Good News for Fans of the Corolla Hatchback
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Good News for Fans of the Corolla Hatchback
http://www.toyota.com/corollaim/
At the D.C. Auto Show Friday, I checked out a bright blue Corolla iM. With Scion's demise, the former Scion iM 5-door hatchback (or wagon, if you prefer to use that term), which was actually Corolla-derived to start with, has been carried over to the Toyota nameplate, and is now being marketed in the U.S. as the Corolla iM. The Corolla iM is somewhat more sport-oriented than the sedan in its trim and body-fairings (those lower-body fairings, of course, mean less ground-clearance over speed bumps and in snow). Under the hood, though, it uses the same 1.8L normally-aspirated four (138 HP, 126 ft-lbs. of torque) as the Corolla sedan, with a choice of 6-speed manual (yes, a true manual, with a clutch pedal), or CVT. So, the extra sport trim on the iM is all show and no go, though the iM, of course, is not intended to be a high-performance car. It comes in only one trim level, with an (IMO, reasonable) base price of $18,750. Adjustable Normal/Sport driving-modes are an option. Its wheels and tires, of course, are more sport-oriened than on the sedan, so expect the overall ride to be maybe a little firmer, even in the Normal mode.
I spoke with a couple of Toyota reps there (in fact, I took the new Prius Prime model out on the test-loop circuit on the city streets that they had there at the show)...and the reps basically compared the iM to the former Corolla Matrix. I agreed with them....that's a good comparison, though the iM lacks the AWD option that the former Matrix (and its Pontiac Vibe cousin) offered, and the iM has IMHO a much better interior than the Matrix. The reps also verified something that I suspected.....that AWD is not offered on the iM because of the enormous popularity of the RAV-4, which sells in huge numbers in the American market, and easily has the AWD market covered in a vehicle that size. And the RAV-4, of course, offers the ground clearance that the iM lacks.
But, for those of you who have Corolla sedans and/or otherwise wish it were available in a more-useful hatchback/wagon body style......now's your chance, at least while Toyota still offers it here in the American market. Just understand that you'll have to take the sport-oriented body fairings and wheels/tires with it.
And, as Always...............Happy Car Shopping.
MM
At the D.C. Auto Show Friday, I checked out a bright blue Corolla iM. With Scion's demise, the former Scion iM 5-door hatchback (or wagon, if you prefer to use that term), which was actually Corolla-derived to start with, has been carried over to the Toyota nameplate, and is now being marketed in the U.S. as the Corolla iM. The Corolla iM is somewhat more sport-oriented than the sedan in its trim and body-fairings (those lower-body fairings, of course, mean less ground-clearance over speed bumps and in snow). Under the hood, though, it uses the same 1.8L normally-aspirated four (138 HP, 126 ft-lbs. of torque) as the Corolla sedan, with a choice of 6-speed manual (yes, a true manual, with a clutch pedal), or CVT. So, the extra sport trim on the iM is all show and no go, though the iM, of course, is not intended to be a high-performance car. It comes in only one trim level, with an (IMO, reasonable) base price of $18,750. Adjustable Normal/Sport driving-modes are an option. Its wheels and tires, of course, are more sport-oriened than on the sedan, so expect the overall ride to be maybe a little firmer, even in the Normal mode.
I spoke with a couple of Toyota reps there (in fact, I took the new Prius Prime model out on the test-loop circuit on the city streets that they had there at the show)...and the reps basically compared the iM to the former Corolla Matrix. I agreed with them....that's a good comparison, though the iM lacks the AWD option that the former Matrix (and its Pontiac Vibe cousin) offered, and the iM has IMHO a much better interior than the Matrix. The reps also verified something that I suspected.....that AWD is not offered on the iM because of the enormous popularity of the RAV-4, which sells in huge numbers in the American market, and easily has the AWD market covered in a vehicle that size. And the RAV-4, of course, offers the ground clearance that the iM lacks.
But, for those of you who have Corolla sedans and/or otherwise wish it were available in a more-useful hatchback/wagon body style......now's your chance, at least while Toyota still offers it here in the American market. Just understand that you'll have to take the sport-oriented body fairings and wheels/tires with it.
And, as Always...............Happy Car Shopping.
MM
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-29-17 at 06:25 PM.
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
#4
Lexus Fanatic
Couple notes that were not mentioned:
1. It's made in Japan if that matters to some
2. It uses the IRS like other higher end cars. No solid bean axle
3. Some features not present. No sun roof if I remember correctly
4. No LED headlights either if I remember correctly
1. It's made in Japan if that matters to some
2. It uses the IRS like other higher end cars. No solid bean axle
3. Some features not present. No sun roof if I remember correctly
4. No LED headlights either if I remember correctly
#5
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Thanks for the input.
Correct. Actually, the specs show two plants.....Aichi, Japan, and Burnaston, England.
Correct. The specs list McPherson Strut suspension in front and Double-Wishbone suspension in the rear....fairly sophisticated for this class of car.
Correct.....no sunroof.
The specs list LEDs on headlights (DRLs), taillights, and turn-signal indicators on the side-mirrors. If you define headlights as full-headlights, separate from DRLs, then you are correct.
2. It uses the IRS like other higher end cars. No solid bean axle
3. Some features not present. No sun roof if I remember correctly
4. No LED headlights either if I remember correctly
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-29-17 at 08:34 PM.
#6
While 1 & 2 are advantages over the Corolla sedan, 3 & 4 are my deal breakers unfortunately. The 2014-16 S Plus 6 speed was the perfectly configured Corolla (has the lights and moonroof), but they undid that for 2017 as it doesn't come with the Entune Integrated Nav anymore, just the Connected one.
#7
Also the IRS surprises the heck out of me, as the Corolla sedan this is based on uses a beam axle. I'm having doubts as to if this is a really driver's oriented car like the first gen Matrix XRS, which had a 180hp motor with an 8000rpm redline and surprisingly great handling(it was light). Almost bought a 1st gen Matrix XRS about 10 years ago, it was a fun car on a curvy road.
No sunroof or LED headlights, well they had to get the price down to $18k somehow. Although that's surprising there isn't a sunroof option, Honda made sunroofs pretty much standard on their EX trim back in the 1990's.
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#8
Lexus Fanatic
While 1 & 2 are advantages over the Corolla sedan, 3 & 4 are my deal breakers unfortunately. The 2014-16 S Plus 6 speed was the perfectly configured Corolla (has the lights and moonroof), but they undid that for 2017 as it doesn't come with the Entune Integrated Nav anymore, just the Connected one.
Also the IRS surprises the heck out of me, as the Corolla sedan this is based on uses a beam axle. I'm having doubts as to if this is a really driver's oriented car like the first gen Matrix XRS, which had a 180hp motor with an 8000rpm redline and surprisingly great handling(it was light). Almost bought a 1st gen Matrix XRS about 10 years ago, it was a fun car on a curvy road.
.
.
Another thing is that the horsepower and torque ratings are a little different than the standard Corolla. Not much but different peaks and different RPMs.
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I've had both FWD and RWD cars with, beam axles, live axles, and ABS. On FWD cars, I haven't really noticed much difference between having a beam axle and IRS when it comes to basic ride and handling....tires, steering, suspension/shock damping, and wheel size generally make a more noticeable difference. I noticed a much bigger difference when the old RWD live axle was replaced with IRS on the rear end, and when the old recirculating-ball steering was replaced with rack-and-pinion.
#10
That's pretty cool, the made in Japan part. Not that it REALLY matters with a Toyota though, as it seems no matter which factory your car comes from, you know its built right(something I can't say for Nissan, their Japanese made cars are built better than the crap coming from Smyrna TN or Canton MS).
Toyota is still stuck with the Scion configuration for this year, unless they can start making the CiMs with the more desirable options. If they do (They should), the price would probably be in line with the rest of the industry. Loaded hatches with a moonroof sticker around 25-27K.
#13
Is this really news? The Scion iM came out last year, and they're simply just changing the name to Toyota Corolla iM, just like iA is now Toyota Yaris iA. We should start a, Good news for the fans of the Yaris sedan thread.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Yes, I think it is good news for those who like Corolla hatchbacks....or else I would not have inserted it into the thread title. True Corolla hatchbacks have not consistently been available in the U.S. Yes, we had the Chevrolet Nova in the 1980s, which was a rebadged Corolla Hatchback, and, likewise, the Chevy/Geo Prizm hatchbacks of the 1990s, which was also a rebadged Corolla. But those vehicles were only offered for a few years, then dropped. The Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe hatchback, which was Corolla-based (and done on the same platform) was not a true Corolla...its interior and dash were markedly different. The Scion iM, of course, was indeed a true Corolla hatchback......as its Toyota iM rebranding.
#15
2017 Toyota Corolla iM Review – Know Your Place
I was just reading this the other day...
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ew-know-place/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ew-know-place/
Long, long ago (2003), in a land far, far away (Torrance, California), Toyota’s American division woke from a fever dream of beige sedans, took a long, hard look at its life, and promptly embarked on a midlife crisis.
While the flow of staid and sensible Corollas and Camrys never ebbed, a funky new alter ego with a polar opposite personality emerged on the automotive scene. Scion was the Mr. Hyde to Toyota’s Dr. Jekyll. Youthful, offbeat, unapologetically boxy — anything but beige.
Poochy Scion made a splash, but even crises have a shelf life. Eventually, the free-thinking, free-wheeling designs that temped college graduates a decade prior morphed into warmed-over second-generation models with watered-down attitudes. The brand’s original clientele, having abandoned their amateur photography websites and once-a-week DJ gigs for babies and 401(k)s, fell away.
After 13 years, it was time to ditch the gold medallions, torch the little black book, and go home to the wife. But Toyota didn’t pull up in the driveway empty-handed.
Scion’s summertime death at the hands of its parent may have brought an end to the faded xB and tC, but the last progeny born of the fling — the Scion iM introduced for the 2016 model year — lives on, minus the defunct badging. The mildly edgy compact hatch now bears a decidedly unfunky Toyota Corolla prefix. Its mission, however, is unchanged: dazzle young buyers with sporty looks, a low starting price and decent amounts of cargo space, then have them fall into Toyota’s arms — ideally for years, if not decades.
If those three criteria are your only concerns, then the Corolla iM stacks up well. The low nose, sharply raked windshield and look over here body kit sets it apart, for better or worse, from its five-door rivals, and its interior avoids the button-heavy clutter or acres of gray plastic born of automakers trying too hard or too little to impress. “Nice, an actual flat-topped dash,” one friend (admittedly, a Scion xB owner) remarked.
He’d obviously never been in a Corolla before, as the iM copies its interior layout down to the letter. Some Scion, huh?
As I like to pretend I’m a scientist, the climate control system’s toggle switches stirred inner fantasies of owning a World War 2 laboratory. It’s the little things that always delight. Still, while taking in the whole package — clean profile, dignified yet somewhat spartan interior, attractive 17-inch wheels and incandescent Electric Storm Blue paint — I found myself immediately wanting to like the iM.
The More We Get Together
You know the friend’s friend or coworker you admired from afar? The one who seemed like a compatible partner at first, before accumulated knowledge and experience shattered the illusion? Sadly, that’s what I experienced in the iM.
The fabric driver’s seat proved much too soft for my liking. Perhaps a lighter person wouldn’t sink so far, but I felt like I’d never hit bottom. The biggest complaint from this 6’4″ driver, however, was that a comfortable seating position proved impossible to find. While the steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, its reach falls far short. As such, every attempt to get “in the zone” proved maddening — the wheel remained too far forward, while the door-mounted armrest sat too low to allow a comfortable grip on the wheel with my left hand. Adjusting the seat position to bridge the gap, ahem, came up short.
It’s too bad, as legroom proved perfectly acceptable. I’ve yet to talk to an average-sized iM driver, so I’m not sure if the seating issue is just my cross to bear.
In the backseat, a place I normally avoid going, my scalp came close to grazing the headliner, but I was born a stringbean, remember. Legroom isn’t any different from what you’d expect in a compact car.
Legs in Search of Muscle
Toyota didn’t throw out Scion’s one-size-almost-fits-all strategy when it comes to the orphaned iM’s drivetrain, so if it’s not offered on a Corolla, this thing won’t have it. The sole powerplant is Toyota’s venerable 1.8-liter four-cylinder, which, at 137 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque, isn’t exactly a caged tiger. Stoplight launches — best described as “drama-free” — were accompanied by some buzziness from the continuously variable transmission. If owning a sensible screamer is your goal, you’d best look elsewhere.
If given a choice, I’d have enthusiastically opted for the available six-speed manual in the hopes of stirring up some entry-level fun, instead of keeping the CVT perpetually locked in Sport mode. (The tranny’s seven manual mode shift points were called on to keep the iM out of the rhubarb on freshly icy hills.)
A big letdown was steering feedback that fell on the numb side of the fence, but at least the iM’s legs proved up to the task. Unlike the Corolla, the iM drops its cousin’s torsion-beam rear suspension in favor of an independent setup, leading to competent and composed road manners, especially in corners. Road imperfections could stand a little more ironing.
If Toyota saw fit to endow the iM with extra power, heavier steering and less wheel play, the model could shine as a hotter hatch. Unfortunately, the automaker doesn’t seem to want to join the ranks of the Mazda 3 GT, Honda Civic hatch, and uplevel Volkswagen Golfs in that small but energized segment. Then again, I could be making the mistake of looking at the iM as a wholly new model, and not as a replacement for the long-gone Toyota Matrix — a niche-filling model available for most of its run with a solitary, entry-level powerplant. (All-wheel-drive and a hotter engine option bowed out after 2006.)
Let’s face it. Neither the Matrix nor the iM slinked off the drawing board as an enthusiast’s car. Want to have more fun without leaving the camp? Toyota will gladly sell you a 86, now with an extra 5 hp. Try not to use the backseat. Twenty-somethings with a dog, a paycheck and a shelf from IKEA, on the other hand, might find their easily attainable prayers answered, especially with prices starting below $20,000. Your girlfriend’s stern dad would have a hard time withholding his approval.
The Art of Just Enough
On the tech front, those car-hungry Millennials will need to make do without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Toyota likes its in-house connectivity, so deal with it, youngsters. Infotainment and Bluetooth functions are accessed through a seven-inch touchscreen, with voice commands and hands-free calling accomplished through steering wheel controls. Navigation is notably absent, though Toyota makes it available through an optional tech package.
To keep the iM’s free-spirited yet sensible occupants safe, a grainy backup camera joins a lane-departure warning and pre-collision warning as standard equipment. Just remember neither system will physically rein in the vehicle if things get out of hand, so abandon any autonomous dreams before walking through those showroom doors.
Minus the nagging seating issue and less-than-thrilling performance, the iM bore all the hallmarks of a vehicle willing to soak up your lifestyle — and general neglect — for years without complaint. With so much borrowed from the sedate and reliable Corolla, it’s hard to conclude otherwise. It’s also easy on the eyes.
In mixed driving, this tester averaged 29 miles per gallon, less than the EPA combined rating of 31 mpg (which is 2 mpg less than the combined efficiency of a base, automatic Mazda 3 five-door). Keep in mind, however, my near-constant use of the CVT’s higher-revving Sport mode, not to mention the winter rubber.
Toyota’s well-adjusted stepchild is anything but red-headed, but its pleasant looks, mild-mannered disposition and competitive price masks a lack of brawn. With the automaker seemingly eager to throw off the shackles of sensibility — something it telegraphed at the Detroit auto show — it should consider taking the iM to the gym. Respectability is great, but it rarely breeds enthusiasm. Have the Corolla sedan tag along, too.
While the flow of staid and sensible Corollas and Camrys never ebbed, a funky new alter ego with a polar opposite personality emerged on the automotive scene. Scion was the Mr. Hyde to Toyota’s Dr. Jekyll. Youthful, offbeat, unapologetically boxy — anything but beige.
Poochy Scion made a splash, but even crises have a shelf life. Eventually, the free-thinking, free-wheeling designs that temped college graduates a decade prior morphed into warmed-over second-generation models with watered-down attitudes. The brand’s original clientele, having abandoned their amateur photography websites and once-a-week DJ gigs for babies and 401(k)s, fell away.
After 13 years, it was time to ditch the gold medallions, torch the little black book, and go home to the wife. But Toyota didn’t pull up in the driveway empty-handed.
Scion’s summertime death at the hands of its parent may have brought an end to the faded xB and tC, but the last progeny born of the fling — the Scion iM introduced for the 2016 model year — lives on, minus the defunct badging. The mildly edgy compact hatch now bears a decidedly unfunky Toyota Corolla prefix. Its mission, however, is unchanged: dazzle young buyers with sporty looks, a low starting price and decent amounts of cargo space, then have them fall into Toyota’s arms — ideally for years, if not decades.
If those three criteria are your only concerns, then the Corolla iM stacks up well. The low nose, sharply raked windshield and look over here body kit sets it apart, for better or worse, from its five-door rivals, and its interior avoids the button-heavy clutter or acres of gray plastic born of automakers trying too hard or too little to impress. “Nice, an actual flat-topped dash,” one friend (admittedly, a Scion xB owner) remarked.
He’d obviously never been in a Corolla before, as the iM copies its interior layout down to the letter. Some Scion, huh?
As I like to pretend I’m a scientist, the climate control system’s toggle switches stirred inner fantasies of owning a World War 2 laboratory. It’s the little things that always delight. Still, while taking in the whole package — clean profile, dignified yet somewhat spartan interior, attractive 17-inch wheels and incandescent Electric Storm Blue paint — I found myself immediately wanting to like the iM.
The More We Get Together
You know the friend’s friend or coworker you admired from afar? The one who seemed like a compatible partner at first, before accumulated knowledge and experience shattered the illusion? Sadly, that’s what I experienced in the iM.
The fabric driver’s seat proved much too soft for my liking. Perhaps a lighter person wouldn’t sink so far, but I felt like I’d never hit bottom. The biggest complaint from this 6’4″ driver, however, was that a comfortable seating position proved impossible to find. While the steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, its reach falls far short. As such, every attempt to get “in the zone” proved maddening — the wheel remained too far forward, while the door-mounted armrest sat too low to allow a comfortable grip on the wheel with my left hand. Adjusting the seat position to bridge the gap, ahem, came up short.
It’s too bad, as legroom proved perfectly acceptable. I’ve yet to talk to an average-sized iM driver, so I’m not sure if the seating issue is just my cross to bear.
In the backseat, a place I normally avoid going, my scalp came close to grazing the headliner, but I was born a stringbean, remember. Legroom isn’t any different from what you’d expect in a compact car.
Legs in Search of Muscle
Toyota didn’t throw out Scion’s one-size-almost-fits-all strategy when it comes to the orphaned iM’s drivetrain, so if it’s not offered on a Corolla, this thing won’t have it. The sole powerplant is Toyota’s venerable 1.8-liter four-cylinder, which, at 137 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque, isn’t exactly a caged tiger. Stoplight launches — best described as “drama-free” — were accompanied by some buzziness from the continuously variable transmission. If owning a sensible screamer is your goal, you’d best look elsewhere.
If given a choice, I’d have enthusiastically opted for the available six-speed manual in the hopes of stirring up some entry-level fun, instead of keeping the CVT perpetually locked in Sport mode. (The tranny’s seven manual mode shift points were called on to keep the iM out of the rhubarb on freshly icy hills.)
A big letdown was steering feedback that fell on the numb side of the fence, but at least the iM’s legs proved up to the task. Unlike the Corolla, the iM drops its cousin’s torsion-beam rear suspension in favor of an independent setup, leading to competent and composed road manners, especially in corners. Road imperfections could stand a little more ironing.
If Toyota saw fit to endow the iM with extra power, heavier steering and less wheel play, the model could shine as a hotter hatch. Unfortunately, the automaker doesn’t seem to want to join the ranks of the Mazda 3 GT, Honda Civic hatch, and uplevel Volkswagen Golfs in that small but energized segment. Then again, I could be making the mistake of looking at the iM as a wholly new model, and not as a replacement for the long-gone Toyota Matrix — a niche-filling model available for most of its run with a solitary, entry-level powerplant. (All-wheel-drive and a hotter engine option bowed out after 2006.)
Let’s face it. Neither the Matrix nor the iM slinked off the drawing board as an enthusiast’s car. Want to have more fun without leaving the camp? Toyota will gladly sell you a 86, now with an extra 5 hp. Try not to use the backseat. Twenty-somethings with a dog, a paycheck and a shelf from IKEA, on the other hand, might find their easily attainable prayers answered, especially with prices starting below $20,000. Your girlfriend’s stern dad would have a hard time withholding his approval.
The Art of Just Enough
On the tech front, those car-hungry Millennials will need to make do without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Toyota likes its in-house connectivity, so deal with it, youngsters. Infotainment and Bluetooth functions are accessed through a seven-inch touchscreen, with voice commands and hands-free calling accomplished through steering wheel controls. Navigation is notably absent, though Toyota makes it available through an optional tech package.
To keep the iM’s free-spirited yet sensible occupants safe, a grainy backup camera joins a lane-departure warning and pre-collision warning as standard equipment. Just remember neither system will physically rein in the vehicle if things get out of hand, so abandon any autonomous dreams before walking through those showroom doors.
Minus the nagging seating issue and less-than-thrilling performance, the iM bore all the hallmarks of a vehicle willing to soak up your lifestyle — and general neglect — for years without complaint. With so much borrowed from the sedate and reliable Corolla, it’s hard to conclude otherwise. It’s also easy on the eyes.
In mixed driving, this tester averaged 29 miles per gallon, less than the EPA combined rating of 31 mpg (which is 2 mpg less than the combined efficiency of a base, automatic Mazda 3 five-door). Keep in mind, however, my near-constant use of the CVT’s higher-revving Sport mode, not to mention the winter rubber.
Toyota’s well-adjusted stepchild is anything but red-headed, but its pleasant looks, mild-mannered disposition and competitive price masks a lack of brawn. With the automaker seemingly eager to throw off the shackles of sensibility — something it telegraphed at the Detroit auto show — it should consider taking the iM to the gym. Respectability is great, but it rarely breeds enthusiasm. Have the Corolla sedan tag along, too.