I got some wheeltime with our new XRS!

I got some wheeltime with our new XRS!

Well today we got in our first Corolla XRS at the dealership, and of course I asked one of the salesmen that I'm friends with if I could take it for a spin. He said, "Sure!," went in and grabbed the keys and we were off. The car was black/grey with the upgraded sound system, total price was just a bit over $18K. I sat down and my first impressions were....WOW, this car has an incredible interior for the price and is much nicer than the standard Corolla. The seats have an incredible amount of side bolstering and keep you very firmly in place during hard driving, but also felt great on my bum and back (I'm about 6'2" and 215 lbs). The car has faux brushed aluminum trim on the doors and center colsole that looks and feels great. The shifter is black leather with a chrome strip up the center of it, also a nice touch for the eyes and hands. The gauges are similar to the Lexus optitron ones- black when the car is off and then they light up white and red once you turn the car on. They're easy to read and look nice and sporty. There is good room for someone even my size and I got very comfortable easily. I started it, popped it into reverse and....BEEP BEEP BEEP. The car has an extremely obnoxious rear back up sensor that could be removed to my liking, but that's the only real gripe I have. I'm realitively familiar with the gearbox as it's the same one thats found in the Matrix XRS and Celica GT-S. We started out of the dealership and the first thing I noticed is that this thing really is tuned quite differently from the 2ZZ-FE. There is noticeably more torque than the Celica or Matrix- not the kind that will throw you into your seat, but I can see it as being much more helpful in day to day driving. First gear is nice and realitively short, and true to the character of this engine the real power is to be had above 6K RPMS. I shifted into second, then third and floored it right as the light ahead was turing amber, the needle swung pretty quickly past 5K and then hit 6400RPMS and holy mother, there is a lot of power to be had in third gear, especially past 6400RPMS- much more than the others. It surges ahead and sounds rough and racey while doing so, but not intrusive. I'd imagine this car could run with many cars that have bigger engines if you were cruising in 3rd and then gunned it into redline in a race. Overall, the powerband is noticeably more linear in the Corolla XRS than either of the other cars that use the same engine. The real power is definitely to be had above 6K RPMS, but I also think it's sort of fun and very fitting in a car of this nature. The next thing I realized about this car is how communicative the steering is. I have a TRD Camry with TRD rims and Yokohama low profile tires, TRD springs and shocks and a front strut mount, and the car felt almost as eager as mine, but the ride was no where as punishing as mine. Going around a corner in 2nd or 3rd gear rather quickly is a breeze- no tire squeal, body roll is well controlled, and the steering gets back on-center quickly and nicely. In fact, for the 15 minutes or so that I drove this car I wasn't able to make it hiccup, skid or become hard to drive. You definitely feel more attatched to the road in the XRS than a standard Corolla- it's much more like a Celica GT-S but not as harsh. The last thing I did before we parked it was messed with the sound system and sat in the back seat for a while. The sound system is pretty nice for a car in this class, but it's not going to blow anyone away. It's more than adequate though. The back seat isn't for someone my size, if someone else my size is in front of them, but it's also not terribly tight. I thought that it was also neat that the rear seats had similar side bolstering to the other seats. I gave Bob back the keys and walked around the car to get a better look. The new tail lights and revised front end look better, and definitely classier. The XRS treatment with the standard 16" alloys and lower suspension makes for a car that looks sporty, but also rather elegant and pleasing for it' class.

Overall, I was really impressed. Yes the SRT-4 is faster, others are cheaper, and it's got the "Corolla" name on it, but the XRS does a great job of combining outstanding interior quality and fit and finish with a sporty and fun driving deameanor all at a reasonable price. A lot of car for the money IMO. The only thing that offers as much of a "full package" as the Corolla will probably be the MazdaSpeed 3. Great interior quality and design, and I'm sure it will also be fun to drive. To each his own, but I'd rather have a good all around car that's fun to drive than something like the SRT-4 that doesn't do anything well aside from go fast.

-Michael-

you mean the XRS makes a tone when it backs up? Oh my God, what are they thinking? It's a Corolla, not a big ass SUV or something like that. I thought Toyota was pretty lame to put that in. I just know I'll be made fun of everytime I back up.

I expected the handling to be that good. It has a Macpherson strut suspension system anti-roll bar up front, and a twist-beam setup that also has an anti-roll bar in the rear. Then, Toyota added linear control valves to all four shock absorbers!! Also, toe-control bushings stabilize handling by combining lateral cornering forces with longitudinal braking forces to reduce toe-out under cornering and increase overall stability (got all geeky).

Toyota also added what appears to be a strut tower brace, but it's actually more of a front connecting rod damper as it isn't a rigid cross-member. Developed by motorcycle (and almost everything else) manufacturer Yamaha, the damper is mounted between the front shock towers just where the brace would go, enhancing ride and handling while reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels.

As far as the awseome acceleration response you felt past 3rd gear, that's the VVTL-i working. It claims to give you like a supercharger-like response. The engine delivers broader and stronger mid-range torque (this was the main short-coming of previous versions), but remains a typically high-revving engine with most power available in the 6,000 to 7,800 rpm range. That was what you were experiencing.

Overall, Toyota really revamped the Corolla and made it much more attractive than previous versions. INterior design has definitely improved to matc hthe agressivness of the XRS. But is it still worth getting? A lot of people thinks the new tC is better than the XRS. XRS competitor is the SRT-4 like you mentioned with pricing in similar range depending on your options.

I'm still leaning towards the SRT-4 if I had a choice, but Dodge's reputation is not very good. Until they improve, I will look at others.

I think that beeping is only heard inside the cabin. It's there to let the driver know that it is in reverse, not first. (correct me if I'm wrong!)

Thanks for the great review MPLexus301!

just notice that you wrote 2zz-fe. its actually the 2zz-ge.

hmm... i wanna see a supercharged corolla S vs corolla XRS...

i thought he meant the beeping was to signal something was behind him?

As long as the supercharged corolla is a manual it'll win in a drag. The XRS has like 6 more hp than a Supercharged S and like 25 ft/lbs of torque less. Even w/ the extra gear I'll give this one to the supercharger. The XRS is quick, but certainly not fast. Still a nice car though.

...I drove an XRS and it only beeps inside the cabin to indicate you're in reverse. It was quicker than other Corollas of course. However, I was unimpressed by the suspension and shifter...I guess I'm used to mine both of which have been changed. It's cool car for sure, but imo not quite worth the $20k they were asking for.

The matrix also does the beeping sound so I don't know why you guys didn't know about it earlier...
And yes the supercharged rolla will eat the XRS any day of the week. I has better 0-60 time and better 1/4 mile time so IMO supercharged beats XRS.

There are tons of comparisons and vids over at matrixowners.com... between the S/C 1zz and 2zz matrix's, everything shows the S/C with the upperhand over the lift. :wink:

The XRS has 1 foot pound more torque than my 130 hp S. With a CAI and an exhaust, my car is much faster and more drivable. Who, but some boy racer, would want a car that only develops horsepower (not torque) after 6000 rpm??
I drove the First XRS here in Halifax. I would like the seats (but mine are OK) and the 4 wheel disc brakes (Again, mine are OK), but for the price difference, it's just not worth it.
A supercharged 1ZZ would own it bigtime, and cost $3000 less.

Right now, I think the general consensus with the Matrix guys is that the 1zz SC will pull on the 2zz in the 1/4mile, but after that, the 2zz would catch up and start to pull away.

IMO the Corolla XRS is too little too late............Toyota is competing against themselves now with the release of the tC and the 1zz supercharger. They shoulda thought of the XRS 2 and a half years ago like they did w/ the matrix. Back then i would have gladly shelled out the cash.

I think the XRS is a better car than the tC...for me at least. After driving and sitting in the XRS, it's pretty apparent to me that the XRS is a more polished, sophisticated, and upscale car than the tC. I like the interior more and it's better suited for someone my size, I also like the exterior more (the tC's rear 3/4 panel just doesn't go with the rest of the car), the XRS has better handling and a better transmission, and it feels faster. I also prefer 4 doors to 2, and I'm skeptical about the tC's panoramic roof in the context of structural rigidity and also disappointed about the loss in headroom. Also, the hardware, mechanicals and engine techonolgy used in the XRS have been out for at least 2 years, meaning that it will probably be devoid of the first year bugs the tC may have.

I like the tC, but I'm definitely thinking I'll want the XRS next time around.

-Michael-

I'm with you all the way too. The tC got some good specs and looks pretty nice, but I feel the XRS have an edge in performance along with upgraded steering and suspension.

the engine in the tC has been already out on the market..its the i4 motor that comes in the camry

thats all it comes down to for the xrs vs tc thng..the tc and xrs both look good and it comes down to the priorities of the buyer. there are pros and cons of both and some specs that can be either pro or con, depending on the person.

Im sorry but the S with intake/exhaust is not "much faster" than an XRS :roll:

Im not an XRS fan, but give it some credit

It'll be interesting to see what magazine is first to pit the XRS and the tC against eachother (as well as other cars in the comparo- 3, Neon R/T, Focus, Cobalt, ect). The Corolla has a "mini-Lexus" sense about it with the way the interior looks and feels, and the way the exterior seems befitting on a more expensive car. The motor/6spd is sort of cool because it really comes up with the same formula as the IS300- A luxury sport sedan with a manual and a fun-revving motor. Of course the Corolla is a lesser car than the IS in terms of sport and luxury (but definitely combines the two better than any other car in it's class), but the formula is alot the same, just FWD, smaller, and less expensive . A lot of people are saying that the tC is a better car and offers more standard features, but after sitting in and seeing both cars, and driving the XRS, it's clear that the XRS is well worth the premium over the tC.

-Michael-

yes, it may be faster until the XRS hits lift...also, what if the XRS has intake/exhaust on that...

Here are the pics of the XRS at our dealership. Sorry for the shoddy quality, but I was in a rush.

What happened to the guages? It looks like they're blacked out or something. Either that or they changed it to a digital screen. INterior looks nice with the added touch of aluminum or whatever material is used for the power window panel and storage compartments under the air conditioning and heating controls.

The new gauges are Optitron style...similar to Lexus. It's dark until you start the car then they light up, so yes, sort of digital.

-Michael-

If I were buying that car I would refuse to take it until they took off the gay Toyota of Roswell stickers.