2009 Toyota Corolla

alpha01 · January 2008

That may unfortunately be the case in some regions, and for those reasons Toyota is potentially alienting certain customers. In my region, though, I can configure - using Toyota's Build Your Own feature - all trims of non-hybrid Camrys with VSC, with the exception of the Standard 5A and Standard 5M (LE 5M is not currently available in this region).

dchev · January 2008

I believe you are talking for new Mazda2 and 6 in Europe, not USA right?
It is impressive what Mazda has done with these models; however, both of cars are in completely different car segments than Toyota Corolla.
Mazda 2 is a Toyota Yaris competitor, and Mazda 6 is Toyota Avensis competitor.
If you compare Mazda 2 (1.5l) engine and Yaris (1.5l) engine from USA you will see that both cars have the same fuel economy of 5.9l/100km. Dimensions are about the same with Yaris taller and Mazda 2 longer.
Toyota Yaris - L/H/W - 3750/1530/1695 Mazda2 - L/H/W - 3895/1475/1695.
If you compare 1.4l diesel engines of both cars, Mazda 2 has smaller advantage 4.3l/100km compared to 4.5l/100km for Yaris.
It is a fact that Mazda 2 became car of the year in Japan and many European countries.

On the other hand, new Mazda 6 has 1.8l engine with 120hp. It is impressive that last gen. Mazda 6 used the same engine; however, fuel economy was worst.
Statistics: 1.8l engine/120hp - previous gen (7.7l/100km) New gen. (6.8-7l/100km)
It is very impressive because they went from 30.7MPG (prev. gen.) to 34.7MPG (new gen.)

Good find moparbad!

jaxs1 · January 2008

I check the build your own Toyota site for my region periodically and I think they may build cars with certain options in batches. Most of the time, you can only configure the fully-loaded XLEV6 and Hybrids with VSC, but a couple times VSC came up as included in one of the 2 option packages available on 4 cylinder XLE sedans in my region.
I've never seen it on LEs and 90% of the time only the XLEV6 and Hybrids had VSC included in the region's available option packages.
The brochure and main Toyota website lists VSC as an option for all Camrys, but VSC really will not be made available for all Camry trims in all regions.
Most likely, this will also be the case for the 2009 Corolla.

Unfortunately, unlike a Dodge or Ford, you cannot go through the options list and have them build a single vehicle for you with the options you want. You have to take what your region gets. For example, many buyers may want to buy a Camry LE 4 cylinder with VSC and JBL stereo. Those options are listed as being available options choices for the LE on the Toyota website, but you still can't get it because they don't build them.

kdhspyder · January 2008

Very quick and dirty.. In 'our' region it appears that VSC is an option on about 25% of the new builds. It's standard on some models so it wouldn't show up as a searchable option.

As regards the 'all-new' nomenclature it's true in that this family is the newest of the small I4s having dual VVT-i. This family is the 'ZR' family as opposed to the 'ZZ' family which was in the outgoing Corolla. Here is Wikipedia's listing of Toyota engines click on ZR.

If the market acceptance of the GR ( V6 ) engines and the UR ( 5.7L V8 ) are any indication this new family of I4s, the ZR's, should be very favorable... as indicated by the reviews from overseas.

One other characteristic of Toyota that is frustrating to many within and without is that Toyota often advances by baby steps, rarely by giant leaps. The GR family of V6s was a HUGE step for them. The Prius and HSD obviously. But listening to all the chatter about how the with the T100 and Tundra1 it took Toyota 10+ years to build a 'real truck' sounds a lot like these commentaries.

There are other technologies available to be added to these engines and drivetrains such as Valvematic. We should get them as another step forward at some time soon. Shooting all the ammunition in the first volley leaves nothing left. I do think that they 'hold back' on a lot of capabilities.

backy · January 2008

It's hard not to focus on features right now, until the Corolla is available to drive.

Rear disc brakes help reduce brake fade, don't they? Also don't discs grip better when wet?
ESC is standard on the top-end Civic, just like it's standard on the top-end Corolla. Mazda3 offers ESC; others like Nissan are lagging however. I think it would have been a good step (marketing wise and safety wise) for Toyota to start moving towards greater availability of ESC/VSC with the 2009 Corolla, since it will be mandated within a couple of years anyway. It should certainly be standard on the Camry by now. (Is it even standard on the Avalon?) But that's another story, and discussion.

As for the "choice" offered by Toyota, some is real choice e.g. the optional 2.4L engine (albeit some competitors like Hoinda, Mazda, and Nissan offer multipe engines in this class also, with more power than the old 2.4L unit) and nav; some is illusiionary, i.e. having a separate trim line to get power windows rather than just making them an option, or even standard. Choice is good when it's a significant choice. I find Toyota's plethora of trims on the new Corolla more confusing than helpful. Why not just one base trim line (call it CE or LE or whatever), with a good dollop of standard equipment and some options like leather and nav, S (sporty but with the 1.8L engine), and XRS (with the bigger engine)? If they really need a strippo model for loss leader purposes or for those 12 people (or so) who must have a strippo car no matter what, they could have an option package for the base trim that easily adds the equipment most people want, e.g. power package, cruise, remote locking.

Maybe it was expecting too much of Toyota (but "erroneous"? How can a wish be erroneous?) to hope that the 2009 Corolla would set a new standard in this segment. My thought was, the Toyota I once knew has the smarts and the resources to create a Corolla like that. They took six years to bring out the new version of the car that worldwide is their flagship. It's a very competitive segment, with the likes of Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and VW working hard to bring us great choices. Toyota must realize, I figured, their reputation will get them only so far in the midst of that kind of competition. But instead we got a car that seems to be very competent, matches most competitors in many areas, but paves no new ground that I can see. And it's this car that will have to do for the next six years or so--through the next-gen Mazda3 and Civic, which truly are the benchmarks of this class, even through the next-gen Elantra, which should worry Toyota a bit given the huge strides Hyundai has made in the past decade.

Maybe I'll feel differently after I drive the new Corolla. Based on test drive reports I've read, I'm not real hopeful about that, but who knows?

mcmanus · January 2008

I'm a balding 50 something engineer with kids in college, so I hardly consider myself an "enthusiast". I drive 2 - 3,000 miles per month, mostly rural, so high reliability, low cost of ownership, and a good dealership are my priorities.

I live in s small town, with the office located in a city with only one dealership each for Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai, VW, etc. Those dealers for Mazda, Nissan, and Hyundai are so bad, I can't buy from them. And the Honda dealer isn't competitive, so I'd travel an hour to buy.

I'm sure Toyota knows the Corolla market better than me, but I'd like to give "the masses" some credit for knowing real innovation (like better handling, mileage, performance) from silly little features (like accessory jacks, navigation, fancy wheels) that get most of the marketing hype.

Kirstie_H · January 2008

So, as a balding engineer, I'm guessing the sunroof is not an option you covet

And yeah, not every car needs to be built for the enthusiast. Some of us are looking primarily for a vehicle that starts & stops on command, can handle a beating mileage-wise, and doesn't mind running on a near-empty tank for a few extra miles.

sandman46 · January 2008

A few "nicities" on a car in this segment would be great, but most of us just want a reliable car that gets impressive mileage with low cost to own over multiple years. With basic maintenance, I just need my cars to start every time with no drama. A good a/c system with tunes and maybe some nice sneakers...that's what I want.
Sure I love all cars, but life is to busy with everything else that the car is the last thing I want or need to deal with! That's why the Civic, Corolla, 3 or whatever in this group are all we need...or really want.

The Sandman

mcmanus · January 2008

Exactly!!

Toyota should have rolled this one out 2 years ago if they wanted to stay with the pack. Sure they probably made more keeping with the current , but that's the kind of logic that cost Henry Ford with his T.

jacksan1 · January 2008

Toyota should have rolled this one out 2 years ago if they wanted to stay with the pack.

But has the Corolla ever been "with the pack"? Other than Hyundai who appears to be copying the Toyota pattern lately, I am not sure whether anyone has recently tried the Corolla formula (read: boring & dependable) and succeeded. In that sense, the Corolla is maybe in its own class.

mackabee · January 2008

They did roll this car two years ago. Just not in our market. Hyundai is doing the same things Toyota did when they started selling in the US.
mack :shades:

kdhspyder · January 2008

Sorry there were bigger fish to fry at that time. The Corolla was rolled out all over the world 'on time' with exactly this same vehicle ( JDM is different ) except here in NA. Why?

TUNDRATUNDRATUNDRATUNDRA.

Nothing was getting in the way of the Tundra launch. The Corolla here is and always been the 'good soldier' that does the grunt work to bring in buyers to the Toyota family at great low prices and rock solid reliability. It covers the back side of the most important vehicle in the Toyota lineup the Camry so that the Camry can get all the glory and make huge profits. But the Tundra was different. They had mega-Billions riding on the Tundra so the Corolla in NA took a back seat for a year.

Good soldier....and in the meanwhile made huge profits by being the No 2 vehicle in the US.

This is the kind of logic that makes Toyota the 12th largest corporation in the Forbes 2000 Global rankings with more market capitalization than the entire US auto industry combined. Your contrary analysis is noted and filed.

mackabee · January 2008

I still don't see how the Tundra launch had anything to do with the Corolla. They are two different types of vehicles. People looking at full size trucks are not looking at compact sedans. Now riddle me this: Why is it that we are having the ride and drive for the Corolla/Matrix and including the 2008 Sequoia?
:shades:

cubssoxs · January 2008

Hey, does anyone know when Toyota is going to release pricing for the 2009 Corolla?

jacksan1 · January 2008

Wasn't it Mr. Cho, Toyota's CEO, who said that the Corolla for NA was being delayed because of the Tundra release, among other reasons?

irismg · January 2008

I don't know whether I dreamed it or not but driving back to work from lunch today, I could have sworn I was driving behind a new '09 Corolla! It was charcoal gray, had that unmistakeable Toyota logo on the back of it, it was definitely not a Camry nor was it a Yaris, and had almost an angular look to it. I'm in Oklahoma City, by the way, and this one had a Texas tag and turned off onto a turnpike before I realized what it might have been and got a good look at it.

Now I'm kind of like, wow, did I really see that?! It had to be the Corolla; but if I saw what I saw, how are some of these getting out so early??

For what it's worth, I thought it was a very attractive car! Kind of exciting to see it! :shades:

mackabee · January 2008

Pricing will be announced a couple of weeks before they hit dealerships (mid Feb)/ As I posted earlier we are getting an 09 Matrix probably tomorrow since monday is a holiday or the trucker might wait until Tuesday. Strange thing since we don't have pricing on Matrix either. Our D-ETA is showing 1/17-1-21 for model number 1932.
Mack

mackabee · January 2008

You were definitely dreaming. :shades:
Mack

cubssoxs · January 2008

That is strange that ur getting an 09 matrix and they havent even announced pricing for either of them. So the 09 matrix will hit dealerships before the 09 corollas hit the dealerships?

elemoncelli · January 2008

He could have seen a UFO (Unidentified Freeway Occupant)

backy · January 2008

We are less than a month from the launch. Couldn't it have been a demo car (for dealers) or maybe a press car (used in tests by the auto mags)?

mcmanus · January 2008

Cute.

Yeah I ended up with a sunroof on this car. Bought it in January and liked it that first winter (there was a lot of sun for Michigan). But what I notice with the shade open is the cold that comes through the closed glass and the noise from every rain drop that hits the top of that uninsulated roof.

mcmanus · January 2008

I don't believe Corolla is anywhere unique enough to not be part of the compact car pack. And I don't believe that a big company like Toyota couldn't pull off the introduction of two new "significant" s (in two widely different market segments) at once.

Yes, hungry, not proud, Hyundai is willing to copy/learn from others (just like Japan as a nation did following WWII). That might give an idea as to where to look for under valued cars. (If they could just get a decent dealer around here.)

I seriously doubt "boring" is a goal that leads to the success of any product.

nippononly · January 2008

But of course "boring" is only ONE of Corolla's traits. It has many positive ones.

kdhspyder · January 2008

Mack, it has to do with 'focus' in the market place. Television time. Training resources. For 6-9 months everything was focused on the Tundra.

As you know from late 2006 until the Highlander arrived nothing came out of Toyota that didn't have something to do with the Tundra.

irismg · January 2008

That's good thinking, after all, if Motorweek got hold of one ahead of time, that must mean they're already built and ready to go, and someone could have one for one of their "long-term test drives".

I'd be happy to offer $100 to anyone who can prove I didn't see one! Takers?

Kirstie_H · January 2008

And I will offer $1.5 million dollars for anyone who can prove I didn't smell licorice today. Proving a negative is nigh-on impossible, so I think your wager is safe.

irismg · January 2008

Good, I didn't think so...

Haha I saw one first!

mackabee · January 2008

I still say you're dreaming. No one has the 09 Corolla. Even the car mags are using stock photos from Toyota pressroom for their so called "reviews". The distributor reps might be driving one in about three weeks when it gets closer for the release of the vehicle. You might see a Matrix sooner if you keep your eyes open.

joem5 · January 2008

How we get off the topic in this tread.
Also, how did the 12 mpg Tundra get in here? Don't people buy the Corrolla,because of gas milage and it's a practical car? What sets the car off is the radio antenna.
If your'e a kid and want Zoom ,Zoom and all the toys buy Civic SI . If you want all the whistles and bells get a Civic EX L. I don't think the Corrolla has a car that has all the standard features that the Civic offers.
Toyota,tries to hook you on options and drives any knowlegeabe buyer away.When, Hundai,Focus,Mazda,and Civic offer thing like ABS, moon roofs and yes,even the Focus has heated seats as a standard feature.
The Corrolla is dependable,quality and a car for my niece in college, or my mother,or for my grandfather to go to VFW.All the while saving on gas for an extra beer on Fridays.A Corrolla is a car for all the people. :shades:

mackabee · January 2008

It's Corolla, not Corrolla.
:shades:

cubssoxs · January 2008

Hey, everyone this may sound like a stupid question but is the only clock on the new corolla located near the spedometer? Because I was looking on Toyota.com and noticed there is a clock near the spedometer and that is the only clock I noticed. Now when you turn the radio off does that serve as a clock?

nippononly · January 2008

I prefer to have a clock in the center of the dash, and that's the way Toyota has done it for so long I'm surprised if they don't continue to do so. I guess I could get used to one in the IP instead, but why move it?

joem5 · January 2008

Sorry lost my head. I thought a Macabee was a warrior?What are you doing in a Corolla Forum? :shades:

mackabee · January 2008

I make my rounds. Even Corolla owners and prospective owners need some information now and then.

waltchan · January 2008

My local Toyota dealer (Power Toyota at Cerritos, CA) is beginning to accept pre-orders for the new 2009 Corolla and Matrix. I placed a $500 deposit. I ordered silver exterior with all the options there are available for the Corolla S except DVD navigation. My salesman told me I'm the first one to pre-order one, and he will expedite my order to Toyota. He told me I may be one of the very first ones to drive home a new 2009 Corolla when it arrives to the dealership at February. I'll let you know what this new Corolla look like.

cubssoxs · January 2008

Did anybody find out if the new 09 corolla has another clock besides the one near the spedometer and tachometer?

mahbubur · January 2008

2009 corolla will go for sale on 2/25/08. Price for a XLE with GPS, Auto & Leather = $25k (Sunroof is extra)!!!! I would rather go for a loaded CIVIC EX-L with GPS for 21k.
Toyota is still too conservative to provide the Corrolla with 5 speed auto & Rear disc breaks.

May be its better to wait for MMC Civic (coming Sept 08)

Mahbubur
Hollywood, CA

mackabee · January 2008

Your prices are bogus. TMS USA has not released pricing for the 09 Corolla. I doubt what you described will be 25k with no moonroof. A Camry can be had for that price 4cylinder.

lls57 · January 2008

When I go to the Toyota website, and put in a Florida zip (SET) for build and price your Toyota, they show inventory (presumably not yet arrived) for the Base, LE, and XLE. Don't know if their base price is the same as national (my guess is that it is), but they show the base with a price of $16,050, LE at $16,650, and XLE at $17,550, all plus $715 for delivery. Even with all their extra charges, the most expensive Corolla shown was under $21k.

Lester

kdhspyder · January 2008

The first wave of Corolla's are all ready and sitting at the various distribution points. Today Toyota published the Base Prices for the Corolla and Matrix:
1831 5MT......... $15250
1832 4AT......... $16050
1838 4AT LE.... $16650
1840 4AT XLE.. $17750
1833 5MT S..... $16320
1834 4AT S...... $17150
1835 5MT XRS.. $18760
1836 5AT XRS.. $19950

1931 5MT........ ...... $16190
1932 4AT................ $17000
1933 5MT S............ $18260
1934 5AT S............ $19450
1938 4AT S AWD... $20400
1935 5MT XRS........ $20660
1936 5AT XRS........ $21850

Destination is probably extra..not stated either way.

mcdawgg · January 2008

Thanks! So there is no LE with a manual tranny?

kdhspyder · January 2008

Nope that's all the models for the initial launch year.

akodiak · January 2008

I am a long time Chevy Cavalier owner that is ready to buy a Toyota! I can't wait till the 2009 XRS comes out. I am part of the 2% that is buying one! What is the difference between 1836 and 1936? Thank you. I have enjoyed following this thread!

kdhspyder · January 2008

The 1800 series are the Corolla's...the 1900 series are the Matrix's

cubssoxs · January 2008

Did anyone find out if the only clock on the all new 2009 corolla is located near the tachometer/spedeometer?

thaip · January 2008

Hi,

What trim did you order? Did the dealer give you the ball park of the price? I am considering purchase the LE trim with Auto Tran, Alloy Wheels, and VSC, but I don't know and hoping that I can get the above car for 16.5k.

Toyota is the car to buy and drive! I purchased a 2007 Camry Hybrid with fully loaded, and I am loving it!!!!!!!! After 10k miles, I drove to Canada and speeding at 100 MPH and couldn't feel a thing.

So, Toyota is the car and the manufacture to trust!

Anyone know more about prices for the 2009 corolla, please share with all of us.

thanks

mackabee · January 2008

The only clock is indeed right below the speedo/tach on the left hand side.
Mack

mackabee · January 2008

To get an LE as you want it configured you also have to get the CK option which is the all-weather package and it's $150.00
Base price is $16650.00
16 Alloys 580.00
vsc 250.00
ck 150.00
Destination 660.00
_______________________
Total price $18,290.00

:shades:

cubssoxs · January 2008

So Mack why did Toyota put the clock there below the speedo/tach on the left side? Isnt that a rare place to put a clock? I mean how hard is it to copy how camry has it right in the middle of the dashboard?

2009 Toyota Corolla

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