Just got back from another 500 mile road trip for work. Went to a different rental company and got a Toyota Corolla S this time due to not being allowed to take a larger Chevy with OnStar. Customer does not like OnStar for a bunch of reasons I won't go into here. Choice was also limited due to a big convention in town this week. To add to my cup of joy the weather on Wednesday was windy, VERY windy and mostly dead in my face. I reckon 75 mph ground speed was about 115 mph airspeed in a few places.

The Corolla S is fitted with a trunk spoiler (ooooh!) and some larger than standard fancy alloys with low profile tyres compared to the "normal" Corollas. It also seemed to have a different front fascia with a deeper spoiler and foglights. You could smell the "quick, get some cheap marketing on it" from 20 feet away.

The 2013 is the last model to come with the 1.8 motor combined with a 4-speed auto. If 4-speeds does not sound like enough with 1.8 liters to you, then you are quite right. This is the same spec as a 2001 Chevrolet Prizm that had 350 lbs less weight to carry. The gaps between the ratios are better described as chasms. You really notice this going up hills and into the wind. Whereas the Versa I had last time out would vary the CVT ratio smoothly to compensate with the revs usually rising by 4-500 rpm, the Toyota box would unlock the torque converter and shortly afterwards drop down a gear with an 1100 rpm shift. Thank goodness the 1.8 motor is actually very smooth, although not silent by any means. For sure it's a nicer mill than the Nissan 1.6 in the Versa. Performance overall is best described as leisurely. Passing required lots of forward planning. In fact, I think the little Versa showed more pep despite its 1.6 motor and CVT.

The interior of the Corolla gave me no offense, although habitual window sill leaners won't like the hard tops to the door trims. I don't drive like that so it's a non-issue for me. The seats were OK so long as I did not try to wear a bulky coat. Cupholders worked well and the trunk is a good size. Heat and A/C worked OK but were never stressed that hard either way. The radio looks sexy and has facilities like Bluetooth but is badly let down by the antenna. I think the antenna is integrated into the heated rear window and it does not work very well.

Now we come to my biggest gripes that lie in the ride and handling department. Remember the big low profile wheels and tires? Some joker had inflated those to 40 PSI when the door sticker said 32 PSI. It just amazes me how a car orientated society can repeatedly screw up something simple like tire inflation. Yes, I ALWAYS check the tires on a rental.

So, now with more realistic tire pressures I could drive the car. Oh dear, it seemed VERY sensitive to the road surface. I could not work out if the car had mammoth amounts of toe-in or if the tires were flat spotted. On a grippy new surface it felt like the fronts were fighting each other and an odd vibration came and went, like there were flat spots moving in and out of phase. On a coarser surface the issue went away, which makes me think it was some kind of tire/road interface issue. When I hit that particular style of surface on the way home it started the intermittent vibration again.

The ride over bigger bumps was fine and it handled quite well, but the surface sensitivity was marked. Maybe those S package tires and wheels are a mistake, because there were a few places where the road noise was deafening. I was also less than convinced by the straight line stability, but maybe that was due more to the wind rather than the chassis. It was more stable than the Versa, but then so is a banana boat in a hurricane.

Gas mileage was dismal on the way out at a bare 30 mpg. Those 30+ mph headwinds caused that, I suspect. It did MUCH better on the way back. Less wind, largely downhill to Vegas, and 5 mph less set on the excellent cruise control probably accounts for the 40.9 mpg for the return leg. These are "fill tank" numbers, not built-in trip meter derived. To be candid I would trade 3-4 mpg for more gears and some meaningful performance when passing. The Chevrolet Prizm I drove years ago went like a scalded cat by comparison and still got great mileage. Small cars have got too big and heavy IMHO.

Pros: Mostly nicer and quieter than the Versa.

Cons: Slower than a sloth on Valium. Some unknown tire/suspension issue on certain surfaces.

Good review, thanks... All I know about Corollas is that I absolutely can't stand getting behind one in traffic. It seems that every single person driving a Corolla is NOT in a hurry to get anywhere! And I mean every time I get behind one of these things. And, oh how they love staying in the left lane of a two lane roadway when going slower than the right lane traffic. Seriously, you are in THE PASSING LANE, PULL TO THE RIGHT if you are going slower than traffic! Drives me nuts! (Thanks for letting me vent, I feel a little better now)

After reading this review, maybe now I understand why these drivers are going so slow. I always thought it was all of those O/B '12 bumper stickers weighing them down.

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Up to about 2 years ago, the Corolla was available with the standard Camry engine, then about 140hp as opposed to approx. 110hp (??) of the standard Corolla engine. The salespeople at AutoNation on Sahara do not know why it is no longer an option. Before I established residency and bought a car, I rented Camrys and really liked the one S model I got: very peppy, even with the standard engine. Not thirsty either.

It was windy that day, Steve, but nothing like the winds of last July 19 if you recall. Those were sustained close to 100mph! The tree in my front yard was bent over at a 90 degree angle just off the ground. Able to save it, though.

I bought a Corolla LE in 2004, brand new, it now has over 144k on it! It's a 5 speed manual, and there's no comparison between that and an automatic. The automatics are gutless, especially going uphill. Not the "coolest" vehicle I've ever owned, but by far the most reliable and trouble free. And when I put gas in it, I have trouble remembering exactly when I last did.

And I always drive in the correct lane!

I recently had to get a rental car , due to my parked truck having to go into the body shop for repair, after it was struck by a hit & run jerk.

My insurance Co. used Hertz for the rental, and they met me at the body shop to give me the rental. It was a 2014 Chevy Malibu, which was very nice, so I thought. When I went to get into the vehicle, I had to contort myself, bend my head down further than I normally can, and had to squeeze into the driver's seat. Interior was nice, but small. Seat was too small for my large frame and big butt, and I had one heck of a time hooking up the seat belt.

The gas pedal was too close to the brake pedal and the seat did not go back far enough. I'm 6" 4", have had 6 or 7 back/neck surgeries, have Rheumatoid arthritis, and am 70 years old. I drove the car home and parked it, except for one short trip I had to make, until it was time to take it back and get my truck. I did call the local Hertz office and asked if I could get a larger vehicle, but was told none were available.

For the short time I did drive it, it rode nice, but that's all I can say. #1, I will never own a Government Motors vehicle and #2, would not look twice at a "mid-size" one, which for me are too small. Even my Ford Ranger seems to be getting smaller to me and more difficult to get into. My buddy has a Ford Escape, which I really like, but even it seems too small for me to sit in or drive comfortably.
Looks like it's a van or a larger truck for me if I buy another vehicle.

Well since you mentioned ONSTAR it brought back memories of this classic!! My Wife is Blonde so I am allowed.

How we every got around with on board computer I will neve know?? I hear that back up cameras are going to be MANDATORY in the coming years.

A classic!

BLONDESTAR - YouTube

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Still Running Against the Wind

Hey Bill, thanks for your post. Interesting to hear of your Malibu problems. From the media hype on this vehicle, one would think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And now the truth...
Stay safe partner.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Hey now! That's my car you're talking about! my is 2010.
It true the car can benefit from an extra gear or two but I find my to be pretty peppy. My highway speed avg about 75 - 80 mph @ just under 3k rpm. The on board computer tells me I'm getting about 35mpg. I have a 13 gal tank and fill up on Friday. My daily drive is just over 40 miles not counting weekends. Usually gas lasts me enough till the following Friday. Not bad.

Yes it noisy a little and you do feel the road more but I've always had cars like that. Camaros, Celica, Solara. ..etc...etc...All coups, low to the ground and stiff ride. This winter it had no problems with all the snow and ice we had (I don't get snow days).

The only thing I'd like is to have a bit more pep, otherwise I find it to be a great car

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I recall there was a short lived model with the 2.4 motor a few years back. For sure, this wasn't it.

As for the wind, I am only guessing at 40 mph, it could have been more.

I've got no problem with feeling the road, but this car seemed anxious to amplify that feel. I suspect something was not right and I will mention it to the rental guy if I ever get hold of him. It only had the 16" wheels so it should have been smoother than it was, unless those Turanza tires are particularly nasty.

As for the sluggishness, remember that much (probably most) of Nevada is 4000' or higher. When you start with a marginally powered car at sea level, it quickly becomes worse with a little altitude.

This being the West coast there is a good chance it was a CA emissions car, and that always kills the mid-range. Bad plan for a small engine car with only four gears.

I have bought a 93, 05 and a 2010 Corolla

No issues. Kept the 93 till just two years ago

05 Matrix (a corolla station wagon ) was a great car........was totaled when my kid hit a horse on a rainy night. Yep.....a horse..****nning across a 4 lane highway.

Our latest is a 2010 Corolla S

Great car. All I do is change the oil and rotate the tires.

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Wake me when it's over...

I hade a 2008 Corolla until Dec of last year and after 105,000 miles I had no complaints. Unfortunately it was totaled the day after Christmas less than a mile from the dealer after picking it up from getting a re-built engine ( Due to an unfortunate service error - engine replaced at no charge to me). I now have a 2014 Corolla. I am very happy with it so far. The 4 speed auto is now only in the base L model; my LE has a CVT auto in it. It's different but I'm liking it. Started out getting an avg of 29 MPG ( in bitter cold and lots of snow) and with warmer weather and a few thousand mile I'm getting 32 - 33 MPG mixed driving to and from work. Went from Illinois to Ohio and back a couple of weeks ago and got 38 - 39 MPG highway. They changed the body style in 2014 and they now have more of a small Camry style. The interior is nicer than the 08 I had and the ride is better. The 205-55R16 wheels vs the 195-65R15's on the 2008 may have something to do with it. It also came with 60,000 mile Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires which are MUCH better than the std OEM tires I have gotten in the past.

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

The 2014 has the CVT. It gets better mileage, and performance, if that's a word you can use with a Toyota Corolla.

I keep wondering how well those CVT transmissions work when you need to pull a trailer. My brother hauls a glider on a trailer with his 1999 Corolla. Not all day every day. Weekends, during the summer.

I sold my 01 Solara for this Corolla. That thing had 249k and all it got were oil changes and a thermostat, once....hopefully this one will be just as good

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Guy at work just got a 2014 Corolla S on a great 2-year lease. He says he is still adjusting to the CVT but wonders about the mid-range performance. He says that the initial step-off is great and it hauls well on the freeway. However, he finds it oddly flat in between. I thought it might be a CA emissions thing but apparently the Corolla is a 50 state car.

I've got a 05 Corolla I bought in 07 with 24k on it. When I bought it,
mpg was pretty much at the top of the list..
I just turned over 76k recently.. Been totally flawless so far.
Mine has the 1.8 and auto.. The thing about the auto and cruise
control that I don't like is it will downshift two gears if you go up a
steep grade, and the speed starts dropping off. Drives me nuts, but
I have a way around that.. I just manually keep the speed up with
my foot when approaching a grade, and then it won't do that if you don't
let the speed drop off.

And it's usually only when on cruise control when it does such drastic
downshifting. It doesn't do that when the cruise is off. Might drop one
gear, but not two. But a fairly small gripe overall I guess being as I
have a work around..
Like I say, as far as reliability, so far it's been like a Timex.
Mine is a plain jane CE with none of the fancy stuff. But it does have
cruise and power mirrors, but not power windows. It gets 43 mpg if
doing 65, and drops a bit the faster you go. 40-41 at 70.. 38-40 if
75. The trip to my dirt patch is a 900 mile round trip, and that thing
saves me a lot of gas $$$. And I haul a lot of junk.. Lawnmower,
chainsaws, all my camping junk, etc.. I can even sleep in the back
fully stretched out if the seat is down. My head will be behind the pass
headrest, and my feet down by the drivers side tail lamps.. lol..
I compared it to the Civics back when I bought it, but I didn't like the
interiors of those years Civics.. Too dark and "goth" looking.
Where as the Corolla innerds are kind of like a baby impala.. sorta..

"I hear that back up cameras are going to be MANDATORY in the coming years."

Yup, and that's just the beginning. They've made cars pretty safe, so now they're going to start on the humans to see if they can make them put down their cell phones and frappe lattes for a second.

In a few years, we'll be begging for auto-driven cars to get away from devices meant to save us from ourselves - I can see their point, but if you like to drive a car in privacy,buy one now without an infotainment system, etc.

2006 LE 5 speed manual Corolla here, with about 115K miles. Other than a new water pump, zero issues. It'll get an honest 40-41 MPG on trips in the summer, 34 MPG on short trips in winter. It'll scoot right along with the manual transmission.

Being a fundamentalist I refuse to own an automatic transmission on principle.I particularly hate 'em in the snow...

I think we have had about 8 Toyotas in the family now, plus a couple of Hundais. They've treated us well.

I was a BIG Toyota fan until 2002 when I purchased my last new one. I'm not going into detail but I had about 7 new ones before that so I had something to compare it to.

The company got too big and has been on a downhill slide ever since.

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That's just somebody talkin.