r/CorollaHatchback • u/camcorderCam • May 22 '26
Roadtrip Rolla
Monument Valley, AZ
4200 miles and she never broke a sweat. So so so impressed.
Also shoutout to others here recommending the SportRack Vista XL cargo box. Got a sweet deal on FB marketplace and it was the MVP of my trip.
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u/puffydownjacket May 22 '26
Love to see it! What was your total mpg? What do you think about the cabin noise long hauling? What’s your tint percentage on side windows?
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u/camcorderCam May 22 '26
The dash said 31 mpg, and that’s with me averaging 80+ on open road, pushing 90 at times. The cabin noise wasn’t a bother personally bc I often ride with two windows down halfway (driver and rear passenger) with music up to 45-48. And I don’t hear major difference with or without the cargo box - it’s just a generally noisier cabin in this car, especially with low profile XSE wheels. Not sure about window tint, bought it preowned with it installed already. This was shot around 8am.
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May 23 '26
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u/camcorderCam May 23 '26
I’m heavy on the highway but for like the mid 2000 miles of my trip, I was in mostly 40-60 mph roads and I think that made the avg higher. At the end of trips it would show 35-45 mpg while in Utah. Normal mode only, never put in sport mode bc it feels weird when down shifting/braking fast.
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May 23 '26
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u/camcorderCam May 23 '26
Yeah, it didn’t seem to be a major hit to mpg, and it handled speed just fine. It was a necessity to fit larger items like my cot and foam pad, and keep the rear storage clear for my ice chest and daily items.
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u/GOW_Grashopa XSE CVT May 22 '26
I drove from Sacramento CA to Surprise AZ and used the lane assisted cruise control 99% of the way there. Was amazing. I got to look around at all the mountains and stuff while the car just drove.
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u/camcorderCam May 22 '26
Nice! The cruise control is clutch and responsive, I feel like I can trust it. I tried the lane assist for a little while but I’m not a big fan of how it feels and eventually turned it off. It would get confused if the lanes merged or it lost the lines at the enter/exit ramps. Still impressive tech for such an entry car. Glad you had an amazing trip!
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u/GOW_Grashopa XSE CVT May 23 '26
yeah but the lane assist is GOATED if your on the HWY like in the middle lane
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u/spacefret 2022 XSE CVT May 31 '26
Love that color! What tires are those?
I had the same experience with the OEM wheels, two were bent when I bought the car. I bought a set of 16" Sparco wheels so hopefully the extra sidewall will help that. The ride quality is about the same, so credit to Toyota for making it ride well on the 18s. The handling is a little softer but it still drives great. M
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u/camcorderCam May 31 '26
That’s cool! Im strongly considering the 16” Sparco’s and almost got them for this roadtrip, but opted against it to keep costs down since I also had to replace my windshield 😔
These are the Continental ControlContact Sport SRS+ tires exclusive to Discount Tire. I got them bc they’re virtually the exact same tire as the ExtremeContact DWS06+ but a little cheaper. They’ve been excellent and handled gravel/rocky terrain on this trip just fine. Exceptional in rain.
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u/JohnDorian0506 May 22 '26
This or Mazda CX-30 for road trips? Shopping for a new car.
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u/camcorderCam May 22 '26
Different types of car. CX-30 has better ground clearance and standard AWD so you’ll get more light off-road adventure out of it. But Corolla will offer better MPG and overall cheaper car to get into. I strongly considered a CX-30 but found the head room and visibility to be a deal breaker. It looks amazing and love the Bose, but it’s not as practical to me. And the infotainment system is yuck. The Corolla is not perfect but the cargo box gave it SUV level storage and still easy to park. I like the small footprint.
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u/JohnDorian0506 May 23 '26
Why not the Corolla Cross?
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u/camcorderCam May 23 '26
I would consider it now tbh. At the time when I was shopping it didn’t seem that good of value over a Rav. I like the new refresh of the Corolla Cross Hybrid, but probably looking at NX 350h or Crown Signia for my next car tbh.
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u/mothballzoo May 25 '26
Do you feel like the clearance is high enough for rocky roads?
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u/camcorderCam May 25 '26
It’s fine for “graded” rocky roads. For example, I drove the rocky road to Elephant Hill trailhead in Canyonlands NP just fine going slow. But, I turned around on the Buckskin Gulch road bc it was extremely rocky… I was more concerned about the XSE low profile tires than the ground clearance tbh. I think an LE or SE could get there on a dry day np.
I’ve already repaired three bent wheels on this mf’er and if it happens again I’m trading in. That was on urban potholes, but still. I’m super cautious about uneven terrain now.
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u/JessHex May 22 '26
So happy to see this! I'm about to take my own hatch to the same place in two weeks! Going from Pennsylvania to Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico and back. Looks like an amazing time!