Corolla Hybrid GR Sports 2 L handling

[Louie]

I have now had my Corolla for nearly 2.5 months and have noticed the following the car seems to be very skittish in crosswinds. I addition once you exceed the legal speed limit the car handling is a tad unstable to the point of being scary. I replaced the original Falken tyres with Michelin Pilot sport 4's and noticed that ride is noticeably quiet and more stable at low to mid speeds but becomes a challenge at higher speeds. I am thinking the tracking is out after tyre replacement as i seem to spend more time correcting my straight  line of travel even on a straight road at anything over 70 mph. I have an appointment with the dealer/garage next week so i am going to ask them to check tracking and tire pressures. I know that too high tyre pressures can cause skittish handling any comments would be appreciated.

[Jiff]

Hopefully you're only exceeding the speed limit on a private road. All the data on your acceleration, braking location & speed etc are recorded by Toyota on their servers. 

[Timmon]

7 hours ago, Louie said:

I have now had my Corolla for nearly 2.5 months and have noticed the following the car seems to be very skittish in crosswinds. I addition once you exceed the legal speed limit the car handling is a tad unstable to the point of being scary. I replaced the original Falken tyres with Michelin Pilot sport 4's and noticed that ride is noticeably quiet and more stable at low to mid speeds but becomes a challenge at higher speeds. I am thinking the tracking is out after tyre replacement as i seem to spend more time correcting my straight  line of travel even on a straight road at anything over 70 mph. I have an appointment with the dealer/garage next week so i am going to ask them to check tracking and tire pressures. I know that too high tyre pressures can cause skittish handling any comments would be appreciated.

I noticed that the car didn't like the winds last week, but that was a surprise to me, as normally, the car cuts through wind like a hot knife through butter.

I find the steering and grip very sure footed, much more than my old car, which you really had to keep your wits about you. The Corolla is quite forgiving. I found the steering incredibly light when I first got it.

I stuck with the Falken's. They are noisy compared to my last car, for a while I thought it was just noise from the Hybrid system, until I crossed a bit of very smooth surface, and realised it is the tyres! I put it down to the very low profiles. But all in all, the Falkens seem pretty grippy. 

Tyre pressures are crucial with these low profile tyres, and they seem prone to big variances depending on the outside temperature. Less volume of air I suppose.  Maybe check them yourself to see if they are equally inflated on each axle.

[Louie]

I live in the "flatlands"close to  the fens  where there is lots of wind coming of the north sea (the Wash) .Parts of  Lincolnshire are  deemed to be a very unsafe  to drive with lots of crosswinds, long flat stretches of road  and ditches (part of the irrigation system) for you to drown in should you have the misfortune to fall into one. The state of the roads in this county is dire when compared to others and potholes rule. I am hoping that the recent funding promised  by the government will fix this. I have noticed that my Corolla is getting smoother by the day and the engine is freeing up and getting more nippy and quieter so fingers crossed. I am more or less getting used to the cranky infotainment system by simply ignoring it and using Apple software with Waze for navigation and its a no brainer for me. I got bored very quickly with attempting to read the vast complicated instruction manual. Timmon i forgot to say that i ditched the Falken because of poor wet road performance particularly in the braking distance performance.

[Louie]

This is for Jiff.

I would be very interested to know Toyota can record anything on their servers when my vehicle is not connected or registered to the web or the mobile networks through the on board software.

[Rav4ster]

On 3/13/2020 at 12:50 PM, Louie said:

This is for Jiff.

I would be very interested to know Toyota can record anything on their servers when my vehicle is not connected or registered to the web or the mobile networks through the on board software.

Car reports all data back to Toyota automatically via built in SIM (the one for SOS button is suspect). It is just not used, until car is associated with the MyT application.
This is what toyota technical support told me when I called them and asked to activate MyT application (car it self is not connected to internet).

Regarding Michelin PS4s, I had them on SEAT Leon Cupra 300 DSG and the grip was amazing. However, they need to warm up for the best perfomance and be careafull at cold temperatures, they are a bit slippy as rubber is hard. Should last 25K plust on front.

[RabButler]

Have you still got "lane keep assist" switched on? I disabled it in the first week after it tried to steer me into a wide load I was passing on the motorway. (In response to original posting. I can't master the quote process.)

Edited March 13, 2020 by RabButler
Didn't include the original posting

[Louie]

My lane keep assist just stopped working after a  few weeks which is good for me as i completely ignored it from the outset as it was very annoying.

[Catlover]

I kept the Lane Assist working. I just think of the time I will be driving on a MWay, feeling tired, start ti wander (we all done it no doubt) and what will alert me and "wake me up" …… the Lane Assist. Then I will be pleased I kept it on and put up with the beeps and the mild tug it gives.

[Timmon]

Yes, I switch lane assist back on for motorway, if I am doing a long journey such as down to Devon.  But as RabButler found, on trunk roads and country roads, I found it to be dangerous.  If the road is turning to the right when you are going down hill, and the corner you are approaching is banking and on the other side of a dip, the system interprets that you are closer to the corner than you actually are, and attempts to force you across the middle of the road. Warning beeps etc, you have to keep your wits about you, and it is just too much hassle to be fighting with the system to maintain control.

 

On a motorway it is fine, because you are unlikely to encounter the same conditions that you find on a narrow winding and hilly trunk road.

[AndrueC]

I've not noticed any handling issues. Today I was a bit 'naughty' at a couple of roundabouts on the A43 and the car was absolutely fine. Gripped the road well and I had no concerns about it.

I can't stand Lane Assist so keep it switched off. It keeps twitching the wheel and seems to insist on driving in the outside of every lane which is stupid. And, no, I never ever dozed off or even come close. I don't drive when I'm tired.

[vonkhaled]

On 3/12/2020 at 1:50 PM, Louie said:

I have now had my Corolla for nearly 2.5 months and have noticed the following the car seems to be very skittish in crosswinds. I addition once you exceed the legal speed limit the car handling is a tad unstable to the point of being scary. I replaced the original Falken tyres with Michelin Pilot sport 4's and noticed that ride is noticeably quiet and more stable at low to mid speeds but becomes a challenge at higher speeds. I am thinking the tracking is out after tyre replacement as i seem to spend more time correcting my straight  line of travel even on a straight road at anything over 70 mph. I have an appointment with the dealer/garage next week so i am going to ask them to check tracking and tire pressures. I know that too high tyre pressures can cause skittish handling any comments would be appreciated.

I have also noticed that the car is very wind sensitive, even at lower wind speeds. About the higher speeds and handling, I feel it too! I’m really disappointed with how this car drives/behaves at higher speeds, feels very insecure over 100 km/h. I sometimes change the driving mode to sport just to get that heavier steering and to avoid adjusting the steering so much! I used to drive a Golf MK7 and it’s like night and day when it comes to higher speed driving and stability...there’s no comparison honestly. This is something Toyota really needs to work on further for the European market. 
 

Also currently I’m experiencing something weird with the throttle, my RPMs won’t go past 2000 when accelerating. I had the same issue some months ago, it disappeared and now it’s back. Dealer couldn’t find anything the last time and I don’t think they’ll do it now. 

[Louie]

Yes I had a MK7 latest version Golf GTD and high speed handling was like on rails. The corolla corners better than the GTD which had a tendency to roll a little but the Corolla high speed stability is plain scary. The last three cars i had were performance cars and all handled safely at higher speeds so there is something not quite right with my current vehicle in the handing department. In reality i did not expect the same sort of performance and handling as my Golf as the Corolla  is mechanically  a totally different vehicle design in just about everything you can think of. I have an appointment with my local dealer this Tuesday so that he can look at the tracking as the car does not want to stay in a centre line  on a straight road with little camber without constant steering adjustment. This could be the answer to the strange high speed handling you never know fingers crossed. Last but not least my Corolla does not like crosswinds in any shape or form. Let us see what the dealer says.

 

[Louie]

To catlover why are you driving on a motorway if you are tired ? your vehicle is not a Tesla which even that has not got an unblemished record in assisted driving department. 

[Catlover]

drowsiness suddenly came across me and I was still 10 miles from a junction/service stop and I cant stop on the MWay.

[TonyHSD]

On 3/12/2020 at 12:50 PM, Louie said:

I have now had my Corolla for nearly 2.5 months and have noticed the following the car seems to be very skittish in crosswinds. I addition once you exceed the legal speed limit the car handling is a tad unstable to the point of being scary. I replaced the original Falken tyres with Michelin Pilot sport 4's and noticed that ride is noticeably quiet and more stable at low to mid speeds but becomes a challenge at higher speeds. I am thinking the tracking is out after tyre replacement as i seem to spend more time correcting my straight  line of travel even on a straight road at anything over 70 mph. I have an appointment with the dealer/garage next week so i am going to ask them to check tracking and tire pressures. I know that too high tyre pressures can cause skittish handling any comments would be appreciated.

Hi, I am surprised that the new Corolla is handling that bad even with huge 18” wheels, the way you describe road behaviour in higher speeds is exactly the same as my 10 years old Auris. This is very strange as there is no similarity between those two cars except they in same class, as is golf, Astra, 308. I don’t think there is anything wrong with brand new Toyota, even I am positive there is nothing wrong with my car too, I take care of it and I know the car inside out. If it’s me in your position I rather ask the dealer to drive another GR or excel with 18” wheels before I let them touch the car. Tracking is very tricky process, if your steering is not crooked it’s very likely you no need to worry about. Pulling to one side of the road is also a characteristic of Auris(Corolla) called now, it may well been because of the wider tyres and road camber. It’s ok to get the car checked, and maybe just try another car of the same specs. As far as I know each new car get tracking and lights checked by technicians before coming of the line as final inspection. Sometimes problems with handling can be caused due to the rear axle not properly adjusted, your Corollas can be adjusted on the rear too. 
Regards 

[bruce e]

3 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I have an appointment with the dealer/garage next week so i am going to ask them to check tracking and tire pressures

Tire pressures is something you should check when the tyres are cold.

I must say I have not noticed any adverse handling characteristics that you me tion

[lauriolle]

I have the 2 litre tech version of the Corolla Touring Sports hybrid which came fitted with very low profile Falken tyres. I find that at low speeds or from a standstill it loses traction on uphill slippery surfaces very easily. Has anyone else had this issue and can anyone suggest how to deal with it?

[bear807]

Interesting topic! I find the car despite handling very good, it urges you to push harder when cornering and here comes you start to feel unstable when you reach the boundary by going too fast, the steering "feel" is very strange you don't feel connected to the road. tbf is a little too light to my likings, sports mode does improve a bit.

I have attempt the same section road on a GR yaris which feels so planted, the Corolla feels like train coming off rails anytime LOL. 

I have also tried "Spirited" drive in a Icon trim courtesy car, took the roundabout too quick in the wet and manage to tail out, Shows how poor the ecopia tyres is

[TonyHSD]

Tyres are to blame, not good one and not the right one for the season, especially the Falkens at 18” wheels., these are uhp tyres and might be good in a hot sunny days and when warm up a bit after 20-30 miles of driving perhaps,  I had a chance to drive my Auris hybrid on Silverstone circuit last Saturday in heavy rain and the track was flooded, full of water most of the time my speed was around 60mph going through deep waters no problems at all plus some sharp bends and the car performed extremely well , but I have good winter tyres fitted on. 👍 

[clix]

I find it handels quite good. Better than tha cars that I am used to, to be honest. It doesn't lean much and grip is prefrectly adequite (and also tyre dependent). High speed stability is also fine, I maxed it up to 180kmh and had zero issues. Mine is on 225/45/17. It is also TS, estate version, which has longer wheelbase than the HB. This should be better for high speed stability.

One thing I did notice is, that sterring response is quite fast, faster than on the previus car. The first time I went on the high way, I was slightly "overcorrecting" every movement, so I was swaying a bit, but quickly got used to it. No problems since than.

[Obsidian Estate]

I find the Corolla handles fine. My last car was a GT86 so it's about as different as you can get. I have on the odd occasion had to remember I'm not in the GT86 any more.

I do find the steering a touch light, it's just about getting used to it though. 

[Bozz]

On 3/12/2020 at 12:50 PM, Louie said:

I have now had my Corolla for nearly 2.5 months and have noticed the following the car seems to be very skittish in crosswinds. I addition once you exceed the legal speed limit the car handling is a tad unstable to the point of being scary. I replaced the original Falken tyres with Michelin Pilot sport 4's and noticed that ride is noticeably quiet and more stable at low to mid speeds but becomes a challenge at higher speeds. I am thinking the tracking is out after tyre replacement as i seem to spend more time correcting my straight  line of travel even on a straight road at anything over 70 mph. I have an appointment with the dealer/garage next week so i am going to ask them to check tracking and tire pressures. I know that too high tyre pressures can cause skittish handling any comments would be appreciated.

Interesting.....

I think my TS is actually very stable in cross winds compared to previous cars I've owned. Maybe the long wheelbase and low geared steering helps.

Regarding tyres I find the Falkens are pretty good actually. Good braking performance and aquaplaning resistance. They seem to be wearing well too but I do agree that they are a bit noisy on rougher road surfaces and don't provide much feel through the steering. I may stick with them though when I do need to replace.

The Michelin PS 4's I had on my previous car (a small hatchback) got through a front set in about 14k miles. They did provide good feedback and grip although I thought aquaplaning resistance was only average. Also as the tyres wore they lost any sense that they were gripping the road even when warmed up and with probably more than 3mm tread over the full width. Pretty unnerving.

The previous car had much higher geared steering than my Corolla and so was inherently more sensitive to sidewinds, aquaplaning and tramlining so not all down to the tyres!  

[Obsidian Estate]

The Hankook Ventus V12 Evo 2 I had on my GT86 were brilliant tyres. You could take a lot of liberties in the wet weather, and unless you were really ham fisted they wouldn't give up. Good day to day too, I only run one car so horrible tyres are something I'm not prepared to live with.

By the time my Corolla is due tyres they probably won't be available.

 

[Deano68]

When I tested a Corolla 2.0 Excel I was extremely happy with the handling and I'm coming from a Impreza 2.5 lit wrx-s. I thought it was very capable at speed and made my decision easy to opt for a Gr sport  Corolla rather than a CHR. I must say I am surprised at Toyota's choice of tyre and would have liked a premium brand for the prices paid for these cars. That said it didn't put me off and will give the Falkens a chance before swapping them.