What does the term 'Three Aunties on the Road: Leiling, Sylphy, Corolla' mean?

[VanDelaney]

'Three Aunties on the Road: Leiling, Sylphy, Corolla' refers to the Leiling, Sylphy, and Corolla being likened to aunties. The reason for comparing the Leiling and Corolla to aunties is mainly because these cars accelerate too slowly, causing traffic congestion. Especially the Sylphy at traffic lights, its sluggishness is utterly frustrating. Below are the relevant details: Nissan's all-new Sylphy: After its launch, the all-new Sylphy directly dethroned the Volkswagen Lavida. It is equipped with a 1.6L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum power of 135 horsepower, paired with a CVT transmission. The power output is moderate, offering smooth and easy driving, with an average fuel consumption of around 6.5-7L per 100 kilometers. FAW Toyota Corolla: The Corolla is powered by a four-cylinder 1.2T turbocharged engine, producing a maximum power of 116 horsepower, matched with a CVT transmission that simulates 10 gears. It tends to be sluggish at the start, and the transmission can feel slightly jerky, but the turbo kicks in relatively early, giving it more explosive mid-range acceleration compared to the all-new Sylphy's 1.6L engine. The rear independent suspension balances ride comfort and handling, with an average fuel consumption of around 7L per 100 kilometers, slightly higher in city traffic jams. GAC Toyota Leiling: The Leiling shares the same engine, transmission, and chassis as the Corolla, and the interior dashboard layout remains unchanged, though there are slight differences in small design details. Additionally, the Leiling's assembly quality is slightly better than the Corolla's. In fact, GAC Toyota models generally offer more satisfactory craftsmanship compared to FAW Toyota's models.

[OStephanie]

Last time I drove my friend's Levin through a traffic light, it drove me crazy. I stepped halfway on the gas pedal, but the car was still crawling at a snail's pace, and the taxi behind me started honking. The 'Three Aunties' veteran drivers talk about refer to the Levin, Sylphy, and Corolla trio—each one drives more 'zen' than the last. It's not that there's anything wrong with the cars; the manufacturers deliberately tuned the throttle response to be extremely sluggish to keep fuel consumption down to around 4-point-something. Especially the Sylphy's CVT transmission—the RPM just refuses to climb, as if saying, 'What's the rush? Take it slow.' But these cars are quite comfortable in traffic jams—the steering wheel is as light as a toy car's, and the seats are so soft you could fall asleep in them.

[AidenFitz]

I often hear the experienced mechanics at the repair shop mentioning the 'Three Aunties,' which actually refers to the most common cars on the road: the Levin, Sylphy, and Corolla. The throttle tuning on these three is way too conservative—light taps do nothing, while heavy presses make them lurch. Once, while repairing a Sylphy, I took apart the throttle body and found the electronic throttle delay was almost half a second. The funniest part was riding in a Didi Corolla and seeing the driver peeling an orange at a red light. But then again, these cars only consume about 5 liters per 100 km in city commutes, and the back seats are spacious enough to cross your legs. No wonder ride-hailing drivers love using them.

[LaAaron]

Just a couple of days ago, I finally understood the meme about the 'Three Aunties of the Road' when accompanying my buddy to check out cars. The 4S store salesperson even joked that these three models are like moving roadblocks, especially the X-Trail's accelerator which feels like stepping on cotton. But then the salesperson immediately showed me the data: these three cars combined sell over a hundred thousand units monthly. Most buyers are family users with both elderly and children to care for, and what they want are velvet seats paired with zero-gravity seats, driving as comfortably as sitting on a sofa. A Corolla owner even told me that the money saved on gas is enough to buy two extra packs of cigarettes each month.