SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Mission practical: 2020 Toyota Corolla Quest

Archetypical Corolla

Pics by Motorpress
Posted: March 17, 2020

The numbers
Price range: R249 900 to R317 700
Engine: 1798 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Power: 103 kW between 5200 and 6600 rpm
Torque: 173 Nm between 3600 and 4400 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 10.2 seconds
Maximum: 195 km/h
Ground clearance: 125 mm
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.0 l/100 km
Tank: 55 litres
Boot: 450 litres
Spare: Steel rim, 195/65R15 tyre
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: 3 services at yearly, or 15 000 km, intervals

The simplest way to describe Toyota SA’s Corolla Quest might be to call it the “Polo Vivo” of Corollas. An initiative by local manufacturers to cut costs by exploiting existing facilities and common parts, it seeks to offer cash-strapped buyers more affordable alternatives.

Where does it fit in? When Generation-10 Corolla made way for Generation-11, Toyota continued punching out the older bodies, fitted them with 1600 cc engines and sold them, at discounts, as Gen-1 Corolla Quest.

The wheel has turned again. The latest Corollas are Generation-12, so New Quest has adopted the Generation-11 body. Rather than continue with the 1600 motor, Toyota SA listened to its focus groups and fitted the more powerful 1800 cc engine instead. It’s also more readily available in the worldwide network so the company takes advantage of bulk buying to save some money at factory level. And everybody's happy.

The most noticeable visual differences between “old” Corolla and new, Gen-2, Quest are that the latter has no chrome on the grille, has lost its front fog lights and changed its rear number plate trim from chrome to body colour.

Size-wise the new Quest is about 80 mm longer on wheelbase stretched by 100 mm, 15 mm wider and the same height. While the longer wheelbase is good for interior space and comfort, it does extend the car’s turning circle from 10.4 metres to 10.8. You’ll have to begin your swing a fraction earlier. A further thing to consider is that, with only 125 mm of ground clearance, it is possible to scrape the bottom if you turn too sharply after crossing street gutters at the ends of driveways. 

Three trim levels; Base, Prestige and Exclusive, offer kit ranging from steel wheels with 195/65R15 tyres, plain radio-CD units and fabric upholstery to larger alloy wheels with 205/55R16 tyres, touch screens and combination leather. Transmissions are either six-speed manual or “seven-speed” CVT, brakes are discs front and rear, suspension is by means of McPherson struts and torsion beams, and entry-level cars offer three airbags (two plus knee-bag for driver) while Prestige and Exclusive up the count to five by adding side ‘bags.

Standard across the range are ABS brakes with EBA and EBD, vehicle stability control, hill start assist, ISOFix mountings with top tethers, automatic door locking, electric windows, air conditioning, steering wheel switches, follow-me headlamps, LED daytime running lights and rear foglamps. There are six models across the three trim levels, each with manual or CVT.

Our test unit was an Exclusive model with CVT so it boasted 16” alloys; seven-inch touchscreen DVD audio with six speakers; reversing camera; cruise control; rain-sensing wipers; part-leather seats with mechanical adjusters; automatic, single channel, air conditioner; electro-chromatic rearview mirror; TFT instrument cluster; keyless entry and starting and LED headlamps. Exclusive is also the only level with a 40:60-split rear seatback that folds down to increase loading space.

The seat is fitted with three head restraints, three full belts and a fold-down armrest with cupholders. There are no map pockets and the door bins are rather small. Thankfully the floor is almost completely flat, so  the middle passenger isn’t unduly cramped. Headroom is adequate, knee space is generous and foot room depends on how high the driver adjusts his or her chair. A second, central courtesy light is a nice touch.

The world has a love-hate relationship with CVTs; car manufacturers love them and customers hate them but, to be fair, the unit fitted to this one isn’t too bad. As long as you drive gently and responsibly, like an archetypical Corolla owner, it will satisfy your needs.

Mash the pedal to the floor to induce “kickdown”, however, and you will be disappointed. Revs increase but speed stays the same for a few seconds while the car decides what to do. Quick acceleration in emergencies requires that you whip the gear stick over to the right and pull back, once or twice, to engage a lower gear.

On the plus side, the ‘box maintains a good balance between rpm, speed and gearing to keep the car running sweetly. It also holds a lower ratio on downhills so that the engine can run against compression to obviate over-using the brakes.

The boot sill is 70 cm high and the well is 17 cm deep. The space is respectably long, wide and tall for easy loading while amenities consist of a light and a bag hook. The fully sized, steel-rimmed, spare under the floorboard is stored valve-side upward for easy checking of tyre pressure.

As a package, this “economy Corolla” is spacious, comfortable, quiet and convenient; controls are simple and logical and even grown-ups can navigate through the menus. It’s a competent family sedan without excessive frills that maintains its position as Toyota’s passenger division sales leader, outselling even Fortuner, during most months.

Test unit from Toyota SA press fleet

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.