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 Toyota
Corolla RXi
Model year: 2000
Odometre reading: 5000km
List Price: (Nov.2000) R151000
Standard Equipment:
ABS brakes
Panasonic CD frontloader radio
Leather upholstery
Power steering
Central locking
Air conditioning
Six speed manual gearbox
Electric windows all-round and electrically adjustable exterior
mirrors
Alarm, Immobiliser and Remote
Side impact beams
Mag rims
Rear screen demister
Bootspoiler and third brake light
Optional equipment:
Metallic paint
Driver's airbag
1587ccm in-line 4 cylinder, DOHC-20 Valve engine
115kw @ 7800rpm
157Nm @ 5600rpm
When Honda released their crowd-wooing 8000rpm 1600ccm 16Valve
engine, Toyota quickly followed in producing a 1600 engine that is
out of this world. I haven't had a chance to test-drive a Honda yet,
but the figures before me from the various automotive publications
promise similar performance.
"So what's all the fuss about?", I hear you ask. Well,
a 1600 4 cylinder engine has always been put to good use in small
hatchback and sedan cars as a reliable, economical powerplant which
doesn't exactly burn rubber, but delivers good performance for the
money put down.
Honda and Toyota have both transformed the trusty 1600 into a
fire-spitting leech from Hell which gives any impression BUT the one
that it's a 1600 engine.
Both manufacturers have managed to churn 120kW (about 170
horsepower) out of an engine that usually delivers around 85kW
(about 130hp).
But let's rather stick to the Toyota, which offers you 115kW of
power in a car weighing just over a ton. This translates into
seriously quick acceleration and an immensely illegal top speed. To
be more specific, the RXi takes a mere 8 seconds to reach 100km/h
from standstill, and only runs out of breath at an amazing 210km/h.
Remember, we're talking about a Corolla here..!!!
Which is what makes it such an brilliant car: the Corolla is the
best selling car in South Africa (has been for 10 years plus) and
I've never driven a 'friendlier' car. By that I mean that the
driving position, pedal movement and positioning, gearbox and
shifter have all been honed to perfection. Get behind the wheel of
any Corolla and within a minute the car has grown on you. The
friendly Corolla is very, very easy to get used to, and does exactly
what you tell it to do. No vague steering, no last-centimetre clutch
bite, no initial accelerator dead spot. Now add a menacing engine to
the above concept and you get a marvellous vehicle.
The RXi is not the car for Granma van Vuuren who's always had a
Corolla, or for Accountant Bill who loves the ease of use or cheap
maintenance of the vehicles. Rest assured, they'd both happily motor
along (Gran would probably have trouble with the six gears, though)
but this car would be an absolute waste on them. No doubt, Toyota is
aiming straight for the younger market, the boy(or girl)-racers
among us, the ones who inevitably end up with a picture of their
numberplate in the postbox.
So there I was, waiting for the Dorp/Strand lights to turn green,
the temperature needle just having reached its normal position.
Green lights, engage first gear, ease away and perform the
proverbial "Voet in die Hoek". Unfortunately, before my
Voet even hit the Hoek, I had to change to second already. Oh, and I
was doing 60.
On the open road I got a better chance to take the engine to its
limit and experience the phenomenal 8000rpm redline. First gear,
right foot planted and try not to hit the rev-limiter. 60km/h.
Second gear, as above, change to third at 110km/h, ease her to
120km/h.
The engine is an absolute gem, pulling firmly to 5000rpm and
morphing into a monster beyond that, the revs just climbing quicker
and quicker towards 8000. Sixth gear is simply for cruising efforts,
but if you're in sixth gear, you're not having fun.
It's an experience in itself to see 8000rpm registered on the
tachometre, and so is the speed at which the needle reaches it. And
that's the mind-blowing thing about an RXi, it performs better and
better the higher the crank turns, at speeds that would have other
cranks eating pistons and valvegear.
Stuck behind a lane-hogger on the N2 at 80km/h, it only takes a
snick into third gear and full throttle to firmly press you into the
leather seat and get you past the unwanted object in your path. If
you ask me, this isn't a 1600 engine, or they've made a good job of
hiding that turbo-charger, because performance like this doesn't
come from anything below 2 litres.
In fact, the RXi will happily embarress cars with bigger engines
and more cylinders.
 The
car feels solid, well assembled and the interior is also put
together well. It's a Toyota, isn't that what you would expect? :-)
The RXi comes with red-on-black dials in a carbon-fibre-look
instrument cluster, a special centre console that houses the radio
in the top of the dashboard, and a CD frontloader. The sound system
comprises of four speakers and delivers lots of thump and good sound
quality.
The ride feels a bit stiffer than a 160GL Corolla I drove, but it
still rides very comfortably, even over that malicious Bird-street
pedestrian crossing.
The RXi is marvellous to drive around town with, just like any
Corolla would be, it can pull off in second gear and will even
tolerate sixth gear 50km/h cruising in town. But let's not fool
anybody, this car was made to go fast, and it does well at that.
I've been told that 8000rpm in every gear but sixth is an absolute
thrill, the car firmly pulling up to and beyond 200km/h in no time.
I do, however, plan to see tomorrow's sunrise, which is why I
shall get back to the spine tingling, exilhirating world of
websites.
For:
Amazing engine with phenominal revs
Driveability
Good brakes
Six gears are fun
Against:
It's "only" a Corolla
..and a pricey one at that
Speeding ticket magnet
Rivals:
Honda Civic V-Tec
Opel Astra Classic 2.0 16V CDX
Nissan Sentra 200STi
Stellenbosch.co.za advises: Always buckle up, be aware and adhere
to speed limits.
Next review: Audi A3 Turbo
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