After driving around town I do have to amend some of my comments from
Day 1. Most of all, the suspension really does show
improvements on tight turns and considerably cuts body roll in the XRS. Basically I got to test out some of my favorite
roads and found both the handling and acceleration pretty enjoyable considering this was still a Corolla underneath all
the body panels.
But most of all I?m impressed with the Corolla attributes like the easy to use
environmental controls,
nice interior materials
and even the spacious trunk has come in handy. The XRS touches, like the
leather wrapped shifter
and sport bucket seats just make the economy car a bit sportier.
Finally I found a good seating position for my left foot on the clutch but it?s still not the most comfortable and I
still prefer the Mazda3 s seats. Actually if you compare the Mazda3 s to the XRS it?s a fair comparison since
both feature a stiffer body, more powerful engine and even two tone cloth seats. The price is also similar.
Our vehicle started at $17,455 and here?s a breakdown of some standard features and add ons:
Starting Price: $17.455
Standard Equipment: 4-Wheel ABS, Sport Strut Tower Brace, 16 inch Alloy Wheels, Leather Wrapped
Steering Wheel, Power Windows and Door Locks
Optional Equipment: All Weather Guard Package $70, AM/FM/6-disc In-Dash CD w/6 Speakers $200, Power
Moonroof $750, Power Windows and Door Locks (again?) $605, Carpet Floor Mats $87, Security System $319.
Total: $20,001