Toyota Corolla
Discussion
Interesting topic. Need to replace my increasingly unreliable E39 for work and family duties and the Corolla estate looks like it should fit the bill, in 2.0 flavour.
Even with the extra battery in the boot floor the boot will still be 110+ liters bigger than the e39 boot. What's it like with the seats folded down- is the boot floor flat with the folded seats? This is really useful in my Jazz. 0-60 time of the 2.0 is similar to the 530i but should use lots less fuel. Use case is 40 mile each way motorway commute 3 days per week then uk/European holidays where I need something I can depend on if I'm taking it abroad.
Some reviews say the rear legroom isn't great- is this better on the estate compared to the hatch or the same? Got and 8 and 10 year old who are only going to get bigger and want this to be a long termer.
CVT initially put me off but realized the planetary eCVT that Toyota use is a completely different thing to the dodgy belt/chain driven CVTs that get a bad rep. Judging by the number of Priuses that cabbies use, presumably with a similar drivetrain, I'm guessing reliability isn't an issue.
What's the pick of the trim levels? Looks like GR Sport or Excel are the ones to look for? I can just about stretch to a low mileage 2023 facelift.
This feels much more sensible than spending similar amount of money on a diesel 3 series with 60-70k miles. Have always preferred petrol.
Even with the extra battery in the boot floor the boot will still be 110+ liters bigger than the e39 boot. What's it like with the seats folded down- is the boot floor flat with the folded seats? This is really useful in my Jazz. 0-60 time of the 2.0 is similar to the 530i but should use lots less fuel. Use case is 40 mile each way motorway commute 3 days per week then uk/European holidays where I need something I can depend on if I'm taking it abroad.
Some reviews say the rear legroom isn't great- is this better on the estate compared to the hatch or the same? Got and 8 and 10 year old who are only going to get bigger and want this to be a long termer.
CVT initially put me off but realized the planetary eCVT that Toyota use is a completely different thing to the dodgy belt/chain driven CVTs that get a bad rep. Judging by the number of Priuses that cabbies use, presumably with a similar drivetrain, I'm guessing reliability isn't an issue.
What's the pick of the trim levels? Looks like GR Sport or Excel are the ones to look for? I can just about stretch to a low mileage 2023 facelift.
This feels much more sensible than spending similar amount of money on a diesel 3 series with 60-70k miles. Have always preferred petrol.
lufbramatt said:
Interesting topic. Need to replace my increasingly unreliable E39 for work and family duties and the Corolla estate looks like it should fit the bill, in 2.0 flavour.
Even with the extra battery in the boot floor the boot will still be 110+ liters bigger than the e39 boot. What's it like with the seats folded down- is the boot floor flat with the folded seats? This is really useful in my Jazz. 0-60 time of the 2.0 is similar to the 530i but should use lots less fuel. Use case is 40 mile each way motorway commute 3 days per week then uk/European holidays where I need something I can depend on if I'm taking it abroad.
Some reviews say the rear legroom isn't great- is this better on the estate compared to the hatch or the same? Got and 8 and 10 year old who are only going to get bigger and want this to be a long termer.
CVT initially put me off but realized the planetary eCVT that Toyota use is a completely different thing to the dodgy belt/chain driven CVTs that get a bad rep. Judging by the number of Priuses that cabbies use, presumably with a similar drivetrain, I'm guessing reliability isn't an issue.
What's the pick of the trim levels? Looks like GR Sport or Excel are the ones to look for? I can just about stretch to a low mileage 2023 facelift.
This feels much more sensible than spending similar amount of money on a diesel 3 series with 60-70k miles. Have always preferred petrol.
Not Corolla but near as you'll get, as i just posted in another thread, taxi driver in the next town has just replaced his Auris hybrid estate due to engine failure at a mere 440k miles, other than consumables and servicing no other issues, unsurprisingly he's bought another Auris.Even with the extra battery in the boot floor the boot will still be 110+ liters bigger than the e39 boot. What's it like with the seats folded down- is the boot floor flat with the folded seats? This is really useful in my Jazz. 0-60 time of the 2.0 is similar to the 530i but should use lots less fuel. Use case is 40 mile each way motorway commute 3 days per week then uk/European holidays where I need something I can depend on if I'm taking it abroad.
Some reviews say the rear legroom isn't great- is this better on the estate compared to the hatch or the same? Got and 8 and 10 year old who are only going to get bigger and want this to be a long termer.
CVT initially put me off but realized the planetary eCVT that Toyota use is a completely different thing to the dodgy belt/chain driven CVTs that get a bad rep. Judging by the number of Priuses that cabbies use, presumably with a similar drivetrain, I'm guessing reliability isn't an issue.
What's the pick of the trim levels? Looks like GR Sport or Excel are the ones to look for? I can just about stretch to a low mileage 2023 facelift.
This feels much more sensible than spending similar amount of money on a diesel 3 series with 60-70k miles. Have always preferred petrol.
The only vehicle we'll replace the ageing Landcruiser if we decide to is with a Toyota hybrid, possibly Corolla but might go Rav 4 or Suzuki Across which is a Rav 4 PHEV with Suzi badges and different grille work, Suzi versions are usually newer and lower mileage and still much cheaper, possibly not many realise what it is and who makes it, cheack out the power and performane on tap...we also considered Suzi Swace for siumilar value reasons but like you if we do go Corolla size would prefer the 2.0 litre.
Hopefully some of the previous posters might still be looking in. I was surprised to see at least 3 names I recognize as current or previous performance cars owners, 2 as Lotus owners and the 3rd as a previous Clio V6 and Gallardo owner.
I’m considering a 2023 update Corolla GR Sport 2.00 estate but thanks for the comment about the late 2024 cars and speed limits, not now one that late. I don’t want the leather seats in the Excel edition though the heads up display would be good.
I did test drive one yesterday but I’m still undecided. I’ve never driven a CVT before and only autos on holiday hires. Within the first ¼ mile I’m feeling on engine sound I need to change gear but can’t. I did get more used to this. On paper it has a few more HP and a bit more torque than the Focus ST170 estate which it would replace, so those should be positives. It will certainly be more economical. The steering whilst stationary felt softer but I wasn’t too aware whilst driving.
What I wasn’t able to explore was how well it corners. Is body roll reasonably well contained or is it going to roll, does it understeer fairly quickly?
The flappy paddles do change the engine sound marginally but as it’s CVT they can’t be changing down/up a gear. How do these work in practice? Just using the accelerator from slower speed for a foot down test, the car was initially slow to build speed but did get going eventually. In a manual car I’d have changed down 1 or 2 gears but that’s not an option.
My head is saying it’s a great car – Toyota reliability, 10 year warranty if serviced within the dealership, impressive mpg, etc. My heart is saying that it doesn’t feel sporty enough. Some of this may be because I couldn’t more fully explore the cornering. Some of this may be the association of gear changes and the engine sound, whether up or down in making progress, that isn’t there.
Other front wheel drive cars I’ve had with less power and torque have had LSDs or a viscous coupling to limit torque steer. I assume that this is all electronically managed, or not a problem. Are there any problems driving in occasional snow conditions (only in the UK). I won’t be able select a higher gear, will that also be electronically controlled?
Any further insights from owners would be appreciated, particularly from those who enjoy/have performance cars.
I’m considering a 2023 update Corolla GR Sport 2.00 estate but thanks for the comment about the late 2024 cars and speed limits, not now one that late. I don’t want the leather seats in the Excel edition though the heads up display would be good.
I did test drive one yesterday but I’m still undecided. I’ve never driven a CVT before and only autos on holiday hires. Within the first ¼ mile I’m feeling on engine sound I need to change gear but can’t. I did get more used to this. On paper it has a few more HP and a bit more torque than the Focus ST170 estate which it would replace, so those should be positives. It will certainly be more economical. The steering whilst stationary felt softer but I wasn’t too aware whilst driving.
What I wasn’t able to explore was how well it corners. Is body roll reasonably well contained or is it going to roll, does it understeer fairly quickly?
The flappy paddles do change the engine sound marginally but as it’s CVT they can’t be changing down/up a gear. How do these work in practice? Just using the accelerator from slower speed for a foot down test, the car was initially slow to build speed but did get going eventually. In a manual car I’d have changed down 1 or 2 gears but that’s not an option.
My head is saying it’s a great car – Toyota reliability, 10 year warranty if serviced within the dealership, impressive mpg, etc. My heart is saying that it doesn’t feel sporty enough. Some of this may be because I couldn’t more fully explore the cornering. Some of this may be the association of gear changes and the engine sound, whether up or down in making progress, that isn’t there.
Other front wheel drive cars I’ve had with less power and torque have had LSDs or a viscous coupling to limit torque steer. I assume that this is all electronically managed, or not a problem. Are there any problems driving in occasional snow conditions (only in the UK). I won’t be able select a higher gear, will that also be electronically controlled?
Any further insights from owners would be appreciated, particularly from those who enjoy/have performance cars.
Have a look on YouTube as to how the ecvt gearbox works- it’s nothing like a cvt gearbox that you’d get on a Nissan for example. Uses a planetary gear set to combine the power from the ice engine and electric motor/generators, so the ratio is controlled by the relative outputs of the 3 motors and whether the electric motors are using or harvesting energy. It’s a very elegant solution.
Reviews I’ve read seem to say the chassis is pretty sorted and could handle a chunk more power. Looking forward to test driving one properly in the next few weeks. Trouble is I really want a blue 2.0 excel estate and there are none for sale anywhere near Kent. Local Toyota dealership have a black one and a white one, but i have a thing about monochrome cars.
Reviews I’ve read seem to say the chassis is pretty sorted and could handle a chunk more power. Looking forward to test driving one properly in the next few weeks. Trouble is I really want a blue 2.0 excel estate and there are none for sale anywhere near Kent. Local Toyota dealership have a black one and a white one, but i have a thing about monochrome cars.
It isn't sporty by any stretch of the imagination. The handling isn't bad but not exciting either. The TSS will kick in and make adjustments if you try to drive it enthusiastically. Even in power mode the box controlling the Toyota hybrid synergy drive is still aiming to make it economical.
I would buy it for what it is - a relaxing, economical, well made, reliable car, not for what it isn't - a sporty car for B roads.
I would buy it for what it is - a relaxing, economical, well made, reliable car, not for what it isn't - a sporty car for B roads.
Thanks for the comments so far.
I have seen a couple of Youtube videos but not the one as to how the ecvt gearbox works. When I visited the Toyota dealership they actually had another 2 different colour GR Sport 2.0l estates fully prep'd and on the forecourt which weren't advertised, so it may be worth phoning or checking for yourself if you are nearby. I get the impression that each dealership can decide if they want to shift more cars with a smaller margin, or less cars with a greater margin. So one dealer I may have visited looks to be a bit more expensive, but I'll leave that for you to arrive at your own conclusion.
Thanks also for the comment about the TSS taking control to keep it as economical as possible. That may limit what I'm thinking should be an extra 20 hp and more torque on the occasion when I do want to use all the acceleration that it has, in theory.
I have seen a couple of Youtube videos but not the one as to how the ecvt gearbox works. When I visited the Toyota dealership they actually had another 2 different colour GR Sport 2.0l estates fully prep'd and on the forecourt which weren't advertised, so it may be worth phoning or checking for yourself if you are nearby. I get the impression that each dealership can decide if they want to shift more cars with a smaller margin, or less cars with a greater margin. So one dealer I may have visited looks to be a bit more expensive, but I'll leave that for you to arrive at your own conclusion.
Thanks also for the comment about the TSS taking control to keep it as economical as possible. That may limit what I'm thinking should be an extra 20 hp and more torque on the occasion when I do want to use all the acceleration that it has, in theory.
Popped into local Toyota dealer yesterday. They had a white excel and a red sport. The excel had a few marks in the paint and the wheels were kerbed, but the red sport looked immaculate and had less than 10k miles on it. Did look nice with the black mirror covers. Can’t say I’d miss the HUD and from what I saw of the excel interior I’m not sure the “leather” on the seats, especially the bolsters, will wear that well.
Had a sit inside and was impressed. I’m 6’2” and rear space was ok for me so my son will be fine in the back.
Test drive booked for next weekend.
Had a sit inside and was impressed. I’m 6’2” and rear space was ok for me so my son will be fine in the back.
Test drive booked for next weekend.
Very smooth and seamless compared to a normal auto as it doesn’t change between physical gearsets. Don’t really notice the transition between it driving in ev mode and the ice engine kicking in.
I came from an e39 with a zf5hp gearbox which was fine but a bit slow to react. This is much more responsive and you don’t have to wait for it to kick down.
There is a bit of a disconnect between engine speed and road speed but it’s a lot better in this most recent generation of the Toyota hybrid system. It is a bit noisy if you floor it as the petrol engine will jump up to high revs straight away. This seems to be lessened in sport mode though and it has paddles behind the steering wheel which can be used to mimic traditional gear ratios. Have had a quick play with that.
I came from an e39 with a zf5hp gearbox which was fine but a bit slow to react. This is much more responsive and you don’t have to wait for it to kick down.
There is a bit of a disconnect between engine speed and road speed but it’s a lot better in this most recent generation of the Toyota hybrid system. It is a bit noisy if you floor it as the petrol engine will jump up to high revs straight away. This seems to be lessened in sport mode though and it has paddles behind the steering wheel which can be used to mimic traditional gear ratios. Have had a quick play with that.
lufbramatt said:
Had a sit inside and was impressed. I m 6 2 and rear space was ok for me so my son will be fine in the back.
Mazinbrum said:
lufbramatt said:
Had a sit inside and was impressed. I m 6 2 and rear space was ok for me so my son will be fine in the back.
Mine is an estate, they’re built on a longer floor pan than the hatch. I def fit ok in the back of mine
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