Toyota Corolla

johnclineii · January 2003

Who said there was anything wrong with white? My last ten cars have all been white. All always will be, unless for some odd reason I buy a Cadillac DeVille (not bloody likely). But if I were to, it would be black. A Caddy DeVille looks SILLY in white...kind of like a big bathtub. Corollas look CLASSY in white!

coolguyky7 · January 2003

I saw a white 2003 Corolla LE today and I'd have to say that Lunar Mist Metallic looks better. You really can't go wrong with either though.

nippononly · January 2003

looks especially swish with the black door handles to contrast with the white sides...who decided it looked so much better to have completely color-coded everything? Black door handles and mirrors look kind of nice, depending on the color of the car. I even liked the look back when they still made cars with black (unpainted) bumper covers.

dinu01 · January 2003

Corollas don't look good in anything.

I have a Protege, but I need to ask you Corolla owners, talking strictly about styling, do you actually like your car?

Do you like it how it takes turns?

I drove a 2003 Corolla this summer for a while and I LOVE the way it rides on the highway (quiet, powerful), but absolutely hate it when you have to take turns, you almost have to stop the car - compared to the PRO that likes taking turns at any speeds.

Dinu

fgf001 · January 2003

The Protege handles better hands down but I don't find the handling of the '03 Rolla objectionable. No doubt it could be improved with simply installing better tires. A 2" drop would do wonders but that's more $$ than I care to get into at this point. Prior to this I had a 626 V-6 5 speed that cornered like a go cart so I do have something to compare against. There's no need to knock Corolla looks....to each his/her own. Personally I like the style or I wouldn't have purchased it.

ghostbuster23 · January 2003

Anybody else notice all the '03s in Montreal are CEs? weird.

i_luv_toyota · January 2003

"Corollas don't look good in anything."

I agree. The 2003 Corolla is the ugliest car Toyota currently makes (that is, until, the 2004 Lexus RX330 is released).

anonymousposts · January 2003

The 03 Corolla, unless it's a base model with the black trim, is nice. It looks very upscale. I would've considered it more had my 6'6 fiance been able to drive it.

As for the RX ... have you seen that interior though? Lexus deserves the interior genius crown. I personally like the outside but I can see why others may not .. but that interior......

coolguyky7 · January 2003

For a company that can produce the interiors of the new ES and RX, Lexus sure did a bland job on the LS.

mzim1 · January 2003

My daughter is trying to decide whether to purchase a Mazda Protege automatic LX with ABS or a Corolla LE auto with ABS and side airbags as options. What is your opinion and if you feel the Corolla is the better what would be my target price before taxes and fees. Thanks

johnclineii · January 2003

Well. let's see, this is the Corolla board, so what do you think these fine folk are going to tell you?

As for target price, see Edmunds TMV in the new car section.

The Protege deserves your consideration but will have much lower resale value.

Also consider the service departments at the two dealerships involved, unless you intend to do the work yourself.

backy · January 2003

They're both fine cars, but IMO it's a choice between sportiness (Pro) and luxury (Corolla). The Pro has sharper handling but also a firmer ride. The Corolla's interior is more luxurious while the Pro's is more sporty. The Corolla also has the edge in mpg and slightly in acceleration. The Pro (for '03) has the longer bumper-to-bumper warranty (4 years/50,000 miles) but the Corolla has a longer powertrain warranty (5/60). Both should be reliable. As noted, the Corolla has superior resale value, helped by the fact that it's a nearly-new model while the Pro is scheduled for a redesign later this year. You should be able to get a better deal on the Pro; if you choose it try to find a '02 because you can probably get a huge discount on it and it's virtually the same as the '03s.

coolguyky7 · January 2003

Resale will especially be impacted when the redesigned Protege debuts. If the Protege doesn't have the side airbags, that's another plus for the Corolla.

johnclineii · January 2003

Then again, resale is only a factor if you intend to trade the car while it is still worth something. If you intend to keep the car forever, basically running it into the ground, resale is not a factor.

alpha01 · January 2003

Offers higher all-around crashworthiness scores as well.

check out http://www.iihs.org

and http://www.nhtsa.com

~alpha

terceltom1 · January 2003

Are the side air bags readily available for the Corolla now? I know they used to be very hard to get.

dudleyr · January 2003

I don't own either one, but to me the Corolla is much better looking than the Protoge. They are not even in the same league. The Corolla looks, very nice., while the Protoge is unoffensive, and not bad looking. Looks are about last on my list of what is important in a vehicle though, just below horsepower.

One thing I have wondered about the Protoge, is how do they get it to use so much fuel? 25/31 mpg vs 32/40. They both have 130 hp, and the Corolla is lighter, so it is a little peppier. A Chevy Impala with a 3.4 liter v-6 and an automatic tranny gets 32 mpg on the highway. Even within Mazda, the larger Mazda6 gets 25/32.

tundradude · January 2003

My two Corollas are white and its a good color to age gracefully.

Another thing, there is no Protege that could ever hang with my Corollas.

huxley123 · January 2003

A dealer is offering us a '03 Corolla LE (with gold package + Cruise ) with 11,800miles on it for $13,995. It is Toyota Certified. They say it is a program car and the three year warranty will be up around July '05.
We were wondering how much would be a good value for the car? The first year depreciation according to Edmund's is around $3500. Our feeling is that anything less than 14000(TMV of new car)-3500=$10,500 could be a good value.

I am a bit worried about buying a car in the first model year , especially with some of the problems I have been reading about(I admit I haven't gone through the entire board). But then since the car would be under warranty, it still might be a safe bet especially with the (supposedly) good resale value of Toyotas - I can sell it two/three years down the road if I am not satisfied.

Also, how reliable are program cars in the long run ?

Any comments and/or suggestions welcome.

dinu01 · January 2003

I would not be cheap and buy a brand-new car if I were you. Demo vehicles are abused by potential buyers that take these cars to their extremes on test drives. You would be buying a car that was abused. If you change cars every 3 yrs, then go for it, but if you plan on keeping this car for the long haul, consider a new one.

Dinu

toyotaken · January 2003

Something to ask is also if this is a TRAC car. There are vehicles that the dealers use as "loaners" for service customers. For these, I know that most are driven to the customer's work, parked and driven back that night. Ours I know we normally hold until they have about 6,000 miles and are checked, cleaned fueled after each customer has it and are inspected every week to make sure that they are in good mechanical shape. So depending on what they classify as a "program" car, it may still be well taken care of, but caution is not a bad thing. So see if there is maintanence records and see if you can find out where the vehicle was owned to help make your decision.

Ken

dave594 · January 2003

Are these cars then sold as "Toyota Certified" used cars? If so, do they come with the 6 year/ 100k mile warranty?

toyotaken · January 2003

Most that we sell are certified, yes. However, we don't always process the paperwork as some customers would prefer to purchase the vehicle for less cost and just use the factory warranty. However, for the small additional cost, most people think it is well worth the cost to have it certified.

huxley123 · January 2003

I will try to find out what the program car was used for. I asked once and the guy was pretty vague saying that it might have come from a rental or maybe some sales rep drove it. However he quite confidently asseretd that it had been taken care of very well - with regular oil changes. The car is certified.

I am still debating the price. I do not plan to keep it beyond 2-3 years - so I thought it might be real steal if I can get a good price on it.
Any idea what the $ value of the extended certified warranty is ?

Any suggestion on the price still welcome.

johnclineii · February 2003

How would we know? This is the Toyota Corolla forum!

jeprox · February 2003

anyone tried using K&N air filter with the 03' corolla? just wondering about the results, thanks

jbollt · February 2003

Does it have a trunk light? The brochure says so, but having just helped my mom buy one, she can't seem to see it. (it "seemed dark in the trunk" The dealer was clueless to her query. I am 500 miles away now, or I would certainly be able to see for myself, if it was there, or just inop. Anyone with a CE care to comment? thanks!

fgf001 · February 2003

At the time the K&N wasn't out yet so I bought Toyota's TRD filter. This was a direct replacement for the OEM flat panel. They claim 1-2 HP but I noticed nothing! Since then I replaced the whole mess with an AEM cold air intake and it truly brought the engine to life. Best bang for the buck, no question.

jeprox · February 2003

thanks for the info fgf001. i don't think you would really notice the 1-2hp gain. i use k&n in my sienna and did notice better gas mileage and feels like more pick-up. i plan to try k&n on my corolla 03' but i haven't decided yet.

thanks again for the info.

jbollt, the 03' CE does have a trunk light. i didnt know i had one until one night, i popped open the trunk and it's bright inside!

the light is located (sort of) under your 3rd brake light. you definitely will not notice it during the day unless u look underneath. pop trunk open at night and you will see the light. when you open the trunk, it also turns on your dome light.

goldkey · February 2003

I was wondering whether anyone knows what's the deal with Leather package on Corollas.
Few months back, it was not possible to locate any such car, because very few of them were actually manufactured. I wonder whether now there are more available. I live in North East, and was told only West coast gets any. Wonder if availability changed. Don't want to deal with aftermarket installers.

steveb84 · February 2003

Chicago region is getting very few...currently only 15 spread throughout the 115 dealers

coolguyky7 · February 2003

I've seen a few in the midwest.

coolguyky7 · February 2003

What's with all the inactivity?

My 1996 Corolla is doing great in all this snow and ice we've had. My dad feels it handles much better than his Solara with 17 inch wheels does.

dinu01 · February 2003

It's not an enthusiast's car - you probably being the exception.

Dinu

johnclineii · February 2003

I think it's neat he loves Corollas so much!

I had a 1971 AMC Gremlin.

Does that count?

dinu01 · February 2003

Nah, I save that for the Accord owners only

Dinu

canc · February 2003

It's normal that the Corolla handles better than the Solara in snow, but that's because the Corolla has smaller, more narrow tires than the Solara. By having a narrow tire, it "cuts" through the snow better than the wider tire from the Solara. On ice, however, the Solara should perform better, since then there is more tire surface on contact with the ice, thus giving the car more traction. Plus the added weight of the Solara over the Corolla would help this as well.

I have to agree with you on one point though--I drive a Corolla to work almost every day, and they are amazing cars in winter driving.

sunsoko · February 2003

I have an '01 Corolla with 45K miles. Does anyone knows how often one should change the Iridium plugs that come with the car. I check with my local Toyota and they want $15 each.

dudleyr · February 2003

What does the owners manual say?

fgf001 · February 2003

I believe it's 60K. You can find the same plugs online for $7.00-8.00.

berkelyblue · February 2003

Just got a 1997 Corolla DX with power everything, except everything doesn't work. Power Windows, Power doorlocks, and power sunroof, none of the fore mentioned stuff works, all of them. I'm thinking fuses, or some sort of connection, but I can't find the fuse box, does anyone have a repair manual and point me in the dirction of the fuse box, the driver side box didn't have it.

dinu01 · February 2003

For fuse box.

My car (Protege) has one by the driver's left leg and another one in the engine compartment.

Dinu

kronikflakes · February 2003

Hi, I live in Los Angeles area and after much shopping around and requesting price quotes from at least 7 places, tonight I just purchased a 2003 Toyota Corrola S-Type with Sports Package option, Power Package, Cruise Control, Deluxe CD/Radio, and some additional dealer add-ons that were already tacked on it. I bargained for four hours and managed to challenge the dealer add-ons. Now, to make the story short, I ended up with the price tag $17,500 flat out the door (tax and fees included). The salesman and I were stalled at $17,200 and that was the reason I increased my final offer to $17,500 out the door price. I thought that this was a good deal, but after much thinking I was starting to doubt myself. Can somebody please tell me if this is a good price or if I was ripped off? I really need to find out because I'm so bothered by it so much right now. Please respond as soon as possible. Thanks.

gcboyd1 · February 2003

Don't worry. I was one of the first to get an '03 CE, and due to early demand, paid perilously close to sticker. Sure, you'll get some folks that'll tell you that you could have gotten it cheaper, but it sounds like (1) it's loaded (I have manual windows, for crying out loud) and (2) it's clearly within the normal range for this model. Keep in mind that supply and demand, location, etc., all factor in. You have a well-eqipped car at a fair price - maybe not the cheapest, but so what? If you can afford it, and you like the car, you haven't been ripped off.

Good luck with your '03. They're great cars (at any price, really).

alpha01 · February 2003

If you paid 17,500 INCLUDING tax, title, license, which you say you did, then you got a very fair deal. Not a home run, but definitely in the ballpark. Enjoy!

~alpha

goldkey · February 2003

I think CarsDirect is the best place to find out the best price. If you went via dealer you may need to adjust the price by few hundred bucks, because of the convenience (if only perceieved) and ability to see and touch the actual car before making a pick.
Otherwise, I think CarsDirect can't be beat pricewise.

Ile · February 2003

For a manual 5 sp tran.
http://edmunds.com/new/2003/toyota/corolla/100074065/options.html- - - - - ?action=2

Plus whatever were the dealer options + taxes licence fees
In Chicago Il. That would be for an auto.
http://edmunds.com/new/2003/toyota/corolla/100074064/calculator.h- - - - - tml?tid=edmunds.n.options.leftsidenav..7.Toyota*
(17,447)
For manual
$16,629
http://edmunds.com/new/2003/toyota/corolla/100074065/calculator.h- - - - - tml?tid=edmunds.n.options.leftsidenav..7.Toyota*

And I got all this info in about 5 min here from Edmunds. You should try it too. BEFORE YOU GO TO THE DEALERSHIP. Nevertheless you have got a fantastic deal if your car was an automatic. If it was a manual you gave them about 1k over invoice price. Which is not bad considering that jewelry has a mark up of about %80. Which would mean that if you bought a ring that costs 1250 for your fiancée you would have paid about the same amount over invoice. Sad but true.

kronikflakes · February 2003

Thank you so much for all of the helpful and sincere replies. They helped me feel better. I did my homework before I came to the dealer. With the options that I wanted (4-automatic, sports package, power package, cruise control, deluxe stereo system cd/am-fm/cassette,etc), the TMV price would be $16200 for my area (my area code is 91107) before tax and fees. So after tax and fees, it should come up to about $18144 (the current california tax rate is 8.25%, and I don't know what the rate of the license and registration fee is. I'm guessing the tax and fees rates totaled up to about 12%. Am I even right on this one?). I also called 7 other dealers to request a quote for those specific options with the car, and most gave me higher prices over the phone. Some dealers were reluctant to bargain or tell me the best price over the phone; they insisted on having me come in to the dealership instead. I was just wondering if I should have bargained for a better price at other dealers or if most people have bargained better than I did. I need to know if my price is considered a good deal. I don't know how much the dealer has marked up previously before giving away the car to me for that kind of price. I know some of you have answered this question, but do any of you know how much out the door price do most people get for the car with my options? And also, how accurate/reliable is Edmund's TMV price, because that was the reference that I used? Thanks.

wzonedmunds · March 2003

Does it make in Japan or US?

canc · March 2003

for Canada, at least, are all made in Ontario, Canada. I have no idea about the ones made at the NUMMI plant in California.

Toyota Corolla

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