- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.8i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
100kW, 171Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 7.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Solid ground
Toyota's Corolla wagon won't win any prizes for kick-ass styling or performance. It's even a bit light on for standard equipment. But it promises rock-solid reliability and residual value.
Pigeonhole: Not quite a plain vanilla wagon.
Philosophy: Rock-solid family values.
Who's buying it: Suburbanites with kids, little old ladies.
Why you'd buy it: Big space for this class, engine is anything but ho-hum, should run forever without an ounce of trouble.
Why you wouldn't: Skinny standard equipment list, industrial plastic interior, average handling.
Standard equipment: Big-selling Conquest has air conditioning, front power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, tilt adjustable steering column. For $3900 extra the Levin offers a cosmetic sports package including alloy wheels. Stripper Ascent starts at $21,390 but its only exotic equipment is the air in the tyres.
Safety: Front airbag for the driver only, seat belt pre-tensioners, three-point centre belt in the rear seat for safe kid-seat mounting. Anti-lock brakes and passenger airbag cost an extra $1400 in a bundled safety pack.
Cabin: Trademark Corolla clad in heaps of immaculately moulded plastic, but the look is hardly expensive. Space is expansive with easy entry/exit, generous rear seat and good cargo area.
Seating: Economy class. Not the worst seat around, but not the best either. More bolstering and under-thigh support would be nice.
Engine: This 1.8-litre four cylinder has gratifying power and torque. With 100kW and 171Nm of oomph there's enough grunt to ensure the automatic transmission versions are no longer the worthy toilers of old.
Transmission: Five-speed manual is the usual slick but very deliberate Toyota shift. The ratios are well chosen to match this engine.
Steering: Power-assisted and more than up to the job of hauling around the 'burbs, but there's little sporting elan. Easy parking, light effort and reasonable turning circle are all dull but practical virtues.
Ride: Biased towards comfort. Fine for most conditions.
Handling: Depends how you drive it, but there's more engine than chassis. Crisp it isn't. Fail-safe it is.
Fuel: About 8.5 litres/100km in the city, falling to mid-sixes on the highway. Very impressive and efficient use of petrol, given the performance level.
Brakes: Yes, there are four solid discs, and if you'd like the reassurance of anti-lock brakes you'll want the $1400 safety pack option.
Build: High-quality materials and assembly, but opulence isn't high on the agenda. Buy with absolute confidence on matters of reliability.
Warranty: Three years/100,000km.
Anti-theft: Remote central locking and engine immobiliser.
Audio system: Basic four-speaker system with single CD suffers less than brilliant fringe radio reception and ordinary sound quality.
Cost: On paper, not pavement, a wagon this big and this reliable for just $21,390 looks fantastic, but you get what you pay for. The Conquest is $25,190 for the manual and $26,990 for the automatic. The Levin adds $3900 to the Conquest pricetag.
Verdict: The latest Corolla range is not as dull and worthy as its 25-year pedigree suggests. The engine is a welcome attempt to add zest to an ever-reliable formula. But the Corolla remains a commodity car and that's reflected in Toyota's stingy equipment lists. As a small wagon it's a safe bet and a blue-chip trade-in down the track.