Toyota Corolla Conquest 2004 Review

Toyota Corolla Conquest

Toyota's evergreen Corolla is clearly the big cheese among the small-medium clan for sales, even though it's no longer built here (it now originates from either South Africa or Japan). But does it really deserve to be more popular than McLeod's Daughters?

In many ways, absolutely. Corolla's fit and finish has always deserved praise, but this ninth-generation model is the first to discover class. And decent interior room. Corolla's leg and head space are abundant, and its rear bench offers decent support. But while pedal placement is good, and Corolla's new front seats grip well laterally, they remain too flat to provide under-thigh support - an irritation turned into a real issue by the lack of steering reach adjustment. Corolla's driving position is clearly the worst here.

On the strip, the Corolla is a bolter, and at the pumps nothing can match its frugality, but you have to work for its performance. Plenty of revs is the key - aided by short, quick-shifting gears, and accompanied by a sporty, if somewhat thrashy, note.

But the chassis isn't up to the task. Even on 195/60R15 rubber, Corolla struggles to put its power down exiting corners. The lack of damping discipline spoils its body control, and undermines not only its roadholding and handling balance, but also ride quality. At least it steers well, although there's plenty of kickback.

Which leaves Corolla as an essentially worthy choice, but one lacking surprise-and-delight features, as well as engineering cohesion. The small Toyota aims to please enthusiasts and Nannas in equal helpings, but it succeeds at neither.