The Underdog - 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS - The Oppo Review

"DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!" (daft-ryosuke) 04/25/2018 at 14:50 • Filed to: Toyota, Corolla, Toyota Corolla, Corolla XRS, Oppo Review

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Picture it: it was 2004. America was gearing up for a run in the middle east, radios were being seduced by the edgy tones of Evanescence, and Spider-Man 2 was breaking box-office records. Morale was all over the place and a lot of people were trying to mull their post-9/11 woes in as many mediums as possible. The car industry reflected this 100%.

In the 1990s, the car industry was more about evolution, manufacturers were all about setting the next big trend in the industry. The 2000s however, seemed to be shaping up to be an era of revolution , as most manufacturers were quickly pumping out all-new designs and all-new cars to shed the facet of the 90s and face the new world, and to some of these manufacturers, the way to go was the Fast and the Furious craze.

The first two movies had grossed big numbers by the end of 2003, and the companies were taking notice. What this meant is that people wanted fast, crazy looking sporty cars for cheap, and the manufacturer’s were more than happy to oblige. This craze gave us such interesting concepts as the Honda Civic Si and the arrival of the US market STI and Evo. But, while those are widely remembered, there are some concepts from the time that have fallen by the wayside of time, and one of those is the Toyota Corolla XRS.

(Disclaimer, due to the wishes of the owner of this Corolla, I was not able to procure many photos of the car in question. I will be using official photos from Toyota USA in this review, except for the one below).

If you know the concept of the Honda Civic Si or Mitsubishi Lancer RalliArt, then you should be familiar with the Corolla XRS already. Basically, Toyota was as interested as any to capitalize in the sensation that was the early 2000s sport compact race. At that time, the Celica was getting a bit long in the tooth, and slow sales were spelling the inevitable end of the little sports coupe (as well as Toyota sports cars as a whole until the GT86 came around). Toyota knew if they just let the Celica wither and die they’d be left behind in the young, adrenaline-junkie market, where such cars as the Camry Solara just wouldn’t cut it.

Around this time, Toyota was also pushing out the concept of Scion, which was ultimately intended for that market, but while the admirable xB and xA pushed the thoughts of the hip hop generation forward, they didn’t exactly promote ideas of high-performance, per se. So, Toyota turned to the Corolla, and decided, “We can do something with this, right?” And so they did. Enter the Corolla XRS.

The XRS was honestly a basic concept when viewed on the surface. Toyota had given it slightly more athletic looking exterior treatments, however most were shared with the regular S model that was slated just below on the hierarchy at the time. It received a set of classy 16 inch wheels that honestly looked more proper on a luxury model of a Corolla rather than a sporty model. You may notice a trend here, as this could be the XRS’s biggest downfall in the grander scheme of things: it just doesn’t look unique enough.

Compared to the Civic Si and others that it was so adamant in competing against, the Corolla looks basic, and that’s not the best thing considering the mindframe that were buying these types of cars at the time. If you can’t tell the XRS from a regular Corolla S, then what’s the point of it?

Inside, things were much of the same. The basic interior was largely unchanged from the Corolla S. Toyota applied some rather nice faux-aluminum pieces here and there to brighten things up, and they fitted the standard 6-speed manual gearstick (I’ll get back to that in a minute) with a fancy chrome and leather shifter. The most interesting factoid may be the fact that they use Optitron gauges, similar to a Lexus from the era. Otherwise, it was the same old basic story as pretty much any other Corolla’s interior: dark, drab, and depressing. That being said, it is a very functional interior, with controls that are easy to reach and everything is mostly well-built...mostly.

So, basically, yeah, on the surface the XRS may seem a bit underwhelming. However, you can’t judge a book by its surface, and boy, is that ever a true statement here.

What Toyota failed to do on the outside, they definitely made up for it under the skin. Powering this pocket rocket of a Corolla is the famous Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine, pushing 170 bhp to the front wheels at 7600 rpm, and 127 lb ft of torque at 4400 rpm. This, mated to the standard 6-speed manual makes for a hell-of-a good time to drive around town. The box is a close-ratio system borrowed from the Matrix, and is a hoot to shift, even if the clutch is a rather large b**ch to engage into first gear sometimes (that could be my fault and the fault of the condition of the car I drove, so mileage may vary).

The suspension also received a large number of spicy enhancements to make it a lot more worthwhile in the end. The XRS is lowered by approximately 13 mm compared to the regular S, with a far more sporty-tuned suspension in play. Yamaha designed braces are found within the front strut towers, complimented by a rear X-brace, and the brakes all around are upgraded to larger disks for better performance The tuning is all done with a far firmer ride with more rigidity in the corners, and it all helps in the end. Due to all the drastic changes, the XRS is a fun, small car to dip into the corners, it responds well to your input and will leave you with a small smile on your face, if anything.

So, if the XRS was such a fun car to drive in the end with the engineering to make it a competent competitor in the hip race of the early-2000s, why did it end up failing to capture the market, and why has it been forgotten? Well, I place it down to my qualms about the appearance, and the fact that Toyota didn’t really care much to advertise it like it really needed to be. Before really looking into it, I didn’t really know that this car existed as it did, I didn’t really know that it had such a potential for this market. I didn’t know it was that special, and honestly I would have never looked twice at it before now, and it’s a shame, because I feel like the XRS deserves a second chance.

Courtesy of Jeremy Rafanan on Flickr

Overall, the XRS really was a valiant attempt at this market, and while it may look a little boring, it definitely deserves your time. It’s fun, cheap, and will leave you happy, and honestly, isn’t that all that really matters?

Keylube > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 14:55

2

Too bad you’ll never find one under 100k miles.

I tried.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Keylube 04/25/2018 at 14:58

3

It’s a Toyota, so I’ll take my chances.

vicali > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 15:05

1

Putting the good engine and transmission of the Matrix/Celica into the Corolla should have been a good thing.. too bad no one noticed.

Maybe it needed moar trd hoodscoops.. and brow spoilers..

Nibby > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 15:19

0

the XRS is the best sports sedan ever made

fuck the M5, AMGs, audi S lines etc.

nothing comes close to this pinnacle of perfection

Aaron M - MasoFiST > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 15:31

0

2005 Corolla XRS: 170hp, 127 ft-lb, ~2700 lbs, ~$25,500 (adjusted for inflation)

2019 Corolla Hatchback: 168hp, 151 ft-lb, ~2900 lbs, ~$19,500 (projected based on iM MSRP).

Not too shabby...

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > Keylube 04/25/2018 at 15:38

3

Doesn’t matter, the 2ZZ is solid. I bought a warranty on my Matrix XRS when I bought it and I may as well have just blended that money up into a smoothie. Not once has it let me down.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 15:40

2

Take the Rolla XRS, give it a lift kit and around 97,000 cubic feet of interior space and you’ve got a Matrix XRS. I’ve had one for almost two years as my daily and it’s been pretty solid. Although I’ll probably be selling next year to get something that can tow (probably an Outback of some form).

Derpwagon > Nibby 04/25/2018 at 16:02

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approximately nine billion other cars would like to have a word with you.

Nibby > Derpwagon 04/25/2018 at 16:27

2

approximately nine billion other cars can spontaneously combust

Derpwagon > Nibby 04/25/2018 at 16:32

0

I mean, nothing wrong with liking the car, but saying it’s the best ever is pretty out there. And I don’t even like German cars, before you think I’m a BMW fanboy or something.

Legacy GT? Civic SI? IS300? WRX? Evolution? Galant VR-4? Nothin?

Nibby > Derpwagon 04/25/2018 at 16:46

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all of those pale in comparison to the Corolla XRS which is the greatest achievement of mankind

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 17:02

0

I was fortunate enough to test drive one.

It was a weird car. The engine was glorious at high revs, but no torque when crusing at 70 in 6th (it was turning at 4000 rpm), the steering felt numb, the flywheel weighed nothing so you have to shift really quickly or else the whole thing would jerk around like crazy.

I want one just for that 2ZZ!

Derpwagon > Nibby 04/25/2018 at 17:03

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ah, got it. my head’s been a little off and I didn’t quite catch what you were doing.

feather-throttle-not-hair > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 17:45

0

Just stay away from the second gen with the camry engine.

Nibby > Derpwagon 04/25/2018 at 18:35

1

soon the light finds all of us... even those who lurk in the deepest darkness

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/25/2018 at 20:54

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1 Minute cleanup on that shifter closeup pic:

Keylube > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/26/2018 at 07:36

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2ZZ are only good for 150k miles. They are reliable, but remember it’s still a performance engine.

Keylube > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig 04/26/2018 at 07:41

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2ZZ are only good up to 150k miles, the valve-train starts to wear out and then you’ll need a solid rebuild (not just gaskets). You don’t wanna own a 2ZZ beat 150k engine, this is general knowledge in the community. That’s why it’s only worth buying a car under 100k miles, which are rare for a car like this, and honestly typically not worth the hunt. A Honad Accord V6 would be a better a choice, even more with choice modifications. Even better with a Civic Si.

MultiplaOrgasms > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/26/2018 at 11:54

4

Toyota Europe did the same with the Hatchback T-Sport, except it had the 190hp version of the engine. And THEN they made a supercharged TTE Compressor based on that. Suffice to say these were not as good as their european counterparts.

I find it interesting that Toyota was really the only Japanese make apart from Honda to sell a sporty compact in Europe in the early to mid-2000s. The Nissan Almera got as exciting as a 2.2L Diesel/ 6MT out of the Pathfinder, and the Mazda 3 MPS didn’t arrive until 2006.

MultiplaOrgasms > Derpwagon 04/26/2018 at 11:54

0

X makes all the Difference

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > MultiplaOrgasms 04/26/2018 at 12:05

2

European Corollas have always fascinated me.

interstate366, now In The Industry > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/26/2018 at 13:07

0

I can’t definitively say that I have ever seen one.

interstate366, now In The Industry > MultiplaOrgasms 04/26/2018 at 13:10

2

The 02-05 Si we got over here was even a British-built import. The only issue with them is that Acura objected to the idea of the high-output K20 being used in them since it would likely eat into RSX sales, so they were only sold here with the weaker version.

Wacko > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/26/2018 at 13:12

0

the problem with the XRS was the Corolla S

Since the Corolla S was a normal corolla with more plastic bits, and the XRS looked like the S. Everyone thought you had a S.

The people who want a sleeper are not the one who are gonna buy in the numbers you need to keep it going.

dogisbadob > Keylube 06/16/2018 at 21:30

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It’s OK. It’s Toyota :o)

dogisbadob > MultiplaOrgasms 06/16/2018 at 21:31

0

of course you have to mention the cool versions we didn’t get over here :(

dogisbadob > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 06/16/2018 at 21:31

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It’s cool, but the Matrix XRS and Vibe GT are better since they’re hatchbacks with more room and more fun :o)

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 07/12/2018 at 22:00

0

My knees hurt just thinking about my 2006 Corolla. I swear no one on the design team was more than 4'8".

SeaMonkey271 > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 10/22/2018 at 22:35

0

Like a baby FWD Lotus Carlton on the cheap!

Because the 4-banger and 6-speed manual came straight from an Elise.

In my opinion this is one of the most underrated and effective of sleepers since even the standard S “sporting” model performs just like your typical Corolla, but when it comes to this, the only difference is the wheels, so unless you’re an eagle-eyed observer of cars, then you’ll see virtually no difference between the more common, more “boy racer”-like “S”, which is all show and no go, than the real deal which is the XRS.

RICK > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig 04/27/2019 at 04:05

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What are you towing? I to w with min e all the time!

RICK > MultiplaOrgasms 04/27/2019 at 04:13

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Common misconception. All 2zz have similar peak output. There was a SAE HP standard that changed the advertised numbers. The only difference in the Celica , corolla , matrix, and lotus 2zz was ecu with different lift points, 1 or 2 peice intake manifolds, wire or cable throttle bodies and small bits like a 1 or 2 wire knock sensor. Everything else was identical. Transmission is the weak point and did not come from the Matrix...it came from the Celica GTS.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > RICK 04/29/2019 at 16:54

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A 2,000lb track car on either a dolly or trailer, plus any gear I want to bring thrown in the back. I think the Matrix is rated for like a 1,000lb mini trailer but nothing like what I need.