22.5 is what my 94 olds 3.1L V6 achieva gets. MAYBE.
When the EPA is 32 city you at least should be able to expect something close to that. Why not just drive a V6 and have some fun if all you're going to get is 22mpg? When its close to 10mpg off the EPA rating something is wrong in my book. IMO if the EPA rating is off that much something needs to be changed.
22.5mpg is not good let alone VERY good even for city driving. I would have it checked out. Also consider your driving style that will also affect milage. Just my 2 cents.
As the miles accumulate your Corolla's mpg will improve gradually and markedly. This may take sometime as the car goes through the break-in period. The mileage you're getting although dissapointing to you it's far from dismal.
Also please note 2 things: Most of the driving you do is interrupted by stop and go traffic, traffic lights and stop signs. Your highway mileage is probably much better. Also mileage estimates are just estimates and nothing more. Your driving style is also a factor.
I'm not sure what happened to only get 22.5 mpg, but with such a small tank, it is easy to get variations of "full" tanks from fill-ups. Even when my Corolla was new, it was getting over 30 in town, so I would be willing to wager that the calculation is some sort of mistake, or there is something wrong with the car.
It is better to check gas mileage over the course of multiple fill-ups to allow for variations in the filler neck, pump, and cut-off sensor
Thats probably true. But still estimate or no estimate 22.5 is much less than 32. The EPA must do something similar to city driving if they are going to call the rating "city MPG". I realize the tests are probably out dated and probably don't account for things like traffic jams, but still. People buy the corrolla on its EPA rating, and Toyota prides itself on it, so please IMO an estimate is not just an estimate when it comes to cars.
For the sake of argument: We all know how big the corolla's tank is. If you don't its all over this site and I'm sure in the owners manual. When you fill up and the pump cuts off calculate the difference and start from there. Do it over a few tanks and get an average it its still 22.5 I would get it checked out. Keep a log and show it to your dealer.
Ive found that in practice, Consumer Reports tends to do a good job of guaging a vehicles overall fuel economy, and if anything, their number sometimes is on the low side (for example, they list the Camry LE 4A at 24 MPG overall, while we typically average 27 in a mix of city & highway).
CR's city mileage was 20. Here we are talking about 22.5. I still think it is very good mileage for city driving. And yes, it will improve as the car ages...
EPA city figures have NOTHING to do with the actual driving of a car in the city. CR's test at least is done while the car is being driven on the roads. The EPA's are NOT.
When looking at CR figures, one has to take into account the time of year a given car was tested. CR usually keeps the car for a couple of months to do the testing, but if these months happen to fall in Winter, the car's observed mileage will be less than if the same car was tested in the Summer. I think that is the reason why CR's observed mileage may deviate from what you're getting on the same car.
Case in point; my previous generation Corolla was tested by CR in May, I think, and its average observed mileage was reported to be 29 mpg, which is exactly what I get in moderate weather. I get 27 mpg in Winter, though, which is understandable, and which I suspect CR would've gotten had they tested the car in January.
The 2003 Corolla started going on sale in February 2002. The '03 Corolla was reviewed in CR's July 2002 issue. The photos that accompany the car reviews show mostly beach scenes, no snow, one shows a guy running in shirt sleeves. The photos were obviously taken by CR because they all show the same locale for all the cars. So it doesn't look like they tested the Corolla in the dead of winter. Keep in mind that CR did observe an overall mpg of 29 on the '03 Corolla, but the city mpg was 20. They tested the automatic; a 5-speed would most likely improve the fuel economy.
I looked in Edmonds, under the Toyota Corolla XRS and found a pic of the cluster gauge. The tachometer red-lies @ 6,500 RPM. But then I looked under the specs in Edmonds, and it shows 170HP at 7,600 RPM. How would that extra 1,100 RPM work with the warranty at Toyota? Toyota needs basic math.
What Edmunds is showing is the tachometer of a Corolla S. The tachometer of the XRS reads to 9000 RPM. I don't know where the red line is but I'm sure it is above 7600 RPM.
How long is the so-called "break in period" what should I expect while in this period?
Also can anyone recomend a good waxing, polishing solution? How long should I wait before I wax it after I buy it? Also does anyone recomend car covers, I have cats and I don' t want them playing "CATS on Ice" over the top of my car.
The break in period for all new Toyotas is specified in the owner's manual. I'm sure if you look on Toyota.com you'll be able to find this information.
As for the waxing/polishing solution, I really like Meguiar's Gold Class. It's perhaps not as resistant as other formulas out there, which means that you'll need to apply it every so often, but it's still a tough one to beat.
As for car covers, there are some that will be made for the Corolla. Check a few out on the Internet, but beware of the "one size fits all", as they might end up damaging your paint.
'03, '04 Corollas tell me if the acceleration is not as quick as with the '00 and '01 models? Someone I know just purchased an '01 and compared it to an '03 and said the '01 felt quicker. I didn't think the engine HP/Torque was any different between these years. Can anyone share their experiences? Thanks!
I just purchased a 05 Corolla and noticed that the regular maintenance requires "tightening the driveshaft bolt" every 15k. Does anyone know what this is and whether it is fairly simple to do? Is it too complicated for a do-it-yourselfer to handle with a torque wrench?
I think they are similar in performance. The 2003 onwards Corolla weighs significantly more than earlier Corollas but it's overall gearing was shortened to compensate for that.
Thanks for the advice. I checked it out and "custom fit" covers run from $120-345 range. The universal fit ones are only 29.00 clams and really thats all I can afford. I'm just trying to keep my cats from leaving their "signature" all over the roof of my brand new baby.
How can the universal ones ruin, or damage paint? What should I avoid as in materials? Anyone know.
Anyone else with their fav. waxing solutions? How soon after I get the corolla should I wax anyway. Its going to be winter soon, no nice hot days to wax the car in the future. I also have no garage..which is why i need the cover in the first place *giggle* Thanks in advance.
Wax the car right away. New paint formulations don't have the lengthy curing time of the old stuff. I like Meguiar's Gold Class. It is gentle to paint and leaves a great shine.
just got back from my 1st road trip with this new 05 corrola LE 4 cyl.... all I can say is its good on gas, but hell on hills...... I had one heck of a time getting over the mountains Richmond to Louisville on 64 East and back....... I even had to yeald for the 18 wheelers up hill by using the slow lane for trucks on a couple of them..... so now i know the real deal myself.....and all that was in the car was me and a small bag.... I still think its a great car for "local" or flat lands.... but my mind is already on a trade in a couple years on a 6 cyl RAV.... too bad they didn't offer the 2.4 in the 05 Corrola this year it may have done better.
I've never heard of anyone having trouble getting up hills in a small compact 4cyl with 130 hp. That doesn't sound right anyway, the car only weights near the 2500 mark. Shouldn't be a problem for it.
it's an auto trans.... and belive me, I had to really put my foot to the pedal...... car is fine otherwise.... and like i said got around 40 mpg... runs like a top now that I'm not climbin hills...... now I'm talkin bout WVA hills, anyone that travels 64 thru west VA knows what I'm sayn here.... I did say "mountains".....
Never had any problems blowing by ALL trucks, and most cars, on ANY grade in our current-gen Corolla. Just hit the OD switch, which drops it to 3rd gear, and keep your foot in it...
This includes the Grapevine [out of the Valley on I-5 southbound], the run on I-80 eastbound to Reno [4-5000 feet, and plenty of twisties], and from Red Bluff to Ashland on I-5 in either direction. These are all challenges, with lots of truck traffic, and our Corolla automatic was always up to it. But I always handled the transmission manually - didn't just let it do its thing.
Yeah thats what I thought. I always manual put the transmission into third when i'm climbing hills, the tranny on my car just isn't quick enough. I'd rather just do it myself anyway. S'pose thats why i bought an manual transmission
....I remember making that exact same trip (through mountains in KY, TN, VA, WV) in an '84 Camry automatic, with five adults (none under 150 lbs) and their luggage. That car had 115hp, IIRC, and probably weighs about the same as a new Corolla. That must have been a fun trip for my mom (she drove)!
Hello All, At this time I'm trying to decide on a used certified Toyota Echo 2001, with 31K miles on it going for about $10K, which is the color I want and almost all the options, but power nothing; and a used 2003 Corolla, Black (not really the color I'm looking for), going for $11,500, with 42000 miles on it. The Corolla seems to be a better car overall with slightly worst fuel economy, but makes up for it with more "bells and whistles" Any comments?
...if you can afford the difference, there is no question in my mind that the Corolla is the better choice.
As noted above, in a competitive urban market, you should be able to find '03 Corollas all day long in any color you want, at around this price. However, this is always a problem with asking buying advice - like politics, all car pricing is local.
Sorry--I haven't been online much these past few weeks. I haven't tested the universal ones myself, but this is only what I've been reading on these forums. It seems that the universal ones would damage your paint and/or finish because of the wind catching under the hood and would act as a "whip" on your car. Custom fit covers won't do that, or not as much perhaps.
As for car waxign solutions, I would suggest looking right on Edmunds.com. We have experts here that will tell you all that you need to know about what to do and the opposite.
My friend wants to buy a new Corolla, but I have the feeling that he's not going to find one to his liking in the Chicago area (for one thing, he wants a manual transmission, probably the biggest strike). Since Toyota basically makes it impossible to order a Corolla outright, I realize he's going to be stuck with a limited number of choices of cars on the lot. That being the case, I was wondering if anyone here has an opinion on the standard stereo versus the optional 6-speaker versus the JBL? Is either optional stereo worth the money? Thanks!
I ordered mine with no problems. Dealer said it would take 3 months, and they were right! I am sure that many dealers try to make it impossible to order, because they do not get the sale as quick as they would normally.
....why did you special order (what did you get)? My friend wants a phantom gray manual LE (or possibly 'S'), with seven options (FE, MR, AB, VV, CF, CK, CI), which seems pretty hard to find. I found exactly one manual LE in the whole Chicago area (and it was the right color), but it had no options whatsoever. We might have to settle if we can't order and get the car in a reasonable amount of time (not three months, I hope).
I ordered mine no problem. Dealer said that it would take 8-10 weeks. I'm due to get it in mid December. There was no problem ordering, in fact my dealer suggested it as the options I wanted were not a typical "package" of options that Toyota typically puts on a Corolla.
I will say that the order was not a typical "car order." What they do is they take a car already in the production line and sort of change the specs of it. You're still getting a new car, of course, but instead of putting a new order in the construction line, they changed one that was already there, if that makes any sense. My dealer was very willing. I would check other dealers if they said all you can have is whats on the lot. I mean its not a Honda dealer! :P
Hope that helps: MM
I would say too that Manual in a Corolla with anything is hard to find, especially in this class.
I wanted an LE manual transmission with ABS, alloys, rocker panels, spoiler. This is a 1999, and the dealer found out that it would take approximately 3 months to get the car exactly the way I wanted it. The only thing is that they wanted a $1,000 deposit, because it would be really tough to sell this car if I backed out. I had no problem with doing that. Almost 3 months to the day later, I got it.
I was just at the Toyota dealer a month ago picking up some parts and getting my brake fluid flushed, and the service guy said he had never seen a Corolla equipped like mine. 70,000 miles, still perfect, zero problems.
I want to buy a Corolla with AT, but can't decide between CE and LE; specifically, can't decide if I should get ABS and side airbags. The LE models with those two features also come with cruise control and 6 CD changer, which I don't care about. I can't get a CE with ABS in my area.
I'm either considering a CLIFFORD or a VIPER brand alarm/keyless ignition,but I can't make up my mind since both of them have those lifetime warranties.
This is my first car and I just want the best protection available without having to worry about a failing alarm.
I just found an '05 Corolla CE on eBay with power windows. I know they're standard on the LE, optional on the S, but I thought they were unavailable on the CE. I know this car is a CE and not an LE because it has CE tags and no fake wood trim in the interior (on the doors, nor on the center console). This intrigued me, as I want power windows but don't want the fake wood trim of the LE nor the body cladding on the S.
Toyota's website clearly shows power windows as 'not available' on the CE. I did notice the car was built in Canada (don't know if that makes any difference), but is for sale in the U.S.:
Comments
Fact of life.
Check out any "record" store...
Hope things improve. The car now has 700 miles.
Seems like VERY good mileage to me.
Almost no one actually gets what the EPA calls city mileage in actual city driving.
But yes, the car will improve over time, but perhaps not to whatever it is you are expecting...
When the EPA is 32 city you at least should be able to expect something close to that. Why not just drive a V6 and have some fun if all you're going to get is 22mpg? When its close to 10mpg off the EPA rating something is wrong in my book. IMO if the EPA rating is off that much something needs to be changed.
22.5mpg is not good let alone VERY good even for city driving. I would have it checked out. Also consider your driving style that will also affect milage. Just my 2 cents.
Also please note 2 things: Most of the driving you do is interrupted by stop and go traffic, traffic lights and stop signs. Your highway mileage is probably much better. Also mileage estimates are just estimates and nothing more. Your driving style is also a factor.
It is better to check gas mileage over the course of multiple fill-ups to allow for variations in the filler neck, pump, and cut-off sensor
For the sake of argument: We all know how big the corolla's tank is. If you don't its all over this site and I'm sure in the owners manual. When you fill up and the pump cuts off calculate the difference and start from there. Do it over a few tanks and get an average it its still 22.5 I would get it checked out. Keep a log and show it to your dealer.
The CR rating for the Corolla auto is 29MPG.
~alpha
EPA city figures have NOTHING to do with the actual driving of a car in the city. CR's test at least is done while the car is being driven on the roads. The EPA's are NOT.
Case in point; my previous generation Corolla was tested by CR in May, I think, and its average observed mileage was reported to be 29 mpg, which is exactly what I get in moderate weather. I get 27 mpg in Winter, though, which is understandable, and which I suspect CR would've gotten had they tested the car in January.
2005 Toyota Corolla XRS Gauge Cluster
(Photo by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.)
It's not a surprise to me.
I Thank you.
Toyoter
How long is the so-called "break in period" what should I expect while in this period?
Also can anyone recomend a good waxing, polishing solution? How long should I wait before I wax it after I buy it? Also does anyone recomend car covers, I have cats and I don' t want them playing "CATS on Ice" over the top of my car.
Thanks in advance, MM
As for the waxing/polishing solution, I really like Meguiar's Gold Class. It's perhaps not as resistant as other formulas out there, which means that you'll need to apply it every so often, but it's still a tough one to beat.
As for car covers, there are some that will be made for the Corolla. Check a few out on the Internet, but beware of the "one size fits all", as they might end up damaging your paint.
Good luck with your purchase!
Thanks for the advice. I checked it out and "custom fit" covers run from $120-345 range. The universal fit ones are only 29.00 clams and really thats all I can afford. I'm just trying to keep my cats from leaving their "signature" all over the roof of my brand new baby.
How can the universal ones ruin, or damage paint? What should I avoid as in materials? Anyone know.
Anyone else with their fav. waxing solutions? How soon after I get the corolla should I wax anyway. Its going to be winter soon, no nice hot days to wax the car in the future. I also have no garage..which is why i need the cover in the first place *giggle* Thanks in advance.
I've never heard of anyone having trouble getting up hills in a small compact 4cyl with 130 hp. That doesn't sound right anyway, the car only weights near the 2500 mark. Shouldn't be a problem for it.
MM
This includes the Grapevine [out of the Valley on I-5 southbound], the run on I-80 eastbound to Reno [4-5000 feet, and plenty of twisties], and from Red Bluff to Ashland on I-5 in either direction. These are all challenges, with lots of truck traffic, and our Corolla automatic was always up to it. But I always handled the transmission manually - didn't just let it do its thing.
At this time I'm trying to decide on a used certified Toyota Echo 2001, with 31K miles on it going for about $10K, which is the color I want and almost all the options, but power nothing; and a used 2003 Corolla, Black (not really the color I'm looking for), going for $11,500, with 42000 miles on it. The Corolla seems to be a better car overall with slightly worst fuel economy, but makes up for it with more "bells and whistles" Any comments?
Dean.
As noted above, in a competitive urban market, you should be able to find '03 Corollas all day long in any color you want, at around this price. However, this is always a problem with asking buying advice - like politics, all car pricing is local.
Sorry--I haven't been online much these past few weeks. I haven't tested the universal ones myself, but this is only what I've been reading on these forums. It seems that the universal ones would damage your paint and/or finish because of the wind catching under the hood and would act as a "whip" on your car. Custom fit covers won't do that, or not as much perhaps.
As for car waxign solutions, I would suggest looking right on Edmunds.com. We have experts here that will tell you all that you need to know about what to do and the opposite.
Good luck!
I ordered mine no problem. Dealer said that it would take 8-10 weeks. I'm due to get it in mid December. There was no problem ordering, in fact my dealer suggested it as the options I wanted were not a typical "package" of options that Toyota typically puts on a Corolla.
I will say that the order was not a typical "car order." What they do is they take a car already in the production line and sort of change the specs of it. You're still getting a new car, of course, but instead of putting a new order in the construction line, they changed one that was already there, if that makes any sense. My dealer was very willing. I would check other dealers if they said all you can have is whats on the lot. I mean its not a Honda dealer! :P
Hope that helps:
MM
I would say too that Manual in a Corolla with anything is hard to find, especially in this class.
I was just at the Toyota dealer a month ago picking up some parts and getting my brake fluid flushed, and the service guy said he had never seen a Corolla equipped like mine. 70,000 miles, still perfect, zero problems.
This is my first car and I just want the best protection available without having to worry about a failing alarm.
Any information would be helpful.
Thank you.
BTW - If you have a 2000 Corolla, where is the 12V power point? Is it the same as the cigarette lighter? I don't see one except for the lighter.
If you have the second 12v, it will be inside of the center console bottom. It's where located for my 2001 LE.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate- - gory=6445&item=4519008833&rd=1