Mike Humble

“Never mind the width, feel the quality“

Now well and truly established in the Toyota range, the Corolla recently went through a small raft of welcome changes to uplift and update what is in essence, a very likeable and efficient package. It’s never claimed to be the most exciting or soul stirring car, family sized Toyota’s have never been all about this, yet the Corolla – especially in Touring Sport variant, has that certain ‘X Factor’ that a quick test drive accompanied by a salesman wittering in your lug ‘ole cannot give you. I am lucky enough to have had experience of the Corolla ever since it replaced the Auris, I’ll make no bones about it… I’m a big fan. Other Anglo-Japanese brands have gone through a few ups and downs in recent years when it comes to quality, reliability – or both for that matter, but Toyota seem to just crack on with it, quietly producing decent vehicles that their owners simply adore.

I recently spent a little time behind the wheel of the range topping ‘Excel’ version of the 2.0 Hybrid Touring Sport. The aforementioned updates are subtle yet effective and allied to their 5th generation of hybrid driveline, its a solid all round machine. Yes the engine can get a bit course when you flex your right ankle and the nature of the CVT gearbox only accentuates this – and it can’t be helped, but for ninety percent of the time, as that eighties singer Sade would say – it’s a smooth operator. Motorway cruising on tarmac surfaces is up there with the very best for quietness and smoothness, and considering all that open space behind you with estate cars, that’s a clever trick to achieve, but the surface has to be smooth though. Clearly there has been some thought and forward thinking engineering when it came to developing the suspension mountings and bushings – top marks!

The digital dash with virtual dials works and shows its information very well with just the right amount of colour in the fonts and graphics to avoid boredom. The updated info-tainment system with built in Sat-Nav is a lot less clunky and no longer annoyingly slow that older models were guilty of but other makers systems still better it. I found my smartphone easy to tether to the head unit and people remarked during hands free phone calls that the quality of the sound from my voice was very good. I also found the JBL supplied audio system to be of agreeable quality with a punchy bass and midrange with little distortion – even when cranked right up. No issues with the heating or ventilation could be found, the car was quick to warm up while the aircon did a good job of cooling the interior down. It’s so easy to appreciate why so many of these cars find themselves high on the list of company cars, taxi drivers. Even various Police forces up and down the UK seem to be hedging their bets on the Corolla Touring Sports.

Staying on the theme of quality. The paintwork, interior furnishings, switch gear, plastics and overall fit & finish really are very good indeed. The overall feeling when you poke, prod, pull and twiddle is of a car with a genuine premium feel to it inside and out. Once again, this is a difficult trick to pull off, especially when every manufacturer these days is struggling to make their vehicles as light on the scales as they can in the quest for efficiency and emissions. We have a new VW Golf in our household, and in terms of build quality, the Corolla beats it hands down – no kidding. When it comes to comfort, the sporty and almost wing back shape of the front seats offered superb support with the cushion having just the right amount of firmness without feeling like a bean bag. One gripe from me though is the annoying lever for reclining the backrest – why cant we have a twist wheel so you can safely make minor finite adjustments when on the move? Instead, you pull the lever and the seat flies backwards if you’re not aware and potentially a little dangerous.

You’ll find ample storage space for life’s clutter and even though rear headroom can be a little lacking for taller passengers, there’s plenty of leg and shoulder room as well as a flat floor for when parcels outnumber passengers, though the 2.0 has a slightly smaller boot than the 1.8 owing to the battery positioning. It’s also worth mentioning that overall boot space isn’t quite as capacious as rivals such as Skoda’s Octavia hybrid though.  One of the most impressive traits of the Toyota is the ride comfort – it’s genuinely excellent. Partly thanks to a sympathetic profile rating of the tyres, be it trundling around town or traversing the motorways at speed, nothing seems to unruffle the composure of the Corolla. Passengers commented on this without me even asking them. The only blot in the copy book is the not so sharp cornering ability when really pushing hard – that said, I seldom drive like a complete moron with my backside on fire so this should never  really be a problem. Performance is brisk and efficiency is good – especially when you consider in 2.0 form there is more than 190bhp on offer, enough to see sixty come up in well under eight seconds.

Toyota claim around 61mpg WLTP and I wasn’t far off the mark with 56 owing to plenty of use of the air conditioning. But you pay your money and take your pick – the 1.8 is that little bit more efficient and has a slightly larger boot, but the 2.0 offers really good and very strong performance. My choice? I’d take the 2.0 for the extra oomph.

To summarise, it isn’t the most soul stirring car, nor is it the most spacious in its class. However, and this IS important, the Corolla Touring Sports is properly sorted, well built, well equipped, thoroughly engineered car. Once you have spent a while behind the wheel, it grows on you more and more as the mileage ticks by. They are decent cars driven by decent people with a better than usual dealer network when it comes to customer care. If an estate car is on your list, this is one to seriously consider – and it’s British built too, what more do you need in life?

The Humble Opinion:

The Corolla range is a cracking array of cars that promise reliability and customer satisfaction. The darling of the mini cab driver and becoming ever popular with the British Police forces, the Corolla Touring Sports is a cracking antidote to those who loath or don’t want to buy an SUV. They are well equipped and well respected motors in general and above all a difficult car not to like. What impresses me most is the fit and finish that betters many German vehicles along with its good value for money.

Turning the time honoured phrase on it’s head, it’s a case of never mind the width feel the quality. 

WHATS GREAT?

• Good value for money and cheap to run
• Excellent ride comfort
• Overall quality puts most of its class to shame
• Easy to drive and operate and really smooth
• Good track record for reliability
• Really comfortable and supportive front seats
• Smooth, quiet and effortless
• Performance and economy balance very good

What Grates?

• Rear headroom and boot space bettered by some rivals
• Handling a little untidy when hurried or pushed
• Infotainment and sat-nav despite being updated is still a bit lethargic
• Electric only range is very limited
• Rather numb and lifeless steering

THE SPECS:

Driveline – 2.0 petrol / CVT hybrid with front wheel drive

Power –  193bhp

Economy – 61.4mpg WLTP (claimed) 56.7mpg actual on test

Boot Space Maximum – 581 litres

Performance* – 0-60 in 7.7 seconds 112mph max 

Co2 output – 108g/km based on WLTP

Cost – £38,045 (inc optional metallic paint @ £655 extra

Finally… my thanks go to Nicole and the team at Toyota GB

For more information on the Corolla or Toyota range CLICK HERE