11th Gen Corolla (Hornet): An Unlucky Affair

[fouadbakht]

yes u do it very much.. what are u by professional

Ordinary Gormint Molazim

[smartdevil_striker]

Ordinary Gormint Molazim

ORDINARY Acha Sir

[fouadbakht]

Review (Contd)
Interior

Styling. "Classic styling". That's what every reviewer says. I won't further dwell on that much. In the shortest manner I can only describe it as simple, functional, practical and okay. Its old school but purpose built and definitely elegant. There's nothing much that will excite you. I kinda like the minimalist styling. Much has been designed keeping few popular luxury cars in view which is a good thing.



Lighting and Illumination. Thank God, IMC has done away with the amber coloured illumination. The fresh blue illumination in the instrument cluster and everywhere else is beautiful. Cabin lighting is adequate eliminating dark zones and the need for more reading lights (though more is always welcome).

Look and Feel The overall black interior and beige accents complement each other well. They do not overwhelm one another, though black has been intentionally kept dominant. Gives kind of a more premium look if not feel. That common beige interior had grown over us. Vinyl (or rubber) which Toyota calls soft touch padding used is of very good quality and comes re-engineered to absorb noise in the cabin. The rest of the plastic is solid but will require Meguiar's Ultimate Protectant after some time.

Build Quality First of all there is no such thing as a rattle free car in a C-Segment PKDM sedan. Cars develop some kinds of squeaks, creaks and rattling over a period of time. And while you may sell your soul to the devil, buy all the Dynamat or similar insulation you can but that is not going change the game. Why not? Because rattle/creaks are something that happen mostly where two pieces or things are snapped or joined together. The more the joints or panels the more the rattle / vibrations specially when it?s a PKDM on Pakistani roads. Do also coin in the factor of expansion and contraction (6 Grade Science) for plastic panels specially at the joints. Yes I'm talking about climatic changes. Ever noticed how your car feels and drives smooth after having been parked in the sunlight for quite some time?
This time around, IMC has nailed it by introducing tighter tolerances specially at the joints where pieces would snap fit. It could still be improved though. In addition, the trick is lesser number of pieces/panels in the dashboard. If some of you guys have both an 11[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla and an 8[SUP]th[/SUP]/9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civic, go and count the number of plastic pieces/panels in both. See? Toyota has kept it lesser and simpler. The Civic may have lots of curves and folds (bells and whistles) but that means more joints.

Noise Dampening Ahh. This is where it's all magic. While aerodynamics may have some role to play, nevertheless, the insulation or noise deadening is extraordinary. Specially, the acoustic Wind shield (whatever the heck that means). Google says that Acoustic Laminated Wind Shields are the same as a standard wind shield, but they have been made with an additional thin, sound absorbing technology between the glass that reduces the interior noise by 3dB overall, and even more in the frequency where people "hear" the human voice. Please note that this windscreen is considerably lighter in weight yet stronger and also reduces the overall weight of the vehicle. How it improves cabin quietness specially when air pressure fluctuations against the wind shield at highway speeds results into:
-Air impinging on the edges of the vehicle?s body panels
-Other vehicles environmental noise
-Road noise and vibration which is also transmitted through the body
I absolutely love that conversation with another passenger with virtually no need to raise the voice or shout out loud. Very quiet interior, period.

Driver-Car Interface. Its much better in 8[SUP]th[/SUP] / 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civics. Those cars are driver friendly and the driver feels in command. In the case of 11 Gen Corolla, the dashboard is higher and while the driver seat reclining may help, it certainly won't make a difference until there is a seat height adjuster. Which I presume is available in Grande.
Forget about reversing safely if you are the kind of guy who turns his head like in the exorcist movie while reversing. You won't see a thing in the rear due to visibility from inside and ride height. All around visibility from rest of windows is okay. If you are driving in an unfamiliar area, chances are that you may not be able to keep clearance from sides due to visibility. This may not apply to guys who are 5'9' and above. My experience is based on my height 5'7'.
The MID is welcome after having driven 8[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civic but it's usable giving you all the basic information.
Tilt and telescope is there with plenty of incremental adjustments. While the steering has been nicely designed, yet, it still doesn't feel as nice as that of the Civic's. The material is synthetic. It's nice and tacky but the shape/grip angle is certainly not. Again, no biggie. Just needs a little getting used to, being a case of personal preference.
The layout is quite practical or should I say user friendly. I do miss the slider adjustable centre console but thank God, at least it's got one deep enough to place a full sized pistol (1911, Beretta 92F/Taurus PT92, Glock 17, CZ Shadow muzzle down/grip up). However, the sliding type center console would have been much appreciated. The interior doesn't need much time getting used to. Everything is unmistakably within reach. After all it's like the same Corolla that probably our dads drove.

Trunk/Boot Capacity. Absolutely lovely. With that much real estate you could dump virtually anything. This too is a welcome step after having owned 8[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civic for years. Oh and I love that trunk lid insulation. Makes hell of a difference trust me. A very very important part.

Cabin Spaciousness. When the first time I opened the door and seated myself in the cockpit, I was like, 'hey nice". The interior or cabin space was visibly and noticeably more than that of previous models of Corolla and those of 8[SUP]th[/SUP] and 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civics. Thanks to the classic design. Seats are quite comfortable from the rest of the competition for sure and long trips are not going to give you bum sores. Big and tall guys may not be able to do Kung Fu but still plenty of space for them to be comfy.



Miscellaneous. Thank you IMC, thank you so much for quality "lock-secure-type" floor mats. I'm yours forever on this one. I do miss the placement of side mirrors adjustment controls of my previous Civic. I don't understand why Toyota keeps slapping these on the dashboard. IMC has surprisingly maintained it's generosity of giving 3 headrests in the rear and that folding arm with elegantly styled cup holders.

[omar4494]

@ fouadbakht
Hi, some one suggested you to write a novel, IMHO you should seriously think about it or jump in content writing.
Any way really enjoyed your reviews, and anxiously waiting for next episode.

Sent from portable device.

[hamza_xeg]

Many congratulations on the new purchase brother I am a little late in coming here but, I am here now btw read this thread extensively and enjoyed and liked every word of it. I mean, the reviews, the stories, sublime ! Anyways, looking forward to seeing HORNET's body and insides.

you are doing a good job here (Y)

[fouadbakht]

@ fouadbakht
Hi, some one suggested you to write a novel, IMHO you should seriously think about it or jump in content writing.
Any way really enjoyed your reviews, and anxiously waiting for next episode.

Gosh you guys really sound serious. Thankyou very much for the encouragement. I requested Pakwheels couple of weeks back to write for them. They weren't interested. Well, Pakwheels must be right.

Many congratulations on the new purchase brother I am a little late in coming here but, I am here now btw read this thread extensively and enjoyed and liked every word of it. I mean, the reviews, the stories, sublime ! Anyways, looking forward to seeing HORNET's body and insides.
you are doing a good job here (Y)

So very glad to know that Hamza. Keep remembering me in your prayers.

[VCheng]

Gosh you guys really sound serious. Thankyou very much for the encouragement. I requested Pakwheels couple of weeks back to write for them. They weren't interested. Well, Pakwheels must be right.
...............

@toofanebatameezi Is this rejection true?

[fouadbakht]

@ToofaneBatameezi Is this rejection true?

Yes VCheng bro. Sent in a reminder too but no reply ever came. So I though I'll just stick to the good old Members Rides Section.

[incognito59]

Is the Hornet 1.6 or 1.3? If it 1.3 then how does it feel after driving the1.8 viper?

[capsat]

@fouadbakht tell them explicitly that you will write for FREE and you get the Clean Green CHIT ! may be in next few hours on a working day !

Good to see you happy for switching from Lawn Mower to a proper CAR Stay safe stay blessed, ride & drive safe !

[VCheng]

Yes VCheng bro. Sent in a reminder too but no reply ever came. So I though I'll just stick to the good old Members Rides Section.

Sir, you should be aware that nothing sarkari moves with any speed in Pakistan. A lack of response is not a rejection, so there is some hope still. Let's see what the Barey Babu Sahib decides, if he cares to respond.

[fouadbakht]

Is the Hornet 1.6 or 1.3? If it 1.3 then how does it feel after driving the1.8 viper?

Hornet is 1.3L. I'll answer your question in complete detail in the next part of the review covering drive performance and handling. Stay tuned.

[fouadbakht]

Sir, you should be aware that nothing sarkari moves with any speed in Pakistan. A lack of response is not a rejection, so there is some hope still. Let's see what the Barey Babu Sahib decides, if he cares to respond.

Perfectly understandable, Vcheng (btw I dig your nick/ID, wonder how you chose it in the first place). But I wanted to write clean. But you know what? I think I'm better off here with so many of you guys. Becoming a band of brothers.

[fouadbakht]

@fouadbakht tell them explicitly that you will write for FREE and you get the Clean Green CHIT ! may be in next few hours on a working day !

Good to see you happy for switching from Lawn Mower to a proper CAR Stay safe stay blessed, ride & drive safe !

Absolutely nailed it bro

[VCheng]

Perfectly understandable, Vcheng (btw I dig your nick/ID, wonder how you chose it in the first place). But I wanted to write clean. But you know what? I think I'm better off here with so many of you guys. Becoming a band of brothers.

I am enjoying your writing here, as are many others, I am sure. Please carry on!

(My nick is based on my name waaaaay back from once upon a time, long long ago.)

[VCheng]

@fouadbakht tell them explicitly that you will write for FREE and you get the Clean Green CHIT ! may be in next few hours on a working day !

Good to see you happy for switching from Lawn Mower to a proper CAR Stay safe stay blessed, ride & drive safe !

A 1.3 liter car is only a little better than a lawn mower, no offence intended to anyone!

[fouadbakht]

A 1.3 liter car is only a little better than a lawn mower, no offence intended to anyone!

Perhaps This Simpson could better express my feelings?

[autophile]

@fouadbakht great interior review. Never knew about accoustic windsheild. It's good to have it in new Corolla as in 9th Gen there was no soundproofing and the noise of wind inside the cabin was too annoying even with full windows rolled up.

It's also good to have an unbiased review from a previous 8th Gen Civic owner as at Pakwheels and elsewhere PKDM Corolla is considered the "worst" car in the entire universe

[Fahad.Ayub]

Perhaps This Simpson could better express my feelings?

yeah he's actually not a Simpson
Congratulations on getting a Hornet (way better then a cow)
Drive safe

[mubeenshahid]

Great review bro