2014 Toyota Corolla LE Eco

2014 Toyota Corolla LE Eco

Continuously variable with a 100-percent chance of legroom.

Talk to people who fly commercially in coach class, and they’ll tell you the most precious commodity is legroom. It’s also important to those who prefer a smaller travel tube, and the newly elongated 2014 Toyota Corolla has 41.4 inches of leg space for rear-seat passengers, 4.6 more than in the mid-size Chevy Malibu and even an inch and a half more than in the full-size Impala. Call it coach-plus seating; in terms of space, there are no cheap seats in the new Corolla.

We can’t say the “cheap” descriptor doesn’t apply to other areas of the cabin, though. Toyota spruces up LE-trimmed examples with a padded-vinyl dash panel of contrasting color and piano-black trim bits sprinkled throughout the cabin, and there is real contrasting stitching on the padded door armrests, shifter boot, and seats. But then you notice that the stitching is chintzy faux molded-in stuff on the steering-wheel center and dash and that the door trim mixes hard plastic surfaces and textures that don’t complement one another. Granted, this is a low-priced family compact, but some competitors have managed to imbue some premium-segment magic into their offerings, most notably the redesigned Mazda 3.

Newly optional is a 6.1-inch touch screen that’s bright enough to be of use at high noon, but successfully selecting the tiny screen options while the car is moving takes a steady hand. The navigation display doesn’t offer the greatest detail, and in split-screen mode (as when displaying music selections or nearby roadside attractions), the map shrinks to the size of a smartphone screen held at arm’s length.

Game On

Really, the big news is what Toyota has done to up the Corolla’s fuel-economy game. With its old-school four-speed automatic and 26/34 mpg EPA splits, last year’s LE model was a laggard in the segment. Fast forward to 2014. Despite adding 2.6 inches of length and half an inch in width, the specially equipped LE Eco climbs by 4 mpg city and 8 highway to an EPA-estimated 30/42 rating. That 42-mpg highway number is for a base Eco with 15-inch steel wheels, but the 40-mpg rating affixed to Ecos with the optional 16-inch aluminum wheels of our test car still approaches diesel and gas-hybrid territory.

The Eco model’s special equipment includes low-rolling-resistance tires, underbody aero panels, and a new version of Toyota’s 1.8-liter four with Valvematic continuously variable intake-valve lift and phasing that bumps output by 8 horsepower to 140. All 2014 Corollas can be fitted with a new continuously variable transmission (except the base car, which uses a four-speed auto). But Eco models also get a selectable Eco mode that delivers a lazier calibration at less-than-50-percent throttle—Toyota says it “smoothes acceleration”—and trims A/C compressor operation for more gradual cool-downs. (This is the point where you engage the sweat mode of your body’s natural A/C system.) To ensure one is in Eco mode, you must have both dash Eco lights active; one blazes beneath the gas gauge when you hit the Eco button, and the other comes on under the tach to convey feedback on whether you’ve been naughty with the gas pedal.

There is no tap-shift gate or any steering-wheel paddles in the Eco, although they are available in Corolla S models. Here, the CVT (with a rather conventional 6.3:1 ratio spread) decides what “gear” is the most efficient for the car’s speed and road load, and, like it or not, it’s a key enabler for the Corolla’s big mpg numbers. However, Toyota engineers have seen to it that the engine doesn’t drone on like some homesick sow imitating a dyno pull. At wider throttle openings and higher revs, Toyota has programmed in some artificial steps with up to 750-rpm drops that feel like the gearchanges in a step transmission, although anyone even mildly in tune with the act of driving can see through the ruse. There are two manually selectable ranges, but individual ratios cannot be summoned: S gives an intermediate range with some noticeable engine braking on lift, and B is a low range for even greater engine braking.

Naturally, we were curious as to whether the Corolla Eco’s 40-ish mpg number was attainable in real-world driving or just another “your mileage may vary” disappointment. We initially drove the car during our 10Best testing, when we run cars even harder than usual to probe the outer limits of performance and handling, and the Eco managed 30 mpg over 488 miles. But given that potential Corolla Eco buyers probably want to reduce their petrochemical intake, we reset the tripometer and reeled off another 551 miles. This time we drove it like a nonagenarian on his way to his own funeral, engaging Eco mode and resisting hole shots, as they were. This portion of the test contained a 300-mile interstate and rural highway run to the tip of Michigan’s thumb and back, running at or just above posted speed limits. Result for the final 551 miles: 40 mpg.

As Spicy as Applesauce

There are, however, some sacrifices, and you might notice we’ve chosen now as the time to discuss driving dynamics. The 2014 Corolla’s electrically boosted steering and hard tires conspire to make tracking in a straight line a chore. The setup lacks valley feel, so the car has a diminished sense of straight-ahead, requiring constant back and forth corrections while cruising down seemingly arrow-straight stretches of highway. Effort is on the light side, and the ratio is compact-car appropriate, but road feel is virtually nonexistent, and the sawing makes for tired arms on a long trip. Crosswinds and longitudinal road grooves make things worse.

Our Corolla LE Eco Plus came with the 16-inch rollers, LED low-beams, a rear spoiler, auto A/C, a backup camera, hands-free voice-command controls, and a 6.1-inch high-res touch screen. An $850 power sunroof and the $1510 Driver Convenience package (keyless entry and start, plus Entune premium infotainment with nav, traffic, weather, satellite radio, and Bluetooth) brought the sticker to a still-palatable $22,570.

The Corolla hasn’t been anything close to a driver’s car for decades, and the new 2014 version isn’t one, either, trading on roominess, fuel economy, price, and a continuously variable automatic that’s less annoying than garden-variety CVTs. The Corolla Eco delivers efficiency that’s accessible in the real world—all the better if you like to drive as if there’s a near-to-full, scalding-hot cup of coffee between your legs—and our final economy number topped those of the Camry Hybrid and Prius V and matched those of the tiny Prius C and hearty VW Jetta TDI diesel. But we know which of those cars we’d rather be driving, cost be damned, and it doesn’t have a stylized T on the front.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $22,570 (base price $20,210)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 110 cu in, 1798 cc
Power: 140 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 126 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.3 in
Length: 182.6 in
Width: 69.9 in Height: 57.3 in
Curb weight: 2906 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 9.5 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 27.1 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 36.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 9.8 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.4 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.9 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.4 sec @ 83 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 110 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.79 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 30/40 mpg
C/D observed: 40 mpg
*Stability-control-inhibited.

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