Corolla XRS Review

[Ming]

December 24, 2004
Tom Incantalupo
ROAD TEST
New Corolla XRS makes bid to contend against its rivals

You will be forgiven a little cynicism and maybe even a snicker or two at the suggestion of a sporty Toyota Corolla. Well designed, popular and reliable, sure. But sporty?

Before you pooh-pooh totally, however, the concept of a pig that can fly, take a drive in a Corolla XRS, a new variant for '05. Although more engine power would have made it better, the XRS could be a contender.

Under the hood is a specially tuned variant of the Corolla's 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, rated at 170 hp. vs. 130hp. for ordinary versions. That rating, however, is more impressive than the engine's actual performance; peak horsepower isn't reached until 7,600 rpm. And the XRS' engine delivers just about the same torque, 127 pounds-feet, at just about the same time, at 4,400 rpm, as its more sedate cousin.

So, while the XRS can deliver zero to 60 sprints in less than 8 seconds, getting that kind of hustle out of it requires vigorous rowing of the six-speed stick, while allowing the tachometer to swing closer to the 8,400-rpm redline than most of us normally do. From 6,000 to 7,800 rpm, the engine's variable valve timing delivers a surge of power almost like that of a turbocharger. So, at the point where most us are ready to back off and upshift, this Japanese engine is just starting to get interested in the game.

And a passing maneuver or an attempt to accelerate uphill almost always requires a downshift.

http://www.newsday.com/business/colu...ess-columnists

[Boi350Sierra]

Yeah I test drove one of these. One word to describe it "Blah". It's nothing special. You have to be an aggressive driver to actually feel the power. The only things i liked about it was the Interior and the 6-Speed. Not Much else. Nissan did a better job with the Sentra SE-R and hopefully the Cobalt SS crushes these 2.