My car: 2009 Corolla XRS
Distance: Over 30k
The Good- The Corolla had more usable space in the car, especially for the driver, than most of the cars that I drove in the same class. The situation has probably changed with the Elantra and Cruze out but the Corolla is still well sized. Not too big but also not too small in my opinion.
- Looks quite good (subjectively) with the 2009+ styling and the extra body kit for the S/XRS model. It’s aged well versus the newest cars in the line-up as well. I was parked next to a brand new Elantra the other day and didn’t feel embarrassed. The spoiler is practically useless but tasteful and doesn’t detract from the rearward vision at all.
- The interior is full of hard plastics but they have worn well so far. Only a few scratches where I put the keys in (and miss
) and on the lower door panels. Even then they are small scratches and they aren't really noticeable.
- Switchgear is absolutely solid. All of the buttons work exactly as well as they did the day I got the car. Some cars have cheap switchgear (they flop around or don't fit properly) and it's one of the things that really bugs me. Not Audi or Lexus good but better than most others I’ve sat in.
- The interior itself may not have soft plastics that everyone loves so much but the bits and pieces are pretty solid despite the abuse that the car has sustained.
- The XRS and LE models in 2009 had the “optitron” LED backlight gauges. These are white and orange rather than the all-orange of the CE and S models. They look great, are readable and have a wonderful sweep when you turn on the car. I still love that!
- Fuel economy isn’t as good as in johngenx’s Corolla CE review. The XRS is heavier and has a 2.4L engine. Despite this it’s still quite good. At 8.6L/100km according to the computer over a 6 month period the car has great economy. That was with a mix of highway and city driving.
- The 2.4L 2AZ-FE engine is a great engine. It’s now starting to age technology wise and is being phased out. At 158hp and 162ft/lb of torque it’s a great amount of power for the size and weight of the car. The rated numbers are 7.9 seconds to 100kph which isn’t super fast but much nicer than the 9 and 10 second numbers of the other cars I was test driving. The torque is the really important part here as it’s fantastic in city situations where speed is not too important but getting up to speed quickly is. It’s great on the highway too.
- Handling for the XRS is decent in my estimation. The XRS has reinforced suspension, strut towers, and a more complex EPS steering system than the other models. It’s not winning any races but in practical situations it’s useful enough that I have some fun with it. Cornering is flatter than anything else I've driven. Not as fun as the Mazda3 or the Golf but decent enough. I do have some complaints... see below.
- Steering is very good and has a fair bit of weight behind it. Because it's a different unit no doubt because of the bigger rims and thicker tires it has a very different feel than a Corolla CE (which I've driven - that feels loose and limp). Not a lot of feedback like most EPS units but compared to the base models it’s much better.
- The brakes grab quickly (all disc units on the XRS) and consistently. Had to make a few emergency stops and my biggest concern has never been what was ahead of me but if the guy behind could stop as fast as I could. You do have to give them a little push to get them going but there isn't much dead area before they start to become effective.
- It has the gooseneck hinges which intrude into the cargo space. I’m used to them from previous vehicles so it's not as disappointing as it could have been.
The Bad- This car has had its share of rattles. While interior quality is good in essentially every other aspect the rattles definitely take my opinion down a notch. I’ve had the rear window replaced (it was ill fitted apparently) and a couple of other rattles fixed at various times. It’s still got some but I don’t hear them so much during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter there are some annoying ones.
- The clock is essentially nowhere to be seen on the 2009 models. There is one on the gauge cluster but you can have that, or temperature, or fuel economy but not any of those at the same time. The passengers are up the creek when it comes to time unless they ask me (or check their phone
). Toyota corrected it for the 2011 models.
- The suspension when I first got it was hard. It’s loosened up just a tad and it’s great now but during the first winter on the all season tires it was sometimes jarring over some of the rougher roads. It’s still not the smoothest car but the good handling does come at a price.
- The stock tires are low profile all seasons. Good tires in everything except freezing conditions which ice and snow where they don’t hold up so well. Had a few scary incidents which prompted me to get winter tires this past winter which was a great decision. The car handles well enough in the snow on winters but with the stock tires it was not a great experience.
The Ugly- I think the designers got tired after making a decently inoffensive and yet slightly attractive car. They put on these horrible round reflectors at the back that just don’t match very well with the rest of the car. For 2011 they replaced them with much more tasteful ones units (but decided to make the rest of the car ugly).
- Like every car it gets scratches and gets beaten up a bit from time to time. There are some battle scars from being in parking lots with careless door openers. The worst damage it's sustained was a week ago with a unfortunately placed rock that I couldn't see but definitely hit. We'll see how much that costs me but it might be most of the front clip unfortunately.
On the wholeIt’s my first car and I paid the money for it so I suppose I may like it better than if one of you drove it. It’s no BMW or Lexus and it’s not a Civic Si or a Golf GTI. It’s a middle of the road compact car with great dimensions and a lot of practicality. It has enough sporting pretensions for me to have some fun with it and when I need to be buttoned up and sensible it’s just fine for that too. If I had more money other cars would definitely be on the table instead of this one. Nonetheless, for the goals I had set out, this was the right car for me to buy at the time.
It’s been on out of province road trips, to the beach, helped people move and more. It isn't the perfect car but I think it has more than served it's purpose so far. I think more than anything it has grown on me. It started out as a great purchase and then I had a love hate affair with it and now it's settled into the understanding that this is my car, that it's a good car and that it's more than doing its job.
Any Corolla questions... just ask!
