The roads are that good but not sure I’d risk the cost of a return flight, accommodation and car hire on being stuck with a crap car for the duration.

It would be an eternal disappointment

while we were in NZ we caught the NZ v8’s @ Ruapuna, they are more entertaining than our aussie v8’s.

im going back in march 09′ to do the east coast, Dunedin, Timaru to catch some NZ Ute, pre 65 and OSCA Racing, Omaru & it’s motor museum and up to Picton, Nelson and through Marlborough country.

I’m not quite understanding how people can consider me calling the Corolla merely adequate as praise though. I certainly wouldn’t consider my opinions on the car to be worth any sort of money to Toyota. I’d be quite worried if Toyota was happy with producing mediocre cars, paying me for pointing out that fact and then telling people to “shop around”.

Funny how if we write something good about a car, the article was paid for by the manufacturer in question, yet if we bag a car we get slammed for being too harsh.

You can’t have it both ways, you know.

Then we might not “twig” that Toyota paid for the trip.

– Let’s face it the Corrola was never designed to be a dymanic driving machine. Most of it’s many owners are just happy getting from A to B (around town)

– Don’t think you mentioned the countless number of single lane bridges which sort of spoil some of the drive IMO

– South Island and then Route 66 can I have your job…please

Pity the Toyota advertorial had to appear

“Final Impressions: The Corolla

I have to give credit to the Corolla, it never let us down. It’s that impression of reliability on which this car’s reputation is built.”

Yes, folks, the Corolla did some 1250ks over an extensive 5 day period, without breaking down once. That’s clearly the stuff of which reliability legends are born and maintained.

Damn, I wish my cars could do that………

But onto the car… You say the following:

“have to give credit to the Corolla, it never let us down. It’s that impression of reliability on which this car’s reputation is built.” Find me a renter in any brand that would have broken down or let you down on that trip. Had it been a holden Astra would you have said the same thing? Probably not.

“Despite some obvious deficiencies in comparison to the competition; lack of ESP, lack of power, cumbersome gear box, uninspired handling (and I’m only naming those that immediately come to mind), it seems to reassert itself as fit for purpose in the simplest of ways.” Fit for what purpose? Not safety, ergonomics, comfort or driving enjoyment. Slightly important to people.

“Whilst it lacked grunt (100kW @ 6000rpm / 175Nm @ 4400rpm) and the four-speed auto was unwilling to down shift unless forced to, which was often, the 1.8 litre still managed to return a respectable 7.4 litres per 100km over the entire trip. No easy feat considering the mountains we climbed, and rather slow average speeds through snow and ice. The elevated ergonomic positioning of the shift gate also meant that manual control of the auto box wasn’t as much of an inconvenience as it could’ve been.” So gutless, unhelpful, unintuitive and not overly economical… gets better.

“The handling could also be more entertaining. Varying degrees of understeer, lack of steering feel, body roll and slow turn in aren’t exactly fun. But these are things that can at least partially be attributed to the base model’s skinny tires. It’s those skinny tires though that cut through the snow in Queenstown and didn’t slip over the icy Lindis Pass.” Yet another glowing endorsement. More entertaining. I can think of few cars that are less entertaining. Maybe Toyota should push the Corolla as a Subaru Impreza competitor, genuinely good in the snow.

“Quality seems to be there in most places frequented by your hands. All stalk controls, HVAC, audio and gear controls feel solid and precise. However, large areas of dashboard and console were covered in hard, cheap plastic – causing very obvious rattles between two glove box lids that were rubbing against each other.” So mostly quality, but not all. Rattles and cheapness thrown in for free.

Conclusion? Where do I sign up? Pardon me while I rush to my local Toyota dealer.

Kind of a sad indictment that due to the cars almost total lack of any rational reasons for purchase/driving enjoyment, the “it didn’t let us down” is the highlight. There are 40 year old cars out on the road that won’t let you down either… pretty sad that Toyota haven’t really pushed this over what any roadworthy car probably would have done in the same trip.