Corolla XRS, Would you buy one? Options

[Celicav]

Alright, so there is a 2005 Corolla XRS for sale at a local dealership. As you may know, this car is the short-lived and limited production hot-rod version of the current gen Corrolla...6-Spd, Celica GTS engine basically (but 10 less HP and about same torque). I drove it the other day and have to admit that it was fun, esp. when you hit that lift at close to 7K RPM and it throws you back in your seat. It is marginally sporty compared to our Celis...Corolla S exterior look, nice strut tower bar, Matrix XRS 16" wheels, spoiler, 1/2 in. lower than other Corollas...BUT if anyone has driven a Corolla, you feel a lot higher up in the air, and the seat height does not feel sporty.

What do you think? I like it, but it is just not as sporty and cool as the Celi. But it is a rare car, sort of a "sleeper", and it's Toyota...and faster.

[fastgt]

nope...still a corolla, and not a goood looking one at that

[tomazws]

Nope. If I want performance outta a tiny sadan, I'd rather get a Civic Type-Whatever-It-Calls

[Hanyo]

the only reason to get it is because it is rare.

But other then that, its not espcially good looking or fast. With the same amount of money, i would rather get something faster or better looking.

[tomazws]

the only reason to get it is because it is rare.

But other then that, its not espcially good looking or fast. With the same amount of money, i would rather get something faster or better looking.

lol XRS is rare, but Corolla is a far cry from being "rare".

[MtyMseHarmer]

I would get the XRS. It is a lot faster then people think(I am not saying it is a speedster but it is under appreiated). My buddy has an 05 XRS with an injen CAI on it and he has beaten quite a few cars including my 86 MR2 with a silvertop 20V 4age swapped into it and he beat it by about 4 or 5 car lengths. He also beat a TC with i/h/e by 2.5 cars. He did lose to a brand new 2 door civic Si with i/h/e but he only lost by 2 cars which I don't think is that bad considering the civic Si 2 door has more horsepower and is lighter. My buddy also just dynoed his XRS and with 94% humidty he came out with 159hp and 111 ft/lbs. True it isn't a speedster and a lot of people don't like 4 doors but to me I think it is a great sleeper because no one expects that out of a corolla.

[jdg371]

Which dealership =] Is it a Priority dealership... hahaha

I would get it. The XRS has potential. Especially when the 2ZZ can easily crank out 180whp NA. True its rare. Only a few actually know the difference between the S and the XRS. Its not all about straight line speed. They are potent contenders in the autocross. Especially if left stock! Im not too much of a fan of the body. I prefer the previous bodystyle and the First Model Corolla S [Swapped with a 2ZZ of course]


[BTW if you dont remember me. We met at Priority Acura]

[pure_dx]

wow, the first few posts

shows a lot about this site nowadays.

Anyways, debadge the XRS and no one could tell the difference if you're looking for a sleeper. And the XRS is ugly? It may be 4-dr, but drop that thing with no wheel gap and it's golden. Heck, it comes with a grounding kit already, at least it's not naked like the base model. I say get it, not a lot of XRS rolling around, I've seen 2 my whole life. And they are a low 15s car, couple mods and you should be hitting mid high 14s no problem.

one more thing, i would never get a civic, I give respect where respect is due, but you see civics everywhere, and anything you can imagine being done to a car, it's been done on a civic already.

[hellsyphon]

Funny you ask lol. After my celica got totalled, I bought a 2006 Corolla XRS. It is a rare car at around 6500 made from 2005-2006, but it's a kind of rarity that'll get you brownie points with people who actually know what it is. The nice part about almost no one knowing what it is, makes it a semi-sleeper was it is a fairly quick car. Here is the down low comming from someone who actually drives one.

There are very subtle differences that differentiates it from a regular corolla S. It has a color matched front grill, an X brace in the trunk, which stiffens the chasis, but you lose the ability of folding your rear seats. It has stiffer shocks, is lowered 0.5", a faster steering rack supposedly from the mr-s, and 16" rims with slightly wider tires. In the interior, it has a black interior with more supportive "mesh style" seats.

Yes it is equipped with the 2zz-ge, but the ECU has been retuned with lift at around 6800rpm and a very restrictive intake and exhaust. With a 2.5" exhaust and injen intake, it will put down ~169 whp and ~124 ft/lbs of torque. I will post my dyno sheet later. There is not much of an aftermarket support for the Corolla, but lots of Matrix and 7th gen Celica parts will work on.

Stock it handles 100x better than a normal corolla, but that isn't saying much. The steering rack has good feel and is fast to respond to imputs. It is a fun to drive car with a peppy engine, but honestly it is hardly a sporty car. Its a nice daily driver with the versitility of a sedan and has lots of spunk and gets awesome gas mileage even when you beat on it. I usually get around 30mpg in the city and 40 on the highway even with the occasional redlining. It is a nice car for what it is.

Honestly I love my car to death, but the major selling point of the car was the price. I scored an awesome deal on it brand new because at that time no one wanted the xrs and dealers just wanted to get them off the lot. Now that they are gone, I've heard that dealers have been inflating the price and that just isn't worth it. I'd say in perfect condition pay no more than 14k for an xrs.

Sorry about the long read, but if you have anymore questions feel free to PM me, or if you want to learn more about it go to www.9thgencorolla.com. I have the same sn on there too. Just becareful of the fanboys that believe the xrs is the greatest car ever made lol.

[jdg371]

That part I didnt know.. 6800 for lift? Sheesh. I thought 6000 for my GTS was late...

I know that the Apexi PFC cannot be used with the XRS, they can be tuned by the Hydra. would the camcom be able to adjust the lift to a lower point?

[tomazws]

wow, the first few posts

shows a lot about this site nowadays.

Anyways, debadge the XRS and no one could tell the difference if you're looking for a sleeper. And the XRS is ugly? It may be 4-dr, but drop that thing with no wheel gap and it's golden. Heck, it comes with a grounding kit already, at least it's not naked like the base model. I say get it, not a lot of XRS rolling around, I've seen 2 my whole life. And they are a low 15s car, couple mods and you should be hitting mid high 14s no problem.

one more thing, i would never get a civic, I give respect where respect is due, but you see civics everywhere, and anything you can imagine being done to a car, it's been done on a civic already.

I do think the Corolla is ugly. I like the non-US Corolla hatch-back a lot more. The new Civic is common, but imo it looks 10000x better than the Corolla.

[hellsyphon]

That part I didnt know.. 6800 for lift? Sheesh. I thought 6000 for my GTS was late...

I know that the Apexi PFC cannot be used with the XRS, they can be tuned by the Hydra. would the camcom be able to adjust the lift to a lower point?

Camcon can't be used to adjust lift. Greddy's new V-manage or whatever its called can, but it has to be used with an emanage which puts it in the price territory of a PFC or Hydra. PFC can be used, but someone has yet to make a harness for it. The thing is, it is useless to lower lift without retuning vvt or there is going to be powerloss or bogging.

[forkee]

my sister has an 07 corolla. its ugly. no matter what you do to it performance or looks, i wouldn't get one. looks too girly for me.

[hellsyphon]

lol at first I didn't like its looks either, but it grows on you and I think it looks alot better than the civic sedan.

[Celicav]

Thanks guys. Yeah, this is a tough one! I appreciate all the feedback. Thinking about getting another car sucks b/c there is so much out there to consider. I do know I want a Toyota or Volvo, b/c that is what I know. I am also considering a 2005 Volvo S40 T5, which is a hot little car ... 218HP, 236 Torque, 3069 lbs...around 7 sec or faster 0-60...on same frame as Mazda 3S. Good looking car IMHO!

I totally agree about the rarity of the XRS, but yeah, it still can feel just like another Corolla. I think if you lowered it, that would make a big difference in the feel. The driving position takes some getting used to also. I like the idea of debadging it LOL

And jdg371, of course I remember meeting you! Hope you got ride of those sideskirts and rear piece.

[y2komar]

my sister has an 07 corolla. its ugly. no matter what you do to it performance or looks, i wouldn't get one. looks too girly for me.

What!!! Ill like to meet your sister then.

Corollas have always been Underestimated but damnnnn they are good cars. They will outlast any other car on the road. Go to the drag strip and you still see them there. Go to the drift shows and you see them there. Go to your grandma garage and yes you still see it there.

I have owned many corollas from 79 to 94 rwd and fwd. they are the *hit.

Now as far as the xrs, that is the ride to have.

If I had the money, and one came my way I would buy it. sweet

[saleeka]

It seems that everybody hates the image of the XRS... isnt that the whole point of a car being a sleeper? I say if you can live with the looks and ergonomics on the inside, you won't be dissapointed. I got to drive around in one for an afternoon when they were still new, and boy did I make a few people do some double takes That, in my opinion, made the car that much more desirable

[lagos]

nope... i had one as a rental car once. handling was horrible and the seats were not comfortable at all.

i would look into the 7th gen gts, new civic SI, or a scion TC before that corolla. better yet, for the same money, you can have an srt4.

[jdg371]

OT: yea i got the sides and rear lip finally out of my car. Now to get rid of my stock tC skirts and make room for my new set of wheels coming [17x7 5Zigens 14lb a wheel]

[y2komar]

nope... i had one as a rental car once. handling was horrible and the seats were not comfortable at all.

i would look into the 7th gen gts, new civic SI, or a scion TC before that corolla. better yet, for the same money, you can have an srt4.

you problably rented the ce model

xrs is a completely different car.
Looks a lot better and runs a lot better

I doubt that a rental company will have a xrs for rent

Toyota all the way baby.