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oh, and 100% on rear drums... they last forever and i don't think all that many people on today's roads really need to worry that much about heat dissipation.
I disagree - brakes are one thing I never want anyone to cheap out on. Yes, drums are inferior for heat dissipation, but my bigger concern is the build-up of crud, water, etc. in the drum. Discs use centrifugal forces to reduce particulate build-up between the pads and the discs. There's a reason why brakes work better in dry environments and when brand new.
I begrudgingly accepted that the Corolla had rear drums, and it may stop shorter than some of its competitors with discs all around, but that still doesn't seem acceptable to me for their use to remain so widespread. I'd support every car having ceramic Brembo's for better emergency response. It all comes down to economics, and I'd like to see the actual cost difference for rear drums:discs to justify their continued use when better tech is available.
We all talk about car safety features when a crash occurs - I'd rather we focus on crash avoidance.
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As far as the Corolla goes, my only concern is that it's growth is starting to push into mid-size territory. 182in is long for a compact, considering my 2011 Forester XT is 179.5in and even the newer, longer 2014 I've been eyeing is 180.9in.