{"id":24320,"date":"2019-10-31T09:27:26","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T13:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24320"},"modified":"2019-10-31T09:27:26","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T13:27:26","slug":"payne-toyota-corolla-hatchback-is-wallflower-no-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/payne-toyota-corolla-hatchback-is-wallflower-no-more","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Toyota Corolla Hatchback is wallflower no more"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/893c545b-b8d2-4de0-83f7-5654a0e8d660-corolla_fr3-4.JPG?width=520&amp;height=390&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a sporty beast with a new chassis, independent rear suspension and tidy handling. You might be tempted to take it on the Pittsburgh International Raceway, seen in background.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">Waiting at the Pittsburgh airport arrivals curb to pick up my son for a race weekend at Pittsburgh International Raceway, I was approached by one of the fiercest cops I have ever seen. Built like Mt. Rushmore and just as tall, he bristled with more weaponry than an Army battalion. Double-barrel shotgun, twin hip holsters, a billy stick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">Good lord, what had I done?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cIs that the new Corolla?\u201d he thrilled like a kid on Christmas morning, ogling the 2019 Toyota hatchback tester I had driven from Detroit. Phew, he just wanted to talk cars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Yes, yes. I know what you\u2019re thinking. He wanted to talk about\u00a0<em>Corollas<\/em>? But Toyota\u2019s seventh generation is not your typical Corolla appliance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has let it be known that he wants his Toyota and Lexus brands to have more curb appeal, and nothing is immune \u2014 not even his entry-level egg beater. For decades Corolla has been a perennial best-seller in the class thanks to its bulletproof value equation. Pick up a Corolla in the appliance aisle and it\u00a0will run forever \u2014 as reliable as a collie and never asking anything in return save the occasional fill-up at the pump. Corolla\u2019s reliability has won over generations of buyers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But it has never made anyone\u2019s heart beat faster. Until now.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SNblheYGH5c\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/b1cc55a2-4080-48b3-b72c-9c930551fab7-corolla_engine.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback sports a 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder engine that pumps out 168 horsepower.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/b1cc55a2-4080-48b3-b72c-9c930551fab7-corolla_engine.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/b1cc55a2-4080-48b3-b72c-9c930551fab7-corolla_engine.JPG\" \/>The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback sports a 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder engine that pumps out 168 horsepower.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">I remember one of my first comparison tests as a Detroit News reviewer featuring Chevy\u2019s now-defunct Cruze. GM was eager to show it off against the class competition \u2014 the sexy Mazda 3, sporty Ford Focus, nimble VW Golf. And, oh yes, Corolla.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Corolla was the dog of the stable. Homely, with uninspired styling inside and out, it was the acknowledged value leader \u2014 but that didn\u2019t mean you wanted to drive it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-67\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3,2,6\">\u201cIt\u2019s a comparison test, so I guess we have to include the class best-seller,\u201d groaned the assembled media. Zipping around GM\u2019s Milford test track, the Corolla leaned this way and that, its torsion beam rear suspension catapulting my head into the roof over bumps like a trampoline.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With the new Corolla, Toyota is rewarding its generations of loyal subjects with a snazzy hatchback XSE they can finally enjoy for driving as much as it&#8217;ll\u00a0save\u00a0them in the wallet. My new cop friend was not the only admirer on my Pennsylvania round trip. More than a couple cars shadowed me on the Ohio Turnpike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">At the race track, a longtime Corolla owner strolled by. \u201cCan I sit in it?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SNblheYjzkU\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/99747000-8d72-43f6-b2a0-025267dd8964-corolla_screens.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"That's a Corolla? Vanilla appliance no more, the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback sports a digital instrument display and tablet screen for just $25K.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/99747000-8d72-43f6-b2a0-025267dd8964-corolla_screens.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/99747000-8d72-43f6-b2a0-025267dd8964-corolla_screens.JPG\" \/>That&#8217;s a Corolla? Vanilla appliance no more, the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback sports a digital instrument display and tablet screen for just $25K.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">There\u2019s a lot to drink in for generations of starved Corolla owners.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Begin with the racy grille anchored by the Toyota logo. The lights sweep toward\u00a0the fenders like winglets, while the whale-like grille below could swallow an ocean of krill. The lines roll backward\u00a0across a raked windshield to an aggressively sloped rear window that gives Corolla the appearance of speed even when it is standing still. The look is capped off by a dramatic roof aerofoil.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My test package was wrapped in a dramatic &#8220;Blue Flame&#8221; wardrobe that reminded me of the BMW Z4 toy I recently tested \u2014 or the Skittle row of bright blue, green, yellow\u00a0and red Dodge Challengers you\u2019ll see lined up at the Dream Cruise. Yes, this new Corolla wants to be noticed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SNblheZrsQs\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/6da1cd5e-fd17-4e4d-bd35-f7ad652dad7a-corolla_mpg.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback boasts 36 mpg; under the lead foot of The Detroit News' Payne, it recorded 33.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/6da1cd5e-fd17-4e4d-bd35-f7ad652dad7a-corolla_mpg.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/6da1cd5e-fd17-4e4d-bd35-f7ad652dad7a-corolla_mpg.JPG\" \/>The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback boasts 36 mpg; under the lead foot of The Detroit News&#8217; Payne, it recorded 33.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Inside, Corolla\u2019s once bland furniture has been transformed into an electronic wonderland, with a fully digital tachometer and table console screen. Sure, the electronics often over-nanny you (a Toyota family trait), but tech is a good thing and Corolla is even updated with Apple CarPlay, which Toyota has long resisted.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Riding shotgun, Mrs. Payne instantly configured Apple CarPlay for crisp directions on our multi-state journey. The rest of the console is less clever \u2014 storage space, for example, is awkwardly shoved deep under the console buttons \u2014 but this is also the result of dramatic lines that envelope the stick shift.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Stick shift, Payne?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Yes, the new Corolla hatch even courts the few, the proud motorheads who want to row the box\u00a0\u2014\u00a0my speed-addled, 20-something sons included \u2014 the target demo of\u00a0this $25K\u00a0value pack. The six-speed tranny even offers adaptive cruise control \u2014 rare in a stick.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SNblheYUUsg\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/45bf99c3-b307-4f57-8c1f-e35ecaa44349-corolla_rr-seat.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Fold the rear seats flat and the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback makes more cargo room.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/45bf99c3-b307-4f57-8c1f-e35ecaa44349-corolla_rr-seat.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/45bf99c3-b307-4f57-8c1f-e35ecaa44349-corolla_rr-seat.JPG\" \/>Fold the rear seats flat and the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback makes more cargo room.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Under the cane, the manual is nicely calibrated for precise shifts \u2014 and it is mated to a chassis that wants to play.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Throw the Corolla into a cloverleaf and its stiff, new Global Architecture (which also undergirds the much-improved Camry)\u00a0begs for more throttle. You want more, and that is where the 168-horse Corolla comes up short.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">For while the 2019\u00a0Corolla is the best ever, it must compete in a ferociously competitive class that has not stood still while Toyota baked its tasty new muffin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">There are hatchbacks galore in this segment, and they are all nice bargains with a little more character than the Corolla. There\u2019s Corolla\u2019s chief rival, the Honda Civic, which loads the segment with more model flavors than Baskin-Robbins. There\u2019s the Sport hatch (in manual, natch), and the Si coupe, and for the really ambitious, the brawling Type R.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SNblheZAl34\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/307139c4-d56f-4df8-ae64-ea38e0d576b3-corolla_rr3-4.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a big step up in style and handling to compete with class leaders like the VW Golf and Mazda 3. This little &quot;Blue Flame&quot; number goes for just $25K.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/307139c4-d56f-4df8-ae64-ea38e0d576b3-corolla_rr3-4.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/307139c4-d56f-4df8-ae64-ea38e0d576b3-corolla_rr3-4.JPG\" \/>The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a big step up in style and handling to compete with class leaders like the VW Golf and Mazda 3. This little &#8220;Blue Flame&#8221; number goes for just $25K.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">With more rear-seat room and a peppier 1.5-liter turbo mill, the Civic is Corolla\u2019s value mach. As is the Subaru Impreza hatchback. While its all-wheel-drive is available at the same price as Corolla and standard features galore, the \u2018Ru is affordable utility that can climb Everest in winter.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">And then there are my class favorites, the athletic Mazda 3 hatchback and VW Golf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Their neat, conservative stylings are attractive and timeless. And they will run circles around the Corolla. The Mazda boasts 18 more horsepower from its 2.5-liter four, while the Golf\u2019s turbo 1.4-liter pumps out a stump-pulling 184 pound-feet of torque.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SNblheZf0d4\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/db685e30-c31b-479b-90ab-b95a516a1c09-corolla_cargo.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback has a cool, coupe-like roof, though that cramps cargo room to the tune of 17.8 cubic feet \u2014 five feet shy of a VW Gold hatch.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/db685e30-c31b-479b-90ab-b95a516a1c09-corolla_cargo.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/10\/22\/PDTN\/db685e30-c31b-479b-90ab-b95a516a1c09-corolla_cargo.JPG\" \/>The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback has a cool, coupe-like roof, though that cramps cargo room to the tune of 17.8 cubic feet \u2014 five feet shy of a VW Gold hatch.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Eschewing Corolla\u2019s sculpted rear window for squared-off utility, the Golf\u2019s rear hatch will swallow three more cubic feet of cargo \u2014 a difference my family noticed in our back-and-forth forays to the airport\/hotel and track where the Corolla\u2019s angled rear window made multiple bag storage a challenge.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With a used market full of 228 horsepower Golf GTIs, my sons figured they would go that\u00a0route for a new Corolla price, but with much more room and raciness to show for it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That said, it\u2019s good to see Corolla in the game. For the first time in memory, Corolla is a car that turns heads. Makes the heart beat faster. Begs to be driven.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Just ask the smiling cop approaching you at the airport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger compact hatchback<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: Base price $21,220, including $930\u00a0destination charge\u00a0($25,686 XSE as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant: 2.0nlin-liter ie-4 cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Power: 168 horsepower, 151 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 6-speed manual<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.2 seconds (Motor Trend); top speed, 114 mph<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 3,000 pounds (est.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: EPA mpg, 32 city\/42 highway\/36 combined<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Report card<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: Modern interior; fun to drive<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Engine lacks kick; cramped rear cargo<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Waiting at the Pittsburgh airport arrivals curb to pick up my son for a race weekend at Pittsburgh International Raceway, I was approached by one of the fiercest cops I have ever seen. Built like Mt. Rushmore and just as tall, he bristled with more weaponry than an Army battalion. Double-barrel shotgun, twin hip holsters, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24320\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}