Toyota Corolla 2007 test drive - 2009 hatchback

Royal army

The emblem of Toyota is a stylized image of a buffalo. In Southeast Asia, he is revered for a flexible character, performance and endurance.
 
The history of the model
year 2001. The ninth generation Toyota Corolla (E12) is presented. Engines (all P4): gasoline 1.4 liters, 71 kW/97 hp (4ZZ-FE); 1.3 l, 65 kW/88 hp (2NZ-FE); 1.5 l, 81 kW/110 hp (1NZ-FE); 1.6 l, 81 kW/ 110 hp (3ZZ-FE); 1.8 l, 99 kW/135 hp (1ZZ-FE); 1.8 l, 141 kW/192 hp (2ZZ -G); turbodiesel with Common Rail 2.0 liters, 81 kW/110 hp. or 66 kW/90 hp, respectively, with and without intercooler (1CD-FTV); Vortex diesel 2.2 l, 58 kW/79 hp (3C-te). Front drive, M5, M6 or A4.
2002. Crash Test Euro NCAP: 4 stars, 12 and 16 points for the front and lateral blow, respectively.
2004. Restyling, changed: anterior and back optics, bumpers, radiator grille, lateral moldings are now painted in the color of the body. Minor changes in the interior, side airbags appeared (passenger disconnected).
2006. Presentation of a new generation.
Since the beginning of the production of Korolla in 1966, more than 30 million cars came off the assembly line.
A model with varying success was sold, in particular, the penultimate generation was reproached for inexpressive design, but the queens were always considered reliable. The ninth generation (E12), which will be discussed, appeared at the turn of the century (see the history of the model) and is released to this day with four types of bodies: three- and five-door hatchback, sedan and station wagon.
In the Japanese market, the livestock is complemented by Allex, Corolla Runx and Corolla Fielder. We do not affect the VERSO modification in many ways this is a completely different car.
Compared to the predecessor, the car has grown by 90 mm and was fat to 20 mm. The wheelbase increased by 135 mm, but the main car has gained a recognizable and expressive appearance. The chief designer of Takeshi Eshida and the head of the European design headquarters Luke de Meo licked the appearance so that they made unification. The front of the sedans and hatchbacks (wings, hood, bumper, headlights, grille) are completely different.
In Russia, the model was accepted with a bang, which caused a crowd in lines for maintenance and spurred prices in the secondary market. For five -year -old cars, they ask for $ 10,000, 20042005 to buy $ 1517 thousand. Alas, in the ranking of theft, the model also moves to more and higher positions. Therefore, despite the full -time immobilizer, it is still not worth it to neglect the additional line of defense in the form of alarm or mechanical blockages.
Playing in phase
Of the whole variety of options (see the history of the model), only cars with gasoline engines were officially supplied to us, mainly 4ZZ-FE and 3ZZ-FE, less often 2ZZ-GE (3-door hatchback in the T-SPORT version). On the right-handed Japanese, there is often a 1NZ-FE unit, sometimes 2NZ-FE. But the diesel queens are very rare not only in Moscow (less than 0.5%), but also on the other side of the Urals.
It is difficult to objectively evaluate the reliability of neo -power: they rarely get to the dealer, and there are only about 7%in the secondary market. We only note that we do not know anything about cases of hopeless breakdowns. But back to official models.
The ZZ engines are equipped with a VVT-I gas distribution phase system (Variable Valve Timing Intelligent), and the valve lifting height also changes in the 2ZZ-GE engine (VVTL-I, Variable Valve and Lift Intelligent system. The fact that such intellectuals work under the hood, many owners do not suspect; Devices not only regularly straighten the characteristics of the torque, but also do not require any care. It is inconvenient only to clean the dirt from VVT-I nameplate on the front wings. By the way, the car generally terrible slut, the dirt seemed to stick to the sides.
At first, skeptics were afraid of combinations of an aluminum alloy and thin -walled sleeves, which, in case of repair, cannot be waste (nowhere). Yes, and the piston of the repair size in nature does not exist. However, the mileage of individual specimens exceeded 200 thousand km, and the engines have not yet served senile signs. However, if you need repairs, our craftsmen will surely learn to guil the old blocks, but this, of course, will cost more than a regular bore.
Single cases of piston rings were found on the 4ZZ-FE engine: it used to eat oil for a young man. Although dealers changed the piston with a warranty block (!), They still sinned for the low quality of the expertise fuel recorded a 1040-fold excess of resins in it. The mud suspension has been found repeatedly, which is why since 2004 the consumables listed the fuel filter (previously it was considered eternal). Metal -containing additives after 2030 thousand km kill candles, but today it does not surprise anyone. But the catalyst is absolutely indifferent to surrogate. The entire graduation tract turned out to be tenacious, despite the early external corrosion of the main (rear) muffler.
There were problems with a plastic intake manifold (spider), a splendor of the swirling began to rattle in it. The defect was manifested at an early stage (up to 10 thousand km) among the 2002 cars of 2003. The part was changed under warranty. There were also adherents of gas equipment: installers do not like to deal with plastic collectors.
The drive of the chain, does not require much attention. If the front left (from the pulleys) part of the engine fogs, change the penny oxide ring of the circuit of the circuit. The tensioner itself is one -sided, with a Christmas notch of the working part (step about 1 mm). This design is undemanding to the quality of the oil, because with zero pressure in the highway (for example, in launch mode), the plunger does not allow the chain to bloom not gives the chain. However, it is still not worth saving in oil, otherwise more expensive engine parts may suffer.
The only clinic belt of the auxiliary unit drive is changed when cracks and tears appear; On average, it serves 6070 thousand km, if you are lucky 90100. Sometimes a dineman is sweated; Until he rattles, you can ride, but decide to change take the constituent design. In it, the video and tensioner are separate spare parts, in the future to change the knot in parts will be cheaper.
TRUST BUT VERIFY
Mechanical gearboxes for each engine model are different: S-150, S-50 and S-64, respectively, for 4ZZ-FE, 3ZZ-FE and 2ZZ-GE. Box S-64 six-, the remaining five-speeds. The four-speed A246E machine was put only on the 3ZZ-FE motor. All of them are very reliable and durable, even cases of baking the seals of the drives are single and caused, as a rule, overheating during axle axlers.
The clutch is an average of 150 thousand km, an indirect speed of the ambulance is a small free pedal. If noted that when touched from the scene of the fight, it begins to get higher in its course, it is better not to pull the replacement of the driven disk. Otherwise, you will have to change the basket, or even the flywheel (they will be damaged by rivets of a worn disk).
The bearings of the hubs and the drives of the front wheels live for a long time. They are of different lengths, but with accelerations, the car aside does not actually lead, as well as when braking by the engine. True, the reactions to the discharge of gas are very conditional, but this is not uncommon for the Euro IV engines.
There were isolated cases of leaks from the right front rack, on irregularities she began to knock. On the right side, the sleeve of the steering mechanism was occasionally wear out. Both defects were manifested in the warranty period, therefore, they changed the perpetrators unconditionally. The stabilizer racks (bones) serve 120130 thousand km, the remaining movable elements in the front suspension are more than 150 thousand km, in the rear at 200.
Note that in the simplicity of suspensions there is no hint of the inferiority of sled qualities. Not every car, even with complex multi -strokes, can compete with the Corolla in the convenience of control. This is also facilitated by the steering wheel power power, which is not listed in operation either.
Reinsured
With the front brake discs, the manufacturer overthrow, in the current conditions, replacing them after 4050 thousand km of an overly small interval (permissible wear of 2 mm), although there were no dealing cases with greater wear. But the pads have ordinary life: the front is enough for 2535 thousand km, the rear for 5060.
Restyling did not affect the full -time audio center. Alas, he reads only Audio-CD format discs. It is clear that more high -precision mechanics and optics are needed to read DVD. But what prevented the usual mp3 from adding? After all, the recording density in this format is no higher than CD, just you need to give good electronics!
But still, the car succeeded for a reason by the emblem with a stylized buffalo took such a place of honor that even the hood had to bend! There was no such boring subject of narrative in this section for a long time. Is this not the success of the Corolla in the Russian market?
 



 
 
 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"