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I started my week off with a bang by flying to Pittsburgh for a day-long meeting. (Sorry I didn’t give notice to any P’burgh folk, but I'm sitting in te airport waiting for my flight home as I type this.) Normally I end up with whatever compact or mid-size American metal Avis feels like giving me, but I got a little treat in the form of an ’06 Corolla. It was an auto and I’m sure it wasn’t set up anywhere near properly for FE, but it was still a nice change. (The alternative was a Vue…gee, tough decicsion!)

Overall I have to say I like it. The trans is smooth, the little engine emits a pleasant little hum, and the ride was comfortable. It’s not a car you would call exciting, but I’m not exactly writing for a performance-oriented audience here. The final drive ratio could be better, but could be a lot worse: it turned ~2200RPM at 60mph. One nice touch for FE drivers was the a very smooth throttle linkage (maybe it’s drive by wire…I don’t know) which makes those fine adjustments much easier than with my relatively touchy Accord. I only wish I had brought my ScanGauge to help me out! I also find it interesting that the 55mph mark right smack at the top of the speedo rather than somewhere buried to the side like in every other car made these days.

Overall I only have one problem with this car: I don’t fit! Toyota must not have anticipated the long-legged 6’1-6’2 crowd when they designed this thing because it really needs a longer set of rails on the driver’s seat. Another inch would have done it for me, although that might have put the steering wheel too far away without telescoping. (How does a Corolla compare to a Prius for seat adjustment? I hope Toyota didn’t make this mistake in all the small-ish cars, did they? I'll be very, very sad if they did.)

I don't know how accurate this is, but my FE calculated to 43.5mpg over 73mi. That could be totally bogus because I have no idea how full that tank was when I got it. One would think it would have been less than full (making my real FE better than that), but who knows?

Hi Tim:

___Good overall review of the Corolla. I own the 03 (same Gen) and as you have found, Toyota messed up the ergonomics a touch for taller drivers and also those without any arm reach. It really could use a telescopic wheel with about 2 – 3” of travel as well. Before learning about anything advanced hypermiling (no FAS or P&G) but just following the speed limits in and around Chicago, she topped out at over 52 mpg before I moved to the Insight. I take her out from time to time as my son uses it now and I still think it is one of the best values on the road. I cannot wait to pick up an 06/07 w/ a stick for a review sometime to take it to its limits because if you nailed 46 + on unfamiliar roads and I was just learning way back when for a touch over 50, I think this thing could be a 70 mpg daily commuter with the right driver and the right kind of traffic conditions. More for those in the country who can let it all hang out! And it is relatively well equipped with all the basics – PW, PL, PM, A/C, Cruise, arm rests, storage in the center and a relatively large glove box, cup holders galore, etc. … Add the side and side curtain option package and she is certainly one of the most reliable, safest, and lowest TCO daily commuters you can get your hands on …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

ya its either that or the yaris, the corolla has better incentives on the used car market though.

Running through a full tank in a Corolla with a stick would be a real treat, I think. Cramped, but I'm willing to bet it would give me FE that I've never seen before. I re-calculated my FE because I realized I made a mistake, and it was really more in the 43-44mpg range. But that was with an auto and I would be lying if I said I was trying hard...just a light touch on the throttle, reasonable speeds, and a bit of DWL where applicable. 50 to 55mpg ought to be cake with well inflated tires and some HS P&G along a familiar route.