Mick Jagger had it right when he sang, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes, you just might find you get what you need”. Why do I bring that up? Well, I’m going to take a stab in the dark and suggest that probably eight out of 10 of us who enjoy the perks of performance car ownership would, given the choice, opt for a sedan, coupe or hatch. I could be completely wrong of course, but that’s my guess.

There have always been exceptions to the rule. Subaru is a good example, with its hyped-up wagons offering plenty of bang for buck; and even the later Mitsubishi Lancer Evo models have been produced in wagon form. But there is another option for those who don’t need the manic performance of the Legacy or Evo, but do need the versatility of a wagon and don’t want to be stuck with something as mind numbing as a Hyundai Lantra or Kia Carnival. If that happens to be you, the Toyota Corolla Fielder Aerotourer Z might just be your kind of vehicle.

ENGINE
Japanese carmakers have a peculiar habit of installing the engines from their performance models into what you’d normally consider lesser cousins in the same family. No one really knows why this is so, but we’re definitely not complaining. The reason I’m going on about this is that although the Fielder Aerotourer Z does look pretty tame, it happens to be packing the same high-revving, hyperactive 190ps 2ZZ-GE engine from Toyota’s Celica SS2 coupe and Allex RS180/Runx Aerotourer Z hatch siblings. That’s a pretty nice addition to a wagon that is comfortable, practical and can fit a dead body in the back without any troubles.

The engine is essentially identical to that found in the Celica. It pushes out the aforementioned power at a peaky 7600rpm, along with a decent 180Nm of torque at 6800rpm. Both of these rev figures are fairly high for the engine to be developing its peak power, but you won’t have any trouble getting the engine to spin that fast since that’s what it’s designed to do.

The engine itself is a lightweight, compact unit and looks good with the new style of layout incorporating the inlet manifold at the front of the engine bay and the exhaust at the rear. It uses the same 11.5:1 compression ratio as the version in the Celica, along with Toyota’s tricky VVTL-i variable valve timing system, which ensures maximum valve efficiency at all engine speeds.

Boring it may be, but one of the best aspects of this engine is that it runs off the smell of an oily rag. I know I know, but at the moment fuel economy isn’t something to be sniffed at. Using just 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres of open road driving isn’t bad at all, and it’s better than filling up every 15 minutes as you would in certain other cars.

DRIVETRAIN
The Fielder came with a choice of two transmissions: auto and manual. In a stroke of genius, for the latter Toyota decided to offer this wagon with a six-speed gearbox, which lends itself to some pretty handy shifting action in the first three gears. Combined with an engine that has a tendency to rev its balls off, first and second gears will disappear in the blink of an eye. Carry on up the box and you’ll make your way to sixth, which provides a nice high ratio for motorway cruising. Like the majority of new Japanese manual gearboxes, it has a positive feel and is light enough for even the most delicate of wrists. Unfortunately, there’s no limited slip differential, so watch those sharp exits from roundabouts.

SUSPENSION
Although the Fielder does have a handy piece of kit bolted to the engine rails, it may not impress quite as much in the suspension department. It won’t leave you disappointed, especially given that the majority of modern Japanese cars are pretty well sorted in the handling department anyway, but it just doesn’t come straight from the factory with the sort of suspension design that will leave your passengers stunned by your ability to round a figure eight course at 100kph with one finger on the steering wheel. That isn’t so bad after all then,
is it?

The Fielder comes with a fairly standard setup for a wagon of this type, with MacPherson struts and coils up front, and a torsion beam and coil spring rear axle. There’s enough room for improvement there to lower the ride height with a set of lowered and stiffened springs, and you’ll also be able to control the bounce with some uprated dampers.

The key to owning this car is not thinking it’s better suited to a racetrack. It’s all about having a comfortable daily driver that you’re able to have a bit of fun with when you’re tooling around the back roads and like to hear the sound of a small Japanese engine revving.

EXTERIOR
The Aerotourer’s exterior is relatively subdued. You’ll get a modest bodykit comprising side skirts, a small chin spoiler under the front bumper and colour-coded sports roof racks. A rear lip spoiler and mesh grille were optional extras, and if not fitted are definitely worth investing in to balance up the look of the wagon.

The standard wheels are small by today’s standards at 15×6 inches, and are shod with 195/60R15 tyres.

The Aerotourer Z received a subtle facelift in 2004, with HID headlights and slight changes to the bodykit.

INTERIOR
The Fielder is a comfy enough place to park yourself on an extended trip thanks to the dash layout. Although a few years old now, the dash design is still pretty contemporary and compares well with the new offerings from most car makers. You won’t get Recaro seats or a Momo steering wheel, but you will get just about every other creature comfort including automatic air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, a three-spoke leather steering wheel and twin front SRS airbags.

There’s not a lot you’d really want to do to the interior either, except for a new sound system especially with the space in the back.

MODIFYING GUIDE
Modifying a car like this is tricky. Sometimes it’s better to keep everything low-key and make a few subtle improvements here and there without going overboard. Going overboard is really only worthwhile on a car that is already well on the way to being, er, overboard. A car like the Fielder Aerotourer is best kept as a comfy cruiser with a little pace on tap when you need it. Make changes to the ride height and wheels with some adjustable shocks and lowered springs in combination with 17-inch or 18-inch rims, and then upgrade the sound system.

Engine-wise, make the standard changes like intake, spark plugs, ignition leads, and maybe a set of tubular extractors and a 2.25-inch exhaust. Don’t go too big or I guarantee you’ll sound like a complete tool as you drive off down the road emitting feeble rattling sounds from your muffler.

WHAT TO PAY?
For a 6-speed manual model you should expect to pay around $12,000 upwards, dependent on mileage and condition. The engines in these cars are inherently reliable so don’t worry too much if the mileage is pushing 100,000km. Just ensure you have the usual checks carried out by a reputable company and any problems should be brought to your attention at that stage. There are cars that will offer you more performance than this car does for the same money, but you know with the Fielder that it’ll be soldiering on for many years to come.

Toyota Corolla Fielder Aerotourer Z – Specifications

Engine: Toyota 2ZZ-GE 1.8-litre inline-4 DOHC 16V VVTL-i variable valve timing with lift, electronic fuel injection, 11.5:1 compression ratio
Driveline: 6-speed close ratio manual gearbox or 4-speed auto
Suspension/Brakes: Front — Macpherson struts, coil springs, ventilated discs, Rear — torsion beam, coil springs, solid discs
Exterior: Aerotourer Z bodykit — front lip spoiler, side skirts, mesh grille, colour-coded sports roof racks, black/chrome headlights, optional rear lip spoiler
Interior: Three-spoke leather steering wheel, full-automatic climate control, electric
windows/mirrors
Wheels/Tyres: 15×6-inch alloys, 195/60R15 tyres
Performance: 190ps @ 7600rpm, 180Nm @ 6800rpm

Words: Rob Dawson Photos: NZPC

This article is from Performance Car issue 152. Click here to check it out.