The New Whip

So first impressions of the new whip? An understated awesome.

The basics are that it is a brand new 2010 Toyota Corolla CE including goodies like full power package, satellite ready stereo, full information bank digital banks, and even some hidden extras like heated side view mirrors and auto running lights. Take a closer look and you'll see that Toyota still puts out a good product in spite of all the negative press it has received in the past year.



The first thing one will notice is that fit of the body panels is near perfect. Even on the high end Fords such as the Ford Fusion, (which comes laden with technology that I do love to play with) a close inspection will reveal that panels and trim don't often line up. Also there is a lot of extra rubber sealing (see hood of the Corolla) that does not exist on similar offerings like the Mazda 3 or shockingly the Honda Civic. All of this attention to small details aids in creating a solid feel to the car that is just as assuring as the full set of air bags that would engulf all inside should an collision occur. While not as wonderful as older sister Camry, the cabin is surprisingly quiet especially when compared to the likes of the Mazda 3 or Ford Focus.



Second. When experiencing high cross winds, (very common on the drive between Banff and Calgary) the car held the line. Pretty impressive since this ride rolls on 14s. (I am tempted to save up a little and shod it with 16 inch TRD alloys...) I'll have to research to see if Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) had anything to do with this. This set it apart from the Mazda 3 which I considered my first choice for a car. The Mazda felt like a lapse in focus would send it shooting off Highway 1 into some ravine.

Much has been said about the interior of the 2010 Corolla and how the quality has downgraded from past years. There certainly was a sense of longevity in the 1991 Camry I owned during the mid to late 90s that was on a whole different level than this Corolla. But the only thing that I found to be "cheap" was the interior door handles that feel like they could snap off in my hand if I jerked on them too hard. Everything else feels like it was of higher quality especially compared to Corolla's closest competition Honda's Civic.

In my current occupation, it is a joy to be able drive a full spectrum of offerings from different companies such as Ford, Mazda, and Honda. So the above mentioned comparisons are firsthand. Needless to say I am glad to be back in the Toyota fold!

I cannot help but feel a sense of deep gratitude to my family for being so supportive and generous in advising and assisting me with the acquisition of our new car. We needed it especially with the baby on the way. A number of prayers were answered with this one!