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Posts Tagged ‘Toyota Corolla’

How often do you think that Toyota’s flagship model, the Corolla, can be reinvented and improved upon? This writer for one is constantly amazed at where Toyota has been able to take this car. Sure it has the same name, but aside from that the newly released Corolla wagon has very little in common with its sedan and hatch sibling.

While the sedan and hatch released back in April last year are designed for the international market, the wagon is sourced purely from the Japanese domestic assembly line and is built on the previous model Corolla wagon platform.

In an exclusive deal, much to the delight of Kiwi drivers, New Zealand is the only destination for this new Corolla model outside of Japan. It’s an important model for Toyota New Zealand, with sales of the wagon making up approximately twenty percent of total Toyota Corolla’s sold.

There’s no doubt that the model in any shape or form then is exciting news for the Toyota NZ marketing team, since sales of the wagon will assist in keeping the car giant leading the sales charts for the 20th year.

The new wagon is also a great deal more than just a revamp of its predecessor model. The engine has been downgraded from a 100kW producing 1.8 litre engine to a Variable Valve 81kW producing 1.5 litre power plant, taken from Toyota’s popular small car the Yaris.
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With comfortable roomy interior, smooth ride, good safety ratings and excellent fuel economy, the 2003-2008 Corolla is one of the top picks in a small family car category. The Corolla is easy to maintain and very reliable. If maintained properly, it will last you for a very long time without major problems.

The 2003-2008 Corolla has front-wheel drive with a 4-cylinder 1.8L DOHC VVT-i engine and 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. The sporty XRS model (available only for 2005 and 2006) offers more powerful 170-hp 1.8L 4-cylinder VVTL-i engine and 6-speed manual transmission borrowed from Toyota Celica. The Corolla has MacPherson struts in front suspension and torsion beam in the rear. The ABS and side airbags are optional.

Inside, the 2003-2008 Corolla feels roomy for a small car. The dashboard design is simple - nothing flashy - but very practical. Controls are conveniently laid out and easy to use. Front seats are comfortable, but somewhat lacking side support. Rear seat space is pretty generous for a small car. The trunk is spacious; the 60/40 split rear seat folds down to accommodate longer items.

On the road, the Corolla handles comfortably, although it’s far from being sporty. The ride is smooth and fairly quiet. The suspension is soft; the steering is light. On the down side, the engine is noisy under acceleration and some body lean is noticeable on curves.

In the NHTSA frontal crash tests, the 2003-2008 Corolla scored five stars for both, the driver and the front passenger.
In the frontal offset crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2003-2008 Corolla received “Good” overall rating.