Toyota Corolla

coolguyky7 · December 2001

I've been looking at the Toyota website of Malaysia. It has extensive information the Corolla Altis. If the North American Corolla parallels this one in features and amenities...then count me in on it! It has all those little knobs and adjusters that made the last generation Corolla so much better than the current one. The Altis has rear seatpockets, heigh adjustment, lumbar support (I belief), cupholders by the emergency brake, a larger radio system with 6 speakers, the Camry/Avalon style door handles and locks instead of the current type, folding rear seats, VERY WIDE opening trunk, a reverse sensing backing up system (I wouldn't expect that in the US), better padded seats, higher seating position, Vehicle Skid Control (wouldn't expect that along with the leather and autoclimate control). I have no idea how many of these little extras will be available on the American/Canadian models. Hopefully they will be included somehow. I was thinking about a 2002 at 0% financing but with this much improved Corolla...I think I'm going to wait. Also, the links that go to pictures of the new Corolla don't do it justice. The Malaysian site has some very good pictures.

Go to www.global.toyota.com Then select Malaysia on the country list in the upper right corner. Then find your way to Corolla Altis in the Malaysian website.

jrct9454 · December 2001

...I'd settle for the US Corolla having the height-adjustable seats they took away with the current generation. All of the rest of it I could take or leave, but the low seating position for shorter people [not me, but the person who drives the car the most often] has had to be fixed with aftermarket cushions that are no substitute for doing it right at the factory. All LEs had the height-adjuster on the driver seat until the current car came out in '98...this needs to be fixed.

maxamillion1 · December 2001

but I discovered the new Corolla at Carpoint.com autoshow website. The car was an a toyota ad, it looked like it was on a trampoline(sp?) I clicked on the icon, and it brought up a silohette(sp?) of the car. In the ad, you can see the details of the car, it looks similar to the Japanese Corolla to me. It's tall looking. Go to the website and look for that ad, it should still be there. Needless to say, I definately like the new Corolla better than the current one.

backy · December 2001

I tried the Carpoint site, and all it showed was a translucent blob on a trampoline, with the text "revealed Jan. 7". If there was a profile of a car there, it's gone now.

maxamillion1 · December 2001

I just saw it again. This one was gold with blacked-out headlights. I was there last night though, maybe you will see it next time.

hawkbert · December 2001

Since this is the same car as the Corolla, and the Geo Prizm board gets relatively little traffic, I thought I'd post here.

I've been dissatisfied with the brightness of my headlights lately, so I bought some replacements. Getting to the bulbs is proving to be a bit of a problem, though. I can't find any way to get the front cover off, and I certainly can't get my hand behind it to pull the bulb out. Can someone post a process or a link to a process for replacing the headlights? Thanks!

tundradude · December 2001

Its in my Haynes book. I would suggest going to your local auto part store and look at section 12-8.

I have a 95 Corolla.

winmanz · December 2001

Here are some of the new illustrations and photos from Wieck.

Exterior view:
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_031809
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_031852

Interior view:
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_031853

Engine photo:
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_031806

Looking good....

jrct9454 · December 2001

...these are believable shots of what we will get in North America. And, I'm happy to see the seat height adjuster seems to be back on at least the high-end model, whatever they wind up calling it.

Note that, as I predicted, this is a more conservative looking design than the Japanese and EU markets get. I told this group to look at the Matrix front end for clues on what we would see here...and there it is...

The longer wheelbase should indeed help with the other big complaint, back seat leg room.

bcleepe · December 2001

My 90 Corolla is sitting on my driveway most of the time. It is our family spare car. Recently I have a strange problem with the car starter. If we haven't used it for a few days, it doesn't start immediately. I will have to leave the key in the start position for a couple minutes, then it starts with a few more hard cranks. When the car is used again on the same day, it starts without similar problem. The battery is relatively new (2 years). Anyone have an idea what is the problem?

coolguyky7 · December 2001

the front of the Matrix looks more like the Japanese Corolla.

raychuang00 · December 2001

If those pictures of the 2003 Toyota Corolla are correct, the North American model is styled QUITE differently than the Corolla Altis models sold in Japan and Europe. Mind you, the Corolla Altis might not be accepted by US buyers because its shape might not suite American tastes.

That being said, the new car reminds me too much of the Mazda Protegé, though, especially shape of the rear half of the car.

gsbhasin · December 2001

I have a 2002 Corolla CE auto.

If i try pushing the car over 73 mph the engine makes a sound like a knocking sound. I use 91 octane fuel and have tried all major brands.

I drove a friends corolla and it was fine. He drove mine and did hear a knocking sound at 75mph and above though the acceleration was normal.

Since i dont have an RPM meter i dont know if the engine is going into the RED Line zone of high revs.

Otherwise the engine is quiet below 65 mph and slight sound can be heard over 70 but approaching 75 it starts to moan like knocking.

My friends car has a constant noise between 60 to 80 mph

When i travel Interstate its difficult to drive at 75 because the noise from the engine scares me off. Its not road or tire noise. Its like something is about to break, kind of noise.

I went to the dealer and they simply put no noise detected over 65 in the comments, though i had told them it was 75.

Also my friend's CE had a 4 speed auto with an overdrive buttone. I have the puny 3 speed auto as is given on the Toyota web site.

Anybody's got a clue?

johnclineii · December 2001

First of all, from a liability standpoint, no dealer is going to document they test drove a car in excess of the legal speed limit.

Second, find a dealer who understands why you drive the way you do and have him or her get the car fixed, preferably while it is still under warranty. You can always say, hopefully truthfully, that you first noticed this while passing on a two lane road and you are concerned that if it does this at this speed there is something wrong with the car which will eventually affect lower speeds and only get worse unless it is fixed. You can also make the safety argument, the car must be capable of safe operation at that speed, especially in states where it is legal to do so...like Montana.

And if you are from Montana or a state with a speed limit more than 70, ignore all the above, go back to the dealer, and raise Holy Hannah! A caring dealer's service department will let YOU take the mechanic (not the service advisor unless s/he is also a mechanic, which is rarely the case) with you on a test drive, and YOU can get the car to duplicate the problem or know that it wouldn't. If it won't, it is indeed a frustrating experience. Been there, done that. No fun!

floot · December 2001

Hey everone, hope you are having a happy holiday season.

I have a 2002 Corolla CE that I purchased back in October. The car is great except that I hear a squeaking sound coming from the right side of the dash when the car is in motion. Anybody else have this or have any idea as to whether I should be concerned about it or not? I will be going to the dealer in the next couple of months for the first oil change. Thanks for any advice.

alpha01 · December 2001

Its unlikely that you are going into the "redline zone" because, at last I knew, vehicles with the 3sp auto were equipped with a rev limiter...if you notice, when you floor the car from a stop, it seems like the car shifts from 1st to 2nd just when the power is ramping up. The 1.8 engine is so punchy and efficient, its a shame that Toyota mates it to this 3sp. We lease a 2002 Corolla CE, and are happy to say it will be our last one (hopefully). Its a decent little car, but the noise and decreased performance and fuel economy of the 3sp are disappointing. It would have been nice to have an LE with the 4sp, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
In any case, gsbhasin, if its a problem that concerns you, call the dealer, and visit them if necessary... the powertrain is under warranty, don't forget.

~alpha

gsbhasin · December 2001

Yeah i agree to what u say. I am not buying any 3 speed auto. In fact a friend who has a Celica says that the VVTi engine is the same as the one in his car, sad that they cut some costs and put a 3 speed.

Funny thing as aaifor mentioned even I have seen a few 2002 CE models with 4 speed auto and O/D.

And I dont know why edmunds and others give so much importance to low road noise (gimme a break) of the car. I dont find it too low.

Or is it that i listen too well.

I have seen a lot of posts of high noise (road or other)for the Corolla lately.

Cheers.

monterroza · December 2001

There is no such animal as a 4spd auto Ce Corolla 2002. The VE was renamed CE for 2002. When the Corolla was redesigned in 98' the trim levels were; VE, CE, LE, the VE came with the 3spd auto and the CE and LE with the 4spd auto.

Mackabee

dsgecho · December 2001

The Corolla is a very quiet economy car as stated by reviewers. At least the ones I have driven and the 2001 LE 4-speed I now own. Test drove Proteges, Focus, owned an echo previously [quiet also], and Civic.
Not saying some of the other cars are not good cars because they are, only my experience.
Cheers
Don

britton2 · December 2001

agreed - I too have a '01 LE - very quiet - great gas mileage!

backy · December 2001

I rent a lot of Corollas, and one thing you can say for them is that they ARE quiet for a small car--due largely I think to the smooth powertrain.

gsbhasin · December 2001

everyone's got a corolla which is quiet except mine. or is something wrong? The mileage is better than the EPA figure but not the noise

As to Monterozza in 1219 who says there is no 4 speed auto CE Corolla i had beg to differ my friend.

i have seen one with Enterprise that was rented by a colleague. and it read CE and not LE

nhepker · December 2001

The 4 speed auto IS available on the post '01 CE but ONLY on fleet purchases (rental companies). So if a dealer has a program '01 auto CE it is most likely a 4 speed. Any brand new auto CE that a dealer has is 3 spd. Hope this clears things up.

Happy '99 Rolla owner with 65,000 and going strong

johnclineii · December 2001

I didn't see this if it got posted. Canadian preview of the Corolla: Whether it did or didn't, here goes:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/011227-1.htm

gsbhasin · January 2002

nhepker Thanks for clearing up that. In fact thats what i had suspected all along. The rental car comapnies get 4 speed CE so the customers dont complain about the high noise of the car over 75 mph (and people do abuse the rental cars).
Its sad that Toyota wouldnt offer regular customers a 4 speed CE (if i cud afford an LE, i wud rather have a Camry....)

backy · January 2002

Thanks, I think a link to the pictures was posted before but not the Canadian Driver story. Anyone notice the back seat leg room? If the picture is accurate, the '03 Corolla looks to have more room than an Intrepid! Or maybe the front seats are pushed way forward, but it doesn't look like it. Anyway, it looks like a huge improvement over the current generation. Lack of rear seat legroom was what took the Corolla off my shopping list last year.

rsparrow · January 2002

They now have an updated article and an actual photo of the new Corolla at the same site mentioned above...Plus a review of the Pontiac Vibe, which is based on the Corolla platform.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/020101-2.htm

2003corolla · January 2002

http://thehollywoodextra.com/corolla/toyota.html

http://autonet.ca/AutonetStories/stories.cfm?storyID=4047

2003corolla · January 2002

http://thehollywoodextra.com/corolla/toyota.html

http://autonet.ca/AutonetStories/stories.cfm?storyID=4047

herbiedog · January 2002

Here is a link to an article about the first 2003 Corolla being made.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2002/01/03/034020.html?NEWS

winmanz · January 2002

Tons of new photos of the 2003 Corolla. Just go to wieck and do a search for "corolla":

http://www.wieck.com/public/index.html

Very nice looking (just like the Corolla Altis), especially the LE with leather interior !!! The Corolla S also look great but the rear skirt look cheap, like it is stick on (probally is).

I hope Toyota would keep some great features that comes with the Corolla Altis. (Super ECT auto, ABS 4-wheel-disc brake with force-distribution and brake assist.) This site have a great in-depth review of the Corolla Altis:

http://motioncars.com/archive/cover_story30/

coolguyky7 · January 2002

I was on Wieck earlier and those photos were so awesome. However, I just visited the site and the photos have been yanked! I guess where weren't supposed to appear as of yet. Toyota might have found out and yanked them because of the big Corolla launch at the North American Auto Show (I believe) within a week or two.

sandman46 · January 2002

I just saw my next car, the new Corolla! What an awesome car, looks like a little Camry. I just got my Car and Driver today and they have a nice write up about the car. I had my '88 FX for 10 years and bought my '96 DX used with 18k and I love these cars. Will probaly wait for the '04 model though.

maxamillion1 · January 2002

For my age, 16, you would think that I would like the S model better, but I don't. I Want the LE model. I pray that a manual transmission will be offered in the LE. I really like how the leather and wood look in the car. Looks like a mini Lexus. The interior design and materials look much better than those in the new Civic. Honda really will learn from this. I think this new Corolla might take the lead as the number 1 selling compact sedan....

rsparrow · January 2002

Since those photos of the 2003 Corolla don't seem to be available at wieck anymore, try these. The interior of the S model is nice!

http://www.velocityjrnl.com/jrnl/2003/v2kmdl2935mult.html

winmanz · January 2002

It seem that Wieck has removed the photos of 2003 Corolla from the search index. However, the photos are still on Wieck's server...you just have to go there directly

Corolla S photos:

Corolla LE photos:

Enjoy,
winmanz

toyota_0wnz · January 2002

I definately like the new Corolla. Certainly looks like Toyota did right (what's new there?) again.
I have to agree with Sandman46, it does look like a little Camry, which is an awesome looking car to begin with. To make a little version of that is even better. (PS, IMHO all Corollas have looked like miniature Camrys since the Camry's 1983 inception)

I also see that Toyota has added leather to the option list. This is probably an attempt to move upscale (like VW with the Jetta) and distance the Corolla from competitors like the Civic and the Korean makes as well. In all, a good move by Toyota. The new 2003 Corolla will sell like hotcakes.
Overall 2 thumbs up!

coolguyky7 · January 2002

You are right on toyota_0wnz. Now that the ECHO is here to do battle at the lower end the Corolla is moving upscale as has the Camry. The new Avalon coming for 2004 should be more Lexus like. Even the 2003 refresh will include navigation and other upgrades. Also, word on Car And Driver is that Toyota is going to import several small cars to the United States. Theya re to be shown at the North American Auto Show starting in the next few days. These will probably be the vehicles under the new brand name, possibly Genesis. The new Corolla does look good. And work from Toyota North America is that they are ramping up production expecting better sales than the previous model.

You others, how do you think this will do competing with other models?

dsgecho · January 2002

2003 looks good probably with higher seating position and morevisble rear tai lighs. Still quite honestly, I don't think I am totally left out in the cold with the 2001 I have now.
Cheers
Don

raychuang00 · January 2002

With these new and better pictures of the 2003 Toyota Corolla, it appears the car is in many ways almost identical to the Toyota Corolla Altis sold in Europe and Japan, except the front and rear end of the car is styled a bit differently for the North American market models. The front end treatment is much more aggressive looking on the NA models, that's to be sure.

If the car is reasonably roomy and sports better handling/ride than the current Corolla, I think it will sell like hotcakes. :-)

backy · January 2002

I have to say I think the LE interior is the classiest of the bunch. The SE's looks boring to me, in all black. The textures, colors, and wood grain in the LE seem much richer and more interesting to me. Also, I agree with C/D that the cladding on the SE looks tacky.

But I don't know that the fact that the new Corolla LE will offer leather will distance Toyota from the Koreans. The Elantra already offers a leather interior as standard equipment on the GT trim line, along with many other features like side air bags, four-wheel disc brakes, fog lamps, alloys, and full power, for $14k. But I expect the new Corolla will be more refined than the Elantra, especially the powertrain (if less powerful), and will have the typical high Toyota quality.

coolguyky7 · January 2002

On the body cladding. It looks like someone just took it out of a kit and glued it on crooked. The front and back look ok but the sides are awful.

kerensky · January 2002

I love the front of the new Corolla, but I think the back looks too much like the current model.

jrct9454 · January 2002

...that everyone seems so focused on how the car looks. I'm waiting for someone to notice the two functional changes that are actually significant, one positive, and one negative:

-If the backseat room has really improved as much as it sounds, this will make a huge difference in the everyday usability of the car...

-The independent rear suspension, which has been a feature since the car stopped being rear drive in the '70s, has been replaced by a twist-beam axle. Toyota is no doubt reckoning, probably correctly, that since handling was rarely a priority with its customers, no one will care. The fact that it hasn't been mentioned once in this forum seems to confirm their decision. By contrast, Honda's decision to fool with the suspension on the most recent Civic met with howls of protest that reverberated from here to Japan. Probably illustrates nicely the difference in the market for the two cars. Only the AWD versions of the Matrix will retain a true independent rear suspension.

dindak · January 2002

Thinking of a Vibe/Matrix and wondering how people find the power from the 1.8L 130HP Corolla engine. I've heard good things about the economy but I wonder if the 180HP version will be worth the extra $$.

badtoy · January 2002

the Toyota's intention is to keep developing the Corolla as a smaller alternative to the Camry, rather than a spiritual successor to the AE86.

However, if they bring over the sporty version of the WILL as it appears they may, that is a better choice for the enthusiast anyway, as it has lighter weight, more aggressive looks and a better power-to-weight ratio right out of the box. Should they decide to do this, my hope (and expectation) is that TRD will quickly develop performance and suspension upgrades for the car. In fact, with any luck, Japanese home-market parts will already be available and interchangeable with the US model.

dsgecho · January 2002

Got a 2001 LE w/9700 mi. on it and mechanically everything is fine. Also, no squeaks or rattles. A few dings looking mostly like small stone chips that I took the touch-up paint to. Most of these are in the lower part of the car esp. on the door strip moulding. Looking closer these are definitely tiny gouges and not paint chipping off. Since I use this car 90% of the time in my 3.2 mi. commute, I avoided the area where there is a lot of fine gravel and road debris and now don't seem to have a lot of new ones. Excessive speed thru the area was never an issue with the way I drive. Just can't figure why this Toyota does this when 2 others [prius, echo] have not.I know Toyo has thin paint on all the new cars but not ONE small gravel ding on the other two in driving the same area for about one year. Both shapes are quite different than the Corolla so aerodynamics and esp. the kick of debris from the front wheels must be different. That is all I can come up with. Anyways, has anyone else had this problem? I put universal-fit splashguards on the front only [no gravel dings created in the rear behind the rear tires that I can see] since the Toyo parts dealer talked me out of the factory mudguards- said they were inadequate in their coverage. Second question- has anyone installed front mudguards that could comment on any road noise or mpg decrease with heir use? Thanks in advance!
Don

backy · January 2002

Take a look at the new C/D; it has articles on the Vibe, Matrix, and Corolla and goes into a lot of detail on the relative performance of the 130 hp and 180 hp 1.8L engines. It is actually not that complimentary about the 180 hp variant, noting that peak hp comes on only at high revs.

drmp · January 2002

Don't forget that Passat, jetta and Volvos have similar rear suspension. The VW's are even praised for their favorable handling.

jrct9454 · January 2002

...and the Golf/Jetta is frequently criticized for its handling. The point isn't that this arrangement can't be made to work - it's that it is hard to see this move as an improvement, and no one seems to have noticed.

Toyota Corolla

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