Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I got a warm and fuzzy feeling with the S model. The cheap plastic doesn't look as cheap as it did in the LE. Could be because it's a charcoal/black color and doesn't show. The seats were also very nice as was the moonroof, spoiler, and alloy wheels. It also has the audio controls on the mini leather covered steering wheel. I did have to look twice at the price. $20,974.00. Funny thing was after I walked away our VP of sales happened to be walking back to his office and stopped to look at the car. I walked over and said "be careful when you look at the sticker, it might make you jump." He looked at me and said "Are you serious? $20,974.00 for a Corolla?" "yep, you get the moonroof, alloys and wheels, but the car just behind it is $1000 more." he looks back and there's an Camry LE which stickers for $21,934.00 and says "You're going to have a hard time selling this one."
This one was a shocker to me too.... but ya know what's even more shocking? This new non-discounted price of ~$20700+ is almost exactly the same as the non-discounted price of the outgoing 08 model.,,, when you equalize the equipment as much as possible. We had our last 08 next to the first 09 S model.
Here are the numbers:
2008 Base + FE, CK, SR, BE. AB, VS, AL, CF = $20854 MSRP as per Edmunds
2009 Base + Package C ( FE, CK, SR, SX, VS, CF ) = $20595 MSRP as per Toyota's site
Obviously there are discounts and rebates on the outgoing 08.
But as noted, few people will actually pay $21k for an S. I noticed that Fitzmall already has the 2009 Corollas priced at invoice before they even arrive at the dealerships. In a few months, who knows what kind of deals will be available?
Just a thought, though I'm still not sold on the redesign. Happy to hear the ride is as quiet as Toyota is touting, and glad acceleration is as good or better than before from the seat of the pants perspective.
The V6 Camry and the 4WD Tundra I believe were the reasons that Consumer's gave Toyota a "whipping". If you notice, just about all other Toyota models are rated high for reliability.
All companies, including Honda (transmission and A/C, to name a few) have had some serious problems. Honda seems to have them resolved, and I am sure Toyota will too. Toyota has publicly admitted to the problems and have said that they will get them corrected. With their piles of cash and know-how, you can bet they will.
And I drove the LE not the S and the base Matrix. The S just came in so it was not inspected or PDI'D so I didn't take it on the road. I will this friday.
Mack
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
mACK
I guess you really had to search hard and ignore everything else to find this nugget of deficiency. :sick: OH..BTW welcome to the forums. :shades:
[EDIT]
I know that I should always check first before taking anyone else's post as being factually correct. The reality of the facts are that even the 5M base models DO have intermittent windshield wipers, but they aren't variable. It's on the window sticker.
Is your faith in Toyota restored because of this?
I know Toyota is the Master of De-Contenting, but this is getting ridiculous. :sick:
* Sorry, you can't have both variable intermittent wipers, a fuel-efficient 1.8L engine, and a stick shift--because the XLE comes only in an automatic.
* Sorry, you can't get a stick shift on the LE, either.
* Sorry, we don't think rear passengers deserve a center arm rest.
* Sorry, if you want body side moldings (which were standard on the previous Corolla) you need to pay extra for them.
* Sorry, we've made it really hard to get VSC in your region, especially on the less expensive trims, for which we don't include VSC in any option packs, so you'll have to special order a car if you want, say, VSC on an LE.
* Sorry, we de contented the LE so it's really more like the old CE, and the XLE is now like the old LE. We were hoping no one would notice.
I could go on, but you get the picture.
* Sorry, you can't get a stick shift on the LE, either.
* Sorry, we don't think rear passengers deserve a center arm rest.
* Sorry, if you want body side moldings (which were standard on the previous Corolla) you need to pay extra for them.
* Sorry, we've made it really hard to get VSC in your region, especially on the less expensive trims, for which we don't include VSC in any option packs, so you'll have to special order a car if you want, say, VSC on an LE.
* Sorry, we de contented the LE so it's really more like the old CE, and the XLE is now like the old LE. We were hoping no one would notice.
Sorry, IMO these are nits or they are specific decisions made to satisfy the majority rather than the entirety of the buying public.
The variable wiper issue is a nit to me.
The question of AT or 5M is simply a question of numbers. More buyers of the XLE ( old LE ) demand AT's rather than 5M's . Discontinuing the the 5M in this trim is just sound business.
No 5M on the LE ( old CE )...same thing, a sound business decision.
No rear seat center armrest, a nit and a business decision ( see below ).
No BSM's - nor are they standard on the Camry and that certainly hasn't hurt it's sales at all. That being the case this extra cost is something that doesn't have to be incurred since the buying public doesn't seem to care one iota. A nit and a sound business decision.
VSC in Chicago region... this is a local issue which will resolve itself over time as the public speaks it's mind. If a lot of buyers ask for it and sales lag due to the lack of it then the local poobahs will add it to more option packages. This may not be the best business decision the locals ever made but it's not cast in stone. It can be changed on a month's notice and every store can change it on it's own.
Trim name changes... It is a slick little move but so what. A nit.
One of the key purposes of the Corolla beyond selling itself is that it has to drive buyers up into the Camry line. The Corolla supports the flank of the Camry which is still the center of everything here in NA. The Corolla can have all kinds of new upscale features for the same money or even more money than some Camry models but it should not/cannot be the equal to the Camry. It has to be a lesser equal.
If a buyer wants more room...then the Corolla is not the right vehicle.
If a buyer wants a smoother nicer ride...ditto
If a buyer wants a rear center armrest...ditto
The Yaris serves the same purpose for the Corolla.
The Camry does the same for the Avalon/ES350.
The RAV does the same for the Highlander.
The Tacoma does the same for the Tundra.
etc...
These types of decisions are not made in a vacuum or done by mistake "Hey where are the 5M's? Didn't anyone build any?' They're done intentionally.
But I do realize that if one were to be looking for negatives such things no BSM's and VIW's only on some models these might be found to be major catastrophes and disasters. OTOH they might also be nits that the buying public just doesn't care about in a vehicle designed for economy, durability, rock-sold reliability and not a lot of frills. For those wanting more of certain things there is the Camry.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Maybe our Host could rename this discussion "Positive Comments about the 2009 Corolla", then if anyone says anything about the Corolla that isn't complimentatry, voices any concern or issue, you could object on the grounds of being off-topic.
Maybe that's one reason I haven'tt owned a Toyota in over 20 years even though my first 3 new cars were Toyotas, and I would own a Prius today if it were not for pipeline delays--I kept hearing "if you don't like it, go someplace else". So I did. Looks like I'll have to do it again when I buy a car this year. Too bad, too, because I really liked the two Corollas and Celica that I owned.
it's larger
it's more powerful
it has far more standard and optional safety equipemnt
it has more standard and optional amenities
in some cases it costs less than the outgoing model ( MSRP to MSRP )
But nevertheless because some models don't have variable intermittent wipers you state in the title of the post that the vehicle is decontented. Please.
Mack :shades:
Soon to be current and previous generations do not/did not offer it at all. Anyone know? Someone in Toyota sales know?
Also...is VSC a rare option to find so far? Northern US zones are more likely to feature this option than those that reside in the southern US. True?
You may not be able to count on VSC being easy to find in Northern US states, depending on which state you live in. For example, I live in MN, in the Chicago Region, and it appears for now at least that VSC is pretty hard to get, given the package offerings on that region. But that can change over time. If you aren't in the Chicago Region, you may have better luck. Also, as was noted earlier, it's possible in many states to special order a Corolla with the equipment you want, if you're willing to wait 2-3 months.
As for heated mirrors, toyota.com says that they are available in package(s) but not standard on the LE and XLE. You'd have to check the packages available in your region to see how to get the heated mirrors.
The region's option packages are changed periodically during the year, so it's possible that VSC or something else you wanted might be available in your region 3 or 6 months later even if it's not today.
When you "special order" the only thing that's happening is that your name is put in a queue for when a car that's built with the options you wanted gets produced.
They will not build it because of your request and you need to have alot of time on your hands to even attempt this.
:shades:
But you will be missed. Thanks for your comments. :shades:
Edmunds summary from it's first drive last Fall.
In the meantime, the 2008 Saturn Astra is a real alternative to the popular Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla and VW Rabbit. Is it perfect? Nope, it isn't even the best car in its class, but it is the best small car GM has ever sold in the United States, and it's worth a look.
This vehicle is going to displace the Corolla?? NOT!!
Can you import your contacts from your mobile phone (address book transfer)?
Mack
A while back I remember a question about the remote keyless entry integrated key, and whether or not it had a trunk release. According to the 2009 sales brochure, there is indeed a trunk relase on the remote key/keyfob.
So far, I have driven it a grand total of about 25 miles. My first, very brief impressions: The car is much quieter than the previous generation. That was my one pet peeve of my 03; it was very noisy on the highway. This one is surprisingly quiet, even though I had been reading for a while about how much quieter it is.
It doesn't seem quite as quick to accelerate, but I'm not sure if I'm just being influence by all that I've read about it's quickness. It still is quite satisfactory, and if I were really worried about quickness, I wouldn't be buying a 1.8l 4 cyl car.
The comfort behind the steering wheel is quite noticeable. It's a big improvement over the 03 I had. You also can notice the extra width, it doesn't feel near as cramped inside.
Fit and finish looks pretty good. Quality of materials, not so great. I'd like it better, but that seems to be the way most cars are going. The instrument panel is much better (I never did get where I liked the green on white on the 03). The amber is much easier on the eyes. I like the multi-information display, although I have to agree with what someone else said, it would have been better if they had left the clock on the radio, instead of making it just one of the choices on the display.
Overall, it's a definite upgrade from Gen 9. Hopefully it will be just as troublefree for the next 100,000 miles as my 03 was for the last 100,000 miles(well, 93k actually, but 100k sounds better)
Lester