What is it?
Things aren’t all bad in the UK car industry, this all-new Toyota Corolla a case in point. It’s a British-built family hatchback, which, on first impressions earlier this month on Spanish soil, revealed itself to have true class-leading potential.
A car we should grow to be quite proud of then, and some comeback, too. Remember, this new Corolla replaces the Auris, which was about as uninspiring a car in the class as you could imagine. That car one hand on the wooden spoon in a segment that’s 15-20 models strong, rather than jostling for gold.
We went into great detail on the background to the new Corolla and its dynamic make-up on our recent first drive, which you can read here. Our test car here is also in the range-topping Excel trim, our Corollas sharing a cabin design, trim and spec sheets.
So what’s new for this second appraisal for the Corolla back on home soil after its Spanish holiday is our first chance to test the lower-powered of two the hybrid powertrains on offer, plus the chance for that overhauled new chassis to show its mettle on roads that will really show how good it is. We’ll focus on that here.
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SamVimes1972
The average driver in this
The average driver in this market doesn't give a fig how the car handles. The fact that it looks good inside and out (Toyota interiors have been wilfully poor for a long time) and is economical should help it sell.
The success of this car will be in the marketing campaign.
gavsmit
Funny TV advert
On the subject of the marketing campaign, did anyone see the early version of the TV advert? It shows the Corolla overtaking all kinds of cars, but in the first version I saw, it ovetakes a moving Ferrari - that's actually on the back of a tow truck! :-D
I wondered how they were going to get away with that - then the next time I saw the ad, that bit had gone.
Nice car - bit concerned about the hatch's boot capacity though, and, as with all new versions of cars now, the high list price........I wonder why cars aren't selling as well as they did......!
xxxx
If
You don't mind what a car looks like, go's like and can put up with a CVT then maybe. But there's more to life than a 30% fuel saving over a year, which, is pretty much negated when factoring in that high initial price. To put that price into perspective a Renault Meganne RS280 is only £500 more, a Astra SRI Nav with a 150hp 1.5 and automatic box is under £25k. MPG isn't everything!
odie_the_dog
xxxx wrote:
But, if you're a company car driver the Corolla knocks either of those two into a cocked hat from a cost perspective.
CO2 of 83g compared to 163g for the Megane or 136g for the Astra.
On this year's bands that's 22% for the Corolla, 31% for the Astra and 36% for the Megane.
xxxx
odie_the_dog wrote:
Should have mentioned 'from private buyers view point'.
androo
Shhh. Don't mention the rear space.
This is a positive review of a car that's genuuinely really good I'm sure. But if you watch video reviews there's a problem for some buyers and it's space. Rear-seat space is borderline unacceptable for tall people and the boot no bigger than a Yaris's in the hybrid model because of batteries under the floor and a hatch that slopes too steeply. If only they could have ticked every box. Something to consider.
Cheltenhamshire
androo wrote:
The 1.2 turbo petrol has a bigger boot. The estate massively bigger. Problem solved! As for the rest leg room argument, most drivers don't drive with the front seats pushed all the way back as they are not 6ft 5in tall. My other half if 5ft 3in tall, when she is driving I can lounge my 6ft frame in the back of our Qashqai like it was a limo.
Cheltenhamshire
Nobody is buying cars bigger
That is why the mass market turned premium, because of residuals making posh leasing cheaper than buying mass market. Get a mass market car that has value at 2 years old (low running cost, future proof via hybrid etc) then you will get good residuals.
Good luck Toyota because whilst every leave voting kipper should be buying this car a load of them won't.
xxxx
Nobody?
"Nobody is buying cars bigger than Fiesta's with cash." - Rubbish, I did. Even if strong residuals were everything we'd all be driving VW's and BMW's and the Ford Focus wouldn't be nr 1. Afterall low running costs didn't Auris Hybrid fly off the shelf!
Cheltenhamshire
xxxx wrote:
Compare the top 10 registered cars now and 10 years ago. Notice anything different? Ah yes, 3 series, C Class and A Class in the list. They are in the list because on a monthly lease they cost less to run than mass market cars. Do some research. And well done for dropping cash on a car .... wish I could afford to be so wasteful with mine! Will stick to 2 year old cars so I don't lose 40% of my cash in 24 months.
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