Crapwagon Outtake: 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS

As a father, I have to rationalize my automotive wanderlust at times. I can’t go buy a sportscar on a whim, no matter how great the deal, as I still have to feed and transport my children. But something interesting with four doors gives me pause. Also, as my oldest child creeps closer to driving age, I ponder what would be ideal for her.

The Corolla hasn’t been an exciting car for decades, and I’d imagine that few Americans even considered the vaunted AE86 chassis to be a performance car until a dozen years (and countless imported DVDs) had passed. The Corolla is the car that cemented the “beige” reputation of Toyota. Reliable, boring, dependable, slow.

After all, my mother has driven nothing but Corollas for 25 years. Need I say more?

Occasionally, however, someone in Toyota City accidentally switches from decaf for a day, and something special happens. The 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS is the result.

The 170-plus horsepower VVTi engine, typically found in Celicas and Lotus Elises, makes the basic commuter penalty box a relative rocketship. A six-speed gearbox was the only transmission available. Beware when shopping, however, as the XRS nameplate came back a few years later. That car offered a big-bore 4-cylinder out of a Camry that had some extra power, but never had the high redline of the early car.

There are a half-dozen or so of these for sale right now. At $8,300, this is priced right in the middle, and looks pretty good save for a possible dent on the passenger door — it’s hard to tell in dealer photos, so often taken with Motorola RAZR phone at best.

I love the deep grey paint; perfect for blending in with the rest of the more basic Toyotas on the road.

I’d consider the door dent a bit of urban camouflage: I’d even consider pre-denting a bumper or two.