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2009 Toyota Corolla

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Comments

  • waltchanwaltchan Member Posts: 124
    Good news for southern California buyers. After many days of phone calls to many Toyota dealers, only one is allowing exact invoice pricing on the new 2009 Corollas and Matrixs. It is at Manhattan Beach Toyota. Ask for internet director manager. Save $2,000 off from MSRP right now. Good luck.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    What do you mean by "allowing"? Are they selling the 09's at invoice?
  • waltchanwaltchan Member Posts: 124
    Yep.
  • ike3ike3 Member Posts: 81
    That's the question. Any dealers in NE Ohio, upstate NY, PA, NJ, MD offering a similar deal? Factory invoice pricing on any or all trim levels?
    Anyone have any ideas as to who might? Perhaps the biggest volume dealer or the second highest volume Toyota dealer?
    I'm all ears!
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    You may try Fitzmall.com in Md. They offer very competitive pricing on new vehicles. DarCars also in Md is the largest Toyota dealer in the east coast so try them, and last but not least Carmax also in MD they are actually called Laurel Toyota but it's a Carmax store. They give away new cars too.
    Mack
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    When I checked a few days ago, Fitzmall was offering their incoming 2009 Corollas at invoice.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    There you go. If you look for it you will find it.
    Mack
  • 719b719b Member Posts: 216
    what kind of volume does fitzmall have to be able to sell new models at invoice?
    i know if you can sell a car off the truck, the holdback is all profit, but that's still not very much. they must make a lot on incentives from the manufacturer because of the volume.
    plus i'm sure the service department is going like gang busters.
    unless a salesman sells at least 40 cars a month, i can't see them making a living if everything they sell is at invoice.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    My impression is that Fitzmall is a big-volume operation. But then, Fitzmall is offering these prices w/o negotiation required, so I have no sympathy for them if they don't make much on each car--they set the prices, after all.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    If memory serves me Fitzmall is approximately the same size as mackabee's store and our store. Fortunately for our two stores we are NOT located in the dog eat dog world of the DC market. There are at lease two or three or four stores bigger than Fitzmall just in their local market.

    They do a heck of a job in promoting their internet sales but in the end they have some monsters to beat away and I think this hold them down somewhat. Laurel Carmax does the same thing and they are bigger yet.

    Your 40 cars per salesperson per month at invoice is Toyota's dream. They don't benefit one iota when vehicles are sold above invoice and the process often ticks off the buyer. They'd like every sale to be semi-direct via the internet like buying LLBean shirts out of a catalogue. And Yes if a salesperson could do 40 per month at a $100 mini plus bonuses and spiffs then he/she would be making $75000+ annually. There are several salespeople in the LA region that do 60+ per month year after year. That's a hat trick every working day ( 22 wd/mo ) !!
  • jimwwhitejimwwhite Member Posts: 16
    Since Toyota has redesigned the Corolla engine for 2009 does anyone know if they changed from a timing chain back to a belt? I've not been able to find a 2009 maintenance schedule online that'd tell me if there is a belt to be changed at some interval.

    Thanks!
    Jim
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    I don't know for a fact, but I would bet anything that it uses a timing chain, just like the old one.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    a couple of '09s last night at a nearby dealership, and noticed something on one parked right next to an '08: the manual has dropped two points in fuel economy. How did this happen? My guess would be weight gain. I had been thinking it had sidestepped in fuel economy, but that is NOT the case. It has dropped.

    '08 manual: 28/37 (new ratings system)
    '09 manual: 26/35 (also the new ratings system)

    Since weight gain outstripped the power increase in the 1.8, my guess would be that they shortened the gearing a bit to keep straight-line performance the same, and of course the price you pay when you do that is fuel economy. :sick:

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

  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Since the prior Gen9 Corolla came out in 2002 ALL 4 cyl Toyota's have had timing Chains....cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers.

    All the new technology engines from Toyota use timing chains. Presently the only timing belt engines are ...
    ..the Solara 3.3L ( departing in Sept )
    ..the hybrid Highlander 3.3L+HSD
    ..the Tundra 4.7L V8

    Everything else has switched over already..
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Maybe they shortened the gearing to get better 0-60 times? Some automakers do that to the manuals, but Toyota in the past has not. What about the automatic mpg?

    I'd still buy the manual!!!!
  • lls57lls57 Member Posts: 57
    08 Corolla automatic: 26/35
    09 Corolla automatic: 27/35
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Yes, so they can say the 2009 has improved fuel economy (as long as you don't think about the manual and 2.4 liter versions).
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    We dx'd a car from Fitzmall one time. I asked the sales person who drove the car down to us how they were paid. He told me new cars were a flat 250 per car. I'd take that any day on a new car. :)_
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Realistically the majority of Corollas will be the 1.8L 4A.
  • echo2001echo2001 Member Posts: 17
    Just checked the 2009 corolla at Toronto Auto Show, The interior is a disappointment unless you go with the S or the XRS type. Also checked the new 2009 Sonata - Beautiful car inside and out. I have to decide If I don't get The corolla S , I will probably buy the 2009 Sonata. :confuse:
  • mcmanusmcmanus Member Posts: 121
    I test drove an xD and 08 Corolla back to back on Feb 13. A couple of years ago I rented a Corolla for a month and the engine is still noisy. The xD was quietier and perhaps more powerful (it had 5M and Corolla was 4A). Dealership still had nine 08's but wouldn't deal past the $1500 rebate. They also wanted $500 to install cruise on a CE. A LE without options was $16,000. The much smaller xD was $15,500. The deal breaker on the xD was the small cargo area (looked too small for a set of golf clubs).

    I walked right past a 09 Corolla without noticing. From the outside its slightly rounder/wider, has the new grill, and of course a much higher price tag.

    I went back a couple of days later and drove an xB 4A ($17,220). With low "Total Cost of Ownership", no haggle pricing, tons of room, tall seating, the well known 2.4L, many customization options, and $4000 cheaper than Corolla XLE its a no brainer.

    Yeah, I'd like the better mileage of the 1.8L, but low TCO is low TCO, my 83 year old dad can easily get in and out, and all that room talk to me.
  • roxy11roxy11 Member Posts: 27
    "Since weight gain outstripped the power increase in the 1.8"

    technically, yes. but barely.

    2008 corolla le (auto) 2615 lbs, 126 hp
    2009 corolla le (auto) 2745 lbs, 132 hp

    weight increase of 4.97%, hp increase of 4.76%.

    i think they did a nice job with fuel efficiency on the auto trans, but im disappointed with the manual losing pace with the 2008 numbers of 28/37.

    i expect, as has always been the case, that people who know how to effectively use the manual will still get better mileage.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    I looked at and test drove a 2008 xB, It has very small, narrow and awkward armrests that fold down from the front seats.
    Not comfortable for long drives at all.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Excellent choice mcmanus! Congrats. I keep telling people that Scions are the best bang for the buck vehicles out there. And who cares about a center arm rest anyway? I know that would not be a deal breaker for me. I used to have seat mounted arm rests in our first Toyota mini van and honestly they got in the way. What color xB did you get?
    Mackabee
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Seat mounted armrests are garbage and I already said it was awkward. Poor design of the xB.
    So, instead of no armrest at all, the solution would be a larger center console armrest like a normal car.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Anything over invoice is a good deal right now on an 09. The Fitzmall guys get a flat commission on the cars they sell, so I wouldn't worry about him/her being nice or not. It's in their best interest to be nice to you.
    Mack
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    khdspyder, you should have come over to my store. I would have made you a deal. Professional courtesy. :)
    Mack
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Was chatting the other evening with the sales manager at one of the larger local dealers, and he said they have been told that the XRS will only be 2% of the '09 Corolla mix. Have any of the other Toyota employees here heard the same, or was that just more salesman-speak to push me into buying a car more quickly (I have no intention of buying an XRS, which I had already told him)?

    As of that evening, they had exactly ONE '08 still on the lot, a blue LE manual shift with a sticker of $16,5 that he told me before I even asked he would sell me for $14 including the rebate (I was just walking around it comparing its looks to the '09 parked next to it)

    I am glad they have done away with the bubble roof for the '09, but apart from that I can't tell which model I like the looks of better. I don't think I like EITHER better, I think it's a tie. But that's partly just because they are so similar, I suppose.

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

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    He's correct. There won't be much demand for an XRS due to it's lofty price tag.
    Mack
  • thaipthaip Member Posts: 32
    I contacted one of the Fitzmall's sale's rep and he sounds very nice. However, since the price is the invoice, I really don't know how nice or nasty will he be when I decided to purchase from him? Anyone has experience with purchasing car with one of these big automall?

    The manufatur's gurantee is still intact even if you purchase a car from a different state, correct?

    my local dealer offered me a deal with $600 above the invoice, is this a good deal?

    thanks
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The warranty will be honored at any Toyota dealer in the U.S. Suppose someone were to buy a new Corolla and the next month take a job in another state. Could Toyota say, "Sorry, we won't honor your warranty because you bought the car in a different state"? Of course not.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Actually this is a very very personal question. It has a lot of personal self-valuation implied in it. Frankly to me +/- $500 is neither here nor there. I just don't care. If I want the vehicle I get it.

    For my Prius I could have gone to Mackabee's store and likely gotten it at invoice. I paid $450 over invoice at our store. It wasnt' a big deal one way or another. Fitzmall is a very very reputable company to buy from. The same is true for most large places. Very few owners are going to screw with the most valuable franchise in the automobile industry.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Limp, weightless steering is normal for Toyotas.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Numb steering has always been a Toyota complaint. I hate the eps too, it's worse than the numb steering feel.
    Mack
  • beantownbeantown Member Posts: 228
    Anything over invoice is a good deal right now on an 09.

    You may want to rethink that statement. :)
  • 719b719b Member Posts: 216
    most of the questions from prospective buyers is price related and they usually buy from the lowest priced dealer. in most cases it makes sense, but not always. too few of us do any research on the dealer.
    is low pressure sales important to you? it is to me.
    is an excellent service department important? it is to me.
    is having a loaner available important? it is to me.
    is courtesy after the sale as important as before the sale? it is to me.
    if i can find all the above in a dealer, i can care less about a few hundred dollars difference in the initial cost of my vehicle.
    all it takes is one bad dealer experience after the sale to make the few hundred you saved, unimportant.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    I could have sworn the Edmunds.com initial review stated XRS would run at 5% of proudction, pretty much the same, but above 2%.

    Car and Driver has a short-take review of the Corolla Standard with stability control. Their 0-60 with the 5M was 8.6 seconds, about a half second behind the previous generation. They said the vehicle's major drawback was the electric power steering, which offers no feel, but they were also disappointed at the 70-0 stop at 194 feet, (which seems in-line with other competing makes and models). It should also be noted that braking has as much to do with tire choice as anything else, and the Standard wears only 15-inch tires, whereas the S, XLE wear 16 (optional on LEs), and the XRS wears 17-inch tires.

    Overall though, the review was fairly positive, and the reviewer states interior quality and fuel economy are both impressive.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Why? Sales are slow, the last week of the month is here, and most dealerships have not hit their sales objectives so now is a great time to buy a new Corolla or any other new car.
    ;)
    Mack
  • beantownbeantown Member Posts: 228
    Read your sentence again. You say that anything over invoice is a good deal.

    Technically, $30K is over invoice. Is that a "good deal" on a Corolla?
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    I think he meant anything over invoice was a good deal for the dealer.
  • beantownbeantown Member Posts: 228
    I think he meant anything over invoice was a good deal for the dealer.

    I don't think so. He was responding to a poster who asked "my local dealer offered me a deal with $600 above the invoice, is this a good deal?"
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Yeah, let's not get nit picky now.
    :)
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    image

    And how are you supposed to operate the nav without voice comands?
    Pull over and enter everything by hand? How inconvenient.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Steering-wheel mounted audio controls are not an XLE standard feature, per se. It is, however, a standard feature on S and XRS models.

    Steering wheel mounted audio controls, according to the Specs page of the brochure/website, are available on the XLE trim line as part of the optional JBL 440 watt, 8-speaker AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with MP3/WMA playback, XM satellite enablement, and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity. (In my region, most of the configurable packages for the XLE that do not have NAV do include this option).

    IMO, it's lame that the JBL and NAV can't be combined, and downright dumb that if you get NAV on an XRS or S, you have steering wheel audio controls, but if you get NAV on an XLE you don't. (Personally, I'd rather have a good aftermarket NAV and get the JBL/Bluetooth instead, though XM NAV Traffic is appealing.)

    Re: factory NAV, I don't think that touch-screen vs. voice command is a big deal, as long as the system works well (as in some voice command NAVs historically have sucked). That said, I don't know which kind the Corolla has.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Toyota has historically locked out the touchscreen control of the nav while driving, So, if there is no voice control, you can't do anything at all with the nav while driving (such as find the nearest gas station, fast food or coffee shop etc.) without having to exit the freeway, find a place to park, then look up the place you want to go.
    A portable nav makes more sense with the Corolla

    Maybe in three years, they will offer a proper nav with voice recognition and full bluetooth integration.
    They also need to move the aux input and powerport from the dash to inside the console storage so you can use/charge a portable music device and keep it hidden at the same time.

    XM radio needs to be factory installed on the JBL stereo too. It is ridiculous for them to expect you to spend an additonal $449 plus another $200 in installation fees (after getting the JBL upgrade) to install an add-on XM module with a hideous tacked-on unpainted black plastic antenna they install on the hood or trunk lid or else try to install inside on the windshield (where it gets marginal reception through the glass),image
    Both XM and bluetooth technology are very cheap at this point (if they are factory installed). It wouldn't surpise me if XM nearly gives away the XM hardware to GM and Hyundai to sell subscriptions.

    They haven't thought alot of things through considering how long they delayed the introduction of this car,
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    All Corollas and Matrix come standard with a satellite radio antenna so you don't have to worry about the fugly one. Only thing you need is the receiver kit which is not 449 and 200 for installation. :confuse:
    As we said before this car has been out in other countries since 2006 so they figured they would dump it on the US without some of the features you get overseas. :confuse:
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    "IMO, it's lame that the JBL and NAV can't be combined, and downright dumb that if you get NAV on an XRS or S, you have steering wheel audio controls, but if you get NAV on an XLE you don't. (Personally, I'd rather have a good aftermarket NAV and get the JBL/Bluetooth instead, though XM NAV Traffic is appealing.) "

    I agree with you. That was a very dumb move on Toyota's part.
    :shades:
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    The Toyota web site shows the XM MSRP of $449 and others have said the dealers charge about 1.2 hours labor to install.
    Maybe dealers will install it at a discount for $399 or so, but even that is very overpriced for just an XM module that plugs into the radio.
    You can buy an XM radio kit for less than $30 at Wal-Mart.

    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?cpncode=07-47469710-2&dest=9999999997&- - - - product_id=7934322&sourceid=1500000000000002994000&srccode=cii_16435691

    Why should an XM module that simply plugs into the back of the factory stereo cost $449 just for the part?
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Part of the reasoning for not having it in the base model Corolla's is to keep the price artificially low, or at least to appear that way. Toyota is in this to make money afterall.

    In the base models adding the $300 receiver unit adds 2% to the price. Some ( probably most ) buyers of a base model don't want any do-dads in the vehicle. This has been a point of discussion over and over here. 4 doors, 4 wheels and a Toyota engine - no fluff. They are appealing to their major customer base.

    Now those that want such items whether in a base model or a higher model can get them... as long as they pay for the extra. That's capitalism. Putting the $300 extra into a base unit where the customer a) doesn't want it; b) won't pay for it; c) will never use it is a waste of money.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    It sounds like there is confusion on the XM functionality of JBL. Can anyone clarify?
    Maybe a current or future owner has the JBL system.... mack, kdh - what about XM ready units of the JBL in the Camry, for ex. What is the real deal?
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