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Toyota Corolla Owners: Meet the Members
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2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
My name is Joe and I live in Pasadena, CA. Last night I finally purchased a charcoal metallic (moonshadow as they call it), '03 Corrola Type S after much researching, calling around dealers all over Southern California, and actual going to the dealerships. I've got the sports package (which gives you alloy wheels and spoiler), power package, cruise control, CD/AM-FM/cassette, and some dealer add-ons for about $17,500 out the door (tax and fees included). What do you all think about this price? Is it reasonable? This Corolla is my very first experience with Toyota, and a Japanese car altogether. Previous to this Corolla, I drove a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo well equipped with all of the nice options(Infiniti Gold Speakers, powered seats and lumbar supports for driver and front passenger, heated mirrors, etc) for 7 years up to yesterday. It really is a nice car, but the gas mileage on it is just too much to handle, especially with the recent increase in fuel prices. Up until yesterday, I easily spent $300 - 400 a month on gas (we're talking 87-regular unleaded grade, folks!), although I don't really do distance driving, except in the weekend. I didn't trade in the car because the dealers that I went to just gave me really low quotes, way below the Kelly Blue Book. I'm going to try to sell it on my own so that hopefully I can get more out of it. Previous to the Cherokee, I drove a Dodge Minivan for 2 years. So as you can see, I've only had experiences with big, American cars before. I chose the Corolla because based on my research, the car should give me excellent reliability (unlike typical American cars), the replacement parts are cheaper, and most importantly, it's very economical on the fuel. So far, I'm quite happy with the way the car handles and accelerates, although I'm still not used to it. This morning when I drove the car on the freeway, I got freaked out a little bit because the car just flew and felt really light, even when I stepped on the gas lightly. I mean, it got to the higher speed fast!! I guess I'm used to the heavy, massive feel, and slower but steady, powerful accelaration feel of an SUV. It's a different feel of driving altogether, but it's exciting and I think I can learn to like it. I feel more agile on the road, that's for sure. Anyway, if any of you have interesting experiences with the car, whether it be purchasing experience, driving experience, or even if you know of any potential problems that I need to be aware of with this car, please share the experience with me. It would make my first time experience with this car a bit less daunting. I would deeply appreciate any opinion, advice, and stories. What should I/should I not expect from this car?
PS: Jierong, what trim and options did you get with $17,200 out the door? Did you get the CE, LE or S type? Sports, power, cruise control as well? Where did you get your Corolla? I bought mine from Wondries Toyota in Alhambra.
Thank you all for your time.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
On the site it had all of Toyota's models like the camry, corolla, etc... with a history of each car.
It listed the significant changes to the car year by year. Like what changed from 1996 to 1997. And talked about each new generation of all the models.
Does anyone know the site I'm referring to?
My name is Vivian. I've just purchased an automatic, 2004 Toyota Corolla LE, Luna Mist metallic with AM/FM/CD/Cass combo w/ 6 speakers, cruise control, trunk and 4-piece carpets - the basic. Loving it so far. It doesn't have as many automatic functions as my previously owned Camry LE V6, but it will do. One of the best things is its gas mileage. I'm driving it and loving it. Yippee!
After a long absence I am back. see:
canadaodyowner Mar 6, 2002 6:29pm
Due to old age memory loss I forgot my former user id and re-registered as '03corollace'! Anyway, I am going to hang on to 'canadaodyowner' userid for my dear life because, think about it, I was the first member on this thread!
Anyway, I returned to share my cold start problem/solution:
03corollace "Toyota Corolla Owners: Problems & Solutions" Jan 29, 2004 1:41pm
Happy and Safe Driving to All.
I think initial quality of the cars are the same, whether an Elentra or a Corolla. I test drove Civic, Corolla, Protege, and Elentra. Protege revs too high and too much engine noise, and does not fit my taste, and I have heard complaints about their longterm problems. Elentra drives exactly like my previous Sentra, (we are comparing an 01' Sentra with an 04' Elentra), and I would expect long term quality problems. Civic is very nice, but the engine feels weak (not a V-tec on my test vehicle), and not as spacious as the corolla. I do not know what kind of vehicle I would perchase next time around, but a Toyota product is definitely high on my list.
P.S. We just experienced the coldest winter in the past 50 years in Central Canada. One night, I parked my 01' Corolla on the driveway, and forgot to plug in the block heater. Next morning, the car started without a problem in this -40 c whether.
Thanks for reading this lengthy message. I guess all I wanted to say is that "best selling vehicle in the automobile history" means something.
First of all congratulations on the choice of car you've got! Corolla.
I got mine Oct 01, 1988 brand new made in Japan and it's 16 years old w/ 260,000 miles and running. Keeping it in good maintenance would let the car live longer. Change oil every 3,000 miles, tire rotation, and follow the manuals maintenance guideline walla! it works for me. This would be my 4th time in changing the timing belt and all the belts that goes with it. Always use original Toyota parts.
It just keeps on going with proper care.
Can anyone tell me why the factory is ignoring my order? The dealer doesn't seem to know or won't tell me. I am pretty firm about what I want on the car but am worried that 2005 models may be here and I still won't have my car.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me on getting this car built, other that dropping all the features that I really want?
U may have to take dealer stock and/or pay for the XRS!
I just purchased a 2005 Corolla CE last month and I couldn't say that I am entirely happy with the car nor the dealer. It was an O.K. deal and has gone bad with this "LoJack" tracing system. I am still waiting for my dealer to respond but it doesn't look very good at this point. I'll post a complete story when it ends.
For those of you wanted to buy a car, make sure you know what kind of system and service they offered. The problem with LoJack is that IT CAN NOT BE REMOVED once its installed. Another word, if it has a problem, you are doomed with it. That doesn't happen a lot, but it seems that I had the worse luck with any security systems. So, good luck to you all!
So far, it seems to be a fine car
Otherwise the car is great. I love the manual transmission and the HWY gas miliage is phenomonal. 40+mpg pure HWY driving (I know cause I went on a road trip a month after I got er, talk a about a break in).
Some of the pannels on the dash have slightly warped too, I went to the dealer to get it fixed and they saidd they had to "order" them, but that was 2wks ago. Time to email them.
Great car so far, dealer was really nice too. I'm a college student so he had to work pretty hard to get Toyota Financial to Finance me, I even got 60 months aat 3.9 fixed. Can't say I feel ripped, but I thought the car was a little pricey, but it was the lowest in my area.
OK END, MM
Have only driven 400 or so miles in the past 2 weeks ... Planning a road trip on July 1st... cant wait.
My name is Soumit, I have just purchased a Used Toyota Corolla, Truly speaking I am fond of Honda, But due Fate I got a good deal for this car. I had to go thru maintenance. This is my first car. But still child hood I am fond of CARs. I love to know more about car engines. Will start bugging you all with lots of questions. I really Like the car. The features are too good. Only thing I miss is a Sun Roof.
Can any one tell me what this code means?
Does this code exist? Looking on net I found for Ford this code exist.
Do different cars have different codes?
Do I need to look into it immediately.
I am new here and I recently bought my first Toyota.My previous cars have been GM models.
My brother is a big fan of Toyota--he says that will all he will ever own.He currently has a 1999 Corolla and a 1996 Tacoma truck.
I recently bought my 1987 Toyota Corolla dirt cheap--only $300.It has 187,600 miles.It is a 4 door sedan.It has the 1.6 liter.It's a carbureted model.
It is two-toned color--silver and grey.The interior is black and grey.
People are surprised when I tell them it is 18 years old.It looks almost like new!
It has no rust and the interior is flawless.Nice car.
It has an overdrive transmission that shifts very smoothly.It still has the original wheels.
For the price the car is better than I expected.It burns no oil or has any major defects. However I am having a problem with the alternator.For some reason the car has went through 3 alternators and I've had the car for 5 months.
I'd say that was the reason that guy sold it to me so cheap,but I feel it was well worth fixing.
I owned a 85 Corolla SR5 many years ago. I also had a 77 DX Sedan, 89 GT-S, and I still own a 95 DX Sedan.
I'm Vivek, I live in hopkins, mn.
I got my 91 5 speed corolla last week. The car was clean and without rust (only a couple of small spots). i got it at 107,600 miles and am pretty sure it will go for more. the 5 speed is just great. it gives me good control of the car and hopefully more mileage. just take it alternative weeks to office (car pool) and weekend visits to cousins'.
That said, I recently purchased a '99 Corolla (5 speed) with 64.5K miles. Its stout record, along with having owned other Toyota vehicles and liking them prompted me to buy a Corolla. The car the Corolla is replacing, a '93 Tercel, has also been a very good car. It now has 138K miles and is now my Daughter's car. I never had a lick of trouble with this car and I know it will be a very reliable ride for my Daughter.
While there isn't much of a size difference between the Tercel and Corolla, these two cars are very different. For one thing, the Tercel is a base model and has absolutely no options whatsoever. The Corolla on the other hand is a completely optioned out LE model and seems like a baby Lexus compared to the Tercel. Its interior is plush and comfortable and the ride is more like a mid sized car than a compact. Its slightly larger engine (1.8 compared to the Tercel's 1.5) feels much more powerful and responsive.
If my previous Toyotas are any indication of how well built this Corolla is, I can easily see this car lasting 200K miles with nothing more than the required preventitive maintenance (i.e., fluid and filter changes, tires, belts brakes, etc.).
My previous car was a 1993 Honda Accord who's biggest problem was a dead auto tranny at 97K miles. It got flooded in Katrina. I went around looking and trying to buy cars and found that, because the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic retained their value so well, I could buy them with less money down than any other comperable car (Focus, MAzda3, Elantra, Spectra, Cobalt, etc) My credit rating is horrid due to being jobless for a good chunk of last year. Since I have only a limited amount of money to put down, and really need a car to get to and from work (my loaner got called back in) I was in a pickle and needed to buy a car.
Long story short, I now have the above mentioned corolla. I love this car! Its got as much get up and go as my old accord. Its got a larger trunk, as much interior room, and a better ride. Its got all the features you really need and want in a car. The stereo system is decent with good imaging and adequate bass. The car looks sporty and handles well enough in the turns. Hopefully, it will live up to its EPA gas mileage ratings. The old accord gave me around 30 mpg on the highway at 80 mph. It did around 24 mpg in the city with the A/C on, and 26 with it off. If I can get in the mid 30s on the highway and 30 in the city, I'll be doing well.
Got a corolla from parents so I can drive to work (current on co-op, that's why), but hopefully I can pay for the car and fully own it soon, so I can add all the accessories I want . Nevertheless, still loving the Rolla's mileage and sufficient features to entertain me when I ma bored.
Jeff
My name is Nancy and I am a new member of the Toyota family. Bought my first Toyota (2006 Corolla) 5 days ago and I love, love, love, it! I haven't even put the first tank of gas in it yet as the dealer did that for me. My Corolla is a CE with auto transmission and what a joy it is to drive. I had been driving a 1994 Nissan Sentra with stick shift for the last 12 years and only had 56,718 on the Nissan but the body was falling away around it. I live in a very hilly geographic area and the stick shift really took effort to drive and was stressful when having to stop atop a steep hill. I am looking forward to having a long love affair with my new Corolla.
I hope you will explore all of our Corolla discussions as well as the rest of our Forums. You'll find that we have a lot to offer and we'd love to have your input.
Also, don't miss our new feature, http://www.carspace.com. You can post pictures of your new Corolla and make all kinds of new friends.
Have fun - here in the Forums and with your new ride!!
Problem is that my family is growing, and my '99 LE 5 speed stick is smaller than the current Corolla, so I may have to get rid of it in a few years. I don't want to, because my wife is like you (doesn't like stick), and she wants me to get an automatic next time so she can drive it too and not get all stressed out driving a stick.
I've had this car for 9 years this week! I bought it when it had just less than 10,000 miles on it, and now it's got slightly less than 124.5K miles on it. It's been a dream, easily the best car I've ever had. This year was the first time I had to put it in the shop for something that wasn't minor maintenance. The starter went out after 8 years, and a door handle broke off after years in the hot Oklahoma sun. However, I fixed that myself rather than blow money at the dealer to fix it. I also lost a wheel bearing this year. I've put maybe 3 sets of tires on it since I've had it, which I don't consider excessive, and lucky, given the potholes that develop around here! I ripped out the cupholders as well as the door to the storage area underneath the air conditioning controls. The cupholder bracket was interfering with the electric plugin that I used for my portable CD player. I've got a bulb out on the instrument cluster but I can still read the gauge.
I've yet to change a headlight in it, although I did change both brake lights last year. Now I'm noticing signs that the transmission is perhaps starting to go, not sure what that's about. Oh, and I'm still running on the original Japanese plugs! Still just bump the key and it starts, no cranking!
At any rate, I have no real complaints about the service I've gotten out of this car. This is my fifth car in 27 years, and I've had some real losers. My last two were this Corolla and a Corolla in Chevrolet clothing called the Nova, and between them I've gotten 19 years of service out of them.
Now that it's time to start thinking about what my next car will be, part of me says I'd be silly to consider anything but another Corolla. But it sure would be nice to have something with utility, that I could take, say, a TV set or a wing chair I find at a garage sale. Plus because of the cooperation between the foreign and domestic carmakers interchanging parts, even American-made 4 cylinders are better by far than they used to be. With the Corolla, you get a car that you'll never have to change the timing belt on - because it has a chain! All Corollas since the late 90s have had timing chains rather than that annoying belt such as that which broke on my Nova! So, even though I hate the generation 9's body style and those round tail lights, and the lack of black trim around the windows, I could do worse than yet another Corolla. If I move up to the LE, I get a CD player AND some classy wood-like trim!
Oh, and another thing my '98 has over the newer ones is the cool wheel covers. The recent Corollas have the ugliest wheels I've ever seen.