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Toyota Corolla

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Comments

  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    There is another possibility. Getting a tune up and cleaning the injectors should put some efficiency under the hood.
  • jacknimblejacknimble Member Posts: 171
    collguyky7, something is wrong. Although the AC will impact mileage (maybe 1-2 Mmpg), heat and fan settings do not.

    I agree with tundradude, that perhaps it needs new plugs and clean injectors, but I wonder if there is something else. A good shop can point you in the most logical things to check first for your cars miles, wear and driving style.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    Thanks, everyone! I'll get the car checked out.
  • edle777edle777 Member Posts: 19
    Anyone know where the actual temperature gauge is? I'm guessing it's under the engine somewhere. It's always a few degrees low so I'm wondering if might need to be cleaned of some road grime that's accumulated on it. I have a 99 CE.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    Let me know where it is so I can have mine checked out too. My gauge has been reading a few degrees higher during the summer when the car sits out under the sun.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    #1. You simultaneously purchased a new Corolla AND Sienna? Impressive, and congrats!

    #2. Are you SURE you are getting 16MPG in the Corolla? How are you calculating fuel economy? Biggest thing- are your tires properly inflated to the recommended PSI on the doorjamb sticker and in the owners manual?

    Coolguy, be sure to check your tire pressure as well. Unfortunately, and I dont know if your situation is at all similar, but I felt I should tell you that I noticed a sharp drop in MPG with my 94 Civic two weeks before it stranded me on the highway, near overheating, which was caused by a failed head gasket (97,000 on the odo).

    ~alpha
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    The sensor for the temperature gauge should be somewhat hidden up in the front bumper. Also, the manual should say that there is a +/- 1 degree of error on the display.

    By the way, it probably wouldn't hurt to go through a touchless car wash that has an under carriage spray and see if that helps.
  • jaa37jaa37 Member Posts: 67
    I can't decide between a Corolla S and a Civic EX. Any thoughts? The Civic seems to have slightly better ratings and resale value, but some people seem to like the Corolla more...
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    I'm sure you will be asked to post this under the comparisons link at the top of the Sedans board, but until they do, IMHO the Corolla is quieter, smoother, larger interior, and more efficient. Corolla is easier to change oil, same or better reliability (based on older models). I think I remember that the Corolla is faster and more HP. But the Civic is also good in it's own right. Many people prefer the looks, more sportiness, etc. of the Civic. Try both.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    a whole lot of differences, but in terms of subtle contrasts, the Civic is more the driver's car, especially with the manual. Honda's powertrains have few equals. BUT the price you pay for that is more noise, a harsher ride, a less nice interior, and a lower ride height compared to the Toyota. Plus I think the stock stereo in the Corolla is better - get the mirror-post tweeters!

    Civic DOES have better resale, but a shorter warranty on the flip side.

    Corolla S has some funky looking side skirts and spoiler and stuff. I think the Civic now has standard alloys for '04 - certainly the coupe does.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Can you get the Corolla without those awful side skirts?
  • stevenq99stevenq99 Member Posts: 36
    only the S model has the side skirts. I have a 2004 Corolla and it is a very nice car. We drove the Corolla ,Civic, Vibe, and Protege all were good cars but chose the Corolla because they were more willing to deal and gave us a better trade in. Imo the Protege was the best car overall(very good deals on them right now.)
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    jaa37,

    Have you test driven either car? If you haven't, then you should to find out which suits you in terms of a comfortable seating position and "fun to drive" factor.

    In terms of performance, the Corolla only has 3 more horsepower, but it has 11 lb ft of torque more than the Civic EX. This translates into more off the line (stop light) acceleration in a Corolla.

    The Corolla has a timing chain, which has a longer life than the Civic's timing belt. Changing the Civic's timing belt can be a substantial cost considering the value of the car when this maintenance is required ( @ 90,000 miles?) - something to keep in mind if you are intending to keep your car for the long run.
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Corolla might very well be my next car. My mechanic who has been servicing and working on every car I've had for the last 15 years recommended 4 models to me. Toyota's Avalon and Corolla and Nissan's Maxima and Altima. I don't like Nissan, and unless Toyota offers real good deals on the Avalon, I won't be able to justify the almost $30000 cost of the car. I'll get a Corolla.

    I'll trade my 2000 Sable and I know that I'll absorb a lot of depreciation. But I have to return to the Toyota fall after having been away from it for some 6 years. Incidentally, I saw that Corolla's dimensions are pretty close to the 91 Camry that I used to own. In any case, Toyota was the only quality car I've had.

    stevenq99: What model Corolla do you have? It seems to be tall but somewhat narrow. Otherwise, it looks very attractive. What price should I expect to pay for it?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    the Honda Civic has a timing chain like the corolla, NOT a belt. The EX uses VTEC to get the last 12 hp, so unless you love to rev the car, you will get more useable power out of the corolla.

    A way to get a more sporty corolla and still go Toyota, BTW, is to go with Matrix as I did. The corolla has heavy understeer (at least, on the OEM tires) which the Matrix does not have. Matrix does have a firmer ride though. The base, XR, and AWD Matrix have the corolla's engine.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • superman5superman5 Member Posts: 154
    http://www.laautoshow.com/debut_corolla.asp
    170hp motor from celida/metrix
  • jaa37jaa37 Member Posts: 67
    I test drove both and found that the Corolla seemed to have a bit more power, but the Civic seemed to handle a little better. I'm plaanning on holding onto the car forever, so maybe the Civic'ss resale value is the deciding factor. Plus I just got an offer for an EX for $16,100 (w/side airbags), which is better than any Toyota offer i've gotten so far...
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    If you're planning on holding onto the car forever, the Civic's higher resale value then means very little, as compared to what you are saying. The Civic does handle better, the Corolla is quieter and rides more smoothly, both are similarly efficient with fuel, and I feel that the Corollas engine is a better match to an auto, if thats what you are considering. The Civic works best with the manual, and the Civic with a manual will likely be more fun to shift and drive than the Corolla with the 5sp.

    Both lack in that they dont offer side curtains, IMO, a big disappointment, and you can only get ABS on the Civic EX, which puts that safety feature out of the reach of many. The Corollas major issue, IMO, is the odd seating position for taller drivers, and the Toyota-hallmark marginal front seat comfort, due to short lenght bottom cushions. I'm not a fan of the Civics restyling for this year, but on the other hand, I'm not a fan of white faced guages, as in the Corolla.

    Either will be a great choice, it comes down to a matter of preferences.

    ~alpha
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    As far as I know, only the Civic SI, GX, HX and EX come with the VTEC engine and the timing chain.
    The base DX and LX come with a timing belt.
    Please someone correct me if I am wrong.
    Happy New Year to everybody.
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    According to the following parts catalog link...

    http://catalog.speedycarparts.com/?year=2003&make=HO&imag- eField.x=84&imageField.y=24

    ... you can buy timing belts for all 2003 Civics EXCEPT for the SI and the hybrid.

    If the current Civic's engine is like prior generations, replacing the timing belt can be quite costly. You'll probably question whether it would be worth it to spend about $600 (U.S.) for the timing belt replacement and an additional $200 for replacing other parts including the water pump when your Civic has 100,000 miles (or whatever the scheduled mileage).
  • stevenq99stevenq99 Member Posts: 36
    I have an S model so it has the ground effects and the black interior. The sticker on mine was about 17500 and I got it for 16000+ttl (invoice was 15800. I think the le might be a better deal overall but could not find one with the options I wanted(5 speed and sunroof). Good luck! you can't go wrong with a Corolla.

    Steven
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    Does anyone know if the RS 3000 security system (like used on the 1996 model) would prevent the car from locking while the keys are in the ignition and the car is turned off? I know that our Avalon had this feature. I'm asking because I found my keys in the ignition of my locked car after a New Year's party. Arghhh.... I would think that even without the RS 3000, the car would still not do that. I'm very disappointed with this.
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Thank you Steven for the reply. I apologized for my comment about the "awful side skirts. Just because I don't like them doesn't mean they are ugly to someone else. I do realize, however, that these ground effects lower the car so while parking in a lot the bottom can get scraped if you go over a divider. That always happened to me when I had my beloved Camry.

    Happy new year and enjoy your new Toyota Corolla!
    Daniel
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    I thought as you did that the SI and all the VTECs used a chain now, and since the original poster was looking at an EX.........

    However, having now researched it a little, it appears it is true that only the SI has gone to a chain, while all the other Civics still use a belt. Shame on you, Honda.

    Another good reason to go corolla - it has used a chain since '98. Why waste several hundred dollars every 90K replacing the belt and the water pump?

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    coolguyky7,

    Toyota mailed a "CreditCard key blank" to me after I purchased my Corolla. I had it cut at a Toyota dealership, so I assume that you could purchase one there. I think you can also get them at a AAA auto club office. You just keep it in your wallet and you won't be screwed if you lock yourself out of your car. Check out the link below for a picture.

    http://www.hillmangroup.com/ekey.htm
  • vnguyen5vnguyen5 Member Posts: 4
    glenglen,
    I just bought my Corolla but did not know anything about the CreditCard key blank. Did you order it or Toyota just sent it to you?
  • glenglenglenglen Member Posts: 37
    vnguyen5,

    I didn't have to order the CreditCard key blank, Toyota just mailed it to me. So, if you've purchased your Corolla as a new car, I would think that you'd receive a CreditCard key blank in the mail without having to order it.

    Glen
  • vnguyen5vnguyen5 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you Glen.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I was on my way to school a cold morning a few days ago. I got into my car, then had to open the door because I found that my leather coat flap was caught in the door. I tried to open the door but it wouldn't open. I used the power unlocking feature and tried to unlock it manually. I was forced to just tug at the coat corner which fortunately released itself. The door still wouldn't open and so I climbed out the passenger door, went around, and it wouldn't open from the outside. I got back in, went to school, and at a stoplight I tested the door again, yet to no avail, it would not open. I tried to open my power windows which barely worked...they just creaked. Then I attempted to open my door again, and voila! it opened. I know a girl with a 1996 Corolla DX (like mine) who had the same thing happen to her. Is this a problem on this model or with cars in general? Last year we had a heck of a winter but this problem never arose.
  • drummerboy_200drummerboy_200 Member Posts: 44
    I am looking into the Corolla LE vs the Civic EX and would like some 03'-04' Corolla owners' experience. I have a 50 mile commute to work and average traffic flow is 70-80mph. At what RPM is an Automatic Corolla running at 70, 75, and 80mph? How does it handle passing at these speeds? Does it shake? Does it get loud? Feel free to touch upon any other topics that you feel might be relevant.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    2600 RPM at 70 MPH, almost 3000 RPM at 80 MPH. Quiet, shake free, but a little sensitive to strong side winds. Adequate passing power, good long distance commuter. Make sure you find the seating position comfortable.
  • tomcat630tomcat630 Member Posts: 854
    In looking at car prices, to me Corollas have high resale compared to other compacts, so don't worry. Even the older body style before 2003 still command higher prices than typical compacts.
  • battb1battb1 Member Posts: 2
    My 2003 Toyota corolla, bought new on October 27, 2002 is a big mess. From October 20, 2003 to January 22, 2004, we've had to take it to the dealership 5 times for either stalling, failing to start after several trials,or for coming to a complete stop while in traffic. In all 5 occasions, the engine light stayed on permanently. This car had to be towed twice already. The servive technician at the Toyota dealership told us that the ECU module could be the problem. In November, they replaced it, and since then the car stopped twice in a 8-day period,and on one of these occasions (this week), it had to be towed. We have been told that it had consistently generated computer codes unfamiliar to Toyota technicians in several diagnostic tests. Does anyone here have an idea about what is going on? Also, what are your experiences with the Toyota arbitration process?
  • terceltom1terceltom1 Member Posts: 150
    I know that the RS 3001 security system allows you to program it several ways to do what you want. This includes not locking the door when the ignition is off and the doors are closed. I assume the 3000 will also do this. Check your security system book if you have one.
  • 18fan18fan Member Posts: 129
    Does anyone know if Toyota has plans to put an AWD system into a Corolla sedan? We know they already have the technology, since there is an AWD version of the Matrix available, which is built on the same platform.
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    No. There are no plans for an all-wheel drive system for the Corolla but as i'm sure you are aware, there will be a Corolla XRS with 170hp available in the 2005 Corolla.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Actually, I'm pretty sure the XRS is still going to be a 2004 model, since its coming out April/May-ish, and that would be a bit early for the entire 2005 Corolla line to debut, given that there is not going to be any MAJOR changes.

    However, perhaps my assumption is off:
    The 2005 Pontiac Vibe, produced at NUMMI in Cali, will be available in early April, with myriad enhancements. One of them, which I hope will also be offered on the 2005 Corolla (whenever it may come out...) is side thoracic and curtain airbags available as an option. Additionally, VSC is also going to be available, though I see the Corolla getting the curtain availability prior to VSC.

    Should be interesting.

    Toyota, if you're listening, please give us an XLE model as well, improve the seating position of the Corolla, and make a LARGER (not higher revving a la XRS) engine option available.

    ~alpha
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    I hate to correct you because I enjoy your posts but the Corolla XRS will be a 2005 model and the Matrix will get the side curtain air bags as well. I am not 100% sure about the Corolla but when I find out I will let you know. I am pretty sure it will also but I will probably post the answer tomorrow.

    The Corolla XRS will be built exclusively at the Cambridge, Ontario plant. The Corolla is not to receive anymore engine changes until the next model change in 2007 as a 2008 model.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Oh hell, its all good, you should definitely correct me- or anyone- who provides wrong information or makes incorrect assumptions.

    All I was able to find on Toyotas PR site was "The Corolla XRS will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada (TMMC) in Cambridge, Ontario alongside the Matrix. It will reach dealerships on May 1st of next year. Annual sales of the XRS are projected at approximately 5,000 units." (11/05/03)

    Curious- do you have any inside information (as in- how do you already know about the Matrix, the certainty about Corolla engine upgrades...). If so, when you learn anything about the 2005 Camry revisions, keep us posted. Literally.

    :)

    ~alpha
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    The 2005 Corolla and Matrix will start production towards the end of April. Both models will come with side curtain air bags and Vehicle Stability Control as an option. Both models will also receive added reinforcement for improved safety. You may also find this part interesting. Both models are being tested/compared by Toyota against several SUV's for crash worthiness, thus the need for added reinforcement.

    The Corolla XRS has an estimated build of 5,000 units but will be adjusted accordingly based on the demand for it, meaning more will probably be built as Toyota tends to underestimate.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Thank you. Excellent.

    The only other vehicle in this segment that seems to offer stability control is the Focus ZX5, I believe, so this is a good step. Going forward, enhanced side impact protection is a must, so its good that Toyota is strenthening the structure even further, and providing the side curtain option (should have debuted with the MY 2003 redesign, IMO, but from what I understand, supplier issues and cost constraints prevented this). I'm certain that the IIHS's new dynamic side impact testing is forcing the more proactive automakers to offer better protection in side crashes.

    Incidentally, I have heard that the IIHS has completed its round of dyanmic side impact tests on midsize models- a short segment was shown on PBS's Motor Week tv program. I am not sure why it is taking so long for the results to be fully released- perhaps automakers are being given time for a retest, given the gravity of this market segment.

    Regarding VSC: Hopefully, availability on the 2005 Corolla means that the "freshened" 2005 Camry will offer VSC on its 4 cylinder models as well.

    2003seV6- would you mind shooting me an email so I could discuss with you a bit more about some perhaps off-topic (but still auto-related) issues/questions/comments?

    Regards

    ~alpha
  • bostonoriolebostonoriole Member Posts: 53
    How much handling and road feel did the Corolla lose in the new model when they went to the torsion beam rear suspension to save money?

    As I recall, the previous model had a more indepentdent setup
  • bostonoriolebostonoriole Member Posts: 53
    What is the concern about the seating position for tall drivers in the Corolla? Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    If you have long legs it might take some getting used to. I'm 5'10" and it took some time adjusting to my 02 Corolla after driving an Escort. The driver seat doesn't move back far enough.
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    Of course its not here (US), but I do like the 8 way power seats along with the LED rear lamps and Lexus like grill plus a number of other things.

    http://www.autoworld.com.my/emzine/review/viewpfarticle.asp?awRev- - - iewId=1597
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    It's not just tall drivers. I'm only 5'9.5" and have problems with the Corolla's driving position. It has to do with the relationship of the seat, steering wheel, and pedals. If I adjust the seat so the wheel is in the right position, the pedals don't fit. I hope Toyota addresses this issue because otherwise I think the Corolla is a fine small car.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    We've owned one each of the last 4 generations of Corollas, including the newest one. The new one is hands-down the best in terms of over-the-road behavior, including handling. It's also the best riding, and quietest at cruise [though not necessarily so at full throttle, which is a weakness]. I see nothing to complain about with the change in rear suspension...and our other cars are always German, so I think I'm fairly demanding about this.
  • bostonoriolebostonoriole Member Posts: 53
    Thanks jrct9454, backy, and dave594.

    A Toyota salesman was trying to sell me on the virtue of the Camry, and he was really knocking the current Toyota torsion bar suspension.

    I'm 6-3, and I drove the Corolla, and the seat position seemed okay, but I saw in consumer reports that the seat position was not very good for tall drivers, so I wanted to find out what people knew about it.

    Thanks again.
  • jacknimblejacknimble Member Posts: 171
    I'm 5' 10" and for me, I would describe the seat position as being odd at first. Can't really nail it, but it is almost as if the wheel is moving you towards the door. I've grown accustomed to it, and hardly notice it now.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    I'm 5'10" with 32" inseam legs. For me, I felt that if the seat had more thigh support I would feel more comfortable. Maybe the seat position is too low or if it had adjustments for the seat bottom it would be better.
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