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