I’ve not sat in the Corolla but I was less than impressed when I sat in the Rav 4. I would never have one due to the CVT gearbox.
Both Honda & Toyota make their own CVT gearboxes – and both are very good indeed – much better than Nissan’s awful Jatco CVT efforts. Toyota’s CVT in the Corolla is a eCVT which contains a ‘real’ 1st gear… good enough to get the 2.0l hybrid from 0-60 in 7.9 seconds. I think you just need to get used to a CVT and how to drive one. My current C-HR 1.2 turbo is a CVT and is lovely to drive. Just remember not to let your right foot push the pedal flat to the floor when pulling away!