mmarshall

That's the Racer Motors Mach 5. Road and Track magazine did a story on that car in the new April issue. I have the paper copy.

Sorry, request denied.............I limit my reviews to practical street machines.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Nice review Marshall. I like the look of the interior in this car. Very upscale for its class.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I'm telling you...the closer gas inches to $4 a gallon, the more appealing a Corolla XRS looks to me...

Nextourer

Not to mention our Corolla gets optional 8-Way Power Driver's Seat.


Thanks for the review again! A great read. One magazine did test the Corolla and the braking distance was appalling. We don't know if it's the brake pads or the tyres that were the cause of the long braking distances. I don't wanna know what the distance is without Brake Assist and ABS w/EBD.

LexusIS-TL

I hear that there was suppose to be a hyrid version of the Corolla. I have to admit, I do miss my 03 Corolla. One of the first 9th gen that I owned. Love the TRD supercharger that was in that thing and still gave me excellent gas mileage.

However, I did see a few of these new 10th gen on the road and upon first glance, it looked good from the front. But when it passed me on the opposite side of the road and I could see the rear end, OMG, ugly. Still, you can't complain about the Corolla's refinement overall. I say they did a great job with the car.

Nextourer

That and the Matrix, yes. We'll shall see what Toyota brings us next year.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Among U.S. market versions, only the XLE version has what I would call a nice interior...and it, IMO, is not quite up to the Hyundai Elantra's interior.

Can't complain about the Corolla's refinement though...it is first-rate.

mmarshall

The exterior styling is pretty much a downsize version of the new Camry. It is hard to tell them apart except for physical size.

mmarshall

.....or a Corolla Hybrid, if Toyota will get started on one. It could use the Prius drivetrain. I would consider buying one myself.

LexusIS-TL

I didn't have any problems with the Camry look since it's a bigger size, but on a Corolla, the rear looks all squished together. Would I still get it? Yes. It's got more standard features than the Civic will ever offer for a great price. I have to admit, there are thoughts that pop into my mind every once in awhile whether I should downgrade from my IS to the new Corolla.

mmarshall

Sure. Anytime.

I suspected this from the Sponge-O-Matic brake bedal in my test car, but of course, with a new car, did not push the brakes to the limit. But the pedal did feel more or less like a wet noodle under your shoe.

Usually, if the tires don't lock up, long braking distances are more a problem in the brakes themselves than the tires. It felt, on the car I drove, like the pads just weren't getting much friction on the rotors.

ABS and Brake Assist, BTW, will not necessarily, by themselves, shorten your stopping distance. It depends on many other factors as well....ABS only prevents wheel lockup and maintains steering control.

mmarshall

If your IS is RWD (as most are, except for the IS250 AWD), you will, in most cases get better wet/snow traction with the FWD Corolla. It will, of course, also be cheaper to run and to insure. But you will also give up the nicer interior, better acceleration, and sport-sedan RWD handling of the IS. If you want to economize a little and still keep some zip, look the 2.4L FWD Corolla XRS...but the XRS has lower-profile tires that don't ride as smooth or have as good wet/snow traction as other Corollas.

spwolf

actually, it is interesting story - Rav4, Auris and Yaris won many comparos in germany due to superior brakes (brake distances), unlike Toyota's of old, including previous Corolla.

Also, build quality of new Corolla is a lot better than before. I had previous one and have new Auris. Worlds apart.

Nextourer

I suppose. Slightly ignorant post on my part. Still, it's reliant on the quality of the pads.

It won't use the Prius' drivetrain. It's old. The 1NZ in old. The TCH, HiHy and all Lexus hybrids have the updated powertrain (they're all using 288V batteries with an inverter stepping up to 650V max). The Prius runs on 201.6V stepped up to 500V max.

Given that both the Corolla and Matrix are designed to fit the 2.4 litre, methinks Toyota will shoehorn the 2ZR 1.8 litre with the HSD (and use that setup on the Prius too. We've been expecting a 1.8 litre in the Prius for a while now). That should prove to be very fuel efficient.

The thing is, I have a slight beef with TMS calling it an "XLE". There's nothing in there (aside from wood trim) that warrants an XLE emblem. SKS? automatic climate control? leather-trimmed seats? I mean it has the same options (plus nav/bluetooth) as the last gen LE. What makes this an XLE?

Our Canadian model gets SKS, automatic climate control and optional 8-way power driver's seat, power moonroof, overhead console bin with larger maplights and rear centre armrest (first for a Corolla IIRC). Add leather seats and that can warrant an XLE emblem.

mmarshall

The American-market XLE version, compared to the American-market LE, not only gets the wood inside but more attractive/plush cloth uphostery and a several comfort/convienence features as well....for a somewhat higher price.
Alloy wheels are an option on both...but, unfortunately (if you want a smoother ride) on the XLE, you cannot get 65-series tires at all with either wheel...you're stuck with the firmer 55's. Toyota, like many manufacturers, seems to think that the higher the trim level you go, the firmer the ride/handling combination you want.....that is often not true. If you want handling, that is what the Corolla XRS is for....with its 45-series sport tires.

Still, the XLE, clearly, is one of the nicest of small cars...I'd rate it about even with the Hyundai Elantra.