Generic Car Comparison: Toyota Corolla Quest vs two of its competitors

By Martin Pretorius

For many years, the Toyota Corolla dominated the local sales charts. It's probably fair to say that most South Africans will have had some exposure to a Corolla at some point in their lives. But, as the Corolla continued its march upmarket, a gap opened up below the latest model – a gap which Toyota filled quite effectively by re-launching the previous-generation car as the Quest: a cut-priced, somewhat decontented offering with all of the practicality that's synonymous with the nameplate and fewer frills and niceties. It's not alone, however, as there's some strong opposition to its position as a sensible family or fleet purchase. We've selected two alternatives for this comparison, all around a similar price point: another firm fleet favourite from Volkswagen (the Polo Sedan, formerly known as the Classic), and an off-beat choice from Italy, in the form of the Fiat Tipo Sedan. Let's see how they stack up.

	Corolla Quest 1.6 Plus	Polo Sedan 1.4 Comfortline	Fiat Tipo Sedan 1.4 Pop
Engine size (cyl/size)	4-cyl, 1.6-litre	4-cyl, 1.4-litre	4-cyl, 1.4-litre
Power/Torque	90 kW/154 Nm	63kw/132 Nm	70 kW/127 Nm
Kerb Weight	1240 kg	1 106 kg	1 150 kg
Length (mm)	4 545	4 390	4 532
Boot volume (litres)	450	454	520
Airbag count	2	4	2 (opt 6)
Ave Consumption *	6.6 ℓ/100 km	5.9 ℓ/100 km	5.7 ℓ/100 km
Warranty	3 yr/100 000 km	3 yr/120 000 km	3 yr/ 100 000 km
Price	R 232 000	R 232 600	R 234 900

*Manufacturer's official figures.

Analysis

Right from the outset, it's clear that the Corolla has a definite power advantage – and that's only logical, seeing as it has the largest-displacement engine and none of these cars are blessed with a turbo charger. But apart from having the biggest engine, it's also physically larger than the others, even if the Fiat is only a fraction shorter. Because it originally comes from a larger size class than the others, it's also a fair bit heavier, which negates its power advantage to some degree (though it's still the fastest and quickest-accelerating of this trio, and by quite some margin). This extra weight also counts against it in the fuel-efficiency stakes, where it's a fair bit thirstier than either of the others.

But don't think that the Corolla's larger dimensions will automatically translate to a major space advantage, because this is where the Fiat gets its first moment to shine. Not only is the Fiat's cabin cavernous, with masses of leg- and headroom even in the rear seat, but it also comfortably has the most boot space of this trio. In fact, the Fiat makes a mockery of the space efficiency of many cars from a few size classes up, and would have been yet more practical if its rear seats could have folded down – an option not available in “Pop” trim at all.

Then we get to the standard specification, where the three cars are again very evenly matched. The Polo is the only car here with standard front side airbags, in contrast to the front bags-only specification of the other two. However, the Fiat is the only one to offer a safety upgrade option, which sees total airbag count rise to 6. On the convenience front, the Corolla is the only one without steering wheel controls for the audio system, but the Tipo is the only one with a touch-screen infotainment system. It may be a tiny monochrome screen, but at least it's there. Making up for that, the Polo is the only one with cruise control and a folding rear seat, while the Tipo is the only one here without a CD player. Yes, some people still listen to CDs...

Running cost is of great importance to buyers in this class, and this is where the Fiat Tipo makes a strong case for itself. Not only is it the least thirsty at the pumps, but because it's not a high-risk car, it will also be affordable to insure. Both Corolla and Polo are very popular with the long-fingered elements in our society, so in addition to normal theft, hijacking is also an omnipresent risk with these two. The Tipo also has the longest standard service plan (3 years or 100 000 km), while the Volkswagen demands that buyers pay extra just to get a 3 year/45 000 km plan, equivalent to the Corolla's standard service plan. Service intervals are set at 15 000 km for all three contenders.

The Corolla Quest is still a perfect fit for its market segment, but it doesn't have everything its own way. Major advantages include its handy power advantage and spacious cabin, but the Fiat handily beats it on luggage space, fuel efficiency and insurance costs. The Polo sits halfway between the two – with the least power (but middling torque) and smallest outer dimensions, it does have some nice extra kit as standard. Either way, a family or fleet buyer is unlikely to go wrong with any one of these three. It's nice to see some solid, simple and high-value offerings are still available to those without any need for distinctive style of dazzling performance...