2009 Toyota Corolla XRS

While it never got airborne, we dubbed the tenth-generation, 2009 Toyota Corolla "the flyer." Zero to 60? This Corolla erases that in only 7.8 seconds, nearly two clicks before the Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza we recently tested. Same story for the quarter mile, as it needed just 16.1 at 86.8 mph-similarly, from 0.5 to 1.1 quicker than that of the competition. The Toyota's secret? That would be X-R-S.

New for 2009, this sportiest of Corollas borrows the Camry's 2.4-liter four-banger, pairs it to a five-speed automatic, and then attacks the road with help from a sport-tuned suspension, 17-inch wheels, and an aggressive body kit. At $19,420, the XRS's base price screams big bang for the buck. Even our loaded $24,234 tester, which included leather ($1490) and navigation ($1300), seemed like a legitimate bargain. Unfortunately, our judges felt that this "flyer" was a bargain best left in the hangar.

When penning this new Corolla, Toyota designers failed to draw outside the box, creating a vehicle that looks like a facsimile of its forebear. Conversely, Toyota engineers should have tuned the chassis inside the box, as in similar to the Scion xB.

"The Corolla's like an xB sedan, yet it's not as fun to drive," says senior editor Ed Loh, inserting, "This thing needs thicker anti-roll bars and more damping." As it is, the XRS rides rather rough, exhibits prevalent body roll, and houses a zealous electronic nanny. "The stability control's warning bells ring as if you've just broken into Fort Knox. Why?" queries editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine. Not helping is the new electric power steering, which, according to senior photographer Brian Vance, "Doesn't find dead-center, is slow to react to input, and feels as organic as Sweet'N Low." The Corolla's interior seems inferior to others in its class, even with the leather. Add in a transmission that incessantly hunts for gears and shifts as it sees fit when in manual mode, and the Corolla comes across half-baked.

Fortunately, what is baked is quite appetizing. The engine is robust and refined and even manages to consume gas in a miserly manner -- combined fuel economy is 25 mpg. The back seat is roomy, boasting ample leg and shoulder room, and the trunk, at 16.6 cubic feet, is cavernous. Still, at the end of the test, the Corolla, despite those few positives, left us lukewarm. Concludes St. Antoine: "My overall impression is 'sloppy.'"