Corolla Quest ticks the right boxes

The Toyota Quest gets top marks for excellent brakes and its safety features.

With only three models to choose from and priced considerably less than the new Corolla which replaced it, sales have rocketed and the Quest now has a firm grip on the family hold-all market, even when squaring up to opponents such as the Kia Rio sedan, VW Polo sedan, Honda Ballade, Hyundai Accent and others of the same ilk.

This has much to do with the brand's long-standing reputation for building solid, reliable, economical and long-lasting vehicles and price, of course, being one of the main attractions. The Corolla Quest prices start at R174,900 for its entry level and tops out at R197,900 against the new Corolla's prices of R214,900 for the entry level model and R292,400 for the range flagship.

'Ol Faithful

The market doesn't seem to be bothered too much by the fact that the Quest is only offered with one engine option being the faithful 90kW/154Nm naturally-aspirated engine that has served the Corolla brand so well. Nor does it seem to matter that the Quest's interior trim has been down-scaled from black to grey, its backseat doesn't fold down, the instrumentation has been simplified, the boot lacks an exterior release button or lever, the carpeting and roof lining quality is not great and the cabin, in general, feels a bit cut-price.

The Quest sits well on the road,

However, Quest owners will no doubt be quick to point out that the bench-like backseat can now comfortably seat three instead of two, the front seats are probably the most comfortable in this segment and the boot is large enough to swallow a good few cases of wine or holiday kit.

Bragging rights

They will also no doubt brag about a claimed fuel consumption of less than 8 litres/100km/h and the claimed top speed of 195km/h which is exactly the same as that of the much more expensive new Corolla.

The Corolla Quest struck gold when it hit a bulls-eye with the penny-wise market.

We recently spent time in the company of the top of the range Corolla Quest Plus and gave it an enthusiastic nod of approval. What impressed us was its willing 1.6-litre engine that didn't have to be whipped into a high-rev range to get a move on and was not loud enough to bother the occupants of the living quarters.

In fairness, to get out of the starting stalls quickly and to gallop to speeds the average Quest driver will seldom feel the need for, one does have to be lead-footed through the gears but the six-speed box is smooth and quick so feeding the more than willing engine dollops of high-octane is more pleasure than pain.

A doddle to park

The Quest sits well on the road and although the steering lacks a tad when it comes to feedback it does have the advantage of being fairly light which makes the Quest a doddle to squeeze into tight supermarket parking bays.

The Quest’s interior trim has been down-scaled but those making up its target market are unlikely to be bothered with that.

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The only time the Quest does strike a bit of a wobble is when you start playing a bit too rough and fast through the corners. However, this is not the way a car created mainly to do duty as an everyday family transporter should be manhandled and it is quite acceptable for it to show its discomfort. Body lean does become noticeable and the car feels a tad edgy on its Continental 15-inch rubber takkies.

Excellent brakes and safety features a big plus

However, the brakes are excellent and ably assisted with ABS with EBD and EBA they do a fine job of reining the Quest in, even on a wet road after an unseasonal downpour as we found out on one of our assessment runs.

Most importantly, Quest ticks all the right boxes when it comes to being economical, comfortable, user-friendly, safe, easy to drive and light on the wallet. It certainly doesn't look dated and like all Corollas, the Quest does the job well. In its price range it really has very few real contenders when it comes to bang for your buck. With a three-year/100,000km warranty and a three-year/45,000km service plan included in its price of R197,900 the Corolla Quest rings all the right bells.

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