Audi. Likewise, I was known as the working man’s (or Down the Food Chain) car guy who could tell you about the affordable and basic cars.  Basically, how a car can stretch a dollar and how can it hold up in cold and adverse conditions, like a financial downturn. I like that I was known as more down-to-earth, and I prefer it that way. I can tell you a lot about the cold hard realities of life….

What can I tell you about luxury?  Not much, even when the Tiffany and Cartier are staring me right in the kisser….