Topic: Long-Term Test Update 4: 2015 Toyota Corolla S

[Autos_Editor]

The camping trip.
Read More...

[Blueprint]

Nice campsite!

Proves my point that there's more packing room below the window line in a sedan than with a similar hatchback (when you have rear passengers, of course).

[GearDrivenCam]

That's been my experience too.  Hatchbacks have always been touted for their versatility - but in reality appear to be just sedans with a lift-gate and most of their trunk space removed.  A true hatch-back equivalent to a sedan (in terms of useable space, wheelbase, and overall dimensions) would be a station wagon.

[johngenx]

We've gone on lots of trips in the Corolla and found the trunk to be very accommodating.  It's a nice boxy shape with a good sized opening and the rear suspension is quite unobtrusive.  For 3-4 people the car has lots of space.

[Noto]

Agreed on all points stated above.  The Corolla is just good at being a tool. 

And yes, while not particularly fast, and definitely able to be bogged down by extra weight, I've never had the car actually fail to accelerate (even up hills).  It may scream while doing the deed, but it does eventually make it to climax its destination.

I find the car relatively quick around town, and certainly capable of keeping up on the highways.

Try driving a 1998 Buick Century through Jasper and Banff, or a Fiat 500, Mitsubishi Mirage, or Chevy Spark anywhere - then tell me the Corolla is slow.  Power is relative.  The Corolla feels no weaker than its competition, except perhaps the new TSI from VW or the 2.5L in the Mazda3.  I don't find the 2.0 in the Mazda3 to be that much 'faster'.

[Woodyism]

Hey, which Lake is that, I spent a childhood at Rock and last time we were at Kearney, its been awhile though.  My kinda camping small tent and tarp, more then enough.  Are the seats down in the back, I always feel the hatchbacks fit more. 
Cheers

[quadzilla]

Nice campsite!

Proves my point that there's more packing room below the window line in a sedan than with a similar hatchback (when you have rear passengers, of course).

So basically a larger space will hold more items? What happens when you compare similar two sedans and one has a smaller trunk?

Everybody has a preference and I'm glad they make cars for each of us. Personally I'll take a hatch over a sedan as I need to be able to stand things in my trunk (IE: large backpacks).

[quadzilla]

I was just up in Algonquin recently and its the park I love to hate. Some of the people that go there are just pigs and make a huge mess. Even though the park goes on and on about you NEED to keep your site clean they don't do anything about it. Lots of talks about fines but nothing happens.

The people beside us left everything out and also left their site, ranger drives by and doesn't stop. Then they went to bed at 8pm. Ranger drives by at 9pm, stops and wakes them up and tell them to put their cooler in their car but NOTHING about the rest of their mess. We filled in the comment card stating how pathetic of a job they are doing at enforcing the rules.

Friends were just at RMNP in Colorado and there they rangers are zero tolerance. Algonquin needs to be like that.

I don't need a bear visiting my site because of other stupid people in the park.

/rant.

Nice article.



You should use some of the money you save on gas and buy a real tent. No wonder you left before it rained

[jyarkony]

Nice campsite!

Proves my point that there's more packing room below the window line in a sedan than with a similar hatchback (when you have rear passengers, of course).

While the Corolla has more packing room than the CX-3 for example (i mention that because it is our other current long-termer), a Golf will be superior in packing ease and being able to go a bit above the window line (or all the way up) means its cargo space is superior.

[jyarkony]

I was just up in Algonquin recently and its the park I love to hate. Some of the people that go there are just pigs and make a huge mess. Even though the park goes on and on about you NEED to keep your site clean they don't do anything about it. Lots of talks about fines but nothing happens.

The people beside us left everything out and also left their site, ranger drives by and doesn't stop. Then they went to bed at 8pm. Ranger drives by at 9pm, stops and wakes them up and tell them to put their cooler in their car but NOTHING about the rest of their mess. We filled in the comment card stating how pathetic of a job they are doing at enforcing the rules.

Friends were just at RMNP in Colorado and there they rangers are zero tolerance. Algonquin needs to be like that.

I don't need a bear visiting my site because of other stupid people in the park.

/rant.

Nice article.

You should use some of the money you save on gas and buy a real tent. No wonder you left before it rained

Holy smokes, were you at Two Rivers Lake? I totally saw you, and was like, "Is that Quad? I think it was, but I'm not sure..." and I was convinced you totally did a double take seeing me... and I saw you again on your bike and in your GTI and I was like, "I bet that was Quad... I should have said hi. I'm such a jerk."

I, for one, was a good camper and kept all food in the trunk at all times except when cooking, and cleaned up immediately whenever we left.

and that tent... it is pretty old and one of the main support rods broke on disassembly, so by next summer I will have to buy a new tent. That being said, it rained quite hard the first night we were there and it kept us dry. Any recommendations? Family of 4, but I like a tent I can stand up in and extra room, something nice and weatherproof, and the one i saw at Crappy Tire that I liked was the Coleman Montana (right size, seemed to have good weatherproofing marketing on the packaging).

Also, Woodyism, the rear seats were always up as they had the child seat and booster in place for the kids. That lake is Jack Lake, which you view along Hemlock Bluff Trail - we only got that far as the rain was starting to seep through our jackets at that point and from there on it got steeper and tougher, so we didn't want to turn the kids off of hiking forever. can't wait to finish that one in nicer weather and get to some of the other vantage points over the lake.

[johngenx]

What distances have you tackled with Corolla?

Trips ranging from 1000 - 3000 kms.

[quadzilla]

Holy smokes, were you at Two Rivers Lake? I totally saw you, and was like, "Is that Quad? I think it was, but I'm not sure..." and I was convinced you totally did a double take seeing me... and I saw you again on your bike and in your GTI and I was like, "I bet that was Quad... I should have said hi. I'm such a jerk."

I, for one, was a good camper and kept all food in the trunk at all times except when cooking, and cleaned up immediately whenever we left.

and that tent... it is pretty old and one of the main support rods broke on disassembly, so by next summer I will have to buy a new tent. That being said, it rained quite hard the first night we were there and it kept us dry. Any recommendations? Family of 4, but I like a tent I can stand up in and extra room, something nice and weatherproof, and the one i saw at Crappy Tire that I liked was the Coleman Montana (right size, seemed to have good weatherproofing marketing on the packaging).

Yes I was at Two Rivers (Aug 19/20) and do remember seeing a blue Corolla there. I may have looked at you but I was probably just looking around and through you (no offence) as I'm usually in another world. You should have said something to me and you could have joined us for some beer. I was on my friends site, with the new Kia minivan w/roof box and the giant Big Agnes tent which is awesome for family camping. Don't know if you noticed my little Hilleberg tent set up beside it. That is only good for 1 or 2 very close people.

I remember it raining quite hard on Thursday morning and our site turned into a swamp. I had my tent down before the rain but we had to take all their stuff down in the rain, no fun.

for being a clean camper. We need more people like that. When my buddy and I went for a ride on the rail trail we had a bear run in front of us as it crossed the path.

You should start a new thread for a tent to not derail this one. But here is the tent my buddy uses and they spend 30 days in it each summer and they love it. Has been through every type of weather.

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Tent/FlyingDiamond6

Its gotten pricey though.

[Noto]

I keep eyeing the MEC Wanderer 4 tent ($399).  I currently use a Yanes Aegis 5, which is huge (6' tall, 9'x9' floor with two exterior vestibules), but set-up is a b!tch with having to slide the poles through the mesh tubes.

The MEC tent has a single pole (with hub) that is a breeze to set up, and then the rest is just clipping the tent to the poles - takes a fraction of the time.  The trip I just did to Alberta/BC was with my Yanes, but we also used buddy's new MEC Volt 2 a/c, which is small, but has the same hub/clip-on design.  It went up in seconds compared to my Yanes.

I would look for one that suits your needs that has the fewest # of poles and no mesh-tube-slide-throughs.

I'm a little disappointed in the MEC Wanderer's weight, though.  At 11.5lbs, it's only 1lb lighter than my Yanes (which is a beast).  MEC only makes the Volt (lighter version) in 2 (2.1kg) or 3 (2.7kg) person tents, and is too small for my uses .  I wish it came in a 4 or 6 person version (coming in at max 3.5kg).

[johngenx]

Wow.  I recently drove an F150 to Florida.  Hadn't done it in years and figured I tried it again to add a new dimension to the trip.  Was wondering whether that drive would be feasible in the Corolla.  That would certainly cut down on the fuel costs relative to the F150.  Total fuel consumption in the truck was in the range of 500 litres.

The missus took the 'Rolla to Vancouver and back this summer with my daughter and a lot of luggage, returned through the Okanogon and logged just over 3000km, consuming just 170L including city driving in Vancouver and Kelowna/Vernon.

We drove to Roger's Pass and back on a climbing trip this summer and with a side trip to Revelstoke we totaled 1480km and used just 76L of fuel.  Thanks to the long range, we didn't have to buy gas in BC - so we saved $$.

Realistically, on an all-highway trip, 500L of fuel would take the typical Corolla 9000-10000km.  Based on my experience traveling with the 2014 ECO model, it could come close to 11,000km on 500L of fuel.