New 2009 Toyota Corolla Review - Not too good...

[GMFan]

I would take a Honda any day over a Toyota. Toyota cars I've been in always seemed hollow inside. Hondas seem heavier and seem to ride nicer. JMHO

My brother just bought a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe 5psd with the 190hp vtec and it is a nice ride. Very nice interior. Unfortunately he had to drop it off at the dealership with 2,015 miles on it because it's check engine lamp is on.

 

[rpn453]

2 stars on TTAC:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009-toyota-corolla-review/

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The Civic wins in the compact car department, hands down, when it comes to a well-rounded package.


I drove a current gen Civic and liked it (provided you leave off the sunroof if you're over 5'6"). But it didn't even come close to the Mazda3, IMHO.

 

[MikeR]

Car and Driver panned it too:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_...st_drive_review

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: leftlane

The civic's sport version SI wouldnt compete with it? Its around 180hp if I remember right.


The Civic SI is rated at 197 hp.

Originally Posted By: rpn453

I drove a current gen Civic and liked it (provided you leave off the sunroof if you're over 5'6"). But it didn't even come close to the Mazda3, IMHO.


Hey, I'm 5'11" or so and I can deal with the Civic's sunroof

But you're right, the [censored] thing cuts around an inch off of headroom IIRC. If I could've gotten disc brakes, outside temp gauge etc with no sunroof I would have.

On the drive quality, from having driven both my Civic coupe and a friend's Mazda3 sedan w/ the 2 liter, IMO the handling is very close. The Mazda's steering felt heavier to me, but the Civic's is quite light. The Civic's 1.8 obviously has less get-up than the Mazda's 2.3 liter, though. The shifters have a different feel and I think I prefer the Civic's but I can definitely see how some would prefer the Mazda's. Same with the dash arrangement. I thought the Mazda's clutch was much easier than the Civic's.

Was the Civic you drove a 4 door? I've heard that the sedan's suspension is softer and the driving feel isn't as good as the coupe's. Of course, you get two more doors for that price. I'm pretty sure if I had wanted a 4 door I would've gotten a 3 over the Civic.

 

[MrCritical]

Civic Si=197hp no torgue till high rpm, no auto, does it run on regular?

PS-everyone in Canada says Focus is expensive there. Not so expensive in the States.

 

[rationull]

The Civic SI "requires" premium fuel. Can't really argue w/ the torque part except to say it's meant as a high revver. Likewise with the transmission -- someone who's looking for an auto would probably also be better served w/ a different car with a bigger, torquier engine.

 

[Bulli]

The Si is awsome.
I drove a Mazda 3 5 speed an dit was a fun little car but it still felt pretty slow for me.
My little 1.8 civic has more tq of the line then that of the mazda.. why.. hondas special drive by wire and its special vtec.

 

[Max_Wander]

Originally Posted By: Bulli
The Si is awsome.
I drove a Mazda 3 5 speed an dit was a fun little car but it still felt pretty slow for me.
My little 1.8 civic has more tq of the line then that of the mazda.. why.. hondas special drive by wire and its special vtec.


hahaahahaha good one!! but the sarcasm is laid on a little thick, huh?

 

[parimento1]

I've driven both of these cars and I can say that the Mazda 3S with the 2.3L engine handily beats the civic EX in driving pleasure and handling. However, I like the civic's ergonomics much better than the Mazda's. The civic is also more reliable. The corolla I drove was a 2005, but I drove it when it was new. To say the corolla drove badly is an understatement...The engine was quiet enough but the transmission shifted harshly and the thing wallowed like a lincoln town car, only without the isolated ride. The thing crashed over bumps, which I think is due to the dependant rear axle, which IMO is an embarassment. However, if I didn't care one bit about driving excitement I would buy the Corolla above all others because they really are bullet proof. I know numerous people who have very old, very high mileage corollas, and although they may be dented and beat up looking, they always start and never gave them an ounce of trouble. 2 of my closer friends own a 1993 corolla. Both with over 100k miles and basically the only real problems theyve had are alternators and wheel bearings. That being said, I think the Civic is the best compromise between reliable and sporty.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Bulli
The Si is awsome.
I drove a Mazda 3 5 speed an dit was a fun little car but it still felt pretty slow for me.
My little 1.8 civic has more tq of the line then that of the mazda.. why.. hondas special drive by wire and its special vtec.


The 'ol "My lug nuts require more torque than your Honda makes" fits here

Just buggin'

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: Bulli
The Si is awsome.
I drove a Mazda 3 5 speed an dit was a fun little car but it still felt pretty slow for me.
My little 1.8 civic has more tq of the line then that of the mazda.. why.. hondas special drive by wire and its special vtec.


Does the Civic really feel faster off the line than the 3 w/ 2 liter? Seems like it would be a wash based on the specs. Here in CA at least (where the Mazda 3 is a PZEV) the torque difference is only about 4 lb*ft, and the peak torque engine speed difference is only 200 RPM (4300 for the Civic, 4500 for the 3). IIRC the total gearing is pretty similar but it's possible the Civic has a lower first gear to make it feel peppier.

 

[ARB1977]

Im a bug Yota fan more so with their pickups. Since their 2005 Tacoma came out ive heard fair comments about it....my 2002 has been solid.

 

[KrisZ]

Why do people demand more and more horse power? especially from car like Civic, Corolla or Mazda 3? With the fuel prices going up it seems that at least the economy segment would start producing engines that have more low end torque instead of high HP that you reach at 6500 RPM. How often do you drive at redline? Hardly ever.
I have Mazda 3 2.0 and I never needed to exceed 3500 RPM when merging with traffic and its a slushbox too. Once in a whil I do take it to the red line in thge manumatic mode, but its for my enjoyment, I do not need to do that in my daily commute.
Besides, a car doesn't have to have big HP to be fun to drive (miata, MG) so why does everyone need to have a car that can do 0-60 in less than 7 sec. as a daily driver?

 

[rationull]

Hey, I bet most of us are with you on that.

 

[KrisZ]

Another thing that I noticed with Toyotas, especially Echo and Corolla is that they don't want to impress car enthusiasts that are looking for good handling and sporty ride. This is a minority of the market. Corolla established itself as an automotive appliance and it works great for Toyota, they sells prove it. As far as I am concerned there is no car that will suit all, thats why you have a huge selection of cars that will satisfy your needs. If you don't like Toyota why complain? Just byu something else, I know I did and I'm happy with my choice.

 

[leftlane]

Originally Posted By: rationull
Originally Posted By: leftlane

The civic's sport version SI wouldnt compete with it? Its around 180hp if I remember right.


The Civic SI is rated at 197 hp.


Ok thanks for the clarification. I saw on a review site that it was 180hp for a 07 SI awhile back but I have since stopped using those sites for any reference other than actual reviews since much of their info and stats are inaccurate.

 

[firemachine69]

I don't know about you southern folks, but an Si Civic with twisty rear-beam is 33K up here... How the bloody [censored] do you spend thirty-some grand on a CIVIC!


Toyota's being an appliance: Short of the Matrix XRS (AWD + independent all-around), absolutely, sport packages, particularly in a MT-wrapper, look great on paper but don't sell at all... understandably, as the Corolla RS up here is almost thirty grand... At that point, most buyers come to their senses, leave the 'sport' behind, and look at upgrading to the next platform up for more space and practicality.

 

[pbm]

A base 2009 Corolla with 5 spd. is advertised for 13K in the NY Daily News today. You can't touch a Civic for anything near that. If price isn't an issue I'd take a Civic but for the price you can't beat the Corolla

 

[MrCritical]

The Civic Si base here is $21,110 plus shipping, MSRP.

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I don't know about you southern folks, but an Si Civic with twisty rear-beam is 33K up here...


You sure about the twisty rear-beam? I'm pretty sure the US and Canada current generation Civics are the same car (lots of the US ones are in fact made at the Ontario plant) and they've definitely got independent rear suspension, all the way across the line.