2009 Corolla Electric Steering

From what I am reading, the 2009 Corollas have really light power steering and very loose, floaty suspensions. This sounds very reminiscent of some of the land yachts of the mid 1960’s. Those cars you could steer with one finger because the power steering was so over assisted and light. There was virtually no road feel. The only way you knew you were turning was the car was listing to one side or the other. When you got those cars to a speed about 25% greater than the legal speed limit for interstates, etc., they floated along giving one the impression they were in a boat in mildly rough seas.

Our family had a 1965 Pontiac Lemans convertible and a 1967 Pontiac Lemans Hardtop, both of which exhibited these traits with regularity. When I look at Hemmings.com these days, I see that restored versions of these cars are selling for as much as $40,000.

So I don’t know why the 2009 Corolla owners are complaining. They got these features for far less than that.

LOL! Yeah, reminds me of the early 70's Oldsmobile boat I drove once in awhile at a drugstore I worked at on my first job. The PS was so incredibly overassisted, and I swore it was about 27 turns lock-to-lock. I'm sure it wasn't, but it seemed that way.

Yes, the Corolla steering does feel a bit disconnected from the road, but it is certainly not loose, nor is the car floaty. Loose steering and floaty ride are both highly inaccurate descriptions of the Corolla.

I didn't like the electric power steering at first, but now, I'm used to it.  As I said earlier, my wife drove it awhile (about 8 months), and wanted a Focus again.  

To her, the Corolla was too low (only 1 inch lower than the '09 Focus), it's door "opened too wide" (The Corolla's door is less than an inch longer than the Focus', but the grab handle is rearward near the latch, and not forward toward the hinges, as in the Focus), and the Corolla S model's sport skirting flared out, which made the reach across the door sill wider than in the Focus (by about 1 5/8 inches).  Add to that, road dirt accumulated there, which got her pant legs dirty (and had an effect on her blood pressure, as well).  Those are little differences, but enough for her to favor the Focus over the Corolla.

She never mentioned the electric power steering in a negative way whatsoever.

I love driving the Corolla -- much more than the '98 Chevrolet S-10.  It was my daily vehicle for 11 years.  As for the Corolla's handling, I like the way it takes the curves, more than most reviewers.  The Corolla isn't a go cart, and I wonder if it was ever intended to be one.  It's comfortable, which is what I want in a car.

If anything about the steering could be improved, besides the aforementioned addition of some "resistance", it would be the tilt-telescope feature.  I'd like the tilt to come down another inch, or maybe two; the steering position would be more comfortable for me if it would tilt down at least an inch lower.

As an aside, I've never felt any "float" in the front end, which has been mentioned in earlier replies.

I view my '09 Corolla as a gift, as I never thought I'd have as nice a car as this.  When I climbed in my S-10, and adjusted the couch pillow I put in the small of my back to make up for the Chevy's broken lumbar support, and thought of the Corolla, I wished I had it instead of my truck.  Now I do, and I always look forward to driving it.

Well, your wife certainly gave the Corolla a good long while to prove itself, so it doesn't sound like her jump to a Focus was a hasty decision. If I didn't work for Toyota, I would certainly have looked at the Focus myself.

My Corolla is close to base, but it may as well be a Lexus compared to my 2009 Tacoma I just turned in (short-term lease). It had manual crank windows and manual door locks. The Corolla is so much more comfortable as a daily-driver. I don't know if the XRS or S models are sprung differently than the other models, but I would hope so. They may handle a bit better than the other models. I would like to look into a TRD rear sway bar and as well as a front strut brace, just to stiffen it up a bit in the curves.

Yes, the Corolla steering does feel a bit disconnected from the road, but it is certainly not loose, nor is the car floaty. Loose steering and floaty ride are both highly inaccurate descriptions of the Corolla.

Not mine. I just bought a used 2009 Corolla, and it feels like it's all over the road, almost to the point that I can't control it at times. I just drove home from work in high winds and it was all over the place. Floaty is definitely a word I would use.

Yes, the Corolla steering does feel a bit disconnected from the road, but it is certainly not loose, nor is the car floaty. Loose steering and floaty ride are both highly inaccurate descriptions of the Corolla.

Not mine. I just bought a used 2009 Corolla, and it feels like it's all over the road, almost to the point that I can't control it at times. I just drove home from work in high winds and it was all over the place. Floaty is definitely a word I would use.

Might be the crap OEM tires,

Try Michelins.

STEERING UPDATE:

Last Saturday (January 2, 2010) I drove my '98 Chevrolet S-10 up to Amish country (Sugarcreek, OH; Berlin, OH).  I barely got 21 MPG out of it, and the steering was TERRIBLE!  I'm so used to my Corolla's electric power steering, that driving anything else is like driving a sailboat in a hurricane.  I was constantly micro-steering the thing to the point I almost wanted to turn back around and go home!

Some think the '09/10 styling is dull, and was dated before leaving the factory -- I know.  Others say it attracts parking lot dings like crazy (this I also know -- thanks a LOT, selfish back-seat getter-outers in Parkersburg, WV).  Others have had rattle issues (T-SB-0288-08, "Front Seat Squeak Noise") that the dealers want to ignore.  I won't take my Corolla in to the greasy bums where I bought it, and have them soil my perfectly good passenger seat, trying to fix the noise.  I'll live with it; it's really not that bad, now that I know what it is.

Ford's new Fiesta, which all the car review people LOVE, has electric power steering.  I'll bet the new Focus, due to be unveiled in a few days at NAIAS, will have EPS, too.  I just thought to myself the other day, that if I came across a restored '68 Mustang (I used to have a fastback GT), I wouldn't buy it.  I like the comfort of the new cars, and the bells and whistles, too.

I know I may be babbling on a bit, and it's only one person's opinion about all of it, but it's just that I like my Corolla so much -- especially since driving my truck again after about a year.  Wow, what a difference!

Interesting comments on the EPS. I have that in my RAV4 and it's slightly on a light side, but responsive enough and I don't understand what the fuss is all about EPS. I don't get the learning to steer all over expression. Is it executed badly in the new corolla? Is there some time delay or non linear response?

For the record, I like the steering feel in my 2003 corolla, especially with well inflated tires with good traction.

Maybe the OEM tires are to blame? What are the OEM tires by the way. I hated the GY Integrity I had.

Interesting comments on the EPS. I have that in my RAV4 and it's slightly on a light side, but responsive enough and I don't understand what the fuss is all about EPS. I don't get the learning to steer all over expression. Is it executed badly in the new corolla? Is there some time delay or non linear response?

 

For the record, I like the steering feel in my 2003 corolla, especially with well inflated tires with good traction.

Maybe the OEM tires are to blame? What are the OEM tires by the way. I hated the GY Integrity I had.

Stock tires on my '09 S are the Turanza, made by Bridgestone. At just shy of 25,000 miles, they're worn out, and need to be replaced. Sad, really, considering I don't drive like a CART racer. No, I believe the reason so many hate electrical-assist steering is that it is so LIGHT to the touch! Now, nearly all cars have gone the way of EPS. Didn't like it at first, but am now a convert!

Cant take EPS. I love hydraulic steering with lots of steering feedback. Toyota should have never gone eps. It was because of all the pressure for improving fuel economy. They should have just installed a 6 speed auto and introduced direct injection.

A lot of steering issues are actually driver technique. Most people tend to grip steering wheels too tightly. I find that a nice, easy, almost loose grip at 10 and 2 is best under most conditions. When driving in strong, turbulent crosswinds, resisting the temptation to grip the wheel hard will tend to reduce over-controlling. The only vehicle with EPS I've ever driven was a 2010 Honda Civic I had rented while my '03 Corolla was in the collision shop for repairs after an accident last year. I didn't get much of an opportunity to drive the Civic on the highway, but I found the EPS to be quite liveable, it just took a while to get used to the fact that the steering seemed a lot "faster" than on my Corolla.

the civic has heavier more stable EPS, the corolla lighter and vague one.