Corolla Hybrid: 1.8 vs 2.0?

[Zurbaran]

On 8/13/2019 at 10:48 PM, JoaoM said:

Mine has 17". I know that in some markets they come with 18" on almost all trim levels. Here in Portugal we have them only on the top "luxury" trim level. The 2.0 that I test drove was that version and honestly, I prefer the 17" in all aspects: looks (that's highly subjective), ride comfort and tyre cost. Handling differences are very small, if any, at least with most of people driving style (Ott Tanak may disagree 😁).

And makes the car 14mm lower 😎

Got to test the 2.0 with 18’s today and was impressed with how it performed. Has enough power when you need it and I was very impressed with the ride. I didn’t notice any difference in the ride and how it handled bumps compared to the 17’s, both brilliant compared to Mazda 3 and civic I tested. 

[JoaoM]

Made my first big journey with the car. 335km to some holidays in the south beaches. Boot fully loaded, the dog but only two adults. Made a total 5.9l/100km on the board computer. The road was 95% highway, adaptative cruise control on 130km/h to keep out of police speed control. And when needed to overtake any car, just had to squeeze the pedal a little more. Great feel, very comfortable, really enjoyed.

[BernieN]

I just tried one in the showroom for the first time. Banged my head getting in. I shall keep my Avensis estate for a bit longer, I think.

 

B

[chicken_george]

3 hours ago, BernieN said:

I just tried one in the showroom for the first time. Banged my head getting in. I shall keep my Avensis estate for a bit longer, I think.

 

B

🤔Until?

[BernieN]

I don't know. I really like the Avenis, but it's 2011 - though as I don't have to commute any more it's only done 47000 miles or so.  It's a very good, easy to drive, comfortable, spacious car, and I don't have a huge reason to change. I just went to look at it's sort of replacement and had to fight to get in. And I'm not Clarkson size.

 

B

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Avensis was replaced by three models - the Corolla saloon/Touring Sports, the Prius and the Camry.

[JoaoM]

1 hour ago, BernieN said:

I don't know. I really like the Avenis, but it's 2011 - though as I don't have to commute any more it's only done 47000 miles or so.  It's a very good, easy to drive, comfortable, spacious car, and I don't have a huge reason to change. I just went to look at it's sort of replacement and had to fight to get in. And I'm not Clarkson size.

 

B

Coming from a much larger Verso, I've also bumped with my head and still getting used to the new car dimensions. I'm just 1.73m tall but there's lots of room above my head when I'm seated. I guess it's just a question of habit.

A 2011 Avensis with just 47k miles is almost new. No real reason to change. An interesting thing is that the Corolla Touring Sports wheelbase is the same as the Avensis SW: 2700mm.

[AndrueC]

Yeah, the Hybrid models are a bit low to the ground presumably to improve aerodynamics. If I was twenty years older I'm not sure that I'd be wanting to climb in and out of it. The other problem I nearly ran into was the 'grab handle' above the driver's side door. With higher seat positions it's perfectly placed for the driver to bang their head on it while driving. Thankfully the seat position I eventually settled on means I avoid it.

But the manual actually states that it's not a grab handle and shouldn't be used to get in and out of the car. In which case I'd have to ask - why the *bleep* is it even there? What purpose is it supposed to serve if you shouldn't be using it to pull yourself out of the seat?

[BernieN]

You have to wonder how all the endless tests went - "I've banged my head" "Sorry sir, you got in wrong" "I don't have that on my current car" "It's progress" . 

B

[TonyHSD]

All new models from all manufacturers have lowered roof lines and it’s not because of the aerodynamics, but of the latest trends where all cars now including the hybrids must have sport looking appearance, just to keep inline with the competition or to push you buy larger more expensive cars., or they just leave some gap that will be filled with a new Verso models coming in near future, perhaps something like the new VW iD3. 

 Auris first gen has so much space in and leg room that you can easily call it a family hatch but the new Corolla.,  not at all, unless is a saloon or estate, the hatchback looks exactly like the 3 door Astra . 

[BernieN]

A good reason then to keep my Avensis estate, or walk round a few rival dealers.

 

"I banged my head!"

[Woofwoof]

On 4/27/2019 at 1:36 PM, Gerg said:

I did get to drive a 2.0 Corolla Sports Touring in Design trim (one down from top level) today for about 40 minutes.  This was mostly urban driving for about 17 miles in total, the car had covered 2600 miles.

The performance was much like the bhp figures suggest, a big lift in power - this car would just start to struggle for grip at low speeds on a wide throttle, this was on 225/45 x 17 tyres on a very slightly damp (but good) surface.  I don't think this car with this engine will come on narrower tyres, with good reason.

As the engine revs increased the power delivery was not so linear as you have come to expect in a hybrid; there is an element of coming 'on cam', making the power surge at higher revs with a wide throttle, I don't notice this at all on the 1.8.  With time you would become accustomed to this.  I wonder if the different balance between electric and petrol power prevents the electric assistance from being so meaningful at higher revs, so a 'normal' petrol engine power delivery is what you notice?  Or maybe I'm not used to having this much power in this type of car...

In an urban situation the extra urge did not have much purpose, but I can see it being very useful at faster, motorway-type speeds (I didn't try the car on any fast roads, unfortunately).

I found the eco/charge gauge!  It is very clear, but small, nestling in the middle of the dials.  Not an at-a-glance display for me, the old needle/gauge is about 5 times bigger.

I agree about the new gear lever, I prefer the old one, especially when parking etc.  And some engine vibration does get through to the lever at slightly higher revs (down the bowden cable?), not enough to be a problem, but my fingers naturally came to rest on this lever.

There was a low-pitched boom on rough surfaced roads which was at odds with the low levels of noise generally.  I really don't like low-pitched noise, I think this was no better than our Auris hatch on 17" wheels.  But suspension noise was very low indeed.  I don't remember it making the usual hybrid 'mooing' sound under spirited acceleration, if it did then you quite quickly got to the speed you wanted, so backed off the throttle anyway.

Over speed bumps it was evident that the car rocked much more than the hatchback, perhaps due to the rear overhang on the estate.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I didn't mind getting back into the Auris, at least until I got onto quicker roads.  

A lot of the above could change with familiarity and/or a better night's sleep.

 

The car actually changes from port injection to direct injection (or vice Verda, not sure) somewhere along the rev-line causing a surge in power (similar to old age genuine vtec technology)

 

that’s prob what you felt

[RzrAzr]

On 8/21/2019 at 10:33 AM, AndrueC said:

But the manual actually states that it's not a grab handle and shouldn't be used to get in and out of the car. In which case I'd have to ask - why the *bleep* is it even there? What purpose is it supposed to serve if you shouldn't be using it to pull yourself out of the seat?

Probably so they don't have to stock two sets of headliners for LHD and RHD markets. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

On 8/20/2019 at 10:53 PM, JoaoM said:

An interesting thing is that the Corolla Touring Sports wheelbase is the same as the Avensis SW: 2700mm.

The Touring Sport and saloon were intended, together with the Prius and (now defunct in the UK) Camry, to indirectly replace the Avensis. The Prius, Corolla TS/saloon, and Avensis share the same size wheelbase.