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mralan, I have only driven 250 miles in my new Corolla, and it was all city driving with the AC running at all times, and I got 28 MPG. Maybe others with more miles under different conditions will comment, but that is what I got.
Also [knock on wood], our NUMMI-built car [March] has had none of the interior noises that have plagued some others on the board. About the worst thing I can dredge up is that when the interior gets really hot from sitting in the sun, the inside mirror likes to vibrate at speed. I've tried tightening the mounting as much as I dare, and now tend to ignore it if it happens. Otherwise, we are very pleased with the car in just about every respect.
On a side note, rented a '02 Camry this weekend, AWESOME!!!!!
The Sandman :-)
I'm glad Toyota has picked up the pace in terms of interior design quality.. they really fell off there for awhile.
I'm sorry for that slight digression, but I thought it was warranted given your talk of decontenting.
Also- in 1997, the US Gov't mandated side impact protection standards, which, I am assuming, neccessitated Toyota's reinforcing the door structures- that probably has more to do with the different design than anything else.
~alpha
have your mysterious 'dashboard' sound. I originally posted in MSG 1822 about the
rattle which sounded like it was coming from up near the windshield on the right and left side.
It started when I had 200 miles on the odometer and it was most noticeable when I was driving
slowly over bumpy/washboard surfaces.
Well I finally took it in today to get the
oil changed at 2000 miles. I gave them
a printout with some of the other solutions
I had seen on this board, including the one
where they replaced the crash panel insulation.
While this is only based on today's drive home,
the sounds are gone. Here is the diagnosis
that was printed on my invoice.
"Found strut top mounts rubbing around the bolts
and the fender. Applied foam tape around top
of the strut top and around studs to prevent rubbing fender."
If there are any further developments, I'll post again, but as of now the cabin is tranquil.
An all-around great car that would beat the pants off a Civic EX.
I'm not in the market, but I do think its a great car- but worth ordering at MSrP- I find hard to believe.
~alpha
btw- The dealers have more Matrices on the lots than Corollas.
was very relieved that they didn't have
to disassemble the dashboard, I have been
thinking about this. Now I really don't
know about the mechanicals of cars.
A strut is like part of the suspension
working with the shocks..right ? :-)
Maybe someone can help me out here but
do "strut top mounts" normally make contact
with other vehicle parts..like fenders ?
Maybe there was some foam there initially
to cushion this. I'm just concerned that
there shouldn't be any rubbing at all
with or without a foam cushion. Any opinions ?
thanks
Ours, as I have said repeatedly, does not have any such noises, so this is all speculation on my part. It just wouldn't surprise me if the techs in your case made a little discovery that might apply more widely.
on this one. When I made the appointment,
I asked the service advisor if there was a tech
bulletin for dashboard problems and she said
there wasn't, although this wouldn't be under
that category. :-)
back in May, I would drive to the dealers lot,
and the back lot where the new arrivals are
kept a couple of times a week, just to see
if there were any sitting around. They only
have one LE at the dealer for test drives
and i have never seen any others on the
main lot. The ones that would arrive in
the back lot were always gone the next
time I went ! They seem to either be
pre-sold or sell immediately after they
arrive. :-) That has not changed even
now in late July. They must be selling
like hotcakes..I do remember reading that
Toyota was going to be assembling them
in Japan and shipping them over because
the US/Canadian plants can't keep up.
While I'm sure they can be had for under
MSRP, I wouldn't be holding my breath
for any rebates or low interest rate loans. :-)
alpha is also correct in the 1997 side impact standards, which as why, according to Toyota they dropped the wagon in 1997.
Once again, I suspect that the American public just refuses to behave the way the marketing gurus think they will or should. This business of chasing the next hot trend is always a dicey affair, and in particular, pandering to the age group that everyone "wants" is bound to leave some products out in the cold. Nobody seems to want me as a customer [56, car nut, buys and trades frequently, but likes a lot of different cars, not just what "boomers" are supposed to like], so my opinion can hardly matter...but here it is, anyway: the new Corolla is the class of this class, and after 5 months of ownership, the decision feels better every day.
I haven't driven a MatVibe, because I hate the way the Matrix looks with the silly "mandatory option" ground effects, and the tests I've read in any case suggest the ride is too rocky for my tastes. But I sure like the idea, and the first manufacturer that makes a true wagon in this class the combines the refinement of the current Corolla with a hatch body is going to get my money. Unfortunately, the Matrix is not it, and I think the market is already speaking...
Thanks
Joe
http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/frame_start.jsp?id=200_NCSTR_COROLLA
Sometimes I wish they would just bring those over here.
Speaking of misplaced marketing, and how wrong they can be on these matters, rumor has it that the IST will be one of the cars coming in next year as part of the Scion startup. I would love to try one of these - a 3 or 5-door hatch, just a bit smaller than the Corolla, very handsome and with a good range of engines [at least in Japan]. Now I'm supposed to be too old and stodgy to be interested in this car, and I guess I'll have to wear earplugs to get past the rap music in the Scion area of the dealership, but if the IST is part of the Scion lineup, I want to try it.
This is not to be confused with the perfectly silly BBX rolling phone booth, which will be the other Scion car, and I predict, a total bust with every demographic.
This is the link to the Japanese Toyota site that shows the IST. Ignore the Japanese script and navigate around the site, and you'll get some good indications of what the car looks like and the Japanese market engine choices.
They get 1.3 and 1.5 liter engines, but rumor has it that the 1.8 from the Corolla / MatVibe will easily fit and could be the powertrain that will be offered in the USA.
Anyway, in the absence of a proper Corolla hatch, this looks like an interesting alternative to me, if it actually shows up next year in the Scion lineup.
thanks
Andy
I know that my Mom's 2000 Corolla has iridium spark plugs that only need to be changed every 196,000 kms. (not miles, but that's a long time anyway), so the spark plugs shouldn't need to be changed.
I also know that some dealers in the US have "internet coupons" you can print out and apply as discounts on your service visits. Maybe that'll bring the price down a bit.
if the first letter part number (Denso) starts with an "I", it's iridum. "P" means platinum. If there's only one letter, then a number, it's copper.
The copper plugs Toyota uses (from Denso, which Toyota partly owns), are the "U" groove. The Accel U-groove performance plugs sold in autoparts stores are very similar.
I am driving a 2003 Corolla for today (while my Camry is having its 30K maintenance and yes, it is pretty expensive, but they do a lot of stuff) and all I can say is: dang, this is a Corolla? I haven't driven it a whole lot, but it has really impressed me so far. It is very roomy for a small car, it handles well and accelerates like it has a V6 engine or something. The ride is also very smooth, not quite like my Camry, but very close considering its size. The interior is very nice, it's nicer than my car with wood trim and a higher quality cloth upholstery. Double Dang. :-)
As is my prerogative, I have changed my mind about the Corolla. If I ever decide to buy a small car, it is at the top of my list, based on my experience today. Plus, it has leather and alloy wheel options that still have a TMV under $18K. It is not only like a baby Camry, but approaching a baby Lexus with more luxury than you would expect. Triple Dang.
Even the styling, which is very similar to the new Camry, seems to work on this car. Personally, I'm not fond of the Camry's new styling, but it actually looks pretty nice on the smaller Corolla. It's actually kinda cute. Or maybe my opinion has been swayed by how nice it is otherwise.
I was not prepared to like this car (quite the opposite, actually) and it has exceed all of my expectations. Maybe I'm easy to please (NOT!) but I like this car. It is not my father's Corolla. LOL
I'm leaning toward refinancing my Camry and keeping it. I think it would be too costly to try and trade it. But my next car just may be a Corolla. Especially if it keeps getting bigger and better over time.
Thanks for any information! I don't know what to do next, but I know I am very unhappy with the car making this noise. As I have said before, it ruins the car which would be great without this problem.
Patches69
at the shore :-)
Yes..the rattle sound is gone. :-)
I don't know if the technicians
just figured it out or there was
a tech bulletin, but no more noises.
I would definitely print out the diagnosis
from my previous post and let them see
if that may be the problem. Good luck !
and when it was new I was getting
32-33 average per tank. At the
last fillup, now with over 2000 miles
on the odometer, I got over 35 MPG.
That's pretty darn good considering
I have been running the air conditioning
constantly this summer. :-)
http://www.toyota.com.cn/g/g01_02_07_07.html
There are 2 primary "Asian" versions of the Current Corolla floating around. THe Japanese one is shared with the European market (except for the hatchback, which has its own french styled front), and others.
The US shares the Thailand styled Corolla.