Toyota Corolla XSE Vs. SE: What's The Difference Between These Trims?

The Corolla is Toyota's longest-running model in the United States. It's also one of the most popular vehicles in America with over 50 million sold. It's known for reliability, practicality, and a relatively low starting price. The Corolla competes with compact sedans and hatchbacks like the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and Hyundai Elantra. For 2025, there's a new FX trim that harkens back to the old FX16 hatchback and livens up the lineup with performance-adjacent upgrades like lowered suspension, a rear spoiler, black exterior accents, and unique wheels. Aside from the base Corolla LE trim and the special-edition FX trim, there are two trims that are very popular amongst Corolla shoppers: the SE and the XSE.

First, let's place these two trim levels in the Corolla lineup. The Corolla is available as a sedan and a hatchback, as well as a hybrid variant. For the purposes of this breakdown, we're covering the sedan only with the standard powertrain. The Toyota Corolla Hybrid is certainly worth a closer look for its impressive fuel economy, but its trim structure varies slightly from the sedan a bit which could muddy the waters when it comes to understanding what the SE and XSE models offer. With that in mind, let's break down the differences and see what each of these trims has to offer.

The base trim for the Corolla is the LE, which starts at $22,175. Coincidentally, it's the least expensive new car Toyota currently sells of any size or shape. Above the LE however, is the SE. The SE starts at $24,615 and adds a fair amount of equipment to the LE's list of standard features. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a six-speaker stereo, four USB-C ports, and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (Toyota's suite of driver aids like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and pre-collision warning) are all standard on the LE and the SE. The SE however, adds features like LED running lights, chrome exhaust tips, 18-inch alloy wheels (the LE gets steel wheels), and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. On the SE, you can also add Toyota's 10.5-inch infotainment screen along with wireless smartphone charging and a sunroof — features you can't get on the base model.

Under the hood, this Corolla gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. That's not exactly a tower of power, but the standard LE gets a fuel economy rating from the EPA of 35 mpg combined (32 city/41 highway) which is pretty impressive for a non-hybrid model. The SE's fuel economy rating drops a bit to 34 mpg combined (31 city/40 highway) thanks to its larger wheels and tires, but it's still respectable even amongst fuel-sippers.

The Corolla SE is certainly appealing, but the XSE is as plush as it gets with the Corolla. The XSE starts at $27,890, and like the SE it includes all the standard equipment plus some extras worth noting. The XSE comes with the same 2.0-liter engine as the SE, and the same 18-inch graphite-colored wheels. What's more, its fuel economy ratings are the same as the SE. The SE's optional sunroof, however, comes standard on the XSE, as do features like wireless smartphone charging, and Toyota's 10.5-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The XSE also comes with creature comforts like heated front seats, and heated exterior mirrors with blind-spot indicators. Unique amongst Corollas, the XSE also offers an optional 9-speaker JBL stereo.

Considering the price increase of just over $3,200, the XSE actually offers a considerable amount of value when compared with the SE. The heated seats, upgraded screen, and the sunroof all spruce things up quite a bit. Add the available JBL system and the economic Corolla starts to feel a bit more upscale. Looking into the hatchback for a bit of extra storage space, checking out the hybrid for fuel economy ratings that crest 50 mpg, or test-driving the high-performance GR Corolla all make sense in their own unique ways, but the SE and XSE are quite appealing too. It turns out Toyota's least-expensive new car is also one of its most versatile.