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Toyota Corolla

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  • zeppelinmanzeppelinman Member Posts: 2
    lookin at 2003 CE with weather package and
    crusie control. they're askin' around 14500.00
    is this a good deal? thanks......
  • valleyguyvalleyguy Member Posts: 11
    I have read that the new 2003 Corolla has eliminated their independent rear suspension. Any feedback or opinions on the cornering and ride of the new model compared to the prior year's model.

    I know Honda also cheapened the Civic's rear suspension when they redesigned the 2001, causing many complaints about a "bouncier" rear end and worse handling than prior models.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    I too was skeptical about this, but the fact is that the ride is noticeably better in the new car, and handling seems better to me, as well, though that can only be measured by the usual suspects, i.e. the magazines. Let's but it this way: I subjected our LE rental to some back roads and sharp curves, and it handled these challenges at least as well as the '98 predecessor design.

    While these kinds of suspension changes tend to get the car nuts in an uproar, this particular car nut tends to measure the RESULTS, not the DESIGN. The results seem quite OK to me, but you should try for yourself and form your own opinion.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    The new Toyota Corolla & Matrix Owners club is now available on Edmunds.com Owners Club board. Please stop by and introduce yourself in Meet the Members and let me know how I can help build your club.

    I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Sedans.

    Looking forward to meeting everyone!

    KarenS
    Host
    Owners Clubs
  • lfanlfan Member Posts: 61
    I thought I was giving up handling, especially in bumpy curves, when I swapped my (4 wishbone suspended) Civic for the 03 Corrolla.

    Well, in actuality the 03 Corolla handles better overall even with its torsion beam rear. There is a severe bump at the end of a clover-leaf exit ramp I take everyday which serves as a litmus test. With the Civic, the car would hop sideways whenever I take the bump over 35mph. The Corolla has no such problem until at least 40mph. I am not implying that I take that ramp at 40mph every day, but this is my litmus test. For others it may be a curvey, country road, of which there are a scarcity of in DC area.

    There is a drawback of the Corolla compared to my older model Civic, not in terms of actual handling, though. That is, the 3-4 inch higher seating position forces me to have to brace harder myself during sharp turns. The Corolla's seats being mushier and not having firm side boosters (like the Impreza WRX), doesn't help in this regard.
  • lfanlfan Member Posts: 61
    In my 03 Corolla, I do not have a particular persistent rattle in the dash per say. Rather the rattles seems to be temperature dependent and especially relative temperature of one part of the dash board relative to another. For instance, as the heater warms up, a small rattle over the instrument will occur. A few minutes later when the temperature equalizes the rattle will go away.

    Once the temperature equalizes nothing rattles even while going over bumps or revving through the rev range.

    Am I unique in my experience?
  • daguy27daguy27 Member Posts: 4
    after a few days now, there is still rattling coming from the car!!!! it only happens if you run into some rough pavement, but you can definitely hear it. its coming from the driver door panel, right beneath the driver window. also, i have noticed that if i go over speed bumps at low speed the rear suspension makes a "squeeking" sound. really annoying. just my observations so far after a few days of owning it. i think its so uncharacteristic of toyotas to have any squeeks, rattles, etc, especially if its brand new!! damn, even our other car, a 1992 camry is still solid as a rock. well, gonna take it in soon to see whats going on.
  • daguy27daguy27 Member Posts: 4
    Ifan- On my car, I didn't notice any temp. related rattling. Seems like most new 03' corolla owners have some sort of minor glitches huh?
  • chiangjchiangj Member Posts: 17
    Has anyone tried cars4u.com for car purchasing? They offered $24200(on the road price)for 2003 Corolla LE+Auto. The delivery time is 2 to 3 weeks. It is very attractive!
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    I was driving home in freezing rain last night after a tire rotation and my check engine light came on. I couldn't find anything wrong. THis happened a couple years ago too and toyota couldn't find anything wrong. Its a 92 LE. Anyone know why its happening? Thanks.
  • skyrebskyreb Member Posts: 129
    I suspect the light was signaling the computer detected something in the emissions system and "was coding" (as I think they refer to it). "Coding" can be as simple as the gas cap not being on tight, or or an oxygen sensor, or a myriad of other things. Your service garage can read the code, and determine what was detected.

    My 92 Acura has been havings some problems, and the codes have been read twice in the past two weeks. Newer cars have even greater capabilities over and above our 92's.

    Good luck.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I checked out the '03 Corolla today at the Minneapolis Auto Show, and was disappointed they had no LE model. But they had a silver CE and red S. I was very impressed by the quality and room of the CE's interior, very classy in light grey. I'd say it's 2nd in class behind the Golf/Jetta. The rear seat was plenty roomy, in the same range as Focus, Protege, and Elantra. I really needed the seat height adjuster from the LE because the seat cushion was too horizontal.

    When I saw the Mazda 6 sedan on a turntable, the first thing I thought was that it looked like a stretched Corolla. The rear and side views in particular; the 6 has a more agressive grill, and smaller headlights.
  • paddler1paddler1 Member Posts: 6
    Had local dealer call us when the new Corolla's came in. Drove up to test drive one.
    Approached within 15 feet, stopped, turned around and left (it was an S model). From the 3 road tests I've read since, I don't think we're missing anything.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    Some guy wants to sue because he feels gouged because he bought a 2002 which supposedly cost "a significant amount more with less content". He wants to file a lawsuit against Toyota. I can't wait to see how far this goes before it flops. If he gets a decent lawyer, he/she won't even let the case occur because loss is inevitable.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Thanks skyreb
  • catamcatam Member Posts: 331
    Hi all. I am looking to buy a used Corolla/Prizm. Probably 91-95 year. Just looking for advice on problems, pricing or any quirks I should know about. Thanks to all for any info.
    Just FYI, this would be my daily driver, and the only must have is a manual tranny.
    Looking on MSN they state the 94 was available with a 1.8L turbo engine. I would tend to stay away from the turbo for maintenance and reliabilty reasons. Is this appropriate based on your experiences?
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    A turbo was never availabe in a FWD Corolla in the united states.

    In Australia, has they offered a turbo 1.8 Corolla.

    Expect the Prizm to be a little cheaper.

    Problems? I don't recall any.
  • jeproxjeprox Member Posts: 466
    i was just told this morning by a friend that toyota will soon implement this "one-price" system in the province of (B.C.) where i live. it basically means one price for all dealers, no bargaining, no hassle,no going back and forth between manager and customer to agree on the price, type of system. u pay what you see on the window sticker system!

    apparently, this system is already in place in 3 provinces in canada and one more province to follow around june (B.C.).

    i just want to know if you folks in US of A have this type of system at your toyota dealers. if so, which state and are prices more expensive than dealers without this system?

    thanks.
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    There are no Toyota dealers that use the one-price system that I am aware of. I really wish it was common here. It certainly would end the customer-salesman conflict. You could compare the prices of various makes very rapidly and more conveniently. I would think that the dealerships could drastically reduce their car salesman too since it would only require a salesman to explain the product and then you could go directly to the financial secretary. What do other buyers think? Saturn has been using the one-price system for years now but I do not know how successful it has been.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    drove by a new Corolla LE in the red color and like, wow! Luckily my wife was there also and she saw how much I really liked it. Hopefully, she'll agree to trade in our '96 DX real soon!
  • mike1qazmike1qaz Member Posts: 93
    We had one Toyota dealership in my home town try this ploy. After several years they were sold and will now compete for your dollar. They were getting killed by other dealers in the vicinity who were willing to deal. IMHO "one price" is not a competitive price
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    And, as long as you have a trade-in, one price is a fantasy and a great way for salesmen to screw customers!
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    Perhaps this has already been posted, but if not:


    http://www.auto.com/reviews/ulrich28_20020228.htm

  • catamcatam Member Posts: 331
    Thanks, I didn't think I had ever seen a turbo Corolla, but I wasn't sure.
    Anyone out there having AC problems?
    That has been the only major problem with my 86 Camry, although it is definitely beginning to show its age, with multiple nagging problems.
    However, it keeps getting me to work everyday.
  • skyrebskyreb Member Posts: 129
    Yesterday I stopped by my Toyota Dealer. I spoke with two different salesmen, and they both pointed out the "one price" policy. A year ago I purchased a Toyota Highlander from this dealer, and have certainly enjoyed the vehicle enough to consider a Corolla. My other candidate is a Honda Civic. I was not especially "turned-off" by the "one price" until we discussed my potential trade. The "one price" policy is being applied there also ... needless to say his value thoughts were significantly below Kelly's value.

    Too early in my evaluation to tell, but there must be some negotiation if they want my business, unless, I can determine their "one price" is competitive.

    We shall see.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    You're never going to get Kelly's price on a trade or private sale. Read what Edmund's says about Kelly's prices - it's based on dealer average asking retail price for the model, which is way above what you're going to get.
  • wrightgmwrightgm Member Posts: 9
    The 2-3 weeks wait time is attractive but that is about $2000 more than I got mine for.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    Saturn in the US does its no-haggling price policy. Some larger used cars dealerships do that also.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...makes 15-16% on every sale. If that's what you want....

    "Negotiating" does not have to be that excruciating if you deal with the Internet / Fleet people and are reasonable in your expectations [as I've said, $500 over invoice is already being accepted with no questions in Calif, at least], and know what your trade is worth [WHOLESALE, not retail]. In the Corolla deal we currently have on the table [awaiting our car], the dealer is making about 3%.

    A fixed price sounds like a good idea until you realize what it really means: dramatically higher prices.

    And if negotiating bothers you, use one of the Internet buying services, like CarsDirect, where you can buy it from them or work through one of their dealers. If you opt to buy it from them, their markup works out to be about $100-$200 per car, generally, over and above what the dealer would otherwise charge.
  • monk_flymonk_fly Member Posts: 1
    How much did you pay for your Corolla? I checked Cars4u.com and e-mailed several dealers here in Toronto and found Cars4u.com had a best price, about $700 below MSRP before tax (Corolla S).

    Thank you.
  • lfanlfan Member Posts: 61
    In my experience, the fixed price dealer (www.fitzgeraldautomall.com) that I have made 2 car purchases has highly competitive prices. My '03 Corolla was priced $400 over invoice. Another "negotiable" dealer told me $1K over invoice and it's non-negotiable since the '03 was such a new model.

    So go figure. . .
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    "The car exhibits an overall refinement that noticeably enhanced in contrast to the previous models. No doubt, Toyota recognized that the Corollas chief competitor, the popular Honda Civic, has long held high cards for refinement in class. Engineers proudly note that Corolla standards of panel fit, for instance, now match those previously adopted for Lexus interiors. High standards indeed."
    Car&Driver

    http://www.roadandtrack.com/RoadAndTrack/first_drives/0202_toyota_matrix_and_corolla.html
  • friendly_jacekfriendly_jacek Member Posts: 96
    I wonder if anyone has any advice on "dealing" with dealers in Southeast region. I have heard that there is something peculiar about this geographic region. I did my research and decided that 2003 corolla CE is a good replacement for my old Mazda protégé. I printed a decent offer from carsdirect.com (250$ below MSRP) and I am planning to ask the dealer to at least match it. Unfortunately, all cars on the lot have worthless options (including $610 Toyo Guard). I guess I will have to ask for factory order or similar to get my options. It sounds like some dealers request a deposit for such an order. Is it reasonable to object to this deposit? Also, how long it takes to get delivery. Thanks,
    Jacek
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    I have no solutions to your problems, and as noted before, have offered sympathies to anyone who has to deal with these clowns.

    The problem is that this distributorship for this region is not owned by Toyota Motor. It is independently owned, they know they have a good thing, and they are not about to sell it to Toyota at any reasonable price the company wants to pay. The result is what you see: they tack on extra charges at every turn, and make anywhere from $100-$700 or more per car than Toyota extracts from its other regional operations. Due to the iron-clad nature of American franchise laws, there is nothing that the dealers, the customers, or Toyota themselves, can do about this.

    The history here goes back to the days when Toyota was a struggling new company in the USA, and needed help getting started in this country. They successfully took over all of the distributorships in the rest of the country as their market presence grew and they became financially stronger, but the people who owned the SE Region knew a gold mine when they saw it, and refused to sell. And here we are...
  • mike1qazmike1qaz Member Posts: 93
    I currently own a Honda and am thinking about the 03 corolla as a 2nd car. Buying Hondas on the internet has been relatively painless, but, since I live in Louisiana, I assume I'll have to deal with the SE regional dist that is being talked about on this forum. Does anyone know if factory orders/internet purchases are also subject to their addons because the vehicle is delivered into their territory? Also, does anyone know what their boundaries are, I'm not opposed to traveling several hundred miles to pickup my new vehicle.
  • aaron300zaaron300z Member Posts: 19
    I sent and email to a dealer in South Florida to order a 2003 Corolla S 5 speed and they told me that there is a charge of around $565 for the SE regional distributor.

    Can anybody please tell me how much is that fee for real ? I find that fee to be too high.

    Thanks
    Aaron
  • wrightgmwrightgm Member Posts: 9
    Due to the high demand for this car I took a slightly different bargaining approach. Instead of bargaining down the sticker price of the car I tried to bargain up the price on my trade-in ('91 Tercel with a faulty oil pan, worn out clutch, leaky exghaust, old tires and a couple other problems on top). I managed to get $1000 for my trade-in since the body is still in good shape (very little rust) and that is about $700 more than I expected for it. I then used the Toyota graduate plan to get another $500 off the price so in the end I paid $22 500 CAN for my Corolla LE. In truth I expect I saved about $700 from MSRP due to my trade in. No point in haggling when the person behind you is ready to buy the exact same car, they just won't listen to you.
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  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    And from what I have read, I cannot get a Camry SE I4 with a 5spd, nor can I get the Corolla LE with the 5spd, so the Toyotas get kicked off my list.

    Whoever said something about the SE region adding "useless options," is telling the truth. I went to the Toyota dealer in my area, and I looked at a Camry XLEV6 that had splash guards(Black: $138) Sunroof wind deflector: 90 TOYOGuard: $610 I WILL NEVER EVER PAY FOR THOSE OPTIONS!!!!!!

    Also, what really got to me was the fact that on another Camry XLE, this one a 4 cylinder, had leather added to the car which cost more than the optional packages that includes leather, the sunroof and the CD6 changer. That's outrageous! No way, we don't have this problem at the Nissan, Honda, Mazda or VW dealerships.
  • lfanlfan Member Posts: 61
    I lost the thread where you were looking for a 5spd LE. However, the fitzgeraldsautomall dealer in MD had a 5spd LE for about a week before it was sold this weekend.

    5spd LE's are made but the vast majority of 5spds are on the S model.
  • sbell4sbell4 Member Posts: 446
    Southeast Toyota (S.E.T.) is the largest privately owned distributor in the world and the owner is mainly responsible for bringing Lexus to the United States. It serves NC.,SC.,GA. AL. and FL. S.E.T. buys the vehicles from the factory and sells them to the 164 dealers in this region. S.E.T. charges the dealer an admin fee that will average $565. This fee may sound high but there isn't any other TDA fees or advertising added so the amount is no different then any other part of the country when it comes down to the bottom line. S.E.T. uses that money for many different programs, rebates, incentives, options and other dealer support programs that the rest of the country can't have or do. We sell more then 25% of all the Toyotas in the United States out of this 5 state region and have the highest customer satisfaction scores to go with the volume.

    "Port" options are options that are available to the 164 dealers in this region. The vehicles come from the factory to either Commerce, Ga. or Jacksonville, Fl. to S.E.T.'s distribution center where "OPTIONS" (which means you do not have to have if you do not want it) are added to the vehicles. If you want a vehicle with no "port" options, all you have to do is ask. The vehicle will be delivered to the dealer just the way you want it. The time frame should be within 10-15 days if not sooner because we can see what all 164 dealers have in stock, what is at the "port" facilities, what are on the trucks, trains and ships coming into this region and we have the ability to trade and buy vehicles with each other through S.E.T.'s mainframe.

    People from everywhere buy from S.E.T. dealers because:
    (1) Customer Service
    (2) We have the availability of thousands of vehicles every month
    (3) Price
    (4) Option that you can only get in this region

    I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about S.E.T. If I do not know the answer I will find out from the proper people because this region cares about its customers and provides a service that is not equal to anyone else in the United States if not the world.
  • is300tm7is300tm7 Member Posts: 20
    I just helped my g/f get Corolla LE for Invoice price, so don't pay sticker!. I went through email , where i emailed dealers within 100 miles with options i want and color and asked for best price, one dealer offered me at Invoice price. Happy shopping, btw, i am from s.cal
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    I checked the oil lever on my Mom's 1.6 this weekend and the dipstick came out bone dry! Turns out she'd been driving around for a week like that with the engine running fine, the only clue something was wrong was that the light came on. It took over 3 quarts to get it to the full level again! My mom asked if driving with little or no oil could have caused permanent damage. My best guess was that whatever residual oil had been left coating the engine had been enough to keep it sufficiently lubricated for a few days, but there still could be damage. But if there was, she might as well just drive the car until the problems showed and then figure out what to do from there than pay for an expensive engine tear down when there might not even be a problem. Anybody else got any suggestions? Should I have told her different?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    No, that's the right advice, but wow...last time that happened to me was age 18 [39 years ago...] when my English Ford ran nearly bone dry for [I'm ashamed to say] several miles on the freeway until the temp gauge said to look under the hood, dummy. After filling the crankcase, this less-than-stellar example of fine British engineering ran for many more years with no symptoms and no further excessive oil consumption. Big Mystery...

    It's probably OK, and frankly, there isn't anything you or she can do about it now except monitor oil consumption and hope for the best.
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    Corollas are remarkable for their durablity to low oil level. Based on watching how my girlfriend manages her oil level in her '95 I'm half convinced that they can run with out any oil in them at all. She routinely runs it two quarts low and often waits until either she hears lifter clatter or sees the oil light coming on. The car does use oil. Big suprise huh. But it runs as quiet and as smooth as new. I keep telling her she should give it back to Toyota as a testament to the car's durability.
  • paul_ppaul_p Member Posts: 271
    Just curious, how many miles on your girlfriend's '95 Corolla?
  • hawkberthawkbert Member Posts: 21
    Yesterday my oil light came on whenever I stopped quickly or turned quickly, so I checked my oil and discovered I was two quarts low. Considering that my oil was changed about 2400 miles ago, this seems unusual. I added non-synthetic 5W30 Pennzoil.

    I parked the car in a spot with no oil on the ground and checked it the next morning, and there weren't any drips. The engine is also very clean. I've never noticed smoke coming out of my tailpipe either, and neither have my friends when they've driven behind me a couple times.

    I've heard that Honda engines tend to burn oil at high RPMs. Could this be true of my car as well? I normally shift at 3000-3500 RPM, but I recently made a 120-mile round trip to a neighboring city where my average speed was 90 MPH (about 4000 RPM). There's also this straight, empty road near my house that I do fast runs on sometimes just for fun. I shift around 5000 RPM then.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Driving 90 for 120 miles will burn much more oil than usual (but not 2 quarts). Keep an eye on the level - as long as your consumption does not get worse you should be fine. Fill your oil then lay off of the high rpms for a thousand miles and check - then you will see how many quarts you are using per thousand miles. How many miles are on the car?

    Did you change the oil yourself last time? Was it full to the top? A quick lube place might not have filled it correctly, so you may have started with less oil. Or if you used a larger filter, but still put in the usual amount of oil - that could affect the reading.

    Also make sure to read the before and after with the car in the same spot. Small slopes on the road can make a large diff in oil readings (my car reads .7 qt less when it is parked on the street than when it is in the garage - because of the crown in the road)
  • hawkberthawkbert Member Posts: 21
    I had the oil changed at a full service place, not a quick lube place. I trust them to do good work, but I didn't check my oil after they changed it so I can't say for sure. The car has about 86000 miles on it.

    Lay off the high RPM's for 1000 miles? 4-5 weeks? Ugh...high RPMs are the only thing that makes this car fun to drive. :-p
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    185,000
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