I am so excited to be part of the team working on the new Corolla blog! It feels like yesterday when I had the chance to test drive the previous Toyota Corolla model, and already one can now drive off in the newly released 10th generation Corolla this year.

My experience with Toyota Corolla started out five years ago when my Mom and I were looking for a set of wheels for me as I was about to reach the legendary 21 year mark of my life and my birthday gift was going to be a new car that I could use to get to and fro from campus. It was the greatest opportunity at another step in my independence and to own a car meant that I would have newfound responsibilities in my family.

I remember driving around to the McCarthy Toyota dealership at Woodmead to check out what I thought to be the new Toyota Tazz at the time, but instead my Mom had other plans for me. I arrived at the dealer's door only to step into a new entry-level Toyota Corolla, which was way too smart and luxurious back then for my 'student' taste. The car was so big and encompassing that I remember thinking I'd always feel safe and be driving a reliable car if I decided to take the Corolla for more than a spin.

However due to impeding factors, like this was only to be my first start-up car and the not the car I could foresee spending the rest of my life in, I opted for another brand of car in a more student-oriented range to match the lifestyle I had at the time.

My interactions with the Toyota Corolla did not end all those years ago though, I've had the pleasure of being the passenger in my boyfriend's dad's 15 year old trusty Toyota Corolla. That car just keeps on going and has never let us down on our many trips and outings that we've made with it. I have even had the opportunity to drive the 9th generation Toyota Corolla on two of the trips around South Africa that I have made this year. What a comfortable and amazing experience that was, and now my man and I are even considering giving up our "student" images to go for the new and delightfully refined 10th generation Toyota Corolla.

Not only are the new Corollas stylish and available in some really great colours, they're also elegantly smooth and contoured on our dusty roads. The Toyota Corolla definitely has a part to play in my future and the fact that I get to check out every facet of the car now that I'm part of the Corolla blog team, makes it all the more exciting. I'm fascinated and very much impressed by its eco-friendly fuel consumption and its five star NCAP rating is definitely an aspect of which Toyota South Africa can be proud. I cannot wait to get a chance to test drive the latest Corolla and am glad to report that these Toyota Corollas have something more attractive to reel buyers in, and that is the fact that they are tested and assembled right here on South African shores.

So if you've got stories of your own to share with us, or know someone that does, please get hold of the Corolla blog so we can share in your enthusiasm for a beautiful and beloved car, the Toyota Corolla!