Is the Corolla equipped with independent suspension?
2 Answers
The all-new Corolla adopts a front MacPherson independent suspension and a rear torsion beam non-independent suspension combination, which is the most widely used suspension setup in compact cars. The chassis is not covered with plastic guards but treated with a coating that is uniformly thick and covers a large area. Both front and rear wheel arches are wrapped with coating and plastic guards. The fuel lines have poor protection, being mostly exposed, but the exhaust pipe is surrounded by heat insulation tiles, which is quite considerate. Here are more details: 1. The front suspension of the new Corolla features a MacPherson independent suspension structure, an extremely common front suspension design for cars, offering advantages such as compact structure, lightweight, responsive handling, and good controllability. The front suspension lower control arm is made of forged steel, and the front suspension bearing seat is made of cast iron. The front suspension subframe of the new Corolla is an 'H'-shaped steel subframe; there is no engine underguard protection. The front suspension lower control arm is connected to the subframe via regular bushings; the front suspension lower control arm is connected to the bearing seat via rubber bushings. The benefit of not using bolt rigid connections is to reduce the impact force between components. 2. The rear suspension of the Corolla is a torsion beam semi-independent suspension, with both the torsion bar and spring base made of forged steel. The rear suspension torsion bar is connected to the body via regular bushings.
I've been driving a Corolla for a while now and have done some research on its suspension. Actually, the front suspension of the Corolla uses an independent MacPherson strut design, which offers many benefits—it provides solid support during turns and doesn't jolt too much over speed bumps. As for the rear suspension, it depends on the specific model. For example, mid-to-high trim levels from the 2020 model year onwards have mostly been upgraded to a double-wishbone independent suspension, which is significantly more comfortable than the older torsion beam non-independent suspension. Just the other day, I helped a friend inspect a car and specifically checked out the linkage structure of the independent suspension underneath—the aluminum material also helps reduce unsprung weight. If you're buying a used Corolla, be cautious: most pre-2018 versions come with a non-independent rear suspension, and you'll feel more noticeable bumps in the back seat on rough roads. Nowadays, mainstream compact cars mostly use independent rear suspensions, so Toyota's upgrade is quite a considerate move.
