By jazzRS360
on 10th Mar 2008
jazzRS360's Ratings| Year Manufactured | 2002 |
|---|
| Length of ownership | test driven |
|---|
| Doors | 3 |
|---|
| Performance | 6/10  |
|---|
| Practicality | 8/10 |
|---|
| Reliability | 8/10 |
|---|
| Value for money | 7/10 |
|---|
| Overall value | 7/10 |
|---|
 jazzRS360's recommendation |
Good Points
Practicality, well-equipped, nice engine, more relaxing and easier to live with than a Civic Type-R, economical.
Bad Points
Handling smooth but lacks crispness, looks too subtle next to rivals, gutless at lower revs, vague gearbox, needs to be lowered, nowhere near as exciting as a Civic Type-R.
General Comments
A bit of a mixed bag this Corolla T-Sport. I myself like the car, but I can easily understand that a younger customer may well find it under whelming.
Ok, first off the styling and design. The Corolla is not exactly known for it's pretty mug, but with this hot 'T-Sport' model you would have thought that Toyota would have put some effort into making their premier model look like a 'hot-hatch'. Evidently not. Now Toyota has, on many occasions, demonstrated that it can design a saucy shape- look at the mid-nineties Supra and the modern Celica. Lovely looking cars full of character, but with the hatchback it seems that they don €™t really bother. The Corolla T-Sport (or CTS) has small 16-inch alloys that look a little small under the arches, and the ride-height is somewhat mini-MPV rather than hunched-down sports car. In it €™s defence I suppose Toyota can claim this car to be something of a €˜sleeper €™ (well it certainly doesn €™t look like it has 189bhp under the bonnet) but the reality is that buyers may be wrongly put off by a dull exterior when what lies beneath is actually somewhat more interesting. The interior is another average Japanese affair, with plastics that are pretty solid but little to make you feel like you €™re in a hot-hatch. There is a nice amount of equipment on board too, which gives it an ounce of class over the toy-deprived cabin of a Civic Type-R.
But looks aren €™t really all that important, are they? If they were, you €™d probably reading an Alfa Romeo review instead of this one. Lets talk about how it drives. The CTS houses the tried and tested 1.8 VVTLi engine that also powered the various sporty Celica models and has even made an appearance in some Lotus models. And yes, it is a sweet engine. On start up it is quiet, no growling exhaust, or induction snort. Simply its a civilised 1.8 which drives up and down the road pleasantly. The only indication that this is anything else other than an ordinary upper-spec hatch is the rev counter, which doesn €™t redline until after 8k revs. The gearbox is something of a disappointment I found. After experiencing the meaty and direct shifts of the Civic, this one felt a tad too loose, and quite close in terms of selection. It is a six-speed box and works nicely, but it lacks some precision of some other gearboxes I have tried. The brakes again seem strong enough but lack the bite of the Civic, which also serve to dull the experience.
Work the engine up passed 6k revs and then things start happening. The engine note becomes sporty and it shifts with urgency, although again it €™s pace is not quite on par with the Civic, or even the Renaultsport Clio 172. The problem here is that it €™s 189bhp figure is only reached at a crazy 7800rpm, which means anything other than cold-hard thrashing won €™t see the best of this car, although the same can be said about the Civic and the Clio, although to a lesser extent. Max torque is a weak 133lb ft at 6800 rpm, and it feels it. If you get caught out of the power band, forget any heroics, they just won €™t happen. Performance is good once the car is worked hard, but unlike the Civic, which really steps it up a level once you hit VTEC, here the VVTLi seems to step it up half-a-level, and just doesn €™t have the same urgency. It €™s a lovely engine overall, and for most the power delivery will be beyond ample. 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds is rapid for ordinary standards, but in its class it really should do it in fewer than 8 to be competitive. The Civic, for example, is 6.6s, and the Clio is 7.1. Bluntly speaking, the CTS just cannot match them. It €™s easily quick enough to surprise some executives who are fooled by the subtle looks, but against it €™s rivals it won €™t shine..
The handling is again good in seclusion, with a 15m lowered height over the standard model, and nicely weighted steering, but against the Civic is lacks precision and instant response, and the Clio feels far more agile.
The Corolla T-Sport is a good car though. It works as a family hatch, is practical, economical, and insurance isn €™t overly high compared to rivals. It looks smart enough, without shouting about what it is, and its well equipped and comfortable. But when you take it to it €™s rivals, the hard reality is that it just isn €™t quite there. Its relaxed attitude to the hot-hatch party isn €™t going to cut it against the sharpness and pace of the Civic Type-R or the finesse and nimble ability of the Clio 172. As a sporty compact car it is worthy of 8/10 any day. But Toyota wants this to be the hot-hatch of the Corollas, and against other hot-hatches in its class, it falls short of the mark.
Nice car, but certainly no Type-R or 172 beater. 6.5/10
