Lauren

Welcome aboard, loads going on down south. Look out for local meets.

It's a bit of a dick thing to do to hold people up and not move out of the way if another car has caught up. I wouldn't be a fag paper from their bumper because it's not racing. But I would go a fair bit closer than you did. It's just experience really. The driver was a billy, so not much skill by the looks of it, but if you hang back too much they often don't move over, thinking mistakenly they are running at the same pace as you.

Your dealer is talking rubbish. They have to take out the refrigerant and then put it back in topping up if necessary. I would take it back. Mine apparently had lost 10g or so but obviously was topped up when refilled.

Almost surprised you didn't report the guy in the Elise who was clearly holding you up. I would have been a lot more aggressive in my driving going much closer to the Elise in the corners so they get the message. If someone is blatantly holding me up I will report them. This is what I don't like about trackdays, though sometimes it's easier just to back off so you can have a bit of clear track.

The Corolla Hybrid two litre hybrid in Excel trim. This will be my first review of a hybrid and as such there’s quite a lot more technology to learn. I will admit that what drew me to reviewing this car was that it had 180bhp. That in itself gave me some hope that Toyota are now looking to combine hybrid technology with at least some degree of performance. This version is fully loaded and has every option included which puts it at a price of £31,530. This is a lot of money for what is a family hatch back. It does though have a huge amount of features that demonstrate how far things have moved on with car design and features since my now fairly old GT86 was conceived a decade ago. Starting with how it looks seems to be a matter of divided opinion. I think this is because it’s very much of the moment with it’s sharp angles and multi-faceted surfaces. Personally I like it and I think that all it takes is a bit of getting used to. The current Prius was the same when it came out and you can easily see the common styling cues with this car. Upon getting into this car you are met with what is a very nice interior. The seats are good, though not quite as supportive as they may look, but this isn’t a sports car. It does though have sporting pretensions. The dash is a nice layout with a huge screen for settings and sat nav, the regeneration system and internet and Wifi connectivity. What is striking is how far things have moved on from my now six year old GT86 looking very much last decade when it comes to features and infotainment. So, this is a new era with every bell and whistle you could imagine but first I’d rather cover stuff that I’m familiar with, i.e., how does it drive and how does it handle on the road. I should firstly point out that this car has three drive modes. Eco, which relaxes throttle input and steering weight, then there is ‘Normal’ which is really the default mode. I did try driving this car in Eco mode briefly, but it was just a bit slack and wooly in terms of response, normal felt more natural. Then there is Sport mode which makes the dash go a racy red. Sport mode really sharpens up the throttle and also seems to tighten the steering, but maybe it just adds a bit more weight. Weight doesn’t mean feel of course, but to a point you feel more connected. This car has a constantly variable transmission (CVT). Now CVT’s are generally not popular amongst car enthusiasts as they constantly vary the gear ratio, which can mean, when you floor it the revs soar and it feels like the car has a slipping clutch. Toyota have been smart with this one though and given it steps, so that it feels like gears. This may seem like an automotive backwards step, but it simply highlights that drivers do not like CVT’s and making it work more like a conventional automatic is what people prefer. In reality it’s like the smoothest auto you’ve ever driven as it fakes going up a gear. It works well in practice though. Also and I did wonder if this was something of a gimmick, it has flappy paddles so you can go into manual mode. On a CVT? Yep! In practice this is a bit of a gimmick when accelerating as it becomes a bit meaningless every time you get on the throttle. However when pressing on and when you want to hold a gear as you lift off the throttle it’s actually useful, simply for the control aspect. On the downhill on the Cat and Fiddle road, this is where is was really useful to me. In drive mode as soon as you lift off the throttle the engine disengages which does not inspire confidence when pushing on. Now when I talk about driving this car with some vigour, I really did, but this is not a sports car, but it does have a good turn of pace. It’s a bit weird the first time you pull away silently on electric power and there is no doubt the electric motor does a great job of filling in the torque curve when you put your foot down. I would say it feels a bit like a petrol turbo, or perhaps a turbo diesel in terms of characteristics. The main punch of the engine is the mid-range, not the top end. Once you know this, you can use it to good effect. The other thing to mention is the brakes. Due to the regeneration system, the brake does feel a bit digital in application in that it does feel a bit on/off. It maybe that the servo is a bit too keen, but it did take me a little time to get smooth with the brakes. Let’s talk about handling. When I drove this car without knowing it’s weight, I guessed it would be around 1500kgs or perhaps more. I guess that’s an assumption of it must be heavy due to the batteries and all the hybrid stuff. However it does actually weigh in a mere 100kg heavier than my GT86 at 1370kg. What surprised me on the road, was that it actually felt heavier. I wonder if this is due to more of the weight being in the nose of the car? Turn in to corners however is actually not bad at all. The car will wash into understeer if you continue to push. There is an element of learning to trust that the car will follow its nose, which is due in part to a lack of feel, so once you know the car will do it, you build trust that way. The chassis itself is not particularly reactive, but quite benign. I would say it’s a step in the right direction for Toyota, but there is still some way to go to make it an engaging car to drive. It’s the kind of car you can hustle, it is capable, but you are unlikely to get up at 6am on a sunny Sunday morning for the hell of it. Handling is safe and predictable, the car is stable and responds relatively well to direction changes. Perhaps a Gazoo Racing version or maybe even a GRMN version could really up the game? The new Corolla is actually a pretty good car. As a daily proposition it makes a lot of sense. Good performance, strong economy as well as a whole range of safety features. It has impact protection where it will do an emergency stop if you blindly drive at a stationary car or wall, though I was asked not to test this! The most interesting feature though is the lane trace assist coupled with radar cruise control. Let me explain. We are all aware what radar cruise control is and this is a great feature if you want to give your feet a rest in traffic. Also though with the lane trace assist on, the car will track the lanes ahead and actually steer for you. As well having the car for an hour for the blast over the Cat and Fiddle, I also had it for 24 hours and took it to work for a day. There was on the M60 in the morning and set the cruise control and lane trace assist on and the car is now driving itself autonomously. It feels like a leap of faith the first time you try it, though you still need to lightly hold the wheel or the car gets irritable with you flashing warnings up on the dashboard! It really is amazing technology and it really will steer you round a tight slip road if you try it. I particularly liked the radar cruise control as it means the car will deal with traffic all by itself, really taking the effort out of it. The trick I found was to set the cruise to the maximum speed for the road and let the electronics do the rest. What I would say about all this tech is that it can be a bit harsh braking for you and accelerating and it does tend to operate on the conservative side. I have been told though that you can adjust the sensitivity of the radar cruise. It does tend to make you look like a less experienced driver as for example driving a car myself, my anticipation and use of controls is far more refined and where I would simply lift for a few seconds the Corolla will brake. It is smooth though, but I feel this technology needs a bit more refinement which doubtless will come in time. Here's an example how it works: I am a purist at heart, driving a manual rear wheel drive sports coupe. But I found it really interesting to try what is the technology of the present and will lead the way in the future. I liked the Corolla, it has a great combination of comfort, ease of use and also a good turn of speed which I’m sure surprised a few drivers. Importantly for me it didn’t feel slow. Now I’ve tried the 1.8 Hybrid in the Toyota CH-R which has 120bhp. The two litre engine with 180bhp makes a big difference and will undoubtedly make this car far more appealing to those like me who like to have a reasonable amount of power to give you more options when you need it. The car I tested had every option including a polycarbonate full length sun roof and the upgraded JBL audio system which did sound really good. Still no Apple Car Play though which seems to be the thing everyone wants. The display itself is excellent. Sat nav is usual Toyota fair, there is the option of using the infotainment as a Wifi router which may be a good idea, but would need a subscription of some sort to enable this. The other crazy option and this did make me chuckle is the parking assist. This means the car will reverse parallel park for you when you pass an identified space. Again this is akin to a leap of faith the first time you try it. The dash will tell you to go forward and then stop. You select reverse and guide the car in modulating the speed on the brake. The car then steers for you swiftly putting you in the space. Incredibly impressive and Richard and I looked at each other in disbelief the first time I tried it! Here's how it works: The new Corolla is a car that is designed to have a broad appeal to drivers who want good economy safety and also some sense of style with excellent reliability. It does the job very well. Yes it’s more geared to the practicalities of driving rather than the passion of it, but it is a step in the right direction. I’d love to see a practical car that is exciting to drive, but maybe I’m a little hardcore in my approach and fully understand I’m a long way from ever being your average motorist. Whilst I may see this as a good thing, I can absolutely see how this car would appeal to those in need of a more practical and comfortable car than I. There will be a GR version with sharper handling which is great. I’m really hoping there will be a GRMN version but we shall have to wait and see. Pic of underboot floor. On the two litre the battery is in the boot. The sensors for collision warning system and lane trace assist. Polycarbonate sunroof. It has a blind too. My Eco score after a blast down the Cat & Fiddle! Still achieved 46/7mpg though!

On my drive to work without really trying I saw 67.4mpg. That's a mix of rush hour traffic, smart motorway limits for half a 20 mile journey. I reckon I could have easily got more than that. I noticed that with cruise control on the motorway in a 50mph smart motorway limit it actually cruised on electric which was quite impressive. I average around 40mpg in my GT86 on the same trip. I'm sure I could push it over 70mpg if I tried.

Can do, yes.

I never tested the collision protection system. Only the adaptive cruise which will brake to a stop for you in traffic. The throttle calibration is a bit odd but I did get used to it no problem. It does tend to 'kick down' which I guess is a movement on the CVT to give you better acceleration when flooring it. I was impressed to go round the M60 in EV mode at a 50mph cruise in smart motorway imposed speed limits. Yes, very quiet indeed.

Got a TD one. £100?

Just take it on track with the Primacy tyre to get a feel for it. I did for the first 25K miles a fair few trackdays and a number of sprints. If you want a decent tyre fit PS4's. All you'll ever need for the road and track. The car is absolutely fine stock on track. It's best way to start. It's a much better option than what many inexperienced drivers seem to think of having to do lots of modifcations before going on track. I'd always say get the experience first then decide what you need to do. Much cheaper that way.

Welcome aboard Annie, check on social meets and official events, there is normally a fair bit going on down south. Any plans for the car, or are you just enjoying it for the moment?

Tanner if you're not already aware, your car will be subject to the valve spring recall. If it's not been done it will need doing, no rush though.

Welcome aboard, I live in Manchester, we do occasionally have meet ups, have a look in social events.

They always are when cold, especially going from 3rd to 2nd. Should be better when it's warmed up though. I wouldn't worry too much unless it gets really bad which is a sign that your synchros are wearing out. Best tip, always change gear slowly.

Cool, so I guess you'll desperately want to lower it now, you've got the new wheels on?

Have you tried putting it on recirc to cool the car down? That is what it should be on. Then move it to fresh air after five minutes or so. The climate control does this automatically. Even at 50C outside on a sun drenched expressway I had it on number 3 fan speed. It kept us cool, but my window was so hot I couldn't touch it!

There isn't. I had a GT limited in Japan with a high temp of 50C on the Shuto Expressway. It was fine. It's just manual control that's the only difference really. It certainly worked well enough, but knob twiddling was required.

Welcome back. a manual, you'll like this. First job, check if it's had the recall done on or not on the valve springs as it will definitely fall into the recall range being a 2012 car.

Wonder what's wrong with it? Still at least it's under warranty.

It may be worth pointing out that there are no gains to be had from changing the overpipe. I changed mine before this was known!

You should just be paying the cost of the plugs, no labour charge.

Sounds like the age old problem of not running your AC all the time. It's plenty good enough to cope with these temperatures. I've done Euro trips where the temp has been 37C and it coped just fine. I hired a GT86 in Japan five years ago and at one point the temperature got to an indicated 50C on the expressway in traffic and whilst it was working hard, it kept us cool. Sounds like it may need a recharge. Best to never turn it off all year round. That's what I've done with my car and it has always worked well. It's been like an oasis the last few days.

Resonated will probably be okay if you keep the second cat. It's a bit loud without. I ended up putting a double resonator where the second cat goes. Or go for super resonated which will be okay. It's a matter of preference though.

The washers do need renewing after a few refills. I just OEM oil, it gets done at service.