Corolla reclaims the crown

Toyota's ninth-generation sedan is simply the best in its class

BY LAWRENCE ULRICH
DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- It was Henry Ford, of course, who pioneered the car for the masses. And in this icon of the old South, the Spanish moss clinging to ancient oaks once made a handy seat stuffer for Ford's Model T.

Fast-forward to present day, and it's Toyota with the hot car for the hoi polloi: The Corolla has sold more than 25 million units in 142 countries since its debut in 1966 and its U.S. arrival in 1968. In other words, the best-selling passenger car in history.

Lately, the Corolla has been eclipsed in U.S. sales and critical favor by Ford's Focus and the Honda Civic. The 2003 Corolla, the ninth generation of Toyota's bread-and-butter car, sets out to reclaim the high ground for budget sedans.

Shepherding the Corolla from Savannah to Detroit convinced me that Toyota has accomplished exactly that.

I'll confess I wasn't thrilled over the prospect of a 900-mile drive in what I expected to be a mere appliance, a sleep-inducing econocar. But it took less than an hour along humpbacked Georgia two-laners to realize the new Corolla is no penalty box. Instead, the Corolla proved a gracious long-haul companion.

And as the miles piled up, the Corolla argued an open-and-shut case as the new leader of its class. In fact, while the Toyota mostly slipped under the radar at the recent Detroit auto show, I'd rank it an early contender for next season's Car of the Year awards.

It's that good.

First stop, Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. Curious students check out the Corolla after a demonstration at the school's Raptor Center, whose handlers guide falcons, hawks, owls and other razor-taloned birds in dazzling exhibitions of flying and hunting skills.

Samia Fields, a 20-year-old interior design student, climbed into the Corolla and gave it a big thumbs-up. "This is so comfortable, really accommodating," says Fields, who currently drives a Civic. "Everything's close, in arm's reach."

She's right about the ergonomics. The new Corolla's controls are perfectly placed.

Fields guesses the price at more than $20,000 and is agog to see the sticker in the glove box is barely over $15,000. "That's great for the money," she says. "I would definitely drive this."

Fields headed off to class before I could talk her into writing the review, but the point is taken: The Corolla seems a conspicuous value, despite higher base prices than some rivals.

Now, competitors complaining about Japan's pricing advantage due to the weak yen is a bit like Russian whining during the Olympics: a convenient scapegoat when your butt is getting kicked.

That said, for Toyota to transform the Corolla into a bigger, more stylish and better-equipped car yet chop its price shows there's some truth to the argument. The base Corolla CE model has seen its price slashed by roughly $1,500 to $13,370. That's 12.3 percent below last year's comparably equipped model.

The top-of-the-line LE I drove north starts at $15,480. Stuffed with options -- antilock brakes, side air bags, sunroof, newly available leather seats and trim -- the Corolla came to $18,275.

A smooth ride
Price aside, the Corolla's achievement is how well it mimics the ride and feel of a more expensive midsize, e.g. the Toyota Camry. In many ways, it's a Camry in 9/10th scale, much like the Volkswagen Jetta's relationship to its big brother Passat.

Toyota says the new Corolla meets fit, finish and color-matching standards required of its early-generation Lexus models, a claim backed up by the craftsmanship inside.

As twilight blanketed the Cherokee Foothills near Spartanburg, S.C., the Corolla's gauges glowed to life, and the frosty blue readout indeed recalls a Lexus display. The ABS system features brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, two features that have trickled down all the way from the flagship Lexus LS 430.

Toyota's thorough approach to design and engineering is a given, but it's the little things that always seem to hit home: The Toyota/Lexus cruise control stalk, elegant in its design and simplicity, is simply the best in the business. You can control its functions with your pinky without budging a hand from the wheel. A window visor, swung out to block the setting sun, seemed not to vibrate even a millimeter, even over rough pavement. Doors shut with a satisfying snick. A larger center console holds 14 CDs.

About 4 inches longer and taller than the outgoing model, the Corolla has boosted its rear legroom, and now boasts class-leading trunk space at 13.6 cubic inches. On paper, the Corolla slightly trails the Civic and Focus in some interior dimensions, but statistics lie here. Where the previous Corolla was cramped, the new model feels as spacious and airy as anything in the class, with plenty of stretch-out space for two tall adults in back.

From behind the wheel, the only clue to its smallish stature was being nudged around by strong winds.

Tuned for a soft, comfortable ride, the Corolla isn't as fun to drive as the Ford Focus. Nor is it trying to be. Instead, the car is rewarding to drive. Toyota does offer an S model with higher-performance tires, slightly stiffer suspension and a peppier interior look. And if fun is the priority, Toyota is nudging drivers toward the new Matrix, a hatchback that uses the Corolla's platform and engine.

But if the handling isn't razor-sharp, it's something just as valid in this class: balanced, poised, effortless. The ride is amazingly posh, the cabin tranquil.

Sliding down the backside of the Appalachians at night is a good test for any car's real-world handling. And in the inky blackness between Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn., the Corolla glided unerringly past truck convoys during snaky mountain descents that would have been intimidating in a sloppy-handling machine.

The commodious cabin, supportive seats and faultless controls made the Corolla a charmer. Rolling into Lexington, Ky., after 10 hours and nearly 700 miles of driving, I didn't feel the hint of a sore back or the fatigue you might suffer in a lesser economy car.

The high-tech engine plays its own critical role in the Corolla's performance. On paper, the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder looks decidedly ordinary, with just 130 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque. But thanks in large part to variable valve timing -- think of it as an efficiency expert under the hood -- the engine provides supple, quiet power that belies its small size.

On the home stretch to the Motor City, the feisty 4-cylinder loafed along at just 3,200 rpm at 80 m.p.h., delivering dual benefits in low cabin noise and fuel economy. The Corolla managed 33 m.p.g. between Georgia and Detroit, and a more frugal pilot could certainly top that figure. The EPA rating is 29 m.p.g. in city driving, 38 m.p.g. highway, and the smooth 4-speed automatic transmission extracts less than a 1 m.p.g. toll on mileage compared to manual-transmission models.

Checking my notes back home, I noticed a glaring lack of the usual carping and criticism.

Hmm, let's see. Toyota skimped big time by not offering 4-wheel disc brakes. For a car this good, 4 discs should be standard fare. Other than that, the rest is hairsplitting. The cruise control did struggle to maintain a set speed on the steepest mountain ascents, but that's true of most any system.

Rolling into Detroit, I gave the Corolla a friendly pat on the dash for delivering such a pleasant ride.

Along with a pleasant surprise.

Retaking the high ground in small cars is hard enough.

With the Corolla, Toyota could be seizing the high ground, surrounding it with barbed wire and digging in for an extended stay.

Contact LAWRENCE ULRICH at 313-222-5394 or ulrich@freepress.com

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