Initial Corolla Observations

[Dewi 24]

After 2.5 days with the 12 month old Corolla I've come to a few conclusions. Firstly, what a superb car this is! The owner and press reviews I read before buying it were all very favourable but I wasn't expecting it to be this good. I popped out this afternoon to get some bits to finish off a new kitchen we've been doing, it was only 3 miles - but almost 50 miles later I arrived back home 😁.  I just cant get enough of it, I never thought a daily driver could be so nice. My wife has even expressed a great fondness for it and she never makes any comments about our cars. Yet, there she is this evening on the phone to her mates telling them how nice it is. It's taken me 50 years to achieve that.

There are one or two points raised by some journo reviews I've read which I disagree with and some i agree with:  Firstly, the so called "disconnect" between accelerator pedal and engine which pops up a few times? Can't say I can feel that, it's just like driving a normal auto. Press the loud pedal and the car shoves forward just fine - no real lack of power as reported in some press reviews either. It's not the fastest thing out there for sure but it's certainly not slow. There's no CVT whine that I can hear, which is another thing i've seen mentioned more than once. Engine sounds noisy and can rev high? - I've not noticed that either. It can rev a bit high momentarily sometimes but it's far from intrusive, in fact it's a very relaxed car to drive. The only negative things I really agree with are the lack of rear seat legroom and the smallish boot, neither of which is an issue for us as we rarely take passengers in the back and our dog fits nicely in the boot area.

Before setting off on the little run today I reset the mpg gauge and after my (quite "spirited") run I arrived back home with 59.4mpg average showing. Which is 16.7mpg more than the Peugeot I had before. This equates to 158.65 more miles for the range of the 9.5 gal of the Corolla tank than the equivalent amount in the Peugeot (which has a 14 gallon tank). I bought this car to keep beyond its warranty period as I'm at an age now where it'll most likely be my last car and so far the signs are good that this Corolla and me are going grow old together.  A couple of photos, taken on the wet but local "fun" roads that I usually reserve for taking pics of the old 1970s Mini and MG.................

[TonyHSD]

Thanks for sharing photos and experience. 
I fully agree with anything said about the car. Your design spec has also my favourite wheels from all Corolla 👍 

[drykoke]

Looks like a great purchase and a very satisfactory drive (despite the slight confusion caused by the dealers' erroneous listings).

My spreadsheet of used 5th Gen 1.8 Corollas is sadly much shorter than yours, but I am cautiously optimistic as I see more coming onto the market and prices dropping to what I can afford.

Agree with TonyHSD's opinion on the wheels, and I may well try to find a set like that rather than the Excel spec ones. Have you noticed much tyre roar or noise compared to your 308 SW?

[APS]

12 hours ago, Dewi 24 said:

There's no CVT whine that I can hear, which is another thing i've seen mentioned more than once.

It is not you. It's them, the journos that whine because they don't know what they're talking about. The "disconnect", "slow response", "whining CVT", "raucus engine" - it's all down to the same thing, how the CVT transmits torque. The fact that you increase revs to increase torque when you accelerate is the same in all cars. The difference is that with the CVT you can hold the engine at the optimal rpm for what the driver requires. So rather than shifting down a gear and then let the revs climb until you need a higher gear you just adjust the ratio to allow for faster acceleration and then let the gear ratio seamlessly climb. It's a small marvel. But they don't get that (or at least they never try to explain the benefits) and like to go on about how the engine is 'droning'. 

Yes, compared to something with huge amounts of torque on tap like an electric car or something with a big naturally aspirated V8, yes, there is a bit of a delay until you get some shove. But it is mostly noticeable at higher speeds. Around town the electric motor does provide some urge.

I like those roads you've got there. Not many pot holes and not much hedgerow to stop you from seeing around the corners. Seems the Corolla has (re)awakened the fun driver in you. Perfect match I'd say 🙂

 

 

[Cyker]

I can understand the complaint in older hybrids, as the engine would rev a lot but without the corresponding 'shove'. However, with these new ones, while the engines revs will rise sharply if you floor the accelerator, they will launch like a scalded cat when you give them the beans.

In that sense, they're no different than a normal ICE car; If anything they're faster - In my Mk2 Yaris, I'd have to drop 2 gears and floor the accelerator to get anywhere near the same shove, and that still took much longer for the power to build than my Mk4, which is near EV-levels of instant.

It's just lazy journalism, recycling old phrases because they can't think outside their german boxes.

Toyota really knocked it out of the park with the new ones - Most cars prefer to be driven either hard or gently, but the hybrids feel very at home doing either; I've never had a car that's so relaxing and smooth to crawl through apocalyptic traffic in, and then immediately burn up to motorway speeds once I get free without feeling like the engine's about to explode  

 

[Don Mac]

15 hours ago, Cyker said:

It's just lazy journalism, recycling old phrases because they can't think outside their german boxes.

Exactly! When I was reading reviews before buying my Corolla I was amazed by the reviews that referred to "belts" when talking about the e-CVT, or said that the 2.0 had a smaller boot because the hybrid Battery was in there, or talked about old models/features in a "2023" review... (and these were well known motoring publications)

Once you start noticing "cut & paste" it becomes really obvious just how little effort many journalists put into their articles.

[Stopeter44]

32 minutes ago, Don Mac said:

When I was reading reviews before buying my Corolla I was amazed by the reviews that referred to "belts" when talking about the e-CVT

That is lazy journalism. I spent hours understanding just how Toyota's e-cvt worked, and there are no belts and no cones anywhere to be seen or heard. It's mechanically simple, with no clutch per se. The engine turns at the optimum regime, i.e. when it is giving the most efficient use of the burnt fuel. Which may be putting all the power to the wheels or just some of it and the rest to the traction Battery.

[Dewi 24]

On 12/9/2023 at 9:58 AM, drykoke said:

Looks like a great purchase and a very satisfactory drive (despite the slight confusion caused by the dealers' erroneous listings).

My spreadsheet of used 5th Gen 1.8 Corollas is sadly much shorter than yours, but I am cautiously optimistic as I see more coming onto the market and prices dropping to what I can afford.

Agree with TonyHSD's opinion on the wheels, and I may well try to find a set like that rather than the Excel spec ones. Have you noticed much tyre roar or noise compared to your 308 SW?

Yes, I must say there is some tyre noise which which obviously either gets more or less depending on road surface but it's no worse than the 308 as far as I can tell but generally it's a quieter car than the 308. The caveat is that I'm actually quite deaf so probably not the best person to ask. It's not an issue for me personally because I always turn my digital ears down a notch when driving. At normal levels all the road, engine & wind noise is amplified a lot and it drives me nuts (I turn them right down or even off in the Mini, that thing's LOUD!) They're progammable so I have 3 pre set levels - Normal, driving and Mini 😁

[Dewi 24]

On 12/9/2023 at 10:34 AM, APS said:

It is not you. It's them, the journos that whine because they don't know what they're talking about. The "disconnect", "slow response", "whining CVT", "raucus engine" - it's all down to the same thing, how the CVT transmits torque. The fact that you increase revs to increase torque when you accelerate is the same in all cars. The difference is that with the CVT you can hold the engine at the optimal rpm for what the driver requires. So rather than shifting down a gear and then let the revs climb until you need a higher gear you just adjust the ratio to allow for faster acceleration and then let the gear ratio seamlessly climb. It's a small marvel. But they don't get that (or at least they never try to explain the benefits) and like to go on about how the engine is 'droning'. 

Yes, compared to something with huge amounts of torque on tap like an electric car or something with a big naturally aspirated V8, yes, there is a bit of a delay until you get some shove. But it is mostly noticeable at higher speeds. Around town the electric motor does provide some urge.

I like those roads you've got there. Not many pot holes and not much hedgerow to stop you from seeing around the corners. Seems the Corolla has (re)awakened the fun driver in you. Perfect match I'd say 🙂

 

 

Yes, we're lucky enough to have some nice local roads and walking areas up here in Lancashire, This is just a couple of miles from home.

[Cyker]

2 hours ago, Dewi 24 said:

Yes, I must say there is some tyre noise which which obviously either gets more or less depending on road surface but it's no worse than the 308 as far as I can tell but generally it's a quieter car than the 308. The caveat is that I'm actually quite deaf so probably not the best person to ask. It's not an issue for me personally because I always turn my digital ears down a notch when driving. At normal levels all the road, engine & wind noise is amplified a lot and it drives me nuts (I turn them right down or even off in the Mini, that thing's LOUD!) They're progammable so I have 3 pre set levels - Normal, driving and Mini 😁

I wish I could turn down my ears! Some of the roads here are so noisy I get tinnitus from them

But some of the more recently resurfaced roads nearby are amazing - they feel so smooth and are whisper quiet by comparison; I hope they use that for all new surfaces!

[APS]

4 hours ago, Dewi 24 said:

Yes, we're lucky enough to have some nice local roads and walking areas up here in Lancashire, This is just a couple of miles from home.

You are lucky indeed.

That's a lovely mini. So much fun! So many memories. Perfect for B-road fun. Do you not like the corner pieces (whiskers) for the moustache?

[Dewi 24]

On 12/10/2023 at 4:52 PM, APS said:

You are lucky indeed.

That's a lovely mini. So much fun! So many memories. Perfect for B-road fun. Do you not like the corner pieces (whiskers) for the moustache?

I neither like or dislike them but I never got around to fitting them, they're probably just another place for rust to start anyway.  It's very a mongrel car, the engine's a 1300 Metro unit, its got Cooper S brakes and servo and the interior's nothing like standard. I've never been big on originality, there's a lot of snobbery attached to it in the classic car world so I tend to just ignore it. It's more important to me that the cars drive / stop well and are as reliable as they can be.  I've got a '72 MGBGT as well which is more standard but the engine's been "breathed on" a bit.

I see you've got few cars yourself - inc an 89 MR2, is it a gen 1? 89 is just on the cusp of the 1&2 I think?  I love the Gen 1, remember when they first came out in the mid 80's, we were on an MG club event and one our members managed to borrow a demonstrator from someone who worked at a Toyota dealership (the one I bought the Corolla from as it happens)  We were all allowed to take it out for a spin and I was blown away by how good it was, well it would be after the MGB 😁. It felt so modern and nimble, I'd have gone and bought one there and then but we'd just had our son so finances didn't allow but what a great car. Moving on a few years my nephew bought a Gen 2 which I borrowed occasionally and that was also a lovely thing. I never got to drive the 3rd generation one. 

A few more pics of the Mini and the MG  

[APS]

7 hours ago, Dewi 24 said:

they're probably just another place for rust to start anyway.  It's very a mongrel car, the engine's a 1300 Metro unit, its got Cooper S brakes and servo and the interior's nothing like standard. I've never been big on originality,

They hold moisture quite nicely. I was just excited to see that you have a 60's mini with the moustache. Reminded me of my old 850 I learned to drive in and it was the first engine I stripped down, aged 12. 

You cars look immaculate! Lovely.

7 hours ago, Dewi 24 said:

I see you've got few cars yourself - inc an 89 MR2, is it a gen 1? 89 is just on the cusp of the 1&2 I think?  I love the Gen 1, remember when they first came out in the mid 80's

A few yes 😇 Just never enough garage or garden space. The MR2 is a mk1. They were sold between '84 and '89. You typically see them registered between '85 and '90. 

7 hours ago, Dewi 24 said:

It felt so modern and nimble, I'd have gone and bought one there and then but we'd just had our son so finances didn't allow but what a great car. Moving on a few years my nephew bought a Gen 2 which I borrowed occasionally and that was also a lovely thing. I never got to drive the 3rd generation one. 

The nimbleness you get from not having the weight of an engine in the front is inimitable. Funnily enough, I find it rather old fashioned  with slow steering and noisy cabin. But that's mostly because it's completely standard and original. It has incredible charm. And the 4A-GE is a little gem. To have a 1.6 revving to close to 8 grand in a normal car was certainly very special back then.  

The mk3 is definitely more modern, with a quick rack and hydraulic power steering. Ours is not representative though as it is fully track prepped with full roll cage and a 2zz engine. It is almost in Elise territory.

 

Apologies for the topical drift...

 

[2badmice]

Good wheels indeed, I really like them. (biased)

 

I recall the journalists saying the same of the MK7 & 7.5 DSG on the Golf, saying the engine was loud and there was a delay in acceleration, to be honest, I thought I agreed with them when I got my first in 2017, but I feel it was a subliminal effect they tried to plant in my head, because when I got more familiar with driving them (I had 3 through a staff scheme at work) they were responsive, fast and growled no different to any other manufacturer.

I've driven more cars than you can imagine and the noise isn't any different, with other manufacturers just lazy journalism.

[Dewi 24]

On 12/12/2023 at 10:56 PM, APS said:

They hold moisture quite nicely. I was just excited to see that you have a 60's mini with the moustache. Reminded me of my old 850 I learned to drive in and it was the first engine I stripped down, aged 12. 

You cars look immaculate! Lovely.

A few yes 😇 Just never enough garage or garden space. The MR2 is a mk1. They were sold between '84 and '89. You typically see them registered between '85 and '90. 

The nimbleness you get from not having the weight of an engine in the front is inimitable. Funnily enough, I find it rather old fashioned  with slow steering and noisy cabin. But that's mostly because it's completely standard and original. It has incredible charm. And the 4A-GE is a little gem. To have a 1.6 revving to close to 8 grand in a normal car was certainly very special back then.  

The mk3 is definitely more modern, with a quick rack and hydraulic power steering. Ours is not representative though as it is fully track prepped with full roll cage and a 2zz engine. It is almost in Elise territory.

 

Apologies for the topical drift...

 

Apols for the late reply, I've been tied up this week with "housey" stuff. Yeah, I can imagine the mk1 would feel a bit dated by now but when I drove that one in the 80's I'd come straight out of an MGB which even then were ancient so you can imagine how modern the MR2 felt in comparison.  The Mini is actually a 1979 "bitsa" which is built up from an assortment of different years it's pretty nippy with the Metro engine and gearbox. I bought it already built as I'm getting on in years now so didn't want to get involved with another full restoration project.  All I've really done to it is strip it of the 100s of stickers that were plastered all over it, converted it to an electric fuel pump, fitted a new distributor as the old one's vac advance wasn't working. I also had to fit a new front wheel bearing shortly after buying it with a new MOT. It should never have passed really as it was quite bad. I fitted the mk 1 grille as well, I remember being a bit gutted when they changed it to the squared off one in the '60s, it never looked right to me. It's all properly tuned now so it goes really well, it's got a KAD quickshift gearstick too so the gear changes are really nice for a Mini. Even though they're both MOT exempt I still have them tested each year.

I only bought the Mini last year to replace a 1959 Frogeye Sprite, that thing had been a competition car in a past life so it was pretty quick for an A series engine. It had been a bit neglected when I bought it but a winter's work had it running it great and looking a lot better. I only sold it after 5 years because I was having trouble getting out of it - gravity helped getting in but as i got older it was a pain getting out again so i was using it less than it deserved.  

I'd like to see some pics of your track car if you have any - and the others if possible, I like looking at other people's cars it's a "thing" of mine 😁   This was the Frog ....

[APS]

7 minutes ago, Dewi 24 said:

Apols for the late reply, I've been tied up this week with "housey" stuff.

We all have life beyond the forum.

8 minutes ago, Dewi 24 said:

Yeah, I can imagine the mk1 would feel a bit dated by now but when I drove that one in the 80's I'd come straight out of an MGB which even back then were ancient so you can imagine how modern the MR2 felt back then in comparison.

Mine is a resurrection of a car that had been stood since 2005. The wheel alignment in the front still needs tweaking as it is very loose around the straight ahead. It is definitely a big step up from an MGB.

11 minutes ago, Dewi 24 said:

I only bought the Mini last year to replace a 1959 Frogeye Sprite

That sprite looks fantastic. And I do notice the throttle linkage and the Battery retainer. Nice work! 👍 

I learned something about the A series engine last year. Apparently Nissan licensed the A design for them in the 80's and then modernised it with OHC, 16 valves, cross flow and all aluminium construction. This means you can take the engine from a mk1 Micra and put it in a Sprite or Mini or anything else designed for the A series. Much lighter and more powerful.

MR2 and MX5...

 

 

[Bernard Foy]

On 12/10/2023 at 2:34 PM, Cyker said:

I wish I could turn down my ears! Some of the roads here are so noisy I get tinnitus from them

But some of the more recently resurfaced roads nearby are amazing - they feel so smooth and are whisper quiet by comparison; I hope they use that for all new surfaces!

Cotton wool, will do it, Cyker🤪😂

[Dewi 24]

5 hours ago, APS said:

We all have life beyond the forum.

Mine is a resurrection of a car that had been stood since 2005. The wheel alignment in the front still needs tweaking as it is very loose around the straight ahead. It is definitely a big step up from an MGB.

That sprite looks fantastic. And I do notice the throttle linkage and the battery retainer. Nice work! 👍 

I learned something about the A series engine last year. Apparently Nissan licensed the A design for them in the 80's and then modernised it with OHC, 16 valves, cross flow and all aluminium construction. This means you can take the engine from a mk1 Micra and put it in a Sprite or Mini or anything else designed for the A series. Much lighter and more powerful.

MR2 and MX5...

 

 

Very nice!! They were a stunning looking cars I think. An MX5 as well - a UK one by the looks? I've had 4 of those - 2x Jap import Eunoses and 2 NCs, a 1.8 and a 2.0 litre. The last one was a Eunos RS which was a fresh Jap import. It was a bit of a mess but very solid. 6 months work and it looked really nice. I shouldn't have sold it really, I regretted it as soon as the new buyer drove off in it, they're brilliant fun. I believe it lives in Italy now. I'd have a mk1 MR2 in a heartbeat though if I was a younger man but I think I'll be keeping the MG and Mini now 'til I pack in driving. I'm ok for the next 3 years as I've just renewed my licence 😁.   The Eunos .......

[APS]

On 12/16/2023 at 7:36 PM, Dewi 24 said:

An MX5 as well - a UK one by the looks?

It's a very early Eunos from '89. So, same age as the MR2, but at the very beginning of production, while the MR2 is one of the later ones. 

[Dewi 24]

1 hour ago, APS said:

It's a very early Eunos from '89. So, same age as the MR2, but at the very beginning of production, while the MR2 is one of the later ones. 

Ah right, just noticed the rear number plate. Great little cars, as I say I should have kept mone really