I just don’t see a spoiler as being an appropriate gadget tacked on to a Toyota Corolla. The Corolla is supposed to be the people’s car after all. A reliable, frugal ride to get you safely where you and your family are going. But I see spoiled-Corollas on the road frequently these days.
Is this a new phenomenon, or have I just not been paying attention? How long have spoilers been available as options for Corollas?
And what do you think? Isn’t a spoiler on a Corolla a little over the top?
They’re on a lot of cars, none of them need them. But true, Corolla’s certainly are at the bottom of the list. You might see more of them because there’s been an ‘S’ model Corolla that came with spoilers and side skirts. For no good reason.
It really is over the top for most cars that obey the speed limit. It’s fashion like earrings and ear piercing.
factory spoilers or the ricer spoilers?
When the VW New Beetle came out around 1998, one model was offered with a factory spoiler. At about 45 miles per hour, the spoiler would pop up and then retract below 45 mph. Consumer Reports test said that the spoiler retracted with a loud slamming noise. I thought at one point that I would really like to have a VW so equipped. I could then pretend that I was flying a plane–landing gear down as you make a landing–spoiler down as you approach a stop sign–landing gear up in flight–spoiler up in flight.
The Corolla S is a sporty car that looks good with an OEM spoiler. A base Corolla would be a little lame with a spoiler but thats an opinion only.
But any car with those stupid looking erector set spoiler is lame. Those cars also have a radio that does not play music but vibrate the mirrors with backwards hats and pants that have more underwear showing than anything. ( :
@bscar2, I think the Corolla spoilers I’m seeing are factory installed.
The spoiler’s only on the “S” version? OK, now we’re getting somewhere. The various suffixes stamped on the backside of the newer Corollas, like CE, LE, S, etc… Does “S” denote only the skirts and the spoiler, & maybe some fancier seats? Or does the “S” version have a different engine too?
If you are a 20 year old male stuck with a Corolla, you absolutely need to do something like this to approximate looking cool. Just think about all the other goofy things that demographic does purely for acceptance with their peers.
So yeah, it IS over the top for a normal person.
Think of it. Even if the spoiler actually worked, how much good would it do on the rear of a fwd car.
When a Corolla reaches 179 MPH, the rear end starts to float. I’d rather have a safe Corolla at that speed, wouldn’t we all?
If we were going 179 mph in a Corolla, everyone’s inside rear end would be floating.
The only way a Corolla would go that fast is if it fell out of an airplane. Forget the spoiler, what you’d need is a parachute.
If it makes the owner happy, then it is serving a purpose I guess.
The list of possible options on basic commuter cars has always surprised me, but there are people who pay for these. The difference between the base model and the fully loaded model of these cars, usually equals to more than %50 of the price of the base model. So the buyers are willing to pay close to %40 of the price tag for add on stuff-be it leather seat, sunroof, navigation or in this case a rear spoiler.
Yep when I was 19 and stuck with a VW Bug, I had to do something too so I took the hub caps off.
It’s not my style, but I guess I’m about 25 years past that demographic group.
It does seem like it would make washing, drying, and waxing the car slightly more difficult, if nothing else.
They look absolutely silly to me on Corollas (and several other cars), but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beauty comment may explain why some people buy Azteks, Cubes, Jukes, etc.
What’s inappropriate about it? It’s only there to make the car look a bit sportier. If it makes the owner feel a tiny bit better, than it’s served its purpose. I put an modest aftermarket one on my car, and it made me feel 10 years younger. It made me feel in my 50s again. Worth every penny.
What I’d call inappropriate is that sack with two…spheres…that some motorcyclists hang from their seats. You know the one I mean.
Functionally they do NOTHING unless you’re driving well past what the vehicle is capable of.
What I find funny are the people in SUV’s who THINK the spoiler is for performance…but all it’s for is a back wash to keep the rear window clear. Works great too.
It’s all for style. Nothin’ wrong with that.
Hey lion9, am I to understand that you’re 25 years beyond my demographic group? Man, you must be OLD!!!
Spoilers on Corollas are silly. There’s no way a stock Corolla needs one. But you can say the same thing about Camry, Civic, Accord, Malibu, Cruze, and several other cars. It’s trick, plain and simple.