Autoweek Corolla XRS review

Autoweek Corolla XRS review

Auto review: 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS
By FRANK A. AUKOFER
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Posted: July 16, 2004
Say what? A Toyota Corolla with moxie?

2005 Toyota Corolla XRS



Specifications

Model: 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS four-door sedan
Engine: 1.8-liter four cylinder, 170 horsepower
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Overall length: 14 feet 10 inches
EPA passenger and cargo volume: 90 and 14 cubic feet
Weight: 2,670 pounds
EPA fuel consumption: 26 miles per gallon city, 34 highway
Base price, including destination charge: $17,970
Base dealer cost: $16,311
Price as tested: $19,587

Can't be. It's a Corolla. It didn't get to be the biggest selling nameplate in automotive history by having sporting pretensions. Nope, its basic strength throughout has been bang for the buck cheap, durable transportation for the masses.

But with the increasing fragmentation of the automobile and light truck market, every manufacturer everywhere is latching on to every niche imaginable. One of those onrushing niches is the so-called tuner customer the young person who hops up or customizes an eight-year-old Honda Civic.

Toyota is determined to woo some of these kids into new cars, and perhaps carry along some 30- and 40-somethings who like their family transportation with a shot of jalapeno. Some of the company's other efforts include the new Scion tC coupe, along with the Scion xA and xB, the Celica, and the Matrix hatchback.

So it probably was a no-brainer to take the humble Corolla, a four-door compact family sedan, and inject it with some testosterone. The result is the 2005 Corolla XRS.

The basics are simple: A 170-horsepower engine hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission. That's right: A six-speed, which you usually only find on upscale sports machines.

Toyota also uses the 1.8-liter engine in the Celica GT-S and the Matrix XRS, though the tuning is slightly different. With variable valve timing, the engine makes its maximum horsepower at high revolutions, which means you have to get your foot into it to launch the XRS smartly off the line.

Though not as pronounced, the feel is somewhat similar to that of a turbo-charged engine, where the power comes on strongly as the revs build.

To handle the extra performance, tighter springs and shock absorbers combine with a stiffened body structure and 16-inch alloy wheels to keep the XRS tracked truly around the curves. The combination imparts a sports-sedan feel. It most definitely does not feel like an economy sedan.

It still looks like a Corolla, though, despite a rear spoiler and some other outer-body embellishments. So it means you can sit benignly at a stop sign and smoke some of the unsuspecting competition. With the free-revving 1.8-liter engine, you can lop off a zero-to-60 acceleration time in a whiff over seven seconds. That makes this the quickest Corolla ever.

Because of the way the gear ratios are set up, however, you find yourself driving around town mostly in third and fourth gears. Fifth and sixth are strictly for cruising on the open road, and first and second for the stoplight sprints.

The shift linkage has a few minor bumps as you move through the gears, but shifts are easy and positive. The clutch action is similarly light, though the clutch pedal is located close to a big dead pedal, which means if you have large feet, or if you're wearing flip-flops, you might get your foot stuck between the dead pedal and the clutch.

Up front, the cloth-covered bucket seats are firm and comfortable, with good lateral support to hold the torso in rapid maneuvers on twisting roads. The steering wheel is a nice three-spoke affair, which to most people in the car biz connotes a car that is sporty in character.

There's plenty of storage, including a center console, which doubles as an arm rest. But the console sits lower than the driver's left armrest, which means if you're cruising with your elbows resting, you tilt to the right like a radio commentator.

Overall, the interior design has a clean, uncluttered look, with large knobs for controlling the audio system and the heating/air conditioning. In typical Toyota fashion, the materials and workmanship have a quality feel and look. Out back, there's plenty of room for a couple of adults, but the fifth rider in the middle gets squished and scrunched, as is the case in most cars.

The XRS has a starting price of $17,970, which is $2,535 more than a similarly equipped Corolla LE, the top of the line from an amenities standpoint. But that's not a huge price tag considering it covers the more powerful engine, six-speed gearbox and the suspension modifications.

Other standard equipment includes antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution, a tire-pressure monitoring system, air conditioning, a stereo system with CD player, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and motorized outside mirrors.

The test XRS had a short list of options, including side air bags and side curtain air bags, an upgraded audio system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer, power windows and remote power locking. That brought the suggested delivered price to $19,587 not cheap, but not outlandish considering the performance.

With the XRS, Toyota now has a full range of performance-oriented cars for people without megabucks. There's a neat coupe, the Scion tC; a fastback sportster, the Celica GT-S; a four-door hatchback, the Matrix XRS, and a couple of boxy blank sheets for creative customizers in the Scion xA and xB.

I know 8-9 Corolla XRS owners and they all are loving it dearly.

Look at the shape of the headlights, long wheel base and a steeper hood line and tail lights. Everything is as unconventional as the word can define. Whenever I walk upto my Corolla S in the parking lot, it always stands out as the most different looking car in the crowd ( not definitely the best looking). There is nothing out on the road that remotely resembles the new Corolla. As for looks wise, it is purely a matter of choice, although modded 03/04 Corolla S with large rims and lowered and bold stance are the best Corolla could ever look.

too long to read, sorry

Good reviews in magazines are generally 2-3 pages long so this is actually pretty short.

i would say that is another good review

sweet. but i wish they redesigned the corolla cuz im not diggin the way they look now. too bubbly.

That is what unconventional designs are about. Either you love them or hate them. You have a great car yourself. Nissan 350z in my opinion has a very classy sports car look, but not everyone I know likes the way Nissan 350z looks since it is unconventional and original. Although, I admit the new Corolla is higher than it should be ( XRS is lowered by an inch) and should have atleast 16 inch wheels (XRS has those as well). If you look at modified 03/04 and 05 Corollas on cardomain with 17/18 inch rims and 215 series tires on them, tint and lowered, they are some of the best looking import cars out there.

I wouldn't really call the 03+ corollas unconventional. If they were dropped about 3 inches I would think they are much better but in my mind the 01-02 corollas are by far the best looking.

MOST cars looks better when it's been modded, at least i think ...as long as the owner actually has some good taste and about the xrs review, i've been hearing a lot of good things about it, as always...

xrs is lowered by half an inch....they originally said an inch but it only got half an inch. Still better than nothing though.

Im one of those people that don't like the 350z's looks, if they come out with the long nose version, then it would be the hotness.

I think that toyota should make a 2 door corolla and redesign the car instead the same old 03-04 corolla looks and with that much horsepower170 and 6speed i recommend redesigning the corolla to 2door.I wonder whats the 1/4mile time?

0-60 in 7 secs and Quarter mile of the XRS is 15.5 secs stock. I agree with you on the styling issue that it should have been set apart visually from the other Corolla models more than just putting bigger rims and lowering it a bit. I personally thank Toyota for not making the XRS a 2 door coupe since that would have made it out of question for me because of insurance reasons. Right now, the insurance with my agency for an XRS is the same as my 04 Corolla S. 2 door coupe has a very limited market and Toyota is aiming to capture a much broader client base with the XRS ( you can see by the fact that the XRS has the same torque at 4400 RPMs that the Celica GT-S has at 6800 RPM so you do not have to rev the car like crazy just to drive normally on the road).