The big small car comparison
14 Nov, 2007
111 Comments 
- Introduction
- Honda Civic VTi
- Mitsubishi Lancer ES
- Suzuki SX4 Sedan
- Toyota Corolla Ascent
- Conclusion
Next up is Suzuki’s SX4. Although the cheapest entrant in our comparo, the SX4 is by no means under-equipped or lacking in performance here. A more grown up version of the Liana to look at, the new SX4 has a neater, more flowing style about it and better overall finish than the model it replaces.
Boasting a bucket load of low down torque, the 2.0-litre twin cam packs a punch in the lower rev range of every gear, even fifth, making this a great car for carrying the family and all their gear. However, this does come at the cost of fuel consumption with a combined total of 8.4L/100km.
The ride is smooth but handling is easily unsettled by mid corner bumps and the SX4 does have a degree of body roll which combined with a solid beam rear end, light steering feel and no electronic stability control, can make cornering at speed somewhat of a challenge.
The SX4’s monotone interior can feel a little drab by comparison to the others, but is surprisingly comfortable and provides an ergonomic driver’s position with adequate support for even the tallest of occupants.
Considering the price, the Suzuki is a good buy, and knowing the company’s history, is sure not to put a foot wrong. Judges were also surprised by the SX4’s boot volume, with stated capacity exceeding that of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon by some 15 litres.
Following hot on the heels of the SX4 is Toyota’s more refined new Corolla. Above average equipment levels, reserved good looks and legendary reliability make Corolla a great car for any demographic. But, this simply isn’t enough when placed in the company of the SX4 Sedan, Lancer and Civic.
| Setup | Front Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | 5sp Manual |
| Engine Size | 2.0-litre |
| No. Cylinders | 4 |
| Fuel Type | Petrol - Unleaded ULP |
| Fuel Capacity | 45L |
| Fuel Usage (ADR 81/01) | 9.5L/100km |
| Power | 107kW @ 5800rpm |
| Torque | 184Nm @ 3500rpm |
| Kerb Weight | 1215kg |
| Towing Braked | 1200kg |
| Towing Not Braked | 400kg |
| Wheel Base | 2500mm |
| Length | 4510mm |
| Width | 1730mm |
| Height | 1545mm |
| Made in | JAPAN |
- Introduction
- Honda Civic VTi
- Mitsubishi Lancer ES
- Suzuki SX4 Sedan
- Toyota Corolla Ascent
- Conclusion
Location: Home / Honda, Suzuki, Lancer, Comparisons, Toyota Corolla, Toyota, Car Advice, Behind the Wheel, Mitsubishi, Car News / ...
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November 14th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
no surprise that the lancer took first place
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November 15th, 2007 at 12:37 am
where is the mazda 3???
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November 15th, 2007 at 5:45 am
Mazda couldn’t supply a car
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I wonder if the Corolla sedan feels that much better faster larger and safer than the Yaris considering how much cheaper the latter is?
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:15 am
ehhhhhh?
“The Honda Civic slides in a close second with its precision feel, hint of luxury and winning combination of ride and handling pitching it easily above the Corolla and Civic.”
civic comes 2nd and 3rd?
How>?
Cheers
F-0
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:27 am
I think you should have added Hyundais new i30
Just back from Sydney, where i attended a few trade car auctions, the ONLY car to consider if your looking for resale is the Corolla [Must have auto and air], the price they bring is 75% of new, insane!Its amazing the bidding on it.
NEVER touch a 380/Magna or Falcon, all are a disater…NO bids offered, that bad!
Cheers
F-0
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:29 am
And despite all that the corolla will sell by the million. Every time I see someone with a brand new corolla I feel like smacking them in the head, ‘why did you spend $20k on a car thats inferior to almost all its competitors’, except I’d wear out my arm before I was through a tenth of them. Usual answer to that question is either ‘toyota’s are more reliable’, which means ‘my parents owned a 1992 EB falcon and that broke down way more than my parents new camry, hence ford is shit and toyotas the best’, or its ‘its a good A to B car’ which means ‘I haven’t tested any other car and thats why I haven’t realised you can have an A to B car that isn’t so boring to drive you want to run into a tree just for something to happen’. Thats if they are even aware that other car manufacturers produce cars in that market.
toyota make some good cars, corolla just isn’t one of them.
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Hi F-O,
We were testing sedans, so the i30 wasn’t in contention. It is however an awesome little car as I’m sure our review shows.
Cheers Matt.
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:41 am
It’s a shame the Focus or Mazda 3 weren’t in the comparo as they are the benchmark in the class as judged by most journo publications. I’d like to know how the new Lancer stacks up against them.
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November 15th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Darren, the lancer beats both of them on safety kit, and warranty, and it has the most up-to-date looks.
But the Corolla would still be last.
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November 15th, 2007 at 8:34 am
CONGRATULATIONS MITSUBISHI!
This result was a no-brainer, the new MITSUBISHI LANCER is cram packed with features, superior dynamics and with all the standard safety features,including upto 7 airbags,LANCER deserves to win the comparison.
This vehicle carries over some of the engineering that the stunning and brilliant LANCER Evo X has, unlike the previous generation Lancer where the Evo seemed as something completely different in its personality, it was difficult to see the family relation.
An excellent and unbias comparison and good to see that all the vehicles are fresh popular sedans that are argueably the best in the segment.
Excluding tired or dull vehicles like the Mazda 3 and Hyundai whatever was a good choice.
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:03 am
i must say though, i do like the look of the lancer, its not as “bubbley” as the other, get what i mean?
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:41 am
i think the car advice team got it spot on!!
That new lancer is a cracker…. deserving of that title, and well done suzuki for topping the corolla, thats a great effort!
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:49 am
would have made a lot of sense to me to either include the i30 and impreza or to just do a comparo of i30, impreza and lancer
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:57 am
For mine the corolla is boring and girly and just plain boring, astra is underpowered, civic is just weird and underpowered, 3 is just too noisy, focus is boring and a ford, suzuki is plain fugly, lancer interior os too bland, i30 nice and I would buy one but with awd as well the impreza gets my vote and the new shape actually grows on you after a while.
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November 15th, 2007 at 10:03 am
It is exactly because so many people say good things about the new Lancer that the car salesmen are unwilling to bring the price down. Let’s face it, most buyers of small cars are budget conscious. You may think that Corolla buyers are ignorant or lack taste, but given a few grands of difference, they are easily swayed off the Lancer. Putting on a few mods, the Corolla can be just as good-looking.
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November 15th, 2007 at 10:07 am
And yes I know it was noted the test was sedans only but that is just plain stupid and not any sort of representation of the class. Also by doing a test such as that it was always going to be a foregone conclusion that the lancer would win.
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November 15th, 2007 at 10:15 am
FRUGAL ONE…LOL been to auctions and what are you smoking you wally as your comment is off the planet!
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November 15th, 2007 at 10:19 am
in saying about bringing the price down, in some of these small cars there is very little margin in them at all, toyota is the worst very rarely will you get a discount on a corolla!
By the time they have to pay transport to get it to the dealership, detail it, predeliver it, fuel it, pay the floorpan on it, pay the salesman both wage and commission, then provide small things like coffee and in some cases food. in a car like the lancer you can actually lose money selling them at retail!!
Just thought id give you an insite into small car sales!
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November 15th, 2007 at 10:20 am
As TuffGuy said “would have made a lot of sense to me to either include the i30 and impreza”. I have been looking at nearly all of these cars, but it is now looking like my next purchase within 6 months will be the Impreza RX. Mainly because of all the safety features. And I love the new shape. I have taken it for a drive and it feels good. Would love to see a test report on one of the regular Imprezas, not the WRX etc.
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November 15th, 2007 at 10:46 am
i still cant like the impreza, looks weird to me!
i think it was good, why not to a sedan comparo and a hatch comparo? i think that is what there aiming to do?
I would of thought mazda 3, focus and astra would of been a better fit in this test than impreza?
And forgive me if im wrong but focus and 3 are as equal safety features wise to impreza?
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November 15th, 2007 at 11:06 am
LOL - FroggleOne is wrong three times in three days !
Anyway, yes, the best car won here. The poor showing of the Corolla proved that PR fest that the site ran upon release was a bit over the top.
Good to see that the testers are now conscious that ESP is important. I would like ESP to be standard on everything so that the dumbos who don’t buy it as a option on some cars, just have it anyway and both them and their families are safer in the long run.
It annoys me that people make idiotic decisions like spending money on a boot spoiler instead of ESP or extra airbags that could have a bearing on their families future safety which children would have no control over…
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November 15th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Great review and i’m not surprised the lancer is doing well.
But i want to see a mega test.
Mazda 3
Focus
Astra
lancer
civic
corolla
I30
regardless of hatch or sedan.
The only aspect of the lancer i don’t like is they have no hatch option or deisel.
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November 15th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
yes 3 and focus and impreza all share similar features with the exception of awd which gives the impreza the edge. Of course we are not talking about the WRX either, I am looking at an RX. All imprezas have awd and models below the WRX are non-turbo and 2.0l. I have driven the 3, i30, focus, lancer, civic, astra and impreza. To me the impreza was my preferred drive. I would not even hop in a suzuki nor a granny corolla.
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November 15th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
tuffguy,
i will spark something here, but have you ever done or seen the comparos between FWD with ESP and AWD cars, not much of a difference.
i was lucky enough to do a course with VW on the advantages with FWD with ESP vs AWD, astonishing how much alike they are.
i have just been up to subaru and driven the base mseld new impreza and the WRX. To me the base model was a huge dissapointment, noisy and sluggish. I would buy the lancer or civic anyday, as for the WRX i was a tad suprised, i thougth it ws worthy of the WRX badge. its worth buying id say!
As for corolla i wouldnt buy one, the suzuki is a suprise package i reckon
To say the base modfel subaru is better than a lancer…. i couldnt come to that conclusion. i think the lancer represents far better value for money!
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November 15th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Impreza, out of all those vehicles…really? interesting.
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November 15th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
The problem with AWD vehicles is the extra weight, hence a little worse fuel consumption.
I’ve also heard that AWD vehicles are more exensive to service and can suffer from exccessive tyre wear?
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November 15th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
we did some skidpan work with a GTI gold and a wrx and the WRX came unstuck more often than the GTI.!
in saying that i was really impressed with the new WRX… was good concidering subaru dulled it down
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November 15th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Dulled it down ! Oh you mean they have stopped aiming it at generation Y ….those born in the 80s !hehehe
Much more sensible looking , for us oldies anyway ! I just miss the noise!
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November 15th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
yeah thats what i ment, but wasnt that car supposed to be for geny? i would never buy one, not even a old model, but i always thought to was THE gen y car!!
I like the noise of a subaru, somethign about them!
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November 15th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
tonyn, I am not sure where you drove the impreza but I found it far from noisy, as quiet as the rest with the exception of course of the 3 which is just orrible for noise. As for fwd with esp yeah the esp might stop it spinning and sliding and spearing off the road but the fundamental difference is still there - it is still only driving with two wheels and can never get the grip of awd in the wet or dry. all the electronic stuff does is keep everything in one piece, in control and on the road. You can never substitute the grip and drive from awd.
As for awd being heavier the i30 is 23kg heavier than the impreza. I asked about service costs which are about the same and they did say tyres would wear out faster but with all that grip you are probably going around corners twice as fast as everyone else because you can :) I don’t know how you can consider the civic it is just weird with the bottom of the windscreen about 2 metres away from the driver, and that split instrument thing. Also it could not pull the skin off a cold bowl of custard power wise.
However like bavarian missile said the shape will not embarrass us oldies and I so do like the boxer engine sound too.
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November 15th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Yeah Tony same as the EVOs I guess……but I think Subaru is after a new market. I have always liked Rexs its just now I could own one without looking like Im driving my sons car.hahaha Now generation Xs
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November 15th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
i bought a civic recently and i have to say its very good, especially to look at. however the engines lack of low-down torque means it will struggle up any hill, and the fuel consumption is not very promising. im avereging 10 l/100km, much more than my lpg vt commodore which is much more fun to drive thanks to v6 power.
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November 15th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Our family has a new Corolla sedan in automatic, we average 9.2L/100km.
I knew what the result would be before I opened the page. When was the last time a Corolla won any comparisons?
The reasons we chose it were for low running costs (NRMA shows this) and obviously what most Toyota buyers look for, dependability and reliability.
As well, we found it more refined than the other car we were mainly considering, the Mazda 3.
As for looks, I don’t mind the mini-Camry. Out of this bunch, it certainly isn’t the best looking, but I highly dislike the way the SX4 looks. It’s too narrow.
The lack of ESP is a disappointment though. Oh well, this car will still sell in bucketloads.
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November 15th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Oh yes, Caradvice, can you go more in depth next time? There’s more to a car than just handling, acceleration, ride and design.
What about NVH, pricing, optional features, standard features etc.???
As well, how come only two of the cars have acceleration figures? Also how come a ‘desperately underpowered’ drive returned a 0-100km/h only 0.2 seconds behind what you guys say is the ‘liveliest performance’ for engine, car, the Mitsubishi Lancer?
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November 15th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
i find it amusing that the stereo and air con controls for the corolla have been pinched directly out of the toyota hiace VAN! when you consider how “funky” if you like the lancer and civic interiors are this just goes to show how conservative the corolla really is. Its designed for rental car fleets and people who are too afraid to buy anything other then toyota “oh but they are so reliable…” news flash so is 95% of cars on the road these days! It’s not the 80’s anymore, sure there is still the occasional dud, even the venerable toyota has the occasional one of these, but generally cars these days are very good. Besides if anything its toyota who is now slipping in the reliability stakes anyway!
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November 15th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
my beef with toyota is that they are consistantly given the opportunity to use their market status to make something truly special yet they consistantly just shoot for adequate and safe. New yaris, the styling is oustanding, they could have made something really dynamic and great, nope lets just make it safe and good enoough. New corolla, opportunity to really make this thing a cracking little car, nup, lets go for safe and dependable. New aurion, FANTASTIC opportunity to make the large car segment their own, nup, lets just make a V6 version of a camry. geez come on toyota!!
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November 15th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
preetox and JW,
you guys dispel the myth that small cars are much more economical than large cars.
ive been saying it for ages and will continue to do so forever.
i dont understand why are under the perception that small cars will absolutely slice your fuel bill.
9-10L as you and most report is only about 1L off the mark of a large car anyway. why bother i say.
i havent looked but whats an impreza worth? anyone?
the best way i heard the corolla described for it high sales was this quote…..
“for thousands of buyers it’s the default small car choice.”
well said the best way i have heard it described.
they just buy it because when they think small car they think corolla.
the other main runners like the laser (and mazda) and also the pulsar all had name changes that caused buyers to have no familiarity with them, hence they now think corolla.
the the pulsar was a much better looker than the new tiida.
a comparo with the tiida might have scored alright too i reckon. the pulsar always seemed to offer much better value and it looks like the Tiida is keeping that up
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November 15th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
i agree Richo.
the first thing i look at when i decide to buy is….
Will i enjoy driving this??
That^^^^ is a big thing for me and is why i suppose toyotas arent on my shopping list
oh new yaris great styling???? are you for real?
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
The Corolla’s HVAC are indeed the same as the HiAce, but they are also on a number of different Toyota models, such as Rav4s overseas and the like.
As well, they are very similar to those found in the Yaris, as well as those in the Aurion/Camry.
Toyota share a lot of parts between cars to save money. For example, I’m pretty sure the outside door handles on most Toyota cars are the same.
————————————————–
Andrew M, I don’t think that large cars get 1L less fuel economy in city driving. The Corolla has never travelled highway, it has been all city.
Our Camry V6 gets about 13L/100km, and while it wasn’t particularly efficient for the time, or for today for that matter, (Aurion) I’m pretty sure the gap between the family car V6s and the small car 4 cylinders in economy is quite significant.
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November 15th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Does anyone still remember those Pulsar ads?
Only $19,990 with air…
My, how have things changed since then in the small car segment.
Now the Nissan Tiida is $19,990 with air, alloys, and a whole lot of other stuff. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t move stock.
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November 15th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
can somebody PLEASE tell me who nissan decided to call the tiida the tiida? Why the hell didnt they call it pulsar? I was thinking about this the other day while i was stuck behind one in traffic. They are actually a reasonably attractive little jigger and apparently drive acceptably well, its style could easily have pulled off the pulsar name, so why didnt they do it? why did they throw away like 30 years of credibility to go with some stupid girly “tiida” name! stupidity!!
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November 15th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
and another thing, the suzuki, whos been putting what in their water? The swift is a very attractive little car, the new vitara looks reasonably good, even the SX4 HATCH looks pretty good but the sedan? oh deer… did the designers mis read the design breif which asked for a sedan/hatch design and just went and designed a hatch only and then thought “oh god! we forgot the sedan! never mind lets just graft a bum onto it, it’ll be fine!” where they aussies or something?
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November 15th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
jeez i’ve been english speaking good tonight…
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
To compare the rear of these car’s, corolla and honda have old granny outdated design, the Suzuki looks neat and modern..but the Mitsubishi wins here..
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
thats right JW and falcons get a hell of a lot better on highway driving.
smaller cars are also geared not so much for highway as larger cars are dont forget.
larger cars excell on highways. small cars do get a bit better too but the difference isnt as great as what the large cars get.
i think on highway cycle they rate the Gas falcon at like 8L/100k i think it is. thats right it nearly halves on highway.
i doubt you would get a small car halve their figures on hwy cycle.
oh and i thought the Pulsar/Tiida was $18,990
yep thats pretty good value. im not too fussed on the Tiida looks though. i think it now has thrown on the granny clothes.
nissan should have been in this comparo though. it sounds like a pretty good deal/pacckage
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November 15th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
You don’t get anything like 8L/100km in a gas falcon on a highway. blatant lies.
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:44 am
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:49 am
**You don’t get anything like 8L/100km in a gas falcon on a highway. blatant lies.**
I would agree with that, a Falcon would not get under double digit even on the Hwy. unless it was running on ULP.
None the less, do the math, $ per km you CANNOT beat LPG, not with hybdir, not with diesel.
Its the cheapest fuel to run [Till NGV comes around….waiting waiting waiting….]
Cheers
F-0
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:57 am
****Naughtyius Maximus Says:
FRUGAL ONE…LOL been to auctions and what are you smoking you wally as your comment is off the planet!
Yeap, tremendous work by the Corolla, every time one was on the block it brained them with the prices it was bringing, NO other car had the resale strength of the Corolla.None of the others will touch it in resale.
I think i will buy my wifey one next [She wants black, auto and air], 75% back after 3 years, you do the math.
No wonder its the most popuar car in history….by miles!
Falcodore 30% resale [when it got a bid!] LOL!!!!
Cheers
F-0
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November 16th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Everytime i see someone driving a Daewoo Barina, Viva or Epica i feel like smacking them one and saying…
‘why did you buy that heap of shit for, So much better can be purchased elsewhere’
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November 16th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Rightly so Cam, I think the same way “just a bunch of fools driving basically Daewoo” Holden should be ashamed of themself’s..
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November 16th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Lots of “behind the screens” experts claiming that you can’t get better than 10 l/100km for an e-gas Falcon on highway. Pity none of you actually have any damn idea.
An e-gas Falcon on highway will easily better 10 l/100km. A petrol version will often achieve better than 8 on the highway. I get better than 10 l/100km everday combined driving, varies 9.7 - 9.9 depending on fuel brand.
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November 16th, 2007 at 10:12 am
F-O, either you are trying to misrepresent the situation or you are dumb.
Most informed people know that auctions are dollar sensitive, that is, there is usually a dollar limit that people will pay, regardless of original purchase price of a car (4WD being the usual exception). Most auctions in SA “top out” at early 20’s ($20,000 - $25,000). I’ve heard of auctioneers holdeing back Corollas to the following week to keep prices up, because it’s too hard to sell more than a few at any one auction (once again situation in SA).
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November 16th, 2007 at 11:21 am
bret, 9.7-9.9L/100km maybe, but definitely not 8L/100km in e-gas…
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November 16th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Boys, thanks for your contribution but this blog is about the 4 small cars being evaluated.More importantly the winner is the new MITSUBISHI LANCER.
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November 16th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
OK Steven, “winner is the new MITSUBISHI LANCER” …… and the contest was the WORST STYLING COMPETITON. That nose looks great for EVO, but it doesn’t tie in with the rest and on lower spec models looks just plain weird.
Corolla on the other hand looks just plain….period. I like the TV ad for the “Hottest Corolla ever”, gee I’ve seen more exciting coles shoppong trolleys. (Probably has more exciting handling too).
One of the most boring sets of cars ever to be comparoed!
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November 16th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Bret I don’t think the review set out to be exciting, I think it gives a good run down of cars most people commonly buy (or should I say can afford) - boring ones!
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November 16th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I didn’t say the review was boring, just the cars.
Bill,
E-gas falcon can get less than 10 l/100km highway, my petrol only does less than 10 in everyday driving, and 8 highway is easy.
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November 16th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
These are all basic small cars so would it be right to think that less than 10% of all buyers in the target market would drive any of these vehicles at anything over 70% of the car’s potential? Assuming responsible drivers, of course. :) If that is the case then sharp handling isn’t really going to be much of an issue because, as someone might have pointed out earlier, these cars would be nothing more than a to b vehicles. I guess what I’m trying to say is that these vehicles should be reviewed from the point of view of the market they are aiming at. Right enough to point out deficiencies in safety gear, build quality, running cost and value though.
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November 16th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Bill and F-O….
so what do you guys get out of your Gas falcons???? i assume you both own one since you are so quick to critisize that a gas falcon wont come anywhere near 10L/100k on Hwy.
gas consumption reduces far greater than petrol on HWY cycle. it still wont quite beat petrol of course but it makes up a hell of a lot of ground in HWY only cycle.
the figure i quoted was an official figure i found.
I dont quite get that out of my E-Gas Falcon but i have never had it on say an interstate run either. best ive had is 10L/100k but ive never run it from full to empty on HWY. The most ive prob run is say 2/3 tank on HWY.
i can positively say though that gas economy improves a hell of a lot and obviously will surprise all of you as you dont seem to know anything about it. oh and if ford ran a better system (which they will from 08) like holden recomend then consumption should buy back a couple of L/100k too
one thing you said though F-O is that $ per K you cant beat the gas is totally correct.
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Well Bret, I’m not sure what they do at auctions, but either way you look at it, the Corolla does have good residual values.
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
small cars in general have better residual. they have less value to lose. its silly to compare the auction price of a small car corolla to a large car falcon. of course the small car will hold better value cause it has less to lose
how about a small car corolla to a small car focus?
or a falcon to a camry? i tell you the camry’s resale isnt that great either
i see what bret is saying though. people will generally pay only say $20k for a used car full stop…
no matter what it is or what they were worth new
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Your right about small cars have less to lose! More money most of the time more loss!
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November 16th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
No, I’m not talking about outright $ lost in depreciation, I’m talking about % retained value after a certain number of years.
The small cars, such as the Corolla etc. are better than the Camry, Aurion, or any other large locally made car in terms of % retained value.
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November 18th, 2007 at 7:33 am
Doesn’t matter what you compare a corolla too it will always finish last. Jenome,..Mixmaster you name it.
So where was the Ford focus & Mazda 3?
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November 18th, 2007 at 9:43 am
I’m surprised the SX4 beat the Corolla, let alone being in this test in the first place. True enough, its tall, dorky body translated to tippy handling. Space may be amazing, but the Corolla’s boot is very good as well. I know the Corolla’s drive isn’t as inspiring as the others, but it does everything an economy car should. It’s efficient, comfortable and will likely hold up better in the long run than the other three cars here. I agree, it’s not as good as it could have been, but losing out to the Suzuki is just plain ridiculous.
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November 18th, 2007 at 10:30 am
i dont know i have had two lancers and i have to say have lasted the test of time! i had one as a delivery vehicle for a family business and we couldnt kill it!!
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November 18th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Trackdaze, personally, I don’t think a Holden Viva is better than a Corolla.
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November 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I have to admit, i am surprised by the sx4’s result. having changed down from a 80’s v6camry (now smaller than a corolla) to a suzuki swift the sx4 just “seems” too small to me. even visually in the group photo its styling makes it look much too compact and considering sedan buyers nowadays want a big car feel it will seem small. i mean look at it. how the hell does it have more boot capacity than a large car???
and any car make can die with age if you drive it with enthusiasm. i had 6 breakdowns of different problems in the 17yo toyota in the past 2 years. its just that the past era toyota buyers demographic were likely to be “nicer” to their cars by comparison.
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oh and thanks for this site! i found it by accident and its quite helpful.
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November 20th, 2007 at 8:54 am
I now know how to do this. Build an inferior quality car, make it pretty, hide its chassis deficiencies with “Standard ESC!” and thats all you need to win.
Whilst not a fan of the Corolla or the Civic myself. I know that these are cars you can buy that will still be on the road in 20 years.
I’ll say it again, the sales figures show it all.
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November 20th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Talk about timing! I’ve been looking to buy a new car for the past 2 months and just found this review yesterday :D. My money is on the Civic atm, don’t know much about the SX4, was told to stay away from Mitsubishi and as for the Corolla, it’s just plain boring to look at. Believe it or not I counted at least 20 Corollas in my company car park recently!
What I have in mind is to get the base model VTi with alloy wheels and rear spoiler, wil be in Black or Ruby Red. This will be my first time buying a new car so any tips are welcomed :)
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November 20th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Bill the new Lancer is a great car. I wouldn’t rule it out so quickly. Take it for a drive, and I’m sure you will be impressed. Mitsubishi offer great warranties across the range, better than its class opposition.
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November 20th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Hi Bill,
The Civic is a great car, you will be more than happy with it. It will also hold up very well long term and offer good re-sale when the time comes.
Don’t rule out the Mitsubishi though. They’ve come a long way in recent years. It’s a great car to drive and as Jbot said offers an excellent warranty.
But that said, do yourself a huge favour and go drive as many cars in the category as you can. Then find something that suits YOU and what you want from a car. Other people can only guide your decision, but you have to live with it.
Hope this helps, if you have any questions, email us.
Happy shopping. Matt.
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November 20th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
The only problem with the Lancer, if ever, will be its resale value. I’ve considered one too but the depreciation, like many Mitsubishis, is likely faster than the Honda or Toyota.
The SX4, while decent, is out-of-place in this comparison test, and beating the Corolla is plain economy car sacrilege. The Toyota is more economical and actually quicker then the Suzuki that has a bigger engine. I’d consider the Corolla as decaf, not exciting as espresso but you get to sleep at night with the same coffee goodness.
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November 20th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Here in Kiwi land the Civic DOES have electronic stability control (VSA - Honda speak). Maybe if you had our spec Civic it would have taken 1st place. This is one person who after 21 months of ownership has nothing but praise for the machine.
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November 20th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
yes JW,
but most other small cars have high retained value just like the rolla. the rolla ISNT the only small car to hold good value. most small cars do
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November 20th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Toyota continue to strip their cars like the COROLLA to the bones and they still sell to a Toyota worshiping public.
They could probably get away with charging for any colour other than white. You know like other whitegoods manufacturers.
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November 20th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
I think the Honda is the classiest looker. The snout on the Lancer is a bit abrupt and the cutsie nose on the Corolla may appeal to young women but to me nominates it as the perfect Noddy and Big ears mobile. Really does look ordinary in washing machine white.Definitely not a car for enthusiasts.
Maybe they could add some swirly bits on the hubcabs to spruce it up a bit.
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November 20th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Resale argument compares apples and oranges. Ex gov/rental/ company Falcons are generally high mileage vehicles hence the lower resale. Most Corollas etc generally have low to very low mileage hence higher resale value.It goes to their use by these customers.
Also large cars will depreciate more as a percentage of initial cost as they cost more in the first place and are sold by fleets in far greater volumes and competition from new medium and small car pricing.
Egas economy well my AU egas ute does around 500 klm to 80 litre tank suburban and city driving and about 650 klms to the tank highway. Would use more than a BA I would imagine especially with 270,000klms on the odometer.
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November 21st, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Real cars,
oh forgot to mention my egas falcon ute is a manual too so that would account for a bit better economy than the 4sp.
id love to see tham offer it in the 6sp auto i cant for the life of me think why they havent……….
you cant even get it in the manual now either. its 4sp auto or nothing.
i get 500ks a tank towing a trailer (around 1 tonne) and thats mixed cycle
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November 23rd, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Yes, I reckon Ford would be on a winner if it promoted Egas across the Falcon range. Sure they drop a few horses but with such a big lazy engine it doesn’t really make much difference.
With the manual gearbox there is virtually nothing to wear out in your falcon ute.6 auto speed should also be more durable given the high output applications of this box.
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November 23rd, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Yes about E-Gas! Ford Australia, LISTEN! Make sure the whole Orion range will have an optional E-Gas.
It’s likey that will anyway.
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November 24th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Real cars,
and since the orion will have a proper injected gas system i prob wont lose much if any power. the reccomended duel fuel system for the commys only drops 5kw i think. so a dedicated system with injection should break even in power with petrol.
i still would love to see a gas turbo
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November 24th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Gas turbo and gas V8! Ford should do that and most likley too.
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November 24th, 2007 at 9:18 am
nah just the 6 gas turbo would be fine. it would smack the 8 for performance anyway. the I6 is a top engine and it already handles it with out any dramas both in turbo and gas. now all they need to do is marry them together.
i want to see it so you can get a car that can whip a HSV, be cheaper to run than a corolla and not cost more than $50K like most green cars
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November 27th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
We recently returned from a quick return trip to Newcastle from the Sunshine Coast in my wife’s new Corolla Ascent auto sedan. It certainly didn’t struggle with a family of four + luggage, & delivered an average of 6.3 l/100. I have driven this route many times before in Commodores (V6 , V8) and couldn’t believe how effortlessly the 4 cylinder Corolla handled the trip. I have owned 2 new Toyotas now and believe that the billions of $ Toyota spends on R&D does make a difference.
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December 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
The new lancer deserves to win the small car segment but one thing that i don’t like with the lancer is that dash are split and all different areas and should be in one piece.
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December 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
There are two new Factors Putting me off a New Subaru.
The first is when you see what they’re selling them for in the USA, 34,990RRP for an STi! They will slap a 55K+ price tag on it here. That is plain rude when an Aussie Dollar is buying 90 cents. The range there starts at 17,495, thats 30% less than where our range starts.
The other thing bugging me is Japanese Whaling Policy. I am so infuriated by their arrogance on this issue, I feel the need to protest in some way. The most effective way I can do this, I think, is by not buying Japanese Brands.
Japanese Brands Sell more Cars in this country than any other Importer.
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December 21st, 2007 at 10:39 am
I was after a small car for the last 2mths and had driven ; lancer,focus,impreza,corolla,i30,307,C4. I believe the Focus has the best handling,ride quality,look nice too,nearly buy the Zetec after one test drive but then came across a website and found out the Focus has a lot problems with built quality, what a shame.I really don’t like the Lancer look, and the auto is terrible to drive but I think it’s a realiable car.Impreza is the worst looking car in my opinion,it doesn’t really handling that good,eg..body roll (my brother has a liberty rx 03 and it’s way better).The Corolla was on my top list because it has resale value and realability,but it doesn’t have ESP and the central console in the hatch look aweful.307 & C4 drive ok but too expensive to run and buy but they look smart.Soo…ending up with a i30 SR (initially the slx but didn’t want to wait so upgrade to the SR) $28.5 for and auto is not a bad deal i guess. The i30 drive as good at any other car in my list,better than some in my opinion. Plus it looks very nice both inside and outside and backed up by 5yrs unlimited km warranty.
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December 28th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Took delivery of my new 2007 corolla sedan in June, 1st thing I noticed the low noise level in interior while the car until a friend pointed out the car was more noisy that my previous model.
Has any other owner noticed high noise at 70ks and above ?
Is it the japanese tyres ?
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December 31st, 2007 at 9:21 am
Our family’s in the process of getting a new small car in ‘08. We are looking at the usual suspects in the class with the Corolla, 3, Civic and Lancer but the Corolla’s interior felt cheap and the 3’s due for a facelift next year (so I’ve heard). We already have a jazz so we’re leaning towards the lancer. any other opinions?
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December 31st, 2007 at 9:51 am
well next year is ‘08. im surprised the facelifted 3 isnt out yet.
the hyundai is getting great reviews and has won an award for its new small car i30. the biggest thing people find hard to swallow about it is it is a hyundai. but dont be fooled they have stepped up well and truely.
also the focus might be worth a look. for mine it is the best handler and looker. it also topped the safety in its class. ive seen tellie ads showing them selling them for 19K drive out.
but if you are keen for the Mazda3 it might be worth a wait (if it isnt too far away). prob ask your dealer when they expect it
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January 2nd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
@Andrew M:
the i30 does have that feeling about it which is why we probably won’t buy one. don’t get me wrong though, the car is definately a step up on previous hyundais.
focus, i dunno. i think, for me, it’s the whole ford thing…! :D! hehe!
we were looking at the 3, but some articles floating around are pointing to a facelift in 08. i should probably check with dealers, but i’ll bet you it’s in the second half of the year. and although i know you get a good deal with runout models (like the 6 even), i’d prefer to have a new NEW car, if you know what i mean.
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January 30th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
has anyone noticed that all the honda’s in major tests (eg COTY and oz’s best cars) have bonnet protectors! except civic type r they all have them! also in the honda tv ads too
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March 12th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Phil, how was your Jazz?
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March 12th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Ess-001:
This december will be 5 years we\’ve had it and it is truly an amazing small car. It\’s big on space (exterior is very deceiving!), pretty frugal, good in tight parking spots, the list goes on! hehe! i would fully recommend it to anyone thinking about purchasing a small car. I\’m eyeing the new jazz as well, which seems to build on the 1st gen.
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March 12th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Ess-001:
This december will be 5 years we’ve had it and it is truly an amazing small car. It’s big on space (exterior is very deceiving!), pretty frugal, good in tight parking spots, the list goes on! hehe! i would fully recommend it to anyone thinking about purchasing a small car. I’m eyeing the new jazz out this year as well, which seems to build on the 1st gen.
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March 14th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
firstly congrats to lancer
secondly…toyota as far as corolla goes is just awful…i’ve had toyotas for many years,..and they are just cheap cars(excluding the sport imports and the 4wds)…they are boring, they do break down heaps (cause in many departments the cheapest soloution has been chosen eg: the cheapest glue for the door cushions, cheapest wiring for the internal electronics with the minimal protection)
and ofcourse absoloutely lazy when it comes to performance…and the looks dont help what so ever ..since they do LOOK SLOW as well..so even if ur breakin the speed limit at 120 kms in hiway..cars will flash their lights for u to get out of the “fast lane”
and now that i ve got the new lancer….driving from A to B is actually a pleasure.
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March 25th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Oh yeah get mine this week! Love the new lancer. Love the exterior love the dash. Million times better than last gen. And eight cupholders! Who has that many drinks in their car honestly. lol.
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April 10th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Pity that in a comparison with the 3, Focus, Civic, Impreza, and the new Lancer in either Wheels, or Motor.. guess which came out on top?
Oh yeah, the Mazda3! They knew if they put the 3 into this comparison it would win, so they needed to put it up against cars they knew wouldn’t win.. so how much did Mitsubishi pay you for this? :)
I’m not entirely sure if it did include both the Focus and the Civic, it was one of them, but it definitely included the 3, Impreza and the new Lancer.
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April 21st, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I thought this was reviews for the Honda?? Does anyone own or know anything helpfull about the Honda Civic? Thanks
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June 16th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Asian car manafacturers have a long way to catch up to their european compoetitors why bother even discussing Asian cars you all need to sit in a real small car jump in a Volkswagen Bora or a Golf then you will know real quality ,take for instance the Subaru copying the whole indicator in the mirror thing from the Germans and Toyota trying so hard to make their cars look european God!!!! seriously when are people going to realise Asian cars are cheap mass produced tin cans ,if you want safety and refinement buy European cars ,WHAT A JOKE!!!Honda,Toyota,Subaru,Nissan,Mitsubishi,Mazda…….
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June 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 am
The Suzuki has no steering reach adjustment, is slower and thirstier than the Toyota and has rear drum brakes. Also according to this review, it has significant body roll and poor handling. How on earth does it beat the Toyota?
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June 22nd, 2008 at 9:12 am
“I think you should have added Hyundais new i30″
Frugal One, have you ever thought………….”Does Hyundai make sedan versions of the i30?” No, they don’t, so that’s why they did not add it to the test!
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June 22nd, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I recently ordered a Civic VTi, and i took plenty of time to read through reviews, websites and test drove the cars on the top of my list.
I was considering Focus, Mazda 3, Lancer, Civic and Corolla. I ruled out anything from Korea, because although all reviews points to i30 being a vast improvement, i still can’t accept the brand. Tiida was ruled out because the it looked too tall. Thought about Golf, but it’s due for replacement soon. Ruled out anything French, because most survey indicate them to be less reliable than German and Japanese cars.
Anyways, of my final 5, i tested them all. The Focus is nice car with European feel and quite roomy inside, but i didn’t like the oval themed dash design like the air vents, plus i read that it’s less reliable. Mazda 3 handled well, didn’t mind the noise so much, but it’s too old now and my friend said his 3’s fuel efficency ain’t very good. Lancer is very good value for money, but the back looks too tall and square with no style to it, whilst the interior is bland and dull. Same applies to the Corolla’s interior, but i actually like Corolla sedan’s exterior in dark colour. In the end, i chose the Civic because it has the best interior, and at the end of the day, if you are stuck in traffic most days of the week, a nice place to sit in during traffic jam is far more important than good handling or pretty exterior.
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June 22nd, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Another thing i considered was that i had to get an auto, so civic was clearly on top with 5 speed vs 4 speed in most otehr cars in this class. Lancer has a CVT which i didn’t really like to be honest, and although it has a manual mode, the gearstick is set up the wrong way. You should pull back to change up a gear and push fwd to go down a gear, Lancer has it the other way.
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July 13th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Well Tony Hump,
What do you think of it now.
Bought a Lancer two weeks ago and there’s not much you can fault except road noise. It’s bad. Changed the Advan tyres straightaway to Bridgestone ER300’s but it’s still a lot worse than the AH Astra I shifted out of.
Should have been a lot more thorough with the test drive and was too focussed on the great 10 year warranty offered.
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August 19th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Obviously when you check are car you don’t bother with the windscreen washers or wipers. I’ve just purchased a Corolla sedan and the windscreen washers can’t be adjusted. ! they are aimed at the bottom of the screen “to flood the wipers so as not to scratch the windscreen” (Service Manager). Problem is the wipers don’t get wet until after they sweep the screen and then return! Twice as much chance to scratch the windscreen as the earlier adjustable type washers. Also I’ve been in two new (2008)corollas, one hatch in QLD with NSW plates, one sedan in WA, WA [plates) and they both leave water all over the passenger side of the window. Is this a design fault. No mention in your reviews
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December 20th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
wtf? i read in a magazine that the handling was crap and the suspension was too soft…
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December 27th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I just bought a new toyota Corolla and the air condition is not working. It also comes with scratches
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