Life in the Eyes of John

A blog on life, love, people, cars, and everything I can think about...

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Test Drive - 2004 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G

No wonder it's a bestseller. It simply is, hands-down, an excellent family compact sedan for less than a million pesos.

Yesterday, Dustin handed to me the keys of his Altis. Finally, I would know why a lot of buyers chose this car over the competition (Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Mitsubishi Lancer, etc.).

First of all, the body composition. Toyota is the first to sell a big compact. Contradictory, eh? Nonetheless, I think it can seat 6-foot tall people easily, thanks to good legroom. Methinks this automobile has been designed to grab the Caucasian market.

The seats are smooth, refined, and relaxing. Those are leather seats reserved for the more elite cars a bracket up. The interior is flowing and welcoming. There is definitely a touch of class here, except for the center console that lacks a little flavor (maybe one of those Pioneer radios that eat up 2 slots will look good).

Turning the ignition, and the car and dashboard come to life. I think Toyota could've just turned off the lights on the dash, but on second thought, this is a driver-friendly feature. Too bad it'll eat up a little more electricity and will require you to change dash lights more often than not, theoretically. But I like the fact that they've considered giving more convenience to the driver; a lit-up dash makes it a tad easier to see your car's data.

Cruising is creamy smooth. That's what you get from a 1ZZ-FE (1794cc, 4-cylinder engine with VVT-i, DOHC) mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Gear shifting is smooth, and acceleration is effortless on the low-range (1500-2000 revs), even with 4 passengers onboard. It performs close to many 2-liter sedans I've driven.

Driving this for fun is a bit scary, though. Ripping through 3000-4000 revs, I experienced some wobble on the steering wheel. Dustin also mentioned this issue with me as well. Tire slippage? I'm not so sure. I still think that the Lancer is more safe to play with, that is if everything is to remain stock.

Make the engine sing "Hallelujah!" and you'll sing along, too. 145 horsepower mated to a 1125-kilogram body is good math (that translates to a power-to-weight ratio of 12.89... good numbers...). Acceleration is quick and fun, two good reasons to throw the scare out the window and floor it until it reaches peak power at 6000 revs (it redlines at 6400 revs). I also like the way the engine sounds as it peaks up -- smooth. I'd like to imagine driving the same thing with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Braking is also good on the Altis. 14-inch discs on both front and back sure gives much stopping force. Plus it's got ABS and BA (I sure felt the ABS, but I don't know about the Brake Assist...). Pedal feel is also excellent. Left-foot braking on this machine is very easy, very controllable. No sudden oops-I-braked-a-little-too-much occurences happened during the test drive. I still get the oops on the Lancer, but then again, I may have been in the groove that day.

Extras on this car are also good. Safety is backed-up by dual airbags (driver and passenger), as well as seatbelts all around. Luxuries include a Nippondenso air-con that keeps things cool even beneath the noon sun, a 6-speaker audio system will keep you entertained in heavy traffic, 4 cup holders (2 in both front and back) to hold everyone's drink, and map lamps up front for both driver and navigator. Backing sensors and foglamps are also standard (as most top-of-the-line compact sedans are).

Verdict: For 899,000 pesos, this is the perfect car for a family of five. If you're hesitant to buy a luxury car, pick this one instead. It's an excellent substitute with all the things you're looking for: luxury, power, safety, and driving ease.

Tweaks: Perhaps I'd swap the rims for lighter ones, then wrap it in Michelins or Pirellis. If I could swap the tranny with Mitsu's 6-speed CVT or a good-old 5-speed manual, then I'd have more fun toying with it.

Note: Perhaps it's time for me to test drive either a 2000 Honda Civic SiR or a 2000 Toyota Corolla 1.6GLi. Somebody ranted about this car's performance online...

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