mmcartalk
Expert
- Messages
- 4,157
- Reactions
- 2,675
Ah yes, the ubiquitous Toyota Corolla.....along with the equally-ubquitous VW Beetle, arguably the best-selling car in history, especially when Corolla-rebadges like the 80s-vintage Chevrolet Nova and 90s-vintage Geo/Chevy Prizm are taken into consideration...they were simply FWD Corollas with minor trim differences. A street or road without a Corolla on it is like the ocean without fish.
And there are reasons for the Corolla's virtually-unmatched popularity worldwide. It is reliable, inexpensive, economical to drive, reasonably comfortable for its size, refined to drive, is relatively uncomplex mechanically, fits in a lot of smaller places for maneuverability (though it is not as small as today's subcompacts or minibars) and has a well-designed control layout that is relatively easy to use. It has had traditionally low depreciation as a used car, retaining a decent share if its value. Most of them are also driven rather conservatively, by sensible drivers, which also gives them a break on insurance-premiums.
I'm doing this write-up primarily because I saw a comparison test in the latest Motor Trend publication (a friend of mine recently sent me a copy) between the Corolla, Civic, and Mazda3. Surprisingly, in MT's opinion, the latest Mazda3, previously the enthusiast-favorite among FWD compact-sedan drivers, was bumped all the way down to third place, behind the Civic and Corolla, mainly because of a jerky automatic transmission and the elimination of the IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) for a torsion-beam, which they said significantly degraded the car's ride /handling compared to what was before.
They mentioned something on the latest Corolla, though, which I thought was very interesting....a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with a conventional starter-gear for starting up from rest. CVTs are extremely efficient once you get them rolling, but sometimes have an unpleasant rubber-banding or motorboating sensation when accelerating from rest or lower speeds. The purpose of the starter-gear is to (supposedly) eliminate that unpleasant sensation, imitate a traditional automatic starting up, then shift over to the CVT for maximum efficiency. Although MT didn't really talk about the new transmission set-up much (basically just a casual reference), it really got my interest up. I thought it was a great idea, and I wanted to see and experience it for myself. I also figured that maybe some Corolla fans in the forum might (?) be interested, so, Presto......another MM test-drive. Road and Track Magazine also has a short article/video on the Corolla's new setup, which I'll post for reference.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...with-1st-gear/
Before I get to the actual test-drive and the new transmission, though, I'll give a brief overview of the latest Corolla itself, which, in the U.S. market, now comes in seven different versions as a gas-powered sedan, three as a gas-powered hatchback, and one as a first-ever Corolla Hybrid sedan. Three different gas engines are available, depending on the version......two different normally aspirated 1.8L fours or a or 2.0L four. Three transmissions are available, again depending on the version.....a traditional three-pedal 6-speed manual, and CVTs with and without the starter-gear feature. The unique starter-gear feature on the CVT is available on only certain SE or XSE trim-levels, so for the test-drive, I chose a white XSE sedan that overall, was a little more sport-oriented in wheels and suspension than I would have chosen as a daily-driver. With a couple of moderately-priced options, it listed for roughly 28K.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this latest new Corolla. Though always producing reliable vehicles, Toyota has been stung by recent criticism, from a number of sources, for cheapness in the design, materials, and trim of its products. A prime example was the new RAV-4 last year...I wish Toyota would have put the material-attention to it that it did in this new Corolla XSE. Or, for that matter, into previous recent Corollas. This latest Corolla passed my quality-inspection with few complaints...which is often not easy to do. Though, as with many recent Toyota products, I am not a fan of the new Corolla's front-end styling, some of the famous Toyota quality of old seemed to be coming back. The body sheet metal was solid by today's standards, all four doors closed with a solid precise thunk, everything on the exterior and interior fit with precise-alignment, exterior and interior hardware, particularly inside, felt like it was no longer bargain-basement quality, and controls/buttons felt solid in your hands/fingers and operated with a precise, Swiss-Watch feel. The seats were not cushy-soft like my Lacrosse, but reasonably comfortable, and I liked the two-tone blue and black cloth stripe-pattern on the seating surfaces. In addition, the black interior featured nicely-done bright blue stitching on the door panels, arm rests, and a couple of other places. The stereo was a JBL upgrade, and the sound quality reflected it....not long ago, you had to get a Lexus to have something like it. The only thing I didn't care for inside was the tacky, attached-on look of the upright video-screen in the middle, but that feature is something that is rapidly spreading throughout much of the industry these days.
OK....let's hit the road. The 2.0L gas four starts and runs with typical Toyota engine-refinement, though it is not quite as silky as a typical V6. It delivers a reasonable amount of spunk for its size and lack of a turbo, though this car, even in the XSE sport-oriented version, is not designed to be a powerhouse. The transmission (the main subject of the test-drive) operated seamlessly....Toyota is also famous for silky drivetrains. Start-ups from rest, as advertised, with the special conventional gear, were virtually indistinguishable from a conventional torque-converter automatic, and I could not detect when the system transferred forward motion from the gear to the CVT drive-belt. None of the typical CVT rubber-banding or motor boating characteristics were noticeable on initial acceleration, and only a small hint of them at higher speeds, after the starter get disconnected. I sampled both manual (with shift-paddles) and full-auto operation of the CVT, and manual paddle-shifts were instantaneous an butter-smooth. If this transmission proves reliable (and most Toyota transmissions are, even CVTs), IMO, Toyota's engineers will have solved one of the recurring complaints of CVTs with the general public, and made this type of transmission acceptable to a lot more new-vehicle buyers. Now, if they will just make it available in more different models. I can understand the caution, though, in limiting the number of models it is offered in at first, just in case any unforeseen or teething problems do develop.
And, of course, to the rest of the test-drive. I was also quite pleased with the design of the chassis and underpinnings, though, of course, the 40-series sport-oriented all-season tires and sport-suspension rode a little firmer than I would have liked...entry-level Corollas with the tall 65-series tires and standard suspension would be notably smoother. Steering response was very quick by compact sedan-standards.....(almost like a FWD sports sedan), and body roll was minimal. Wind noise was minimal, probably because of the solid, precisely-fitted doors and good weatherstripping, but some road/tire came through to the cabin from the sport-oriented rubber. Brakes were smooth and effective, and the gas/brake pedals were reasonably well-located (but not ideal) for my big size-15 circus-clown shoes to avoid hang-ups going from gas pedal to brake.
In short, well done, Toyota. If some other recent products from the company could have been designed and built like this, a lot of the recent criticism could have been avoided.
And, as Always.....Happy Car Shopping.
MM