By the standards of most magazine road testers, this is not a quick car. The engine is starting to gasp for breath by the time you get up to 6000rpm, so you won't feel yourself being pinned to the back of your seat as you accelerate down the main straight on a trackday, or try to beat everyone else to the end of the motorway slip road.Well, phooey. I mean, how often do you rev to 6000 in a normal day's driving? Most of us rarely venture beyond two-thirds of that. The mid-range performance and the handling are the keys to a good everyday sporting car.The Corolla's VVTi engine, while less dramatic than that cluster of letters might suggest, does the job very well. It took me several days to realise that it runs out of puff at the top end, for the simple reason that I'd been getting along perfectly happy without pushing the engine that hard. I certainly never got to the point of wishing that we'd asked Toyota to supply, say, a T Sport instead.As for the handling . . . well, we know from experience of cars like the current MR2 and Celica that Toyota is on a roll as far as its chassis development is concerned. The Corolla handles perkily, turning in neatly to corners and getting through them in a nicely neutral attitude - and that's despite the fact that nobody has thought it necessary to counteract the nose-heaviness with rear suspension so stiff the wheels barely touch the ground.In fact, the ride/handling compromise has been very well managed. The Corolla deals with bumps very rapidly, so it doesn't exactly float over uneven surfaces in magic-carpet fashion, but the ride is by no means crashy or uncomfortable.Over a selection of favourite roads the Corolla was both fun and easy to drive. Nicely weighted controls and a good seating position were as helpful as ever in this respect. And - a bit of a surprise here - despite being conducted with some gusto on occasions the car was remarkably economical. Altogether, without in any way making a fuss of itself, the Corolla has established itself in a very high position among my favourite cars of 2002.Second opinion: Against its direct rivals, this is the best-looking five-door Corolla so far. Really stylish and well-proportioned all round. For looks, I much prefer it to the three-door. Very composed handling and ride, and generally a pleasure to drive. That "nicely weighted controls" comment includes all the minor switchgear. Toyota's latest platform allows for much improved rear-seat space, which is welcome. But what a weird progression of model names: T2, T3, Spirit and Sport. Discuss. Ross Finlay.