TOYOTA’S Corolla beat the Mazda3 to be crowned the best-selling car of 2013 after a year where the title lead changed three times.

With no time to bask in the glory, the battle was back on and now the Japanese rivals are again neck and neck in the sales war to be number one in 2014.

In 1966 Australia became the first country outside Japan to sell the Corolla and we’ve had a long and mostly happy relationship with it ever since. The 11th-generation Corolla hatch was launched in 2012 and in February this year the all-new Thai-built sedan replaced the ageing previous-gen model.

While the hatch traditionally accounts for 70 per cent of Corolla sales, the arrival of the new sedan has provided a boost and takes the fight to the Mazda3 sedan.

As the end-of-year showdown looms, GoAuto road tested the Corolla SX sedan with the continuously variable transmission (CVT) after spending a brief amount of time in the manual. So does the latest offering with the trusted nameplate live up to the reputation that’s made the Corolla an Australian favourite?

Click here for the full review...