Toyota Corolla

coolguyky7

I'm looking at a 1996 Corolla DX sedan for sale. Is there anything important about this model that I should know about? How does it drive? Thanks.

sandman46

I've owned mine over 3 years now and it's a great car. Bought it used with 18k and have had almost no problems with it. They(Toyota) replaced and actuator for a door lock and fixed a part up front(due to a TSB), and besides normal wear and tear, great car. Very economical and the suspension is still rather tight. Go for It!

P.S. Mine's a south florida car.

dsgecho

Same experience here.
Thanks,
Don

mpgman

Thanks. What does it have to bundled with? Do the rear seats flip down in the Sport? Could not believe they did not in the 02.

mpgman

I see where Edmund's now has Matrix and Vibe pricing and information. Premium fuel for the 180 hp engine in the Matrix and Vibe, huh? Leather can apparently be had in the 03 Corolla LE with and without a sunroof. Interesting to see availability without the hole in the roof. Anyone see 03 Corolla automatic mileage figures?

johnclineii

According to specifications at the Toyota US website, 30 city, 39 highway with the auto tranny. For those interested, 32/40 with the 5 speed manual... The three speed automatic is blessedly retired...

Also at the site, the rear seats in all models fold down 60/40 wise!

coolguyky7

Thanks. I know I can get this pricing info anywhere...but I think this question is better left to a real owner. Is it worth $7400 to buy a loaded 96 DX with 67000 miles? Spoiler, 6 disc, ABS, power sunroof, alloy wheels, alarm/keyless entry. Thanks!

sandman46

Check this car out carefully. Do a carfax and get a report on it. Check all the body panels and the interior carefully. See if the timing belt was replaced at 60k and look at the receipt to make sure it was in fact done. Offer him $6250. to start and see what happens. Be careful and good luck. Keep me posted!

tlindeman

Before I bought my Civic I test drove a Corolla 5 spd. Yes the Corolla was somewhat quieter but didn't seem to handle as well. Also, the steering in the Civic seemed more precise and didn't have the on-center vagueness the Corolla had. The redesigned Civic also had considerably more interior room than the current Corolla. What I didn't realize at the time of my brief freeway test drive was the tendency of the Civic to bounce repeatedly over road undulations. At 14,000 miles, the suspension seems prone to bottoming over bumps and is poorly damped. My understanding is that Honda has attempted to address some of this problem by adding an anti-sway bar to the rear on all models and stiffening the springs and shocks somewhat. I test drove a 2002 and can say the suspension is noticeably stiffer than my 2001 but still noticed some of the characteristic "bounce" in the rear over certain dips. My guess is that the basic geometry of the new suspension especially the deletion of the trailing arms on the rear wishbone design to achieve the flat rear floor compromised the car's handling and may never be made right. Smooth road demeanor is fine and tracking is good but bumps upset this car far more than they should. Ford may have had a ton of recalls with their Focus but that car definitely sets the standard for ride and handling of all the small cars I've driven. If Ford can do it, why can't Honda? As far as the road noise is concerned I completely stripped the interior and trunk and added an adhesive sound barrier topped by 3/8" high-density foam padding as well as filling the cavities in the rocker panels and pillars with expanding foam. As compulsive as it may sound, the difference is striking. Road noise was reduced tremendously and I can hear the stereo clearly at 70mph without increasing the volume. If I had the time and inclination I would also remove the door panels and insulate those. I have done this to other vehicles I've owned (including a couple of noisy minivans) and find the couple of days work well worth it. On one of my trips to the dealership the mechanic mentioned how quiet my Civic seemed and asked me if I had done something to make it that way. Anyway, if Honda could somehow address some of the chronic problems with this car ( in my case, inadequate a/c condensor, replaced wheel bearings and ball joint, faulty drivers window switch, bubbling fabric on door panels, rattles in rear decklid, glove box and passenger door and a tendency to remain at high idle at rest on occasion not to mention the bouncy, bottomy suspension) they could have a winner here. It appears, however, that they chose to cut many corners and underengineer the vehicle. If the new Corolla is as good as it looks and the competition keeps getting better (including the Koreans), Honda may find itself taking a back seat to their competition.

coolguyky7

The owner fesses up to not having the timing belt changed. However, brakes were replaced summer 2001, the radiator flushed and refilled in March of 2000. I would be the 4th owner. Does this sound suspicious? I think it does...but it's not always the case. The current owner has had it for 18000 miles. The interior is practically flawless! The seats look like new! I think this is an older couple who takes immaculate care of their cars. They just bought a 2000 LaSabre...which is the reason they are getting rid of the Corolla. However, the man's wife wants to keep the Corolla and get rid of a less equipped 98 Malibu. The exterior seemed pretty flawless. Is there anyway to check for unmatching panels? I did notice that all of the emblems are in place...sometimes they aren't there on a wrecked or repainted vehicle. What can I do to see for myself if the exterior hasn't been tampered with? And on another topic, it has a power sunroof. Does yours? It looks almost like an aftermarket...but maybe its just the way the Corolla had it in 1996. It looked like there was a cabin light by the open/close button. The only reason I have suspicion is because it has kind of a wide area between the headliner and the glass part. Since the timing belt hasn't been replaced and new tires should be needed in about one year...what should I offer first? Just offer $6250? Thanks!

coolguyky7

Just received an email from the owner. The sunroof was installed after production. It's a power one with a tilt function only. The owner assured me it doesn't leak. Quote from email:

"I apologize for forgetting the
actual percentage, but the tint is darker than legal. However, we have
never had a problem with the police."

Should I worry about this? I can't really afford to get in trouble with the police for something so stupid at the age of 16. What would this run to get it taken off? I'd deduct this from the price for sure.

Another quote:

"We have not had a wreck with the car. The previous owners
told us they hit a pole in a parking garage that caused a minor dent. They
had it fixed and we could not tell the difference. As far as a major wreck,
no, not to my knowledge."

Is this anything to worry about? Thanks!

sandman46

If I were, I'd run, not walk away. I had an aftermarket sunroof on an old '79 Datsun and it was the worst mistake I ever made! Always leaked, grew to hate it.
Trust me, spend a little more for a one owner car with a factory roof if you must have it. Why go lookin' for trouble. Walk away my friend, my 2 cents. Let me know and please, be careful!

newcar31

I don't know about the sunroof, but as far as trying to detect body damage, one place to start is under the hood. Check and see if the catalyst and air conditioning stickers are still under the hood. Check the nuts that hold the fenders and hood on, is there paint missing on them? That would indicated that the bolts have been removed and that the wrench took part of the paint off.

alpha01

From what I understand, if the fender panels, hood, etc, are all OEM, they should be marked with the car's VIN, at least this is what one dealership told me after I found out my used Honda was in an accident. Does anyone know if there is any validity to this statement?
~alpha

coolguyky7

I did it! I got the Corolla! And just in time, because right as we left to go get the check another family pulled up in a Camry and they looked at it. We waited down the street and saw that they were taking it for a test drive. We ended up calling the owners and told them we'd take it for sure. The car is great! It's no Sequoia (which I have been driving for a month) but its good for what it is, a mid 90s compact sedan. I really like it. My dad who builds Camrys in Georgetown thought it ran very well. I just hope it does have antilock brakes like the owner said it had. The owner had the same concerns about the sunroof when he bought it. It's been perfect he said. However, I think this cold weather is hindering the motor from running so the car cabin must be warm for the motor to let it close. It opens though! haha I don't think I'll regret this decision. It's the biggest one I've ever made. There is one scuff on it though...from a white car that bumped it when the the other car was pulling out/parking. Does anyone know of a product or some way to buff that white paint off? Thanks! Oh, and do I need to worry about that long antenna in the car wash? Thanks again!

coolguyky7

Here, I got a website for my photos.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=584227&uid=467343&members=1

I hope that link works. I'll try to add some more.

newcar31

That's true for some cars. The problem is sometimes the markings for the VIN are stickers that can be carefully removed and re-applied to the new fenders/hood etc. I think the paint test is the best because most of the time, the body shop will not bother painting the nuts that were scuffed when removing the parts.

britton2

it looks to me like you got yourself a pretty good deal - and it looks to be well-maintained - at least from the outside - good luck

coolguyky7

Oh, and about the interior. It is VERY clean. You have your typical scuffs on the door areas where your shoes rub getting in and out. The seats are stainless, like new. I really love the car. Oh...and that leads me to the sunroof. I would assume it probably doesn't have a leaking problem because there is no discoloration in the headliner nor in the seats. When I first sat in the car I asked the woman where the cupholders were even though I knew where they were. I didn't really want to open/touch anything in the car really. She said "oh it doesn't have them" and as she said that I pushed that little area and opened them. She never knew they were there! haha.....she just used the console box to hold her cups.

coolguyky7

I cleaned the interior although it didn't do much good because it was already so clean. I also cleaned the windows and lights on the exterior. Here are some pictures of it. I hope to really make the paint nice and shiny this summer when I can wash and wax it.

sandman46

Congrats on the Corolla, it looks great!

coolguyky7

Are those pictures working? Because on my screen, it just says in a picture "Image Hosted By Angelfire." Although, when I view those photos directly from my website, they show up here. Are they working for you all? Sandman, I have 70k coming up on my odometer. What all should be done for that milestone? And...does your model have a heigh adjustment knob? It shows it in the book and was a feature the 1998 generation took away. It must have been on the CE model maybe for 1996 and 97? What can I use to buff out some paint that I believe is on the surface. It's visible in that second picture between the front bumper light and the head light. Thanks!

readytobuy8

When is the release date for the new Corolla

jeprox

corolla's are supposed to be at the showrooms by feb. 1st, same thing with the matrix. this is what i heard from dealers where i live

coolguyky7

My 96 Corolla has the digital quartz clock in it. However, it has this bubbly surface on it that makes it not very clear to clear, although it is legible. Is that a protective peel that sometimes comes on plastic faces to protect them? Am I able to peel this off? It is a bit of annoyance. Also...it's an automatic and at night I have to turn on the dome light to shift into the right gear because the light bulb (I assume) that lights up the P,R,N,D etc is out. Where can I get one to replace this and does anyone know what procedure is involved? Thanks.

sandman46

My light went out in the shift gate this past November and I had it fixed at my local dealer the night I noticed it. I paid around $50. to have it fixed because my wife and teenage girls sometimes use the car and they didn't feel safe.
If the timing belt was in fact not changed, you might want to have it done. Find out from the previous owner when and at what milage he did the routine maintenance and go from there.
Check all the belts and see if he did an alignment in the recent past. I really believe in preventive maintenance, I'm lucky down here, I tell my mechanic to give my car the once over and do what's necessary and he does and so far,no problems. This car must last for another 4 to 5 years, so I keep it up, maybe I go to far on this maintenance thing but I need my car to run every day! Good luck.

sandman46

I also liked your photos of your new ride. Mine's white with a blue interior but I really wanted the green with the grey interior. Since I bought the car used, I had to take what I could find. Hopefully my next Corolla will be a new one!

coolguyky7

Me too, hopefully a new one! I'll be waiting about 7 more years though for that.

sandman46

I do plan to go and see the new Corolla at the dealer when it arrives. My wife and I talked about it the other night so maybe I can convince her. She also mentioned about giving me her '01 Altima and her taking the new Corolla when we decide to get one.
I usually don't like the first year of a new model. I prefer year 3 or 4 of a 5 year cycle. Companies seem to do a front and rear facia change and some interior tweaking in year 4 so we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll win the lottery or something , you never know...

jeprox

that bubbly surface is just a protective plastic that you can remove and no cause any harm to your clock.

as far as the light is concerned for your shift gate, remove the screws on for the console and pop the plastic cover and you can replace the light yourself. i did it for my sisters 97 camry. be careful as you might snap the plastic parts if you use too much force.

goodluck.

coolguyky7

My dad was able to pop that up. As for the clock, it feels smoothbut looks bubbly. Ill try to feel it up, I just hope there is something to be peeled. Ok....I just tried to peel something off. There's nothing ther eto peel. It's almost like the plastic face was wiped by a wet clock and it left water spots or something.

jeprox

if there's nothing there for you to peel off, maybe the plastic is just distorted so it gives u this wavy look from a certain angle.

lfan

I just test drove a 2003 CE Auto today. The dealer I visited has received a LE and this CE. Since the LE was sold "90 seconds" after it arrived at the dealer, I was only able to drive the CE. The car was impressive all around. It is as roomy and more comfortable in the rear seat than my '95 Accord.

Driving impressions -
pluses: low wind and road noise, competent handling, good ergonomics and seating position. benign handling
minuses: engine noise in 2000-4000 rpm range unrefined, sensitive to cross winds (tall vehicle). bengin handling.

I negotiated the price for a 5 spd "S" and will take delivery within a week.

dsgecho

Since you could make essentially the same comments on the 2001/2002's- could you give us some specific comparisons betw. the 2 generations?
Thanks!
Don

lfan

Comparing an '01* to an '03 subjectively:

Interior - '03 has richer materials, more attractive look, IMO. The LE instrument particular with black on white face was very attractive. Seating is more upright though I found the front seat cushion a bit short (I'm 5'9"). The steering wheel felt a bit far but would probably be ok for shorter drivers. I like the radio and climate control placement bring higher on the dash. Rear seat very comfortable as I mentioned in previous post. Ingress/egress eased by high seats (remember, the '03 is 57.5-57.7" tall, about 3" taller than the previous model. There was an '01 used in the showroom and the '03 was definitely superior in the aforementioned areas.

Exterior: The LE (Lunar Mist Metallic) and CE (Black) were very attractive, taking styling cues from the Jetta and Camry. The Al wheels on the LE was a nice touch. Quality, particularly paint and panel gaps, was impeccable.

Engine - about the same power and noise/vibration as the 01. As the engine had only 12 miles, I only rev'd up to 5000rpm. Below 4000 rpm, power was ok and it was a bit noisy. At about 4000 rpm the VVT kicked in at which time the engine felt smoother somehow and there was some extra grunt.

Handling/Ride: The '03's longer wheelbase and refined suspension seem to payoff with a smoother ride. I wasn't able to take it on any curvy roads but it handled fine under normal suburb/hwy driving.

Overall: I was very impressed with the '03 Corolla. I must confess I am a Honda guy (3 hondas purchased between my wife and myself since 1989) I was about to purchase a Civic EX last week. But I am not crazy about the new 4dr Civic's styling and it has been too evolutionary in many respects since the '92s. So I decided to wait until the new Corolla came out. The Corolla S is going to fit my bill for a econmical but comfortable commuter car with a bit of sporting flair.

* My co-worker has an '01 LE auto which I base my comparision.

2003corolla

Please list your city/state!

digiturbo

Hope the dealer here have more of 03 corollas.(not 3-4 cars) That way they would want to deal with the buyers. Then this will end my searching of my first new car (Focus>Civic> "Corolla" ) I don't want to wait no more.

By the way, has anyone seen the leather seat in stone color? All I have seen only in pebble color.

Ifan: How much did you get for your new corolla?
Edmunds still have no invoice information. Thanks

zizi

Hi all

check out the prices for the canadian corolla and matrix

http://www.carcostcanada.com/ccdata/retailprices/models1.asp?MakeID=34&ModelYear=2003&submit1=submit

mackabee

we are getting 2 tomorrow. An Le and an S model. The leather will only be available in the Pebble beige and only with two colors, Lunar mist, and Moonshadow pearl.

Matrix will debut February 7th, in CAT (central atlantic Toyota) VA,MD,DE,PA,WV and parts of NJ.

: )

Mackabee

herbiedog

Went for a test drive today in the LE mode. Wife also drove it and liked it alot. The only thing I wasn't high on was the manual controls to adjust the seats. If this car offered power adjustable seats the car would almost be perfect for it's buying audience. Other than the manual seats I had nothing but praise for the car. Dealer said there was little markup on the car so I should expect to pay sticker price. I would appreciate feedback from 2003 buyers if they in fact pay sticker or get a discount. If you get a discount could you say what city and state you are from. Thanks

readytobuy8

I do not want to pay sticker. I am in Dallas I will call around tomorrow to find out if any of the local dealers have one. I was going to buy another civic lx but I have been holding off to take a look at the 03.

Thanks for any imput any one has

digiturbo

I hope we don't have to pay sticker price for this. The invoice shown at cars.com is different from msrp at least ~$1500. So, don't buy it at msrp.

Good luck to you all

gman40

The Corolla is a volume car, there is no reason to pay msrp, you may have to wait until the lots
are full, but the demand will not outstrip the supply to where you will have to pay msrp. The mark-up in smaller cars usually is less than larger cars and suv's, but they still discount smaller cars. That's why Toyota sells 5 varieties of suvs, that's where they make their money. As usual the salesman was feeding you a load of crap.
I would think $250-$500 over invoice would be fair.

eljestero

I am planning to make a deposit on 2002 Corolla CE with the Value Package 'Plus'. The Dealer quoted me $18,085 (MSRP) +995 (shipping) +100(ac) . Any ideas on whats a fair offer to make to start the negotiations?

maxamillion1

I just got in from the autoshow in my area, and I saw the new 2003 Corolla S. I didn't like the body moulding on the bottom, the car reminded me of the Mitsubishi Lancer OZ Rally. The interior was VERY VERY nice though, and the materials in this car are way better than those found in the new Civic or Focus, and almost as good,if not better than the materials found in the VW Jetta. The rear seat was very roomy in the back, roomier than the Civic, and the seats were comfortable and used better materials than the new Civic. The cloth did have a lot of lint on it though. Overall, it's larger on the inside, to me than the Civic, but not as large as the Focus ZX5 I sat in. Definately will at least give the LE 5spd a try. Strange, I am only 16, and the sporty "S" model doesn't even appeal to me. I think it looks a bit tacky with the kit on it.

jvkalra

I've always been a Honda loyalist, but admit that the new Corolla is much more stylish and up to date than the redesigned Civic, which looked kind of dated from day 1. I was impressed with the fit/finish, driving position and rear seat roominess. Didn't get a chance to drive it, but if it has good road feel and a well weighted steeering, the Civic is going to take at least a 10% hit in sales.

The Toyota dealer is a friend of mine, and he's always hated the old Corolla - said he pretty much had to give them away. Not the new one, says it'll outsell the Civic in a year or two. I agree. Should be interesting to see how Honda responds.

coolguyky7

Well according to the public (you all) the 2003 Corolla is very good and should do well in competition with the Civic. Toyota expected this so they have made the ability possible to ramp up production higher than previous models. I'm going to assume, based on Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, and you all...that this Corolla is a grand slam! Wish I could buy one but I love my recently purchased 1996 Corolla DX just the same!

lfan

Just a few comments on whether Toyota can really increase the number of Corolla's built.

In the past, the Corolla was built side by side with the Prizm. The ratio of Corollas to Prizms was 5 to 1, 250,000 to 50,000 units. The Corolla is either built in Cambridge Canada - east and Fremont, CA - west. The Matrix/Vibe is built off of the same production lines I believe. Let's assume that that the Matrix/Vibe total will be 100,000 cars per year.

I have not read anything about increasing plant capacity. So it would seem that Toyota would have a hard time increasing the production volume of Corollas any appreciable amount even if the demand increases. Maybe the Corolla will give Toyota dealers a taste of what the Honda dealers experience with being able to sell the the CRV and Odysesy at MSRP. Then maybe not.

BTW, I too had been a Honda loyalist for 13 years. I am defecting by buying a 2003 Corolla by virtue of its numerous superior attributes over the current Civic.

johnclineii

Matrix is built ONLY in Cambridge, Canada, NOT at Fremont.

The Fremont plant (NUMMI) built Corolla, Prizm and the little Toyota pickups. Prizm has been discontinued.

A SMALL number of the Pontiac Vibes (yes, Vibes) built at Fremont (NOT at Cambridge where Matrix is built) will be badged as Toyota Voltz and sold in Japan as Toyotas.

Nowhere will Matrix and VIbe be built on the same line.

It appears to me it would be easy to increase Corolla production, and I have read that such increases are indeed planned.

coolguyky7

This is coming from Toyota North America's headquarters:

Toyota is thinking of sending parts over to Japan to have Corollas assemblied and then shipped back here if the demand requires it. This being done should be seen as a huge feat for Toyota as they are really having to churn out COROLLAs for a high demand. I can't wait to see a Corolla in person. Seeing the 2002 Camry for the first time was great so I suspect this will be just as good...if not better.