Toyota Corolla 2010 Review

Toyota Corolla hatch: Conquest (auto), Levin ZR (manual)

Road Test

Corolla Levin ZR
Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): Levin ZR $28,900 manual
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): metallic paint $350, moonroof $1500
Crash rating: 5-star (EuroNCAP tested, lhd model with curtain airbags)
Fuel: Standard, 91 RON (E10 acceptable)
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): Manual 7.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): Manual 171

Also consider: Focus LX/Zetec, Hyundai i30 SLX/SR, Mazda 3 Maxx/Maxx Sport, Impreza RX, Golf 90TSI Trendline

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

About our ratings

Getting to the top in any competitive endeavour is never easy. And hanging in there can be even tougher. Just ask Toyota.

The market sector ruled by Toyota's small car, the Corolla, is arguably the most fiercely contested in all of motoring. Worldwide, numerous highly credentialled and very ambitious rivals constantly question the Corolla's position. Inevitably, their incessant snipings influence the iconic model's ongoing design and evolution.

For business-risk minimisation, Toyota effectively keeps the Corolla as conservative as the massive customer base on which its success is built.

While the design improves at each model update, Toyota as a rule leaves talking-point advancements and trend-setting innovations to others. But, infrequent and comparatively minor recalls apart, Corolla's legendary reliability, time-proved longevity and comparatively modest ownership costs are renowned strengths.

Some critics harp on about high-volume/low-profit fleet sales accounting for a larger than average slice of Corolla's pie. True, but fleet managers aren't known for spin-bottle selections, or altruism. Indeed, the big fleet buyers drive hard bargains, but at the same time their ownership priorities are much like those of private buyers.

Either way, the Corolla just keeps putting more runs on the board. And that's not about to change anytime soon, judging by the latest (mid-life) freshing which brings incremental upgrades in many areas.

Just to clarify a point that Toyota perhaps hasn't made entirely clear (enough), at this time the Corolla facelift and some of the accompanying specification revisions apply only to the hatch variants.

Although stability control (VSC -- Vehicle Stability Control -- in Toyota lexicon) and traction control became standard for all Corollas from January, the sedans won't get the latest look and related upgrades until mid-year. Currently only the hatches have a minimum of four airbags (front and front-side). However, the Conquest and Levin ZR lift their tallies to seven via a driver's kneebag and full-length curtain 'bags.

The Ascent and Levin SX models can get the extra baggage via a $500 enhanced safety pack.

The facelift also brings changes to the respective audio systems, paint colours, interior trim, alloy wheels and steering wheels, while there are new same-shape taillight lenses and re-styled rear bumper. Besides which, the whole front-end has an identifiably different look thanks to the wider, lower air intake, new bonnet, and body-colour horizontal grille bars instead of mesh.

Although the list prices of the $21,740 Ascent and $25,690 Levin SX are respectively $250 and $190 above the models they replaced, the Conquest and Levin ZR benefit to the tune of a $1000 decrease in their before-other-charges list figures.

This time, the Carsales Network's Corolla appraisal differed from the usual one-car/seven-day format when Toyota volunteered not a single example, but a pair: namely mid-range Conquest automatic and top-end Levin ZR manual, split over successive weeks.

First, the Conquest, and an immediate strong impression of abiding build quality.

Outwardly, the lightly made-over Corolla still mightn't have quite the visual presence of some in its sector, but in terms of admirable finish, the Corolla kowtows to none for uniformity of panel fit, consistently close shut lines and deep, smooth-as paintwork.

Inwardly, the cabin continues the Conquest's welcoming disposition. The packaging is functional, roomy and not unattractive -- excepting the standard instrument cluster that is.

The dials' design may have looked snazzy in the studio, but out in the real daylight world, the graphics, the fuel and temp gauges especially, are more often than not unreadable at a glance.

Honestly, whoever approved the standard cluster for production was a dunce. Toyota deserves a large raspberry for missing the problem in the first instance, and again for letting the affliction continue into the update.

The cure can be seen in the alternative Optitron cluster. Standard in the Levin ZR, the Optitron solution is part of the other models' optional enhanced safety pack. It doesn't make the turn-signal's whispery tick any louder, however.

It's a shame, too, that the impressive-looking audio system's face has an embarrassing zit. The admirably large display panel looks for all the world like a touch screen, but in fact isn't meant to be prodded. Below the display, a post-production sticky label advises users to press the buttons, not the glass. Oops.

In other respects the interior performs its visual and functional roles with style and user-friendliness. For example, the base three-dial HVAC controls couldn't be simpler to understand or easier to use, and look fine anyway.

The smartly presented dash panel has a pop-out cupholder toward each end, and two gloveboxes to complement the cabin's many bins and pockets. Among the various nooks is a handy phone-size slot, next to the handbrake lever. 

The Conquest (and higher) models have a leathered and control-buttoned steering wheel with a flat-bottomed rim. Rare among cars of Corolla's class, the D rim may be more about sporty image than increased leg clearance but has pleasing appearance and tactility anyway. Allied with driver's seat height variability the Corolla steering wheel's two-way adjustments puts appropriately commanding and comfortable driving positions within grasp of almost everyone.

The front seats are at once quite firm yet well shaped and sufficiently deep-sided for comforting support and holdfast security. Not that that's an incentive to put the automatic Corolla's cornering grip on the line.

Mind, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the Corolla's driving dynamics. It's just that they're not especially dynamic. The steering, for example, fairly faithfully does what's directed, while communicating as much job satisfaction as your average public servant. Similarly, while the brakes are amply arresting at high speeds, and easy-squeezy in light applications, there's little life in the pedal.

Given that the Corolla is by design and ambition not among the leaders in chassis engineering, its all-round driveability certainly ain't awful. Indeed, the world's favourite small car deports itself reasonably well through corners and swerves and suchlike, at least until stretched to the point where push becomes shove.

Ordinarily, though, the Corolla's handling is benignly well balanced and amiably co-operative. Its turn-in attitude is confidently responsive and its understeer mostly mild.

Getting off the gas in mid-corner doesn't unleash instant oversteer. To all intents such throttle closure is scarcely acknowledged as the chassis remains securely planted and obediently directional.

The Corolla's overall ride quality is quite tolerable too. Though no magic carpet, it doesn't get the jitters over niggly small irritations, and rough roads are placated without inflicting jarring discomfort upon the occupants. Not without an audible chorus of suspension patter across corrugations, however.

So although there are several same-class hatches that will out-drive, out-ride and out-handle the Corolla in extremis, that's no big deal for most people most of the time.

However, one needn't be acutely perceptive to notice that Corolla driving chronically lacks any sense of occasion. Where other makers compete to advance the driving experience, Toyota's mass-market ambition doesn't (yet) aim higher than middling competency.

Actually, that's not quite irrefutable, as we'll soon discover in the Levin ZR. However, for anyone with a whit of appreciation for where car technology and efficiency levels are at, the Corolla's automatic drivetrain is patently past its use-by date.

Sure, the auto functions as smoothly as you could wish, and shifts gears almost imperceptibly slickly. It's so undemanding as to make Homer Simpson a virtuoso.

What's not to like? Mainly, four-speeds are just so last-century, y'know. Indeed, the Corolla auto is a gear or two short of being on the pace in today's contexts.

Small cars need more than four speeds to lever optimal driveability, lowest consumption and cleanest emissions from their engines; petrol and diesel alike. The fact that many small-car autos are behind the times doesn't let Toyota (nor the other slackers) off the hook.

Defenders of the keep-it-simple credo may mention that the Corolla auto's official consumption is a respectable 7.4L/100km (7.5L/100km Levin ZR), or only 0.1 (0.2) thirstier than the manual.

At face value, that's a valid point, particularly in light of the automatic Conquest's credible 8.1L/100km average during our tenure, versus the slightly thirstier 8.5L/100km logged by the manual ZR. However, don't take those numbers as indicators of the real-world relativities. What the disparity actually reflects is that the manual is a much more enjoyable drive than the automatic.

Where the Corolla auto's flavour is awash with streaks of indifference, the stick-shift 'box enables the driver to kindle the car's spark of life, and even extract a modicum of zest. Next to the automatic's claim to accelerate 0-100 km/h in 11.1 seconds, the manual's 9.7-second journey seems positively exuberant.

While the auto model is about 30kg heavier, the cars' specifications differ significantly only in regard to the transmissions. The suspension, steering, brakes, tyres and so on are uniform from model to model.

All variants share the same 1.8-litre engine. With 100kW and 175Nm to its name, the 2ZR-FE isn't quite as punchy as some in the 1.6-2.0 litre class, and feels a bit of a softy. Given a good rev however, the engine performs generously enough while maintaining its noticeably smooth and pleasingly quiet demeanour.

The manual has a natural advantage in mechanical efficiency, of course, and benefits from having six speeds to the auto's four.

Although the manual gear lever's travel (at 1300km) feels a bit notchy from slot to slot, the shifts are easy and well defined. Thus, in the hands of a knowing driver, the manual's better able to provide gears more appropriate to the prevailing driving conditions.

It isn't rocket science, but the six-speed 'box definitely lifts the Corolla's spirit; and the driver's too.

That aspect comes across particularly strongly in the manual Levin ZR model. While the ZR is strictly a Corolla clone beneath the skin, its feel-good factor glows warmly with a little help from a bulging swag of goodies.

The additions include climate control aircon, Optitron instruments, auto-dim interior mirror, auto wipers, headlight washers, auto headlight adjustment, auto headlights on/off, anti-theft alarm, up-market HVAC controls and plusher leather trim with contrast stitching.

The ZR also caps the point that while the Corolla doesn't have the hottest performance in its class, nor the biggest boot or lowest prices or whatever, it's all-round talented enough to sway more hearts and minds than its rivals.

So, when all's said and done, it's clearly the law of averages that keeps the Corolla ahead of the pack in the main game.

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