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Toyota Corolla

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Comments

  • chalkgrrlchalkgrrl Member Posts: 2
    I am a third year college student who plans on buying her first car very soon. I have finally come to the decision that I would like to buy a 2000 Corolla. Now I've done my research but I know it's always helpful to get info from ppl who've gone through this before. So my question is, what is the difference between a CE and LE trim after the value packages? I plan on getting auto trans (I know there is a difference in speed between the two), the value package offered, and a CD player . The info about the CE on giggo.com's site lists the value package as having A/C, power doors and windows. While the VE does not have power doors and windows but does include the radio and a cassette deck in the value package. Essentially is this the only difference? After I added up the totals there was about a $1000 difference (MSRP price differenc). Would you just say I should go with the lower trim level?

    My other question is roughly how much has everyone been paying for the 2000 version of either trim? I will more then likely be buying and not leasing the vehicle. Thank you for the help=)
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    Whatever you do, avoid the 3-speed automatic - the car is much more refined with the 4-speed.

    The 2000VE (gone for 2001) has the 3-speed, though it is available on the 2001 CE. All the 2000 CE and LE, and all the 2001 LE and S-automatic models, should be 4-speeds.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    Great value, possibly...but great reliability? Uhh...probably not. You possibly might be spending thousands more than a Camry or Accord in the long run. Why would you want to be cheap and cut corners on quality and reliability? I know I wouldn't. Also...please stick to the Corolla topic. If I wanted to read about a Saturn (which I never will have any intention to) I would be reading the saturn town hall posts.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    However, that's at the low end. Equip an L-series the way a Camry or Accord usually is, and the price is similar - or higher, since you can usually negotiate a lower-than-sticker price on either, but not on the Saturn.

    Whether you're willing to live with less refinement and a lower grade of fit and finish (Saturn) vs. the Toyota/Honda competition, is another matter. Some of us don't like squeaks and rattles (which just about every Saturn I've ever been in, has as standard equipment).
  • terceltom1terceltom1 Member Posts: 150
    Why wouldn't you want a 2001 vs the 2000? I didn't think there were any 2000's left on the dealers lots.I got my four speed automatic 2001 LE in July it is virtually loaded with everything the dealer has except ABS brakes and side airbags.Moonroof,spoiler,RS3005 security system,alloywheels,C.D player, etc.etc. I paid $16,800 and I love it. Ride is excellent,outside lighting is great, shifts smooth, heating and A.C. is good.The only downside I have come across so far is that the brakes are soft(too much pedal).Other then that great little car.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    REAL customer satisfaction is having a car run for 10 years with no major problems and lower cost of maintainance. You can definitely expect that from a Toyota or Honda. So what if the dealership experience at a Saturn dealer is great. The dealership I buy my Toyotas at is great as well. I'm glad you like to emphasize JD Power and Assoc. because you can look at their overall history and see which nameplate/maker holds the most awards for the auto industry in the 10 or so years they have been around. I believe that is something Lexus and Toyota has accomplished that no other automaker can match.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    It matters less to Corolla owners than to Saturn owners how good the dealer and dealer satifaction, is.

    Saturn owners will find greater need for the service department than will Corolla owners, if past reliability history is an issue.

    The other issue is a personal one - if you can live with the fit and finish of a Saturn, they're OK. I suspect most Corolla buyers could not do so.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    You are very correct when you say that Saturn owners will need the service department more than Corolla owners. As for my experience in ownership of a 10 year old Corolla, it has NEVER been on a tow truck or left me stranded ANYWHERE! That's what I call real value. You get what you pay for and cutting corners with a Saturn is a good example of that. You wan't a vehicle that has a stellar reliability record and better resale value, you can see the Corolla shining in the lights.

    As for Corollas legendary history, there are more Corollas in the world than any other vehicle. I grew up with a 79, 88 and 90 Corolla LE which all has given us 100% satisfaction. I miss my Corolla LE but my Avalon XLS continues the legacy.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    I had an 87 Corolla FX-16, which served me well through 11 years and 195,000+ miles, never requiring anything more than maintenance, tires, brakes and two exhaust systems.

    The 93 in the family is approaching 100K - same thing.

    A couple of relatives traded cars (one Honda Civic and one Toyota Tercel) for Saturns - and lived to regret it. They didn't realize what they had (i.e., visits to the service department scheduled at their convenience, not forced due to part failure) - and in refinement (both complained about the shabby quality of the Saturns, fit-and-finish wise).

    To its credit, Saturns dealers are generally much better than Toyota and Honda's - but that is in part to make up for a product that isn't up to par. Daewoo is similar - they've won dealership-satisfaction awards, but the cars still aren't competitive with other automakers' offerings.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    If you are paying MSRP for a car in this class (Saturn charges MSRP), you getting get some good service. Toyota and Honda dealers will probably kiss your boots as well if you are willing to pay MSRP on a Civic or a Corolla. :) j/k
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    My first post in this chat room was specificly directed at "ZeroTolerance" in regards to a question about possible cars to buy.
    I simply gave one idea, nothing more, nothing less. I gave my opinion. There are some individuals in this room who shall remain nameless that made comments like.....

    "Saturn owners will find greater need for the
    service department than will Corolla owners, if
    past reliability history is an issue".

    And

    " You get what you pay for and
    cutting corners with a Saturn is a good example of
    that".

    Also

    "(both complained about
    the shabby quality of the Saturns, fit-and-finish"

    I realize that the majority of these opinions are strictly that. Even thou I am not surprised at these comments, it leaves me dismayed in seeing the "Attitude" portrayed here. I was a once Toyota Celica owner, and I also owned a Nissan Sentra- Which both had problems. Many diehard Toyota fans don't want to hear that there cars have problems also. Mine had head gasket problems, faulty electrical issues, and annoying, costly, and un needed repairs.

    No cars are perfect, my previous Toyota proved that. I once too had the attitude that Toyotas were the only car to buy, but realized by following that logic alot of other good, safe cars will be missed out on.

    I am due to change cars in a while, and WAS considering a Corolla CE, as well as a Nissan Sentra GXE, and of course Saturn (all models). After seeing the thoughts/attitudes towards my seemingly harmless comments, it has left and utterly bitter taste in my mouth for the complete Toyota line. Granted, while I understand one's loyalty to a brand, I choose not to verbally attack anothers choice.

    If owning a Japanese car again (mainly Toyota) means that I would stand for the kind of things some individuals in this room do, then I will definitly be buying american cars for life. Mainly, that little car from spring hill tenn. where you will always get down to earth people, with a smile!
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    My Corolla was made by the very friendly people at NUMMI Fremont,CA and my Avalon was made by the award winning TMM Georgetown,KY plant where they are also down to earth. =) I'm not saying ALL Toyotas don't have problems. If we wanted a Saturn opinion, we would all have gone into a SATURN titled thread. I wouldn't ever go into a Saturn room and mention another name brand in there in my opinion. How would you feel as a proud Saturn person in a saturn townhall forum if a Toyota or Honda person came in your room suggesting their own brand? If I did that, I definitely know they will bash me. Sorry if we all sound too proud but if we wanted an outside suggestion, we would have gone to another town hall forum.
  • liufeiliufei Member Posts: 201
    Although this forum is generally intended for Toyota Corolla, other that would like to get a quick comparison/opinion of different brand/model shouldn't be discouraged. Its much more beneficial this way.
    If the sub-topic becomes a major difference, it warrant a topic of its own, but doesn't mean we kick out every single non-corolla owner out of here.

    I'm surprised the topic is this active, last time I was here, only few ppl ever post here :)
  • lox7lox7 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I have a 2000 Corolla LE w/ Side Airbags & Automatic transmission. I purchased it in July and it really is a tremendous car. It is whisper quiet, has plenty of power, feels safe and rigid, and is very comfortable.
    It is funny that a Corolla LE sells for around $14,000; whereas a Camry LE sells for around $20,000. There isn't much difference between the two, if you think about it: Besides the size difference, all the amenities are the same. Plus, the Camry has 135HP - The Corolla 125 HP. Pound for pound, the Corolla has more power and is faster. Dollar for Dollar, the Corolla is a steal.

    For the money, Corolla is probably the best car on the market today.
  • liufeiliufei Member Posts: 201
    For the money, those Korean cars are pretty much hard to beat. Of course there's those things called reliability & resale..... :)
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    Not to mention safety and liveability.
  • dchinndchinn Member Posts: 64
    At what point should the 2K w/ 4 spd AT & AC not operational to be considered broken in when the mpg should be at its stated value? Have approximately 5K miles not over 70 mph of combination true city stop & go and freeway trips of about 25-40 miles straight. Currently only getting 30 - 32 mpg on straight freeway. I'm thinking of going to the dealer and readjusting the fuel mixture or idle to maximize mileage. Any thoughts.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    A well broken in car is definitely at 30K miles. You should be getting better mileage after 1-3K miles or so. Factory psi specs usually make it at F/R 32/28 or something in order to maximize comfort. I used 35psi on the front and rear tires on my 90 Corolla LE w/Michelin X-One 175/70R13 tires.
  • terceltom1terceltom1 Member Posts: 150
    I got a 2001 LE(four speed auto.) only 1857mi. on it mostly city driving getting 26 mpg.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Given the description of your driving, 30-32 mpg seems about right for the freeway. Nothing a dealer will do except mess something up. Leave it alone, and do check tire pressures, as suggested; however, DO NOT exceed 35 psi. Anything higher will start to adversely affect handling as well as ride.

    Would not be surprised to see this engine need another 2-3k miles to be completely loose and broken in. Be patient.
  • chalkgrrlchalkgrrl Member Posts: 2
    Thanks to everyone for the help. The main reason I was going to buy a 2000 model was because I am an unemployed college student and my parents were going to help with the payment. But I have taken into consideration what you all have brought up. So more then likely I will be looking around for a 2001 S trim. Wish me luck!
  • tomjavatomjava Member Posts: 136
    Check out the new Corolla, sell only in Japan [go to Toyota Japan Website]. It's coming to America as 2002 Model. Wow, what's a different. It's modern, bigger and luxurious.
  • aimanaiman Member Posts: 61
    While you're at that site, check out also the upscale/sporty version of the Corolla: the Mark II. The interior is the same except for the wood trim. The exterior, however, is very aggressive and upscale looking.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    The Mark II is not an upscale version of the corolla. In fact it is more in line with the Corona and Camry line...so it is a step above the Corolla. As for the JDM Corolla, our version will not be exactly like that. That version is always carried over to Europe but the North American version of the Corolla is always different. They get better engine/tranny choices along with better options. Where as the Corolla here is tailored to American tastes.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    I thought it will be coming as a 2003 model, not as a 2002 model. Can someone confirm that? It will arrive sometime in the fall of 2002, right?

    Also, Japanese Corolla and U.S are not always different. For example, the 1996 version of the Japanese Corolla is pretty close to the 1998 Corolla. The 1.8L engine that U.S Corolla uses (1ZZ-FE) was also offered on the Japanese version. Whether that means the Japanese Corolla will carry over to the U.S for the next remodeling is still not certain, but I would say there is a good chance of that.
  • dchinndchinn Member Posts: 64
    Which website has sneek pix of the 2002/2003 Rolla?
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    www.toyota.co.jp

    its all in japanese..but just put your mouse over the links and read the link descriptions when they pop up. =)
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    zerotolerance

    If you can get a new Accord for $16K, I'd say go for it. It will probably go up in value when you drive it off the lot.

    Wenyue , remember me? What's this about an Accord without AC being impossible to sell? AC can always be added to the car later on. My friend bought a used 240SX several years ago without AC. He just took it to a dealer and he had one installed.
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    Are you buying a car or joining a club? Ruling out Japanese cars would only limit your choices.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    personally get a $16K accord. If I was going to get an Accord, I would find someway to come up with $18K to by an Accord LX instead of the $16K DX. Here are my reasons:

    DX uses a cheaper, low compression engine. LX uses a better engine that makes more power.

    LX has A/C, DX does not. It's very hard to sell a car without an A/C in the U.S. Even if you could sell it, the buyer would certaintly slash the price heavily, stating the lack of A/C as the main cause. You could add an A/C later at a dealership, but that would probably cost even more money (probably $1000 at least). So why not just get one with A/C to start with?

    LX also has Power window/door lock. And if I'm not mistaken, it also has cruise control.

    LX is far more popular than the DX version. So there is a bigger buyer market, making selling it much easier later.

    Also, some of the extra cost of buying the LX is recovered with it's higher resale value.

    I think all these things more than justify the purchase of $18K Accord LX over $16K DX. Just my 2 cents.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    A while back, I posted the first picture of the 2001 Corolla in Japan (may very well be the 2003 U.S corolla). As a reminder, here is the picture.

    http://www1.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All_toyota_lineup/CorollaSedan/exterior/images/ex01_vga.jpg

    Now I found a picture of export version, which is more likely to be what the 2003 Corolla will be like, "IF" this picture is true.

    http://www.geocities.com/busybeetoys/scoop/s26-corolla.jpg

    You can tell there are some similiarites. But one for export seems to be more "square", less smooth lines and more hard edges like VW Jetta. And the color, in my opinion, is just god aweful! I like the Japanese version better. What do you all think?

    This is all just rumor, and the picture might even be false. Just thought people might like to take a look for themselves.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    Here is the full article.

    http://www.geocities.com/busybeetoys/scoop/edn26.htm

    The writer stated that export version of the Corolla is most likely for the U.S And it will debute in May 2001. This lend support to the rumor that the next generation Toyota Corolla will appear in the U.S next year as a 2002 model instead of the originally intended 2003 model.

    Again, this not not concrete information. The writer got these picture and information from the Japanese car magazines.
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    It took a while for a neighbor of mine to sell her Accord. It wasn't because it didn't have AC, it was more to do with its having a manual transmission.

    When you argue resale value, you have to factor in the present value of a dollar vs. the future value. The present value is always worth more, since you can invest that dollar in lieu of spending it.
  • dchinndchinn Member Posts: 64
    U R right about a manual transmission being harder to sell.
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    Thanks, also consider the time value of money when discussing resale value. If the value of a dollar today is worth the same 5 to 10 years from now (when you will probably resell the car), then you could go to the bank and get a loan at zero interest.

    If you put $2000 in the bank and were unable to touch it for 5 or 10 years, would you be happy with getting just the $2000 back?

    Something to consider.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    I checked with Edmund's on the resale value difference.

    95 Accord DX sedan, 5-spd manual, radio/tape (standard equip), no A/C, 60,000 miles (average), clean shape

    Vs.

    95 Accord LX sedan, 5-spd manual, radio/tape/cd (standard equip), A/C (standard), 60,000 miles (average), clean shape.

    Difference in trade in price = $1,300

    Difference in private party sale = $1,400

    Difference in dealer retail = $1,800

    Of course, the resale price alone will not justify the purchase of LX. But keep in mind that a car without A/C will probably be very hard to find a buyer. You will likely weed out the vast majorty of the buyers by not having an A/C (unless you live in Alaska).

    So let's just take the difference, $2000 in initial purchase price - $1400 in resale value = $600 difference over 5 years of ownership.

    Now during those 5 years, how much is it worth to drive a more powerful car? DX has 135 hp, LX has 150 hp. The difference in acceleration is definitly noticable, and LX even gets a little better gas milage. How much is 5 years of quickness worth?

    How about the use of power window and door locks. LX has them standard, DX doesn't have them at all. So how much is the convience worth?

    How about being able to listen to CDs? LX has CD player, DX does not. What's the worth of being able to listen to CD while you drive for those 5 years?

    What about cruise control? LX has that too, DX does not. So how much is the comfortable highway driving worth?

    Then there are the small things such as intermittent windshield wiper, and 8 way vs 4 way seat adjustment, ect...

    I think these things, along with the ease of resale down the road should easily justify the $600 difference in resale value.

    On paper, you are definitly getting more car for your money with the Accord LX, and that's why it's the most popular Accord trim. I think a person should definitly try to get the $2000 and opt for an LX, unless $2000 is just simply beyond the capability. Just my 2 cents. Buy what you will.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    The BusyBee site is notorious for off-the-wall speculation and ludicrous touching-up of spy photos to create "news" of what an upcoming production model will look like. Keep this in mind:

    -The car is on a 5-year production cycle, and they just spent a modest amount of money on a facelift. Logic dictates that the next US Corolla will be here in calendar year 2002 as a model year 2003 car, and in fact, this is what all of the US publications are saying.

    -The US Corolla is exclusively produced in North America, at both the NUMMI and Canadian plants. There are plans at the NUMMI plant to use the next Corolla platform as a shared basis for a small AWD car, to be sold as a Corolla for Toyota, and a Pontiac for GM. Engineering for these cars is under way, but unlikely to be complete for at least another year.

    As for styling, all you need do is look at the Prius, the RAV4, the new Celica...all give you clues about where they are going: slanted fronts, big "eyes", and relatively slab slides, along with extra height for the sedans to give more room inside. All of these trends are evident in the new Japanese Corolla...just don't look for a new one here for at least another 18 months.

    Toyota NA has its marketing hands full right now with all of the new trucks and trucklets, and will have the new Camry to digest in another 9-10 months...don't hold your breath on the new Corolla unless you are willing to stay blue until at least the second quarter of 2002.
  • dchinndchinn Member Posts: 64
    More accessories means more possibility of maintenance problems. Accessories however help in resale by having a longer list of stuff to attract buyers. Cruise control & CD player are nice to have but are not as important as AC in warmer weather. Many folks don't use or know how to use the cruise option. Some rather prefer the cassette vs. the CD option.

    This compares to the 2000 Corolla CE & LE choice I had to face. I chose the CE because I didn't really need the tachometer , cruise control, color side moldings. I figure the $$ saved could be used for my 1st year insurance & registration.
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    dchinn

    I agree with you regarding more maintenance problems with more accessories. With the problems come the inconvenience of having to make an appointment for the repair. Living in the Northwest, I would hate to have my window stuck in the open position because it could rain at any time.

    wenyue,

    On resale value, you're still not factoring in the time value of money. You have to factor in the interest rate and the inflation rate over the period of time. If we have $2,000 today, over a period of five years at an inflation rate of 3.6% and an interest rate of 6%, it is equivalent to $2,195.26 future dollars.
  • liufeiliufei Member Posts: 201
    Confused me to say the least.
    They expand their SUV platform to 5 models, just when auto sales are slowing down hard, and oil prices keep creeping up. The tundra is designed to challenge the big 3 pickup, but its undersized and overprice. The ECHO is a nice compact, but for some reason, reviewer hates it, and its tough to go against korean makes on the sub-compact, especially since value would more than likely be the greatest factor in there.
    Same with the Corolla. I like the new design (if we ever gonna get it), but feel that is an immitation from the Focus/Jetta. Hopefully, the North American version will offer something unique with all the advantage of its Japanese/European counterpart.
  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    Having 5 SUV's is a quite absurd. I agree with that. My Tundra is yes smaller, but who cares, but it is not overpriced. The Echo is a cool concept as well as its styling partner, the new Prius. The Echo is more than the Koreans, but you get what you pay for. The Celica and MR2 fill their niches real well. Although, when you get down to it, the Camry and the Corolla are the bread and butter. My two Corollas still hold their own and they get excellent gas mileage. Toyota is just covering all their bases.

    Biggest misconception: Tundra copied Ford; it happened the other way.

    Another misconception: Corolla copy any Ford or Jetta. If you want to see the new Corolla, imagine something between the Echo and Prius.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    Ok, so given the $195.26 interest, the question remains.

    Is having a notably more powerful engine, better gas milage, A/C, power window, power door lock, cruise control, CD player, and other extra featurer in the LX over the next 5 years and a much easier time finding a buyer for your used car worth the $795.26 difference in value?

    I would say say yes. But that's just my personal preference.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    The japanese version of the corolla does seem to draw heavily from the Echo and Prius styling, making it almost a hybride of those two, only bigger.

    Now, the picture about the export version (if it is true) does seem to have lots of Jetta's styling cues. But that's because Jetta is often considered the best looking compact in the U.S right now. Well, I can't blame Toyota for want to get some of that.

    5 SUV does seem to be a little much. I too wonder what Toyota is thinking. I can see why Toyota want to build the Highlander. After all, the RX300 is a huge success and the Highlander is going to hit big. RAV4 is needed for entry level, read "cheap", SUVs. Sequoia is needed for the Fullsize SUV competition with the big 3.

    But that leaves Landcruiser and 4-Runner with little room.

    I guess Toyota knows what they are doing. They are not the most well managed automaker for no reasons. And dispite all the big 3 are expecting sales decrease from last year, Toyota is expecting a sales increase counter to the market.
  • liufeiliufei Member Posts: 201
    tundradude:
    I dont know about misconception, I just speak out what I think, which is probably wrong anyway :)
    I agree that MR2 and Celica fit their Niche real well, and the Prius is definite breakthrough against the oil-dependent car. Tomoco sure does cover their bases, something thats really impressive.
    But I still think Tomoco can do better than the Tundra though, although I'm sure many will disagree. I'm curious why you said Ford copied the Tundra, when they release F-150 way before the Tundra ?

    wenyue:
    Can't blame them for wanting a piece of the cake, but I'm more concerned that this has become more than just that. Even in the flagship Lexus LS430 has simply copied over the Mercedes S-series stylewise (interior is different issue). I'm happy with my Toyota, but I don't want to drive something thats been copied over from something else in the future.
    p.s: those interest dollars might as well be
    negative returns if the $2000 is invested
    in one of the dotcom. AC is a must in
    the Southern States!!! :)
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    Well, Japanese automakers haven't exactly been the ground breakers in styling. ;) The new trends tend to be set by the Europeans first. Oh well, they have to have something to show for their premium right. ;)

    Dotcoms.... errh, don't talk about it. I was so high in the sky from the huge return my hightech portfolio gave me last year (99% growth), but now "dotcom" is almost a dirty word. Thanks to that, my portfolio has lost more than 4% this year so far. Errh...
  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    It is true that the Ford F-150 came out before the Tundra. 1997 before 2000. However, the T-100 came out in 1993. The present F-150 looks like the evolution of the T-100. If you go back to the car magazines of the day, you will see the authors saying the same thing. The Tacoma came out in 1995.5 and a year before the new F-150 and you could see the styling after the T-100. When the Tundra came out in 2000 it was built off the Tacoma theme. Toyota wanted to make both trucks look from the same family. Ford sells a little less than a million trucks a year and they automatically get the benefit of the doubt. Not to beat a dead horse, but thats how it happened.

    I will add though that Toyota did most of their style copying the 70's and early 80's. For example, the first 2 generation Celicas were styled after the Ford Mustang. Then the next generation Celica (82-85) was unique.

    A good question remains and maybe wenyue would like to give it a shot. Toyota is by far the biggest automaker of Japan. It has 5 divisions similiar to GM. My car, a 89 Corolla GT-S came out the same year in 88 as did the Mazda MX-6. With the exception of the pop-up headlights on my Corolla, the cars are styled almost identical. Did the Corolla come first and Mazda tried to copy it? It's like David copying Goliath. A more modern example might be how the new Camry looks awfully close to an Accord. This generation Camry came out first though.

    I believe Toyota is on their own path like the Echo and the Prius, but will they styling theme carry the day. Come to think of it, you see some of the styling in the new Avalon.
  • liufeiliufei Member Posts: 201
    tundradude:
    I've never been an expert of truck/suv or even the auto industry, so I'm not aware of the stuff you just said. I am interested on pickup due to new hobby (in which the poor Corolla won't do) and the practicallity of it, and naturally I check on Toyota's product first.
    Regarding style copying, I wish they set the trend instead of following one, but thats just a dream i guess :)

    wenyue:
    only down 4% ?? You haven't feel the pain yet buddy ^__^.
    Always wondered why German's car command premium, while they're nothing more than a cab in their motherland (yeah, me talking bout MB).
  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    Changing subjects:

    If you need a Tacoma, its a little expensive, but they have multistyles like the new crew cab which kind of suprised me to be as big as it is, but the bed is awfully small. The Tacoma or like truck before it named Truck has always been assembled relative to the Corolla.

    If your hobby requires a bigger bed or more towing capacity, a Tundra is great. The extended cab version is something not very desirable in comfort (I have a regular cab). I tow my camping trailer with mind and haul lots of stuff. I have the V6.

    Both trucks have awesome 4 wheel drive systems, but the Tacoma is not as wide or as long and might be able to go more places.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    4% is a pain. Take in to the consideration that the inflation is probably 2.5%, and the return from a governement bond is like 8%.... This is a pain, thinking that there is a 12+% difference between what I could have made and what I ended up losing..... This is a huge contrast between last year's 99% grwoth and this year's 4% loss. Erhhh...

    As for german brand. Yes, I wonder about that too. Mercedes makes cabs and mini cars as well as their luxury cars in Europe. They are just like GM or Ford, making a full range of cars from cheap to expensive. The german brand seems to get alot more recognition in the U.S than they get back in their home country.

    What I really don't understand is why VW command such a premium. I just don't get it! Since it's less capable and less reliable than the Toyota or Honda, the only way I would buy it is if VW is couple thousand dollars cheaper. But it's the other way around....
  • liufeiliufei Member Posts: 201
    tundradude:
    I did look at the Tacoma, but that was back before they come out with the crewcab. My problem with compact pickup is the lack of room for more than 2 passenger. Cant imagine squeezing friends in the jumper seats, but if you move to the crewcab, the bed becomes pretty much useless...and yes, the Tacoma is priced well over its competitor as well.
    I didn't intend of towing anything, but will do some hauling and definitely some off-roading as well. I guess in that case, 4x4 is a definite must?
    The Tundra Extended cab on the other hand offer decent room on the backseat and the bed is still usefull. and boy, it rides much much better than what I ever expected from a truck :)
    Oh well, more thing to consider. I havent even looked at the BIG 3 offering yet, except for some ride in friend's Silverado, F-150 & Ranger. They do offer advantages in prices/value. But looking at the pickup board, all of them have their share of problems.

    wenyue:
    Family used to have a VW Beetle. Its a competent little compact with less problem than the usual VW. thats the only VW we ever owned so I dont know much more than the Beetle. What I can say is that German car seems more geared toward the sporty side and driver's experience. Much more than Honda. The quality of the interior seem quite impressive as well.
    Having said that, would I trade my Corolla for a VW Golf? Hehe, N E V E R!!! ^__^
    I don't think a Golf is a worthy adversary for Corolla, and the Jetta is way too expensive to be in the same category with Corolla. Its more expensive than even the Civic.

    And you still do good in your portfolio. Myself has sustained more than 15% losses YTD, and I know ppl that lose more than half their money.....
    Good thing we still a few decades from retirement eh? ^__^
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