It's that time of year again. Once every 12 months, it seems, a Chevrolet Prizm makes its way to our offices, and, each time, we secretly hope that the car will be more fun to drive, or at least offer better value than it has in the past. Two years ago we wrote, "Since the first Prizm rolled onto a Chevy dealer's lot in 1989, price has been a problem." Since that time, the value equation hasn't changed. Last year, the Prizm was redesigned, and we remarked, "The driving experience in the new Prizm can be described in one word: boring." Since then, there have been no changes to the Prizm except for a few new colors, so imagine our trepidation at driving the carryover model.
The Prizm is made by Toyota, and sold alternatively as the Corolla. Other than the emblems they wear, there is little to distinguish the two cars. Both are powered by the same 1.8-liter, 16-valve, DOHC four-cylinder engine, which develops 120 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 122 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm. That may not sound like much, but it's good enough to move the 2,400-lb. car from zero to 60 in 8.5 seconds, when equipped with the manual transmission.
Of course, it's easier to power up to the peak rev range if you can visually monitor how fast the engine is turning. Unfortunately, our test car came with a manual transmission and no tachometer, making serious accelerating an exercise in guesswork. Noise from the engine is not well insulated, and when this four-banger starts working, it's hard to know just when to shift for optimal power; loud is just plain loud.
When trying to obtain performance from a car, the tachometer's purpose is to inform the driver when he or she may be over-revving the engine. Operating a manual transmission, the driver should always shift into a higher gear before the tachometer reaches its redline, or face the expensive costs of a blown engine. The tachometer in itself is not a pricey piece of equipment, however, when it's made into a $70 optional accessory, the base-trim vehicle is probably not providing much in the way of value.
But for the Prizm, LSi is not the base trim: it's the upper-level trim. LSi features power mirrors and locks, air conditioning, an AM/FM stereo with cassette and four speakers, cruise control, remote keyless entry, a split-folding rear seat and carpeted floor mats. Prizm LSi is equipped and priced almost identically to the Corolla's top-level LE trim, except the Corolla LE adds body-colored side molding and mirrors, power windows and the all-important tachometer, which includes an outside temperature reading. It used to be that the Prizm was a bargain compared to its Corolla sibling; not so anymore. Even the options are better priced on the Corolla. Where the Prizm's ABS costs $645, the Corolla's ABS is only $550. Want side airbags on the Prizm? That's a $45 premium over what the Corolla buyer is paying.
Our test car was loaded with driver- and passenger-side airbags, antilock brakes, rear window defogger, tilt steering wheel, power windows, in-dash CD player and P185/65R-14 all-season tires. For the $1,640 in optional equipment on our test car, buyers shouldn't be nickel-and-dimed to pay $70 more for a tachometer. What's next, an optional fuel gauge?
Handling could be described as sporty, though not quite on par with Civics or Neons. The Prizm's four-wheel independent suspension soaks up bumps and road irregularities with ease, though the rack-and-pinion steering is overly sensitive. Clutch action is smooth, and, if we knew how fast we were revving the engine, the Prizm might have been fun to drive. The brakes exhibited a slight amount of fade, but were easy to modulate. We were disappointed with the Prizm's ABS system, not because it didn't work, but because (when activated) it made a strangely comical boi-oi-oi-oing! noise. Bo-oi-oi-oing! is not a sound that inspires confidence when you're trying to come to a quick stop.
The Prizm can make economical sense, when sparsely equipped. But deleting ABS, side airbags, power conveniences and air conditioning doesn't leave much in the way of value. As optioned, our test car came in at a shade under $17,000, and, again, that's without all the proper equipment. For that sort of money, you could step into a Honda Civic EX Sedan, a Mazda Protege ES with the Premium Package, a new Volkswagen Jetta GL, or even a base Camry or Malibu. In the light of such bright competition, the reasons for buying a Prizm are not crystal clear.
The Prizm is made by Toyota, and sold alternatively as the Corolla. Other than the emblems they wear, there is little to distinguish the two cars. Both are powered by the same 1.8-liter, 16-valve, DOHC four-cylinder engine, which develops 120 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 122 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm. That may not sound like much, but it's good enough to move the 2,400-lb. car from zero to 60 in 8.5 seconds, when equipped with the manual transmission.
Of course, it's easier to power up to the peak rev range if you can visually monitor how fast the engine is turning. Unfortunately, our test car came with a manual transmission and no tachometer, making serious accelerating an exercise in guesswork. Noise from the engine is not well insulated, and when this four-banger starts working, it's hard to know just when to shift for optimal power; loud is just plain loud.
When trying to obtain performance from a car, the tachometer's purpose is to inform the driver when he or she may be over-revving the engine. Operating a manual transmission, the driver should always shift into a higher gear before the tachometer reaches its redline, or face the expensive costs of a blown engine. The tachometer in itself is not a pricey piece of equipment, however, when it's made into a $70 optional accessory, the base-trim vehicle is probably not providing much in the way of value.
But for the Prizm, LSi is not the base trim: it's the upper-level trim. LSi features power mirrors and locks, air conditioning, an AM/FM stereo with cassette and four speakers, cruise control, remote keyless entry, a split-folding rear seat and carpeted floor mats. Prizm LSi is equipped and priced almost identically to the Corolla's top-level LE trim, except the Corolla LE adds body-colored side molding and mirrors, power windows and the all-important tachometer, which includes an outside temperature reading. It used to be that the Prizm was a bargain compared to its Corolla sibling; not so anymore. Even the options are better priced on the Corolla. Where the Prizm's ABS costs $645, the Corolla's ABS is only $550. Want side airbags on the Prizm? That's a $45 premium over what the Corolla buyer is paying.
Our test car was loaded with driver- and passenger-side airbags, antilock brakes, rear window defogger, tilt steering wheel, power windows, in-dash CD player and P185/65R-14 all-season tires. For the $1,640 in optional equipment on our test car, buyers shouldn't be nickel-and-dimed to pay $70 more for a tachometer. What's next, an optional fuel gauge?
Handling could be described as sporty, though not quite on par with Civics or Neons. The Prizm's four-wheel independent suspension soaks up bumps and road irregularities with ease, though the rack-and-pinion steering is overly sensitive. Clutch action is smooth, and, if we knew how fast we were revving the engine, the Prizm might have been fun to drive. The brakes exhibited a slight amount of fade, but were easy to modulate. We were disappointed with the Prizm's ABS system, not because it didn't work, but because (when activated) it made a strangely comical boi-oi-oi-oing! noise. Bo-oi-oi-oing! is not a sound that inspires confidence when you're trying to come to a quick stop.
The Prizm can make economical sense, when sparsely equipped. But deleting ABS, side airbags, power conveniences and air conditioning doesn't leave much in the way of value. As optioned, our test car came in at a shade under $17,000, and, again, that's without all the proper equipment. For that sort of money, you could step into a Honda Civic EX Sedan, a Mazda Protege ES with the Premium Package, a new Volkswagen Jetta GL, or even a base Camry or Malibu. In the light of such bright competition, the reasons for buying a Prizm are not crystal clear.
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