Most seemingly squeaky-clean companies or state-run organisations have been found guilty of no crimes - yet sometimes sail perilously close to the wind when endeavouring to empty the pockets of unsuspecting car drivers. They push their luck, adopt iffy pricing and charging procedures, use dubious methods to grab every penny they can - or not pay out when they should, which is equally unforgivable. Technically, they’re doing nothing illegal. But that doesn’t make their antics right or morally justifiable, does it? The latest local authority scam is a perfect example of motorists being hit with charges that aren’t unlawful, but should be. Councils sell ‘residents parking permits’ to households, despite the number of permits available far outweighing the number of parking bays. Illegal, no. Dishonest, yes. On a related theme, when councils break in-house rules by making their own car park bays too short, isn’t it then attempted robbery (or something similar) to fine a driver whose vehicle inevitably exceeds the footprint of such a bay?
And isn’t fining motorists for ‘speeding’ on roads where the limits are inappropriately low (30mph on dual carriageways, for example) another clear example of cynical, state-sponsored highway robbery? Many private and public car park operators in effect hide their price lists on entry, so they can’t be properly viewed until exit - when it’s too late. Some airport websites make drivers hunt for ages for per-day parking charges then, worse still, surcharge the drivers who have the temerity to park for a maximum 24 hours without previously booking online. So petty, yet so lucrative. Don’t cross-channel operators understand they create bad will and risk losing previously loyal customers when they in effect fine them for arriving late, or early, for crossings? Haven’t operators of motorway filling stations woken up to the fact that they’re rigorously boycotted by consumers like me who refuse to pay their exorbitantly high, often-hidden prices? Can’t profit-obsessed dealers get it into their greedy heads that there’s something almost obscene about workshop labour charges of £200-plus an hour when a mechanic is paid only a fraction of that? While Volkswagen deserves much praise for pricing its world-class, petrol-powered five-door up! £10,000, can it or anyone else offer any justification for the £25,000-plus price tag slapped on the near-identical-looking e-up! I’m only asking. More of us should. More of the time.
The saloon, incidentally, is not being offered with the more powerful 2.0 hybrid that you can get in the hatchback and estate. But the latest version of Toyota’s 1.8-litre hybrid has 120bhp, and is enough to take the saloon from 0-62mph in 11 seconds; acceptable, but no more than that. Yet Toyota reckons that with a light approach to the throttle, the car could manage as much as half of its urban mileage without using any petrol at all - a factor that may have real appeal for minicab drivers. It is fair to say that the saloon rarely feels brisk, and hard acceleration requires patience, because a heavy right foot will kick the hybrid powertrain into emergency mode and send the revs (and noise) soaring. However, once you’re up to speed, the engine settles down pretty nicely; glance down at the rev counter at 70mph and you may be surprised, in fact, at how often the engine cuts out altogether. On the flat, and at a steady motorway cruise, it seems happy enough at barely 1,000rpm - and at that, the engine is smooth enough to be barely noticeable at all.
There’s a little wind noise from around the side mirrors, but the most noticeable factor at speed is probably the transference of tyre roar up through the chassis. It’s far from unbearable, though, making the Corolla saloon a relaxed cruiser. The experience is less accomplished on twistier roads, but this is down to the hybrid powertrain more than deficiencies in the chassis. The Corolla stays pretty composed in corners, in fact, despite the extra metal beyond the rear axle. You’ll reach the limits of what the CVT gearbox is happy to do long before you tire of the car’s willingness to turn in and resist body roll. While it is composed, driver engagement is not this car’s strong point. The cabin is pretty much identical to those of the hatchback and estate. That means a decent grade of finish on the facia, with soft-touch materials almost everywhere you’re likely to prod on a regular basis. Build quality feels more than up to three years of ownership abuse, too.
The boggo Gallardo has always felt and sounded raw, with plenty of clonks and whirrs. With minimal sound-deadening the Superleggera is even more vocal, sometimes vibrating accross your back and rib cage. If you’re expecting a slick shift, forget it. A conventional H-pattern manual is available as a no-cost option, which I would strongly recommend to opt for - every pull on the paddle lever brings an annoying neck-snap as the e-gear jerks like mad changing through the box. Why can’t anyone get this right? As I turn left out of the factory gates, a quick jab on the accelerator pedal makes the revs jump as if it’s wired to a defibrillator. The back end kicks wide as the power overcomes the ESP electronics. The V10 barks out so loud, I quickly grab second to stop anyone giving me a ticking off when I get back. I suddenly feel ten years old again.
