Toyota Corolla Owners: Meet the Members

Karen_S

Please take a moment to introduce yourself and share some details about your Corolla or Matrix!

My name is KarenS and I am the host of the Edmunds.com Owners Clubs. Please let me know what discussions you would like to see in your Club folder. I will create them ASAP. You may want to take a look through the other clubs to get ideas for discussions.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs

canadaodyowner

My name is Gary and I live in Toronto, Canada. If all goes well, our black 2003 Corolla CE should be ready for pickup this Saturday or early next week. As my username says, our other car is a 2000 Honda Odyssey. Looking forward to sharing information and experiences with everyone.

dogtrainer

My name is Paul, and I live in Mechanicsville, MD. That's in St. Mary's county, about an hour south of DC.

I have a Radiant Red Matrix XR Automatic that I bought on Tuesday. If you're interested, I posted a report of my sale experience over in the Hatchbacks/Station Wagons board.

I plan to hang around and help anyone that I can, and hope to get much good advice.

xr_matrix

My name is Randy and I live in Atlantic Canada.

I have on order a silver XR 5spd Matrix...won't be seeing it till early June though I guess. I already have 2 Toyota's in my garage...a 99 Corolla VE Touring Sedan 5spd and my wife drives a 94 Corolla Wagon auto. We are trading the VE on the Matrix, I may actually sell it outright first though as a lot of people like my touring sedan pckg from Toyota.

Karen_S

I didn't even get a chance to put on the finishing touches before you found the new club! :-)

Don't forget to write a review!

Last week, Edmunds rolled out new pricing pages. Along with this is a new "consumer ratings & reviews". This functionality lives in the "consumer opinions" area of the new vehicle detail page, and allows users to rate a vehicle on a number of different criteria (1 to 10 scale), as well as add his/her own free-form comments.

If you have some time, we would really appreciate Town Hall members writing a review of their current auto, or a favorite make/model. It takes approximately a week for your review to appear on that make/model.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Thanks!

KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs

Tup

Hello everyone....hey XR-Matrix....where in Atlantic canada are you from? (I'm in PEI). Well, I think I have the Granddaddy of Matrixes....Took delivery on Feb 7 of a Black Base Canadian 5 speed Matrix with the "B" option package....A/c, power locks, keyless entry, alloy wheels. We ordered this vehicle (our second car next to a Subaru Forester) before the pricing was announced. If I was to do it again I probably would have paid the extra to get the XR but when we ordered we just wanted AC and keyless entry for our second car and expected the Matrix to cost more then it does.

So far this vehicle has been terrific! Great driving car...the 5 speed gives very good power. The gueages take some getting used to but the dash as a whole is quite nice.

zukhov

Hi everyone. My name is Tom. I live in Toronto, Canada. A lot a Canucks on this page. I bought a cosmic blue XR about 3 weeks ago. Can't wait till I get it. From what I hear, there is quite the waitng list. I sure hope that they crank up the production line. Knowing it's Toyota, they would only consider that if they had the capacity, and if there was no negative impact on quality.

Tup

I read that of all the car assembly plants in North America....regardless of brand, that the Cambridge Toyota plant produced cars with the fewest defects. That's a good thing for Corollas and Matrixes.

black03

My name is Laurie, from New Brunswick,We have a black 03 Corolla CE auto with B package. Brought it home on Feb.14/02..We got this Corolla after the 98 CE we had was wrote off in an accident. We have about 1600 km on it now and we are very pleased. I filled up last night and got 33 mpg( mostly city)the only complaint I have is not knowing when the Cruise Control will be available.Looking forward to reading everyones opinions.

matrix2004

My name is Pedro. I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I have the silver XRS 6-Speed . I have got it for almost two weeks. Nice ride!! Handles like a dream. I'm in love with this baby. Hope to share my experiences with you all.
Good luck with yours,

leafguy2727

Indigo Blue XR guy here from Ajax/Toronto, I think only Tup beet me to the Matrix!!!LOL.....Tup.......how many k's on it so far? I'm about 1300 now. Anyone else out there with a automatic XR car to comment? looks to me like 9.5L per 100/km for milage. To date only one complaint so far, tires!!! Found I spin the front ones every now and them on wet pavement, I think the tires are not the greatest but sufficient.

deagled

Another Atlantic Canadian here (Moncton). I've had my silver XRS since Feb.8. I can't say enough about it, it's simply a blast.

..deagled..

echowrangler

I'm as far from Atlantic Canada as I can get - Honolulu, Hawaii.

Picking mine up Monday - maybe. I have a meeting after work I forgot about until last night, so I may have to put it off til Tuesday. It's an XR 2wd auto, Super White, stone interior.

Options:
AB Anti-lock brakes
BE Side Airbags
EJ AM/FM/6-disc CD
UP Sport Package
SP Sport Package

I really didn't intend to get the alloys, or the moonroof, etc., but it sure looks nice.

Aloha,

Jim

gcboyd1

Hey all.

Just took delivery of our 2003 CE, black sand pearl, stone interior. Pretty basic, but we love it! And we're the first ones in the neighborhood to have it. Not many admiring glances, as it's pretty inconspicuous, but those who look closely, or ride in it, are VERY impressed.

drunkpenguin

Hi everyone. I'm new to this board and I just bought the a XR automatic tonight. Options I got were AB, EJ, UP, SP...paid 18700 (not including all the tax, licsence, etc.). Dunno if that's a good price, but almost all the dealers around the San Francisco/San Jose bay area are asking for a dealer markup. Hopefully I can pick it up in a couple of days. It's pretty exciting since this is my first new car. Been driving a beat-up '91 Saturn all this time.

coolguyky7

I'm the proud 16 year old driver of a 1996 Corolla DX in Dark Emerald Pearl with oak interior, tinted windows, gold package, spoiler, 6 disc CD player and sunroof. It's been a great little car these first 300 miles and I expect it to go 300,000 more! Well maybe not, it already has 69,000 miles but it still has a long life ahead of it.

ekabrazi

My Name is Mike! My wife, Kristen, & I bought our Matrix 2 weeks ago & we took delivery this past Monday! We love this car! We live South of Boston, MA. Traded in a '00 VW Beetle that my wife "Had to have" ... thank god this car came along!

rolla99

Hi, I drive a '99 Toyota Corolla LE (in that nice "Sandrift Metallic" color) and absolutely love it. No problems with it and it's running great. I would love to have one of the re-designed 2003's, but I'm happy with a '99!

britton2

I drive a '01 Corolla LE 4-speed automatic (mystic teal) and I have been very happy with the car - had it almost exactly 1 year - no problems whatsoever - very good gas mileage (30-32 MPG city) no rattles or any noises - very good car!

sandman46

I drive a '96 white DX with blue interior. Bought the car used with 18k and it has been a very good steed with plenty of power. I too would really like to get a '03 LE but will wait at least 2 years. Just hit 58k this week.

inki

Hey everyone, I'm Emily from Atlanta and I just got my indigo ink Matrix yesterday. It's gorgeous even with an inch of pollen on it. I got the base package plus auto. It's awesome!

alshariff

Hello Everyone!

I'm Al from Toronto Canada. Its good to see some Canucks on here! I ordered my Silver XRS on Feb 27 and picked it up on Mar 23. The car was delivered over a month early. I was very impressed with the early delivery.

I was most impressed with the fit & finish of the vehicle, especially the interior. I work in the automotive quality assurance field and went through the vehicle with a fine tooth comb. One defect I encountered was the fact that my rear seatbelt buckles were not routed correctly. When the rear seat back is folded down, my belts will fall under the rear seat cushion. I've still to get my car to the dealer (I'm having too much fun driving it). Considering the type of defect I've encountered, I'm sure this problem will be prevelant in the field in early production models. I'm sure the quality checks are still being developed for workmanship standards (this can take over a year to develop).

One question I have for fellow owners is, how are you guys & gals breaking in your engines?

Well, I look forward to getting to know my new Matrix family :-)

xr_matrix

Hi Al;

Congrats on the new ride...I am going to Toronto on Sunday...I will look for your silver sled pounding the Don Valley (errr parked on it more likely huh?)

Good to hear you took delivery early, especially for those of us still (patiently) waiting for ours! couple of months more for me...or maybe earlier now huh?

num1willis

Damn doesn't it feel good to own a matrix... Especially those with an XRS. dont worry i still love the rest of you all. a Matrix is a Matrix. I just thought i would join this group to find out some info from everyone. Im from Long Island as with others members i new more about this car than the dealership. well good luck everyone and well see what we can do to make this car hotter than it already is.

jcipriano

Hello,

I'm Jenn from Kitchener, Ontario. I bought my Matrix Feb 11, and received it a week later, I heard I was lucky. I have a XR Indigo Ink Blue, some problems with it, which I posted in the problems and solutions category, but minor, don't worry! It's a sweet ride yes!

wilczy

My name is Martin and I live in Mississauga, Ont.

I have ordered a Radiant Red Matrix XRS 6-SPD a week ago and delivery time is estimated in June
Can't wait but there's no other way to get the car as many of You already know. I'd like to share informations and help as I know.

matrixxrs

XRS is my second best car beside 1989 Corolla GTS. no other cars in the market can came come close to it not even my 2000 Civic SI that was stolen. I had the XRS since last friday and paid about $500 over the invoice. I had to wait for month but it was well worth the wait.....

P.S Thank you all for the informations shared in matrix chatroom which made my order possible.

tundradude

The wife has a 95 DX with 120,000 on it and I have a 1989 GT-S with 144,000. The GT-S is my daily driver and it is just as much fun as the day I bought it in 92.

tom3k

Acquired my red, 5-spd, base-model Matrix two days ago, my first Toyota.

I came to the Matrix almost by accident. I had been somwhat casually shopping for a sport wagon for the last six months or so and had settled (on paper, anyway) on either a Protege5 (if I needed a car soon), or a WRX wagon if my two elder cars (10 and 12 years old) held up for while so I could build up the additional cash.

My two beaters died in the last two months. First my beloved '90 Integra (12 happy years, over 190K miles)gave it up in February - Needed internal engine work (for the first time ever) that would have exceeded the value by many $. Then, my ultra-beater '92 Escort SW developed transmission problems last weekend (I believe I have purchased my last automatic transmission ;-)).

I ran out and test drove several cars on my short list: P5, first with automatic (like a good looking version of the Escort - hated it!) then with 5-speed (better, but still a little dissapointing), a WRX (butt-kickin' car, but out of my range) and a base-model Imprezza wagon (not bad at all). I was searching for a Suzuki Aerio SX with a stick to drive. When I pointed out a Matrix to my wife and then an Imprezza shortly after, she said "you'd rather have that (the Imprezza) than the car you just showed me? (the Matrix)". I figured I better drive a Matrix just to say I did.

Needless to say, I was impressed! It had more headroom and legroom (front and back) than anything else I was looking at, I liked the shift in the middle of the console (didn't think I would) liked the handling and thought it had more oomph on the low end than the P5. Even at sticker, it was no more than anyone was asking for a P5 and substantially less than an Imprezza. I was hooked!

Unable to come to an agreement with the dealer I test drove with ($250 for dealer prep?!?), I followed up on a too-good-to-be-true internet price that tunred out to be true. Invoice-$45 plus tax & tags. I was home with the car in less than 24 hours. So far I love it.

Sorry for the ramble, but hopefully there's some useful information in there somewhere ;-).

ata3001

Hi everyone, I hail from Niagara Falls, NY.
I purchased new an impulse red 2001 Corolla S 5-spd with every available option except 6 disc cd changer, and now have just over one year and 17000 totally trouble free miles. My best highway mileage to date is 46 mpg. My weekly average with approximately 70% highway, 30% city type driving is 37 mpg. I have made a few minor modifications. First I took all the badging, except for the "S" off the trunk lid. Next I purchased the TRD tire and wheel package (205/45 x 16 tires). Looks and handles much better. I do not drive it hard, I just like its new look... :-)

britton2

I have seen several Matrixs where I live - very, very sharp looking car - I am on my second Toyota, a '01 Corolla LE that I have had for 15 months (love it!) - I think you made a wise choice - Toyotas have a very good track record and your Matrix should serve you well - enjoy!

lab63

I have 1 1989 Corolla with 141,000 miles on it. The transmission has been giving me a problem for a good 1 1/2 years, but I never fixed it. Then the carb. went and my mechanic said $490 for the part and $100 for the labor, so I decided that it was time to get rid of the old Corolla, although am very sad and a little disappointed. I wanted to hit 200k miles! I figured I have gotten gotten my moneys worth so I am in the new car buyer market.
Well now I am stuck between buying a 2003 Corolla or a 2002 Civic. One of the reasons I am leaning towards the Civic is because I have called 4 dealers around town and they say I have to wait 6-8 weeks for a Corolla and the Civic is more readily available. I am looking for anyones opinions on either car, good and bad to help me decide. Thanks for listening.

iwphill

Sorry your '89 didn't last longer, but 141,000 + miles isn't bad at all! As for the new models, I think the Civic and the Corolla are both great cars, but I'll tell you my experience and maybe you'll find some of the info useful. I have had a '94 and a '96 Corolla, and I had absolutely no trouble with either one - no problems or defects whatsoever. I also had a '98 Civic DX hatchback that I owned for 2 years before trading it in. That hatchback was a nice car, but not trouble-free. At 11,000 miles, the alternator went and had to be replaced under warranty (along with some other parts, but I can't remember now what they were). I had some other issues with it, including brake problems, and I decided to get rid of it. Other than that, I thought it was a great car and fun to drive, but I was worried that the problems would only increase, so I traded it in.

I just bought a Matrix (which is based on the Corolla), and I love it. It's a first-year model, which I usually shy away from, but it is so much fun to drive, I'm hoping that that "bullet-proof" reliabiltiy is still there in the Matrix. I don't know what the new Civic's are like to drive, but I did manage to check one out on a dealer lot after they closed, and I thought that the new Corolla had a better feel, including more comfortable seats, but you'll have to judge for yourself. And of course, if you have lots of Honda dealers in your area, you might be able to negotiate a pretty good price, which, if you need a car right now, seems better than going on a long waiting list for a Corolla. Where I live, it's the opposite - more Toyota dealers than Honda dealers, so they tend to have slightly better deals on Toyotas.

Have you taken either vehicle for a test drive yet?

lab63

Hey, thank you so much for your opinions. I really appreciate it. I have test driven both the Corolla and the Civic. I really like the Corolla, so different from my 89! When I test drove the Civic, I had my Mom in the car (bad idea!), so need to drive it again on my own. Now that you mentioned the Matrix, I think that I will give that a look too. The Corolla seems to offer more features that the Civic - I am looking at the LX and not the EX model in the Civic. Corolla is bigger and heavier, more h.p. and seems to have more luxury items standard than the Honda, but like I said, I have called four dealers in my area and they all say a 6-8 week wait and I am not driving my old Corolla (actually it is sitting in the parking lot at work!) I am using my Moms car, which is very nice of her but I have to run her around all over the place and the thought of waiting another 1 1/2 to 2 months for a new car, ugh!
Will keep you posted. Tomorrow is Saturday so going to hit a couple of dealers. Thanks again for your response and your thoughts.

socal_racefan

Definitely check out the Matrix. My wife and I where looking at both the Corolla and the Matrix and decided that the utility of the Matrix just made more sense. We went with an Cosmic Blue XR Auto and love it. Plenty of power in this little engine. If you can handle the extra $'s for the Matrix I would check it out. We liked the look of the ground effects and underbody spoilers but if you don't care for them the base model is pretty much the same as the XR, only less $'s. I hear the Corolla is hard to find right now on the East coast. Not sure if the Matrix is the same way. Good luck in your search.

iwphill

....that the new Corolla is so hard to find! Here in central NC, we seem to have a pretty good supply of them, but apparently that's not true everywhere. I bought my base Matrix for its hauling capabilities (rear seats fold completely flat), good gas mileage, etc, and it was about the same price as the Corolla I was looking at. I bought my Matrix for $15,600, and it has cruise, cassette/CD, automatic, so it has everything I need. It doesn't have power windows, power locks, keyless entry, so if you're looking for that, you'd have to step up to the XR (about $17,000-ish on sale). But I don't like the power options anyway, so it worked out perfectly for me.

lab63: please keep us updated on the results of your search!

lab63

Hello all! Would you believe that I (lab63) still haven't decided on what kind of car to get! I had put a deposit down on a 2002 Honda Accord (selling prices of 16,995) but backed out at the last minute! I am probably the most indecisive person on the East Coast! Was thinking I could get a Camry, but that is too expensive. Think the Hyundai's or Saturns are worth a look? Value all opinions! Hope all is well with everyone.

britton2

If I were in the market for a new car (which I'm not since I just bought my '01 Corolla LE 15 months ago) I would probably be considering the '03 Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda Protege or the Hyundai Elantra - as you may have guessed I prefer small cars and want to get good gas mileage - there is certainly nothing wrong with the Accord as far as I know - do you want a mid-size or compact? What are your requirements concerning gas mileage? For me last year it came down to the Civic or Corolla - I got a better deal on the Corolla plus it had a better powertrain warranty (the gas mileage was practically identical) - if you really like the Camry perhaps you can find a used one with low miles from an individual in your area - good luck with your decision

importer

About the new Civic and Corolla. Recently I read some reviews of those two cars in a magazine (can't remember which one) where Focus and Lancer were also tested. Well, after all the tests, Corolla CE (5 spd) was first. Second was Civic. Focus third and Lancer was the last one. Corolla won almost everything - ride, accelerating, braking, etc. The only thing that was better on Civic was the shifter. Well, what can be better than a Honda's shifter?
I hope this helps :-))

corolla_grl

Hi everyone! I am Lorie Ann from Redlands, CA. I just bought a 2003 Corolla S. It is automatic, indigo ink blue with all the standard features plus cd player, cd changer, cruise control, floor mats, trunk mat, cargo net, sports package, power package, tinted windows, and sun/moon roof!

It will be on the lot no later than Sat Spet 7th! Woohoo!

My previous car was a honda civic dx '99 (Hated that piece of crap) and before that was an '89 camry limited edition with all the goodies. Had about 121,000 miles before the accident and not a single problem...hopefully the corolla is the same!

vlanman25

Well I finally broke down and bought a car that wasn't made by GM. A white 2003 Corolla manual trans. I love the car, possibly the best car in initial quality I've ever owned even though I consider it a low end vehicle. The break in period was a killer, 55 MPH or less for the first 1000 miles. I'm surprised I didn't get killed on the interstate (I live in Mass. where driving is like going into battle sometimes).

I'll keep you posted as to how it's working out.

Cheers!

jeprox

got my 03' corolla 7 days ago today! it's a base CE 5 speed with no options at all. just needed a car to go from point A to B and back.

corolla_grl

Well my new corolla S arrived early. I picked it up last nite. Have to go no higher than 65-70 mph for the first 2,000 miles for the break in period.

Just as a questions do I have to have the toyota alarm installed since I have the toyota power package with keyless entry? Or can I install any alarm system? The dealer I talked to would give me the alarm system for 200 bucks...and I believe it retails for 300.

I must say the car handles like a dream...smooth ride, great acceleration, handles the sharp turns great! Much better than my crappy honda!

jeprox

no you dont have to install toyota OEM alarm. you can install aftermarket. only difference is that when you install aftermarket, your toyota OEM remotes would basically be useless! you can still use it but it won't arm your system (alarm).

toyota OEM alarm for my car (in our area) sells for over C$600! i just installed an aftermarket alarm today for C$249. my car doesnt have power locks.

if the price the dealer is offering you is only a small difference from aftermarket, then go for the OEM. if it's a big difference in price then tell him where to put it!

goodluck

dynolu

My name is Mike and I live in Pasadena, CA

No complaints whatsoever about my 03 Corolla LE In white, I've been told its a favorite color for cops. Well, found that out the hard way due to its fast acceleration on the freeway as its very easy to go from 60 to 90 in moments. As far as gas mileage goes, I get the EPA rating (39) on the open road at steady speeds. Combined hwy/city, its 30-31 mpg. No sympathy for those suv owners when gas prices go up again!

larryroll

Greetings to Karen and everyone on the group!

My name is Larry and I'm the proud owner of a 2003 Toyota Corolla LE automatic, with cruise, AM/FM/CD/Cassette premium sound, color is Lunar Mist Opalescent -- very handsome car! Only thing I wish I could get are the alloy wheels and the fog (driving) lights. I just received a brochure from the dealer advertising the wheels, but nothing about the driving lights. Does anyone know if these can be ordered for an '03 Corolla? Are the ones used on the Corolla S interchangeable?

I haven't read all the introductory messages yet, so I'll get cracking on that. So far, I love my new Corolla. BTW I traded a 2001 Corolla LE 5-speed for it; I wanted the new body design, and also got tired of shifting. Since the new 4-speed automatic has received good reviews, I went for it. I'd be interested to hear from owners of later-model Corollas with the 4-speed auto, to get an idea of any maintenance issues, problems, etc. My personal opinion of automatics is that I enjoy the convenience of them, but don't trust them from a reliability standpoint. However, that mostly comes out of my experience with Fords.

All my best wishes to everyone in the forum!

Larry Roll
Dover, DE USA

luckyk

I'm also extremely pleased with mine. Almost 9K on the mileage and so far the only problem I had was with the fuel door ..... not opening.

Had the dealer glue the little clip in place and that has solved the problem.

What a fun little car. I have the 5 speed. I went from a Town Car (22mpg) to this. Man .... the corners are great and the mountain roads I take to work are a real pleasure to drive now that I made the switch.

I got the S without the sports pkg. No "fin" on the trunk. But I wanted alloy wheels. Went to tirerack.com to get sizes of tires and wheels that would fit w/o interference. That turned out to be 205/55/16. These Michelins are quiet and really stick. Bought the 16" Z wheels from Sears.

So, I have a complete set of new Goodyears with the factory wheels and hubcaps in my garage collecting dust. If someone here wants 'em, let me know and we can work something out.

The stick is a little touchy. Especially from 5th to 4th. Got to move it left coming down or you'll grind the gears.

Never paid any attention to the speed limits for the first few 1000 miles. Come on....get real. I live in SoCal. I'd be dead (SUV casualty) if I followed that recommendation.

Only complaint is that I can't turn the driving lights off. I go through a military gate daily and it's a requirement to dim the lights. Well....I can't. Hasn't been a showstopper to date. Consistently get 34-35 mpg in mix driving. Bought on-line. What a great experience for close to 3% over invoice. Took delivery last July. Very nice car. Sorry for the lenght of this post.

saturnfan

After 5 Saturns, I decided to give Toyota another try after being totally disgusted by the sales techniques of Toyota dealers in the 80's along with the enormous amount of ripoff dealer/distributor options packed on every car.

Got an 03 Corolla CE w/o one red cent of Southeast Toyota Distributor options by pre-ordering with my dealer. Even had them drop the $159 carpet mats from the order. Dealer gave me the Toyota rubber mats which I much prefer since they can be hosed off at the self-service car wash.

Plenty of pep with the 5 speed. Had it since May, and only a few cosmetic issues that were corrected by the dealer promptly on warranty.

Southeast Toyota still is trying to cram crap on the cars before passing them to the dealers. Adding an ashtray at $59 to some Corollas even if there is no need for them by the owner. Also, the $600 ToyoGard protection package is a pure ripoff IMHO.

Good thing is that the distributor does release a few cars w/o add-ons. You can see them along with expected arrival dates on the dealer's web page, and can pre-order.

The stripped 5 speeds never hit the lot in most cases.

Very happy overall.

I'm Bob & live in Raleigh, NC - Age 57.

hhomer

Hi Everyone

I got my Matrix XRS last week, and I am surprised at how much I love it!!! The main reason I looked at it was that it was cheap and it had Navigation....I get lost everywhere in PA!!! I have to say that the car buying experience was also one of the most comfortable that I have experienced in the last few years. I really hope that the Matrix holds up to the Toyota reputation of reliability. If it does, I will have this car for a long, long time.

nippononly

flynn4

We have our '89 Corolla. Did our second "major" repair ever on it last week, a new starter. Honey of a car, but it is starting to rust. We are thinking about replacing it, but we will probably wait until it dies. I don't think there is a better car on the market, in any price range, then the Toyota Corolla.