Yeah, I like those Corolla gauges too, they look really cool and add a nice little accent to the car. BTW, does anybody know what color they glow? I hope they glow blue, I am tired of red lights. Also, the Corolla S is beginning to look like a good deal. Doesn't it have just about everything that the LE has exept wood grain trim and leather seats? I can live without those. It does have power everything, outside temperature gauge, remote keyless entry with remote truck release? What about that 6-piece chrome set they keep talking about? (I guess it includes the door handles, shifter, and I can't think of what else). Anyway, tell me your ideas on that because I could save a lot of money by geting the Corolla S 5-speed.
In Canada, the S doesn't come with power locks and windows, nor does it come with cruise. All of these are options that can be added, but if you do you get into the LE price range. The S does come with fog lamps and side skirts, however, which are options/aren't offered on the LE.
I am getting the LE trim, sounds just like what I need. A little affordable car that LOOKS and feels like luxury. I love the chrome door handles, makes it look very elegant and I always have wanted leather seats just because they make me feel (and look) rich. Forget the S!
It's about time for me to get new shoes and resurface the drums on my '96 Corolla. That got me wondering if there is a way to replace them with disc brakes. I couldn't find any model of Corolla that offered rear disc brakes (was hoping to switch them in if I found one) and I have not been able to find any aftermarket kits to upgrade to 4 wheel disc brakes. Does anyone have any info on this?
The Avalon has chome interior door handles. Sadly, they are made of plastic, or at least feel like it. It may be some sort of light weight metal with a chrome finish.
yes, I was expecting them to be plastic. They still look nice,better than a plastic door handle that looks like plastic. Isn't that how they make all chrome handles in Japanese cars? I think so, I know that is how the ones are made in the Avalon, Camry, Lexus ES, and the Acura TL. I am guessing they all have plastic door handles. The only cars that actually have real chrome handles (that I know of) are Buicks.
Good luck getting the leather interior in the LE . I tried here in the mid-west US, after reading it was available in the paperwork and websites. Bottom line was I can't get leather up front. This was stated to me by the dealer, contraticted by 1-800-gotoyota, then re-affirmed by the customer service number at HQ. It has been very frustrating. My advice would be to check if your region has this option available before going into the dealer. It might save you alot of aggravation. The dealer did say they could add leather aftermarket, but they wanted the same price as the MSRP for the package (ie, no cruise control, chrome handles etc), without providing all the other goodies. I had to decline. Hopefully in your region this option is available.
Sorry to here about that. I hope I can get one with leather. I think my Toyota dealership should have at least one because it is a really big "Toyota Super Mall" as they call it. I am over in the Southeast near the Atlantic Ocean.
Toyota Corolla is the best car ever! I have a basic version, but it's manual, so it's fast. Sometimes I wonder if I fly low, or I am still on the road.
they are really that fast! I guess they must have a very nice smooth ride too.I always have liked the new Corolla and like it even more now. How about the stereo system in it? Is it pretty good?
Quote from jeprox: "i was told that toyota will allow dealers to only order so many cars each month and this is why it's creating such a long wait list for the customers who are buying 03' corollas and matrix. apparently, this is because the model is new so toyota is doing this. i don't know is this is true or not. "
I was told the exact same with by my dealer and I have to wait 6 weeks for my Corolla S Indigo Ink to be built. Would you happen to be living in southwestern ontario? Is anyone else experiencing this kind of wait in Canada?
One of the Toyota dealers here (Sunnyvale Toyota) is selling ALL 2003 Corolla LE at $1500 under MSRP! See Todays's Mercury News. If people have to wait for the cars, the dealers would have asked for a much higher price.
Perhaps SCION will bring over one of those Corollas.
Toyota's company picnic for Toyota Georgetown, Erlanger, and Buffalo, WV was today at Paramount's Kings Island, just outside of Cincinnati. Toyota rented out the entire amusement park--free rides, lunch, and $5 spending money per person. I saw lots of new Corollas in the massive parking lot. I've said it before, and I'll stay it again-the Corolla is one of the best looking small sedans on the road now. It beats the pants off the mundane Civic.
Are you sure the cargo are is bigger in the Focus? Wow, I was thinking just the opposite of that the other day. I think it is just because the Matrix looks longer on the outside than the other 5-door hatchbacks, but it really isn't.
I am comparing Focus wagon to Matrix. I don't know about the Focus hatchback.
The matrix is 7 inches shorter than the Corolla sedan (and wagon if we had one in this country) this shows up in a fairly small cargo area. This is why I would much prefer the better looking, more efficient, and larger Corolla wagon to the Matrix. I was only using the Focus wagon to illustrate how small the cargo area of the Matrix is because that is a comparable sized car that is available in the U.S.
I was off by a little bit on the numbers (memory isn't what it used to be), the Matrix is 21.8, and the Focus is 37.5. This is cargo space with the rear seats up. The Corolla wagon would probably be close to the Focus - I think the last Corolla wagon was 36 cu. ft., and this one is larger.
i live out west, BC. everyone i know who ordered the 03' corolla had to wait at least 3 weeks and up. i was fortunate that my car was buil around the first week of august and i got the car on the 28th. so my total wait time was around 2 weeks from the day i actually placed the order.
I am going shopping for a corrolla and I am wondering if I should get undercoating for my car? I live in Gaithersburg, MD. I have been told by by two people that it is a rip-off and then I talked to two other people who told me it was necessary because of the salt that is dumped on the roads in the winter. What should I do? FYI, we havent had a bad winter in a few years.
Undercoating is a ripoff. Modern automobiles bodies are dipped into an electrolytic bath at the factory to rustproof it. Also the bodies are constructed out of galvanized steel which is very corrosion resistant. Unless you plan on driving in heavily salted areas, I wouldn't worry about it. Just wash your car off after any heavy snowstorm, especially the underbody and the wheel wells, and you'll have no problem. Save the $$$ for carwashes.
i have undercoating for all my cars and i wash them frequently as well. they will make a difference if the area you live snows a lot.
in our area, it snows quite a bit during the winter time. we can't wash our cars weekly during winter time so with the salt build-up under the car - it helps if the car have undercoating. sometimes it takes at least 2 weeks, before we can wash off the salt.
I've also had mine done. Some say it's a ripoff, and I do agree if you live in a moderate climate. Northern US and Canada cars do last longer if they're rustproofed. I had mine done when I bought my car, and they used a waxy substance (it isn't tar like in some rustproofing shops) that I only have to have touched up every two years, at no charge to me. This substance also acts as extra noise insulation.
It's been raining a lot the past day or so. As I was on my way home today my post production power sunroof started leaking from the motor switch. It wasn't around the frame, but rather the motor encasing area. I opened the sunroof and dried the plastic sealing area so hopefully it won't leak anymore. When it started dripping, it happened on a sharp turn I made and the water was limited.
About two weeks ago my manufacturer installed moon roof on my 2001 leaked also. As it turned out the drain holes inside the roof that are in the drip tray were clogged with a leaf. After I unclogged it it no longer leaked.
anyone find the new corolla real sensitive to strong winds on the highway?
i went on a 2hr. trip this past saturday and i had real fun trying to keep the car straight coz of strong winds on the highway. gas mileage was excellent! power for the car was ok, nothing to brag about.
I am not glad to hear that you have the same problems as I do, as I thought I was going nuts , but this car does blow you all over the highway. I drive a lot on the interstates here in flatland A.K.A ( Indiana) on very flat roads and on a windy day, hold on for your life!! I love the appearance of the car, gas mileage gets better and better as times go on , I average 33 mpg, not good as others but not bad. Would like to hear from fellow Toyota owners about this problem as I know we are not the only ones!!
I am looking to purchase a new Corolla soon and was wondering if the wind problems are serious enough to forget about the purchase? I have a 1999 corolla and do experience some wind drifting. What about the loud engine noise. I have test driven two separate corolla's and each time the noise was there. Louder than my current Corolla.
i love the car and it is sensitive to strong winds on the highway. unless you commute daily using the highway and unless you get strong winds daily, then you should be able to live with the car being sensitive to strong wind.
i think it's because of the narrow/tall design of the car that makes it sensitive to the wind. when i was driving this past saturday, the wind was so strong and it made me look like a drunk driver coz i just couldn't hold the car straight!
now that i know how it performs on the highway, i would probably take my sienna on long highway trips in the future.
another thing that i discovered is that the rear glass window moves around even when fully closed. when i try to clean/wipe the glass, it moves around. anyone noticed this at all? the glass would move side to side. seems like as if the glass is too small!
why is it that when you try to be so careful, something bad happens!
i added a 2nd LED for my alarm and i drilled a small hole just to the far right of the lighter (2003 model). i installed the LED and i flip down the door for the storage bin. well... the door can't open all the way coz' the LED is blocking it! it never occured to me to open the door first and check. i just about hit myself with a hammer. so i had to remove the LED and drill another hole. now i gotta find a gray colored tape to cover up the other hole! its the price i pay for not being careful.
2nd thing i did was drop a FRAM oil filter on the front bumper too! so now i have this orange mark on the bumper.
I bought a white Corolla S couple of days ago. It is sleek and beautiful. Plenty of room for a small car. It has almost as much room inside the cabin as my Subaru Legacy. The higher sitting position cannot be overrated. It is so comfortable (I have been previously driving Mazda Protege).
There are just couple of things in the design that started to bug me. First (and worst): engine noise on moderate acceleration (3000 RPM and higher). It is relatively loud and has this unpleasant high frequency nature (“buzzy”) and reminds me the sound of a small diesel engine subcompact car I used to drive many years ago. It sounds that many people complain of this. I never drove a car with VVT engine before (beside test drive). But I don’t believe Honda Civic engine (VVT also) had that sound on a test drive. Is this typical for these engines? If so, I guess it is a price for fuel economy. If not, I will have it checked when I have a chance. Any comments on this issue?
Second, the driver’s (but not passenger’s) sun visor collides with the rearview mirror. I find this very annoying because I drive west during sunset, and I cannot adjust the visor optimally. The mirror is ether too wide or not placed centrally in the windshield. Has anybody noticed this issue?
And finally, one more question. How many of you adhere to Toyota’s 55 MPH speed limit during brake in period? I got my car with 500 miles (interdealer trade) and even the salesman admitted that it has been driven much faster than that. I did not have any choice because white S with ABS and CD/cassette are rare in Southeast. Should I worry about any adverse effects from this? From what I remember about braking in new Subaru, there was no specific speed limit but RPM limitation (not to exceed 4000).
I have never heard of any speed limit during break in period for Toyota. Maybe that is a new thing. I think I have heard an RPM limit for only some cars. I didn't think you had to limit anything with Toyotas. My family has always owned Toyotas and never had any speed limit to follow. BTW, what part of the southeast are you in? I live in the southeast too. I didn't know Corolla S's with CD cassettes were rare, actually, I see them all the time. That is the only trim level Corolla that I have ever seen in real life. I want to get an LE with leather, CD/cassette, wood-trim, and all the goodies. I know they are rare here in the southeast. I don't know if I can help you much on that. About engine noise, we have owned a Corolla in the past (an '88) and it would make engine noise at 4000rpms. Our '98 Camry won't make any noise (it is always quiet as a mouse, can't even tell it is running) until you take it over about 4500rpms and won't scream or anything until you take it well over 6000rpms. Our Tercel doesn't even have a tach so we don't know, but all I know is, that thing is screaming for death right when you start accelerating past 45mph!
i've followed the break-in period procedure on every toyota vehicle that i bought.
in my manual, it said not to go over 88kmh. for the first 1600kms. and try to avoid hard braking and sudden acceleration.
my sun visor works fine and doesnt hit the rearview mirror at all. the engine sound is a bit on the loud side but you'll eventually get used to it. i've heard that this is due (partly) to the timing chain design.
The owners manual are written for the lowest common denominator. If you have the 4 speed auto, your RRMs will be higher than a 5 speed manual. So Toyota decided to do the safe thing and treat everyone as though they have the 4 speed auto, so they cover their rear ends legally.
Hi I was wanting some help. I was looking for a new car for work. I didn't want to go with the cheaper korean cars. What I was wondering is on edmunds it says its based on the matrix and pontiacs vibe platform. So my ? is it a toyota engine and transmission or a gm. I didn't want to pay that much money if I was getting a gm trans. and engine I might as well go with the korean car. Would appreciate any response. Thanks.
Well, yes, the Vibe/Matrix are built on the safe platform as the new Corolla. I am not absolutly sure about this, but I don't believe that the Vibe has a Toyota engine and trans. I am SURE that it doesn't have both. I think it does have a GM transsmission though. It could possibly have a Toyota engine, but I highly dought that. But hey, there is nothing wrong with the Matrix. It is basically the same car except that it looks a lot better on the outside. I guess it is just a matter of opinion on which of the two has a better exterior apperance. BTW, if you don't have to have one of these new (popular I guess you could say?) 5-door hatchback things, a great car to have is the Civic. While I absolutly LOVE the new Corolla, I also still like the Civic and recommend it more often. It is safe, stylish, sporty (if you get the coupe version), and reliable. It is not as expensive as the Matrix/Vibe either. There is always the Protege and Sentra too, but I would try to get a Corolla or Civic first. Hope that helped a little.
I bought my car in Jan. 2001 and put 38k on it. I have to say it's been a great commuter car. I get about 400 miles for a tank. I best I ever had in a car. The only drawback of this car is on a windy day going 70mph. I have to really hold on to the wheel. I used to own a '92 GTI. It was not as reliabable as the Corolla, however, the wind does not effect this car at all. You can do 80mph and no problem. I don't know if I would buy another Corolla. My seat is starting to sqeak already.
Comments
Cars made between 4-24 and 9-5
P195/65R15 FR 690
Dot: W2C6T001502 and W2C6T001402
Toyota.com has all the info
I just went to my local dealer (while they were closed) and saw two CE's with JT vins.
Thanks
Good luck getting the leather interior in the LE . I tried here in the mid-west US, after reading it was available in the paperwork and websites. Bottom line was I can't get leather up front. This was stated to me by the dealer, contraticted by 1-800-gotoyota, then re-affirmed by the customer service number at HQ. It has been very frustrating. My advice would be to check if your region has this option available before going into the dealer. It might save you alot of aggravation. The dealer did say they could add leather aftermarket, but they wanted the same price as the MSRP for the package (ie, no cruise control, chrome handles etc), without providing all the other goodies. I had to decline. Hopefully in your region this option is available.
also does anybody think corolla tires are too thin? kind of wobbly sometimes...
http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display_release.html?id=20020910
"i was told that toyota will allow dealers to only order so many cars each month and this is why it's creating such a long wait list for the customers who are buying 03' corollas and matrix. apparently, this is because the model is new so toyota is doing this. i don't know is this is true or not. "
I was told the exact same with by my dealer and I have to wait 6 weeks for my Corolla S Indigo Ink to be built. Would you happen to be living in southwestern ontario? Is anyone else experiencing this kind of wait in Canada?
http://www.autoreview.ru/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?idir=Toyota/Corolla_2001
Toyota's company picnic for Toyota Georgetown, Erlanger, and Buffalo, WV was today at Paramount's Kings Island, just outside of Cincinnati. Toyota rented out the entire amusement park--free rides, lunch, and $5 spending money per person. I saw lots of new Corollas in the massive parking lot. I've said it before, and I'll stay it again-the Corolla is one of the best looking small sedans on the road now. It beats the pants off the mundane Civic.
The matrix is 7 inches shorter than the Corolla sedan (and wagon if we had one in this country) this shows up in a fairly small cargo area. This is why I would much prefer the better looking, more efficient, and larger Corolla wagon to the Matrix. I was only using the Focus wagon to illustrate how small the cargo area of the Matrix is because that is a comparable sized car that is available in the U.S.
I was off by a little bit on the numbers (memory isn't what it used to be), the Matrix is 21.8, and the Focus is 37.5. This is cargo space with the rear seats up. The Corolla wagon would probably be close to the Focus - I think the last Corolla wagon was 36 cu. ft., and this one is larger.
everyone i know who ordered the 03' corolla had to wait at least 3 weeks and up. i was fortunate that my car was buil around the first week of august and i got the car on the 28th. so my total wait time was around 2 weeks from the day i actually placed the order.
thanks puppytoes2
in our area, it snows quite a bit during the winter time. we can't wash our cars weekly during winter time so with the salt build-up under the car - it helps if the car have undercoating. sometimes it takes at least 2 weeks, before we can wash off the salt.
i went on a 2hr. trip this past saturday and i had real fun trying to keep the car straight coz of strong winds on the highway.
gas mileage was excellent! power for the car was ok, nothing to brag about.
What about the loud engine noise. I have test driven two separate corolla's and each time the noise was there. Louder than my current Corolla.
i think it's because of the narrow/tall design of the car that makes it sensitive to the wind. when i was driving this past saturday, the wind was so strong and it made me look like a drunk driver coz i just couldn't hold the car straight!
now that i know how it performs on the highway, i would probably take my sienna on long highway trips in the future.
another thing that i discovered is that the rear glass window moves around even when fully closed. when i try to clean/wipe the glass, it moves around. anyone noticed this at all? the glass would move side to side. seems like as if the glass is too small!
i added a 2nd LED for my alarm and i drilled a small hole just to the far right of the lighter (2003 model). i installed the LED and i flip down the door for the storage bin. well... the door can't open all the way coz' the LED is blocking it! it never occured to me to open the door first and check. i just about hit myself with a hammer. so i had to remove the LED and drill another hole. now i gotta find a gray colored tape to cover up the other hole! its the price i pay for not being careful.
2nd thing i did was drop a FRAM oil filter on the front bumper too! so now i have this orange mark on the bumper.
The higher sitting position cannot be overrated. It is so comfortable (I have been previously driving Mazda Protege).
There are just couple of things in the design that started to bug me.
First (and worst): engine noise on moderate acceleration (3000 RPM and higher). It is relatively loud and has this unpleasant high frequency nature (“buzzy”) and reminds me the sound of a small diesel engine subcompact car I used to drive many years ago. It sounds that many people complain of this. I never drove a car with VVT engine before (beside test drive). But I don’t believe Honda Civic engine (VVT also) had that sound on a test drive. Is this typical for these engines? If so, I guess it is a price for fuel economy. If not, I will have it checked when I have a chance. Any comments on this issue?
Second, the driver’s (but not passenger’s) sun visor collides with the rearview mirror. I find this very annoying because I drive west during sunset, and I cannot adjust the visor optimally. The mirror is ether too wide or not placed centrally in the windshield. Has anybody noticed this issue?
And finally, one more question. How many of you adhere to Toyota’s 55 MPH speed limit during brake in period? I got my car with 500 miles (interdealer trade) and even the salesman admitted that it has been driven much faster than that. I did not have any choice because white S with ABS and CD/cassette are rare in Southeast. Should I worry about any adverse effects from this? From what I remember about braking in new Subaru, there was no specific speed limit but RPM limitation (not to exceed 4000).
Thanks for any input
About engine noise, we have owned a Corolla in the past (an '88) and it would make engine noise at 4000rpms. Our '98 Camry won't make any noise (it is always quiet as a mouse, can't even tell it is running) until you take it over about 4500rpms and won't scream or anything until you take it well over 6000rpms. Our Tercel doesn't even have a tach so we don't know, but all I know is, that thing is screaming for death right when you start accelerating past 45mph!
in my manual, it said not to go over 88kmh. for the first 1600kms. and try to avoid hard braking and sudden acceleration.
my sun visor works fine and doesnt hit the rearview mirror at all.
the engine sound is a bit on the loud side but you'll eventually get used to it. i've heard that this is due (partly) to the timing chain design.
BTW, if you don't have to have one of these new (popular I guess you could say?) 5-door hatchback things, a great car to have is the Civic. While I absolutly LOVE the new Corolla, I also still like the Civic and recommend it more often. It is safe, stylish, sporty (if you get the coupe version), and reliable. It is not as expensive as the Matrix/Vibe either. There is always the Protege and Sentra too, but I would try to get a Corolla or Civic first. Hope that helped a little.
I have to say it's been a great commuter car. I get about 400 miles for a tank. I best I ever had in a car. The only drawback of this car is on a windy day going 70mph. I have to really hold on to the wheel. I used to own a '92 GTI. It was not as reliabable as the Corolla, however, the wind does not effect this car at all. You can do 80mph and no problem. I don't know if I would buy another Corolla. My seat is starting to sqeak already.