Handling Of Toyota Corolla 121

[Ripper]

But manoeuvring around the said trucks at speed is handling no? Oh wait... sorry; on the last ticket I got, I think that ended up being defined as 'aggressive driving while failing to observe the posted speed limit'

yep...that can be called handling if the car took those turns without giving you a mil heart attack

but the point is Kavvz...this whole thread has been going about "handling"

and judging by most posts on it...clearly lots of people seem to have not figured out what handling is...

straight line highway speeds are possible on many cars without one having to take an unplanned loo break...

i have done over 140 in a corolla...an older one at that and not for once i was scared the bloody thing will tip over or anything of the sort...

what the corolla and many other sedans in the bracket sucks at is taking turns...

this is where true handling if a car comes in... not in straight line speeds

[Kavvz]

yep...that can be called handling if the car took those turns without giving you a mil heart attack

but the point is Kavvz...this whole thread has been going about "handling"

and judging by most posts on it...clearly lots of people seem to have not figured out what handling is...

straight line highway speeds are possible on many cars without one having to take an unplanned loo break...

i have done over 140 in a corolla...an older one at that and not for once i was scared the bloody thing will tip over or anything of the sort...

what the corolla and many other sedans in the bracket sucks at is taking turns...

this is where true handling if a car comes in... not in straight line speeds

lolz. I was joking Ripper. I agree with you, highway driving / driving on the straights at speed and handling through the corners aren't the same thing and shouldn't be compared, but having said that I feel bad when people rip on the econo-boxes. They aren't designed for handling. They're designed to haul families around at average speeds economically. Its like asking me to do your job at the ad agency. I might like it, and for the first five minutes or so most likely no one will notice but its all down hill from there....

Edited March 8, 2010 by Kavvz

[Ripper]

lolz. I was joking Ripper. I agree with you, highway driving / driving on the straights at speed and handling through the corners aren't the same thing and shouldn't be compared, but having said that I feel bad when people rip on the econo-boxes. They aren't designed for handling. They're designed to haul families around at average speeds economically. Its like asking me to do your job at the ad agency. I might like it, and for the first five minutes or so most likely no one will notice but its all down hill from there....

heh heh...cheers to that mate

had to speak up on behalf of the corollas cos i think it has almost become fashionable to bash em even when reasons are not justified...

and nobody would wanna talk in support of it cos it aint cool to be talking FOR corollas :P

[Kavvz]

Interesting post after all those boring, "What to buy for 2m, N16 or Carina" Posts

I would like to poke my 2cents worth here.

EPS does not HAVE to be light. If for example you drive a new Fiat you will note that they are weightier than the Corolla by some margin.

The thing with EPS though is that it fails to convey what the car is up to unlike a Hydraulic set up. The car feels even more remote from the driver. However I must add that cars like Corollas and Sunnys hardly did do the job when they had hydraulic systems as well. It's a matter of what the manufacturers/developers priorities are. More testing and fine tuning means more cost and these cars are not aimed at the driving enthusiast.

Many manufacturers are working on new systems to counter this feel-less effect of EPS. VW and Fiat claim to have developed already.

What type of steering set-up does the new Mini have? The steering on it is just phenomenal.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Kavvz

[GTAm]

What type of steering set-up does the new Mini have? The steering on it is just phenomenal.

Yes the reviews are very good and it is electric!

[GTAm]

"Handling" is how the car behaves around bends and curved roads. A good handling car will behave neutrally and carry more velocity around a bend. A poor handling car will scrub of speed around the bend by under or over steering.

There are many ingredients required for good handling.

A rigid body/chassis contribute to handling as well as high speed stability. For me the cars that have the greatest high speed stability are the German cars. I don't necessarily like them a lot but I admire them. High speed control of a BMW, Merc or VW/Audi is super and a cut above other cars.

Even when there is a sudden directional change they give you supreme control. This makes the driver feel more confident.

Just drive a un-hacked late 80's BMW E30 3 series and the 121 back to back on a straight road at high speed and you'll see what I mean.

Then there is grip which is largely down to the suspension and chassis design. The theory usually tells us that the stiffer the set up the better the grip (more rubber on the tarmac) and faster the cornering (more power transferred onto the tarmac). But this could have a negative effect on the ride comfort. The trick is to find an ideal balance. French (406) and Brit (Focus) cars usually get it near perfect with German cars being set up too stiff usually.

Alas a car like a family Corolla does not involve itself in all this "nonsense". At least this is my guess. I bet Toyota know that the typical Corolla buyer does not give a hoot about handling and so why waste millions of $$$ developing an answer its customers never asked? Now you know another reason why they make gazillions of money. They are smart.

Only the high performance Corolla derivatives will be honed to handle well e.g the RunX. They have to be or else they all be in trees, lamp-posts and paddy fields.

The Mazda 3 is related to the Ford Focus, usually considered the benchmark for handling for a family car. It shares the rear independent multi-link set up and when you take the first corner you know that there is something more sophisticated underneath there.

Most car users in SL seem to like this ultra light steering which is truly loathsome (for me) and probably unsafe. I know a guy who gave up a Mazda for a Sunny N16 because the Mazda steering was "tight" !!!

[Ripper]

"Handling" is how the car behaves around bends and curved roads. A good handling car will behave neutrally and carry more velocity around a bend. A poor handling car will scrub of speed around the bend by under or over steering.

There are many ingredients required for good handling.

A rigid body/chassis contribute to handling as well as high speed stability. For me the cars that have the greatest high speed stability are the German cars. I don't necessarily like them a lot but I admire them. High speed control of a BMW, Merc or VW/Audi is super and a cut above other cars.

Even when there is a sudden directional change they give you supreme control. This makes the driver feel more confident.

Just drive a un-hacked late 80's BMW E30 3 series and the 121 back to back on a straight road at high speed and you'll see what I mean.

Then there is grip which is largely down to the suspension and chassis design. The theory usually tells us that the stiffer the set up the better the grip (more rubber on the tarmac) and faster the cornering (more power transferred onto the tarmac). But this could have a negative effect on the ride comfort. The trick is to find an ideal balance. French (406) and Brit (Focus) cars usually get it near perfect with German cars being set up too stiff usually.

Alas a car like a family Corolla does not involve itself in all this "nonsense". At least this is my guess. I bet Toyota know that the typical Corolla buyer does not give a hoot about handling and so why waste millions of $$$ developing an answer its customers never asked? Now you know another reason why they make gazillions of money. They are smart.

Only the high performance Corolla derivatives will be honed to handle well e.g the RunX. They have to be or else they all be in trees, lamp-posts and paddy fields.

The Mazda 3 is related to the Ford Focus, usually considered the benchmark for handling for a family car. It shares the rear independent multi-link set up and when you take the first corner you know that there is something more sophisticated underneath there.

Most car users in SL seem to like this ultra light steering which is truly loathsome (for me) and probably unsafe. I know a guy who gave up a Mazda for a Sunny N16 because the Mazda steering was "tight" !!!

nicely rounded up response mate

btw....you did do a review on the ol 121 sometime ago yeah...i sorta remember reading something like that on m.mag.

[GTAm]

nicely rounded up response mate

btw....you did do a review on the ol 121 sometime ago yeah...i sorta remember reading something like that on m.mag.

Did a group test between the usual suspects, 121, Familia, Civic and N16.