Compare the2022 Acura ILXVS 2022 Toyota Corolla

Both the ILX and the Corolla have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Acura ILX is safer than the Toyota Corolla:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The ILX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Corolla’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the ILX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Corolla. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Corolla ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the ILX second among small premium cars in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Corolla isn’t in the top three in its category.

The ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 62 more horsepower (201 vs. 139) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (180 vs. 126) than the Corolla’s standard 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder. The ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (201 vs. 169) and 29 lbs.-ft. more torque (180 vs. 151) than the Corolla SE/XSE’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Acura ILX is faster than the Corolla SE/XSE 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

The ILX offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Corolla doesn’t offer an SMG.

For better stopping power the ILX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla:

For better traction, the ILX has larger standard tires than the Corolla (215/45R17 vs. 195/65R15).

The ILX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Corolla L’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ILX has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Corolla L.

The ILX has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Corolla doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The ILX A-SPEC handles at .83 G’s, while the Corolla XSE pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The ILX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Corolla doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The ILX has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the ILX offers cargo security. The Corolla’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the ILX. The Corolla doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 21% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

When two different drivers share the ILX, the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The Corolla doesn’t offer a memory system.

The ILX’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Corolla’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The ILX’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Corolla L’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent. The Corolla LE/SE/XLE/XLS’ manually variable intermittent wipers don’t change delay with speed.

The ILX’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Corolla and aren’t offered on the Corolla L.

When the ILX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Corolla’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The ILX’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The ILX’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Corolla doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Insurance will cost less for the ILX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the ILX will cost $1100 to $2250 less than the Corolla over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the ILX is less expensive to operate than the Corolla because typical repairs cost much less on the ILX than the Corolla, including $58 less for a muffler and $682 less for a timing belt/chain.