Toyota Corolla

readytobuy8 · January 2002

I called around this weekend ( Dallas ) but none of the dealerships had one yet. I hope they give the civic a run for the money

lfan · January 2002

Hmmm, based on coolguyky7's excerpt from Toyota HQ, I would stick with my guestimate that North American production limit for Corollas slated for US is pegged at ~250,000 units. Other than ship parts to other assembly plants, the long term solution to increase production is of course opening new assembly plants like Honda is doing with their new Alabama Plant. Has anyone heard that Toyota is planning any new plants for the Corolla/Matrix/Vibe line of cars?

BTW coolguyky7, I think you will be impressed with the 2003 Corolla. Unfortunately the cost will understandably be closer to MSRP than any of us would like since the cars are just starting to trickle in. Even the dealer where I negotiated a price for my 2003 Corolla S mid last week has raised their posted prices from $500 to $1000 over invoice on Friday.

alpha01 · January 2002

ON carsdirect.com... the selling price for the new 2003 Corolla is under MSRP (barely) and quite a distance from invoice.
~alpha

digiturbo · January 2002

Ifan: Looks like you are the only one here who has seen the car in the dealer lot. Would you mind telling us what state you are in? Also, if you could share with us the experience of dealing with the dealer and how much you pay for, I will be greatly appreciated. So that I know how I should be dealing with the dealer once the car is here(Raleigh NC).

Thank you.

backy · January 2002

If you absolutely must be the first on your block to own the '03 Corolla, expect to pay top dollar for it. It's the law of supply and demand; for a while the demand will far outstrip the supply, and dealers can command near-sticker prices. If you wait a few months until production and shipments to dealers ramp up, prices will drop because there are competitive models like Civic, Elantra, Focus, and Protege available at big discounts.

lfan · January 2002

digiturbo, I am in Virginia but the dealer I am purchasing from is in MD at http://www.fitzgeraldautomall.com.

I am paying $400 over invoice for my 5spd S. However, looking at their web site, the price is now $1000 over invoice. Backy is correct to wait when the price will likely drop. For example, the 2002 Camry was initially about $1000 over invoice until Mid-Dec. Nowadays they go for $100 to $600 over invoice at Fitzgeralds, depending on the model. To be honest, I would have waited for price drop if I had to buy the Corolla at $1000 over invoice.

johnclineii · January 2002

Rich Toyota in Huntington, WV took delivery of a 2003 LE Corolla last Friday. I have driven it and am much impressed, but waiting to compare the Matrix/Vibe...

2003corolla · January 2002

Has anyone changed a tail light in their '99 (late model) Corolla before? Is it easy to do?

thanks

digiturbo · January 2002

Thank you, Ifan
What a good deal you got. Yes, you all are right about not buying it now. However, if the dealer here has not realized about this great car, hopefully I can get away with a fair deal. Otherwise I will wait.

claywaterfill · January 2002

As long as people line up to buy the new Corolla, dealers will get MSRP for them. Wait it out a couple of months, and the price will drop. This summer should be an interesting time to shop Civic and Protege if Corolla sales are as big as expected.

glenglen · January 2002

Does anyone know if Toyota is planning to offer a Sequential Manual Transmission in the Corolla?

The transmission does NOT have a clutch pedal or torque convertor. It would be a nice alternative from auto trannies for those of us who would like to remain "clutch pedal-free".

Here's some info on the tranny, taken from the following website:

http://www.daspyda.com/pics/smt.htm

"Sequential Manual Transmission has been introduced for the (MR2) model year 2001. The system, which uses an electrically-actuated clutch, is designed to be an active system. The driver, instead of just putting the lever in D for Drive and sitting back while the transmission does the shifting, will actually have to shift through the gears while accelerating. On deceleration, the driver has a choice of downshifting, or letting the transmission default to 1st gear. This allows the driver to be an active participant in the driving experience and only adds to the imense driving enjoyment this car provides.

The driver can either use the buttons located on the steering wheel, or may choose instead to use the shifter lever on the floor. Only in the anals of F1 racing would you find this setup. There are reports that the 0-60 time may slightly increase due to the speed of the electronic clutch.

A display in the

tachometer face

indicates the gear

selection

Testimony of an SMT Driver

"How does the SMT handle city driving?"

Perfectly! Like I said earlier, it's great for cruising. I can't imagine it being any better for normal driving. Well, maybe a switch for auto, when I feel really lazy, but the system itself is perfect if you're not (street)racing.

"Will it blip the throttle to match rev for smooth shifts?"

Yes. But since you have a wireless gas pedal, you won't feel a thing on the pedal. You can keep it in same position while shifting, and you can hardly tell the shift happened.

"How about take-offs from a dead stop"

Under normal driving it's just perfect. The car starts rolling the second you press the pedal, and there's no jumping or anything else. Just the smoothest acceleration ever. Take-off is pretty much like with normal auto-tranny, except SMT doesn't crawl.

"I'd expect the the Spyder's system should be tuned as a more comfortable transmission rather than full performance."

That seems to be the case. There's at least one (propably more I don't know about) shop working on making the shift faster. They managed in that..the shift came faster, but more "jerky". The client didn't like that, and now they are trying to make it fast&smooth. I asked if they could make a system that would shift smooth&slow or jerky&fast when I wanted. Having a switch for that selection somewhere..possibly the left buttons on steering wheel. But they didn't wanna say anything before their first system was done.."

coolguyky7 · January 2002

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/previews/2002/february/200202_preview_corolla.xml

lfan · January 2002

I am picking up my 2003 S 5spd tomorrow; $400 over invoice. My dealer still added two costs I wasn't crazy about: 1) Mid-Atlantic Toyota distribution fee - $267 and 2) Wholesale reserve fee - $145. I guess they are charging me the $145 to pay their interest to their lender though the car will be on the lot for merely 48 hours until pick-up. I wasn't going to nickel and dime given $400 over invoice was not too bad for a brand spanking new model. The total came out to be $15732 before tax and tags.

I ordered the Sport plus package: spoiler + Aluminum wheels. Unfortunately, Toyota low on supply for the wheels so the car arrived with with steel wheels/hub caps. I get a "warranty" order raincheck for AL wheels and the wheels will arrive after a few weeks. I will try to keep the hub caps clean and avoid scraping the curb too hard when I park ;-)

I will provide an in-depth description later once I get some miles in.

digiturbo · January 2002

Yes, finally they are here in Raleigh,NC. I just got back from the dealer and would like to share my experience. What a car! Exterior is awesome and interior (Corolla S) is much better than others in its class. Handling is good.

The guy helping me was very helpful and he showed me the invoice right away. It was not the same one at cars.com though, however this invoice includes Dest. Fee(525) and South Eastern fee($565).

MSRP of Corolla S(-power packages, alloy wheels, Automatic transmission and something installed by South eastern distributor(like ashtray))

MSRP 17,280.15
Invoice 16,073.42 (included fee 565+525)

He quotes me for $500 over this invoice, but he does not have the car with 5 speed yet. So, he could not really do anything and I have to wait till they get it in the inventory.

Based on Cars.com
invoice= 12,700 + 484(pw package) +700(Auto)+ wheel + 525(destination fee) =15,069 + wheel

Let's say wheels cost about $400. Still, I would be paying 900 over invoice of cars.com.
So, no matter what car it is, I will be paying more than I should because the differences in invoices.
What do you all think? How should I deal with this?
Any input about this, I will be appreciated.

ps. Ifan: In virginia, Tax is 6% or 3%?

lfan · January 2002

digiturbo,

I believe the southeast fee (or Mid-Atlantic fee is my case) is not a part of the invoice. It is a fee that goes to the regional distributor. Toyota does not do its own distribution apparently. Instead each region has its own Toyota distributor. Why, this is so, I have no idea.

$565 seems high compared to the $267 I am paying. Maybe it includes the wholesale reserve fee, $145. Nonetheless, if your bottom line totals $900 over invoice, it's not too bad. I am paying $812 over. Unfortunately, I do not think these fees are negotiable. Only the MSRP cost is.

Anyhow, if you are set on getting the next S Auto, then see if you can put a refundable deposit down. Otherwise see if you can get something down in writing to lock in on the $500 over invoice deal. I seriously doubt the cost will go down for the next couple months. Just look at Carmax Toyota dealers; Corollas are going for $1000 over invoice, if even in stock.

Let me suggest you look into the sport-plus package if you are considering alloy wheels. You do get the spoiler for an extra $304 and it's covered under the factory warranty. I think accessories are only covered for a year. Not that wheels are at risk of breaking under warranty, IMO I think the spoiler compliments the ground effects on the "S" quite well.

Virginia tax is only 3%. Whoo Hoo!

dudleyr · January 2002

Virginia tax may be only 3%, but you pay it every year (personal property tax). Maryland only charges tax once - when you buy the car.

hhma · January 2002

I have a 1999 Prizm, the warranty will expire this June. Recently, we heard some "hissing noise" when we turn out the heater/defogger or defogger by itself. It happens when we turn the heater/defogger on initially, then it disappears after a short while. We went to the dealer who claimed that they inspected it thoroughly and found nothing wrong. The noise is sporadic so it is hard to pin it down. Does anyone experience it as well and could kindly point out the problem? Is it a major thing that we have to fix it before the warranty expires? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Henry

gman40 · January 2002

There is something wrong with the pricing of
'03 corolla's on cars.com. Check out carsdirect.com, they will give you a much better
idea, since they ask your zip code they may include any fees unique to your region.
Good Luck!!

pat · January 2002

You might also want to check out Edmunds.com's figures by clicking here. If that does not ask for your zip code, go to Edmunds.com, then New Vehicles - at that point you are able to identify your region.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

lfan · January 2002

This is not a forum on taxes but I like to set the record straight.

Virgina does have personal property tax. It is about 3% of the value of your property (vehicles and boats) per year. Compared to Maryland, VA's personally property tax replaces Maryland's county income tax. The county tax is between 50-60% of one's state income tax.

Bottom line is VA tax system is generally easier on the pocket unless you spend a disproportionate amount of money on cars, boats, and trucks; for instance, make $45K a year but buy a $30K vehicle every 3 years.

BTW, I did pick up my Corolla S tonight. Unfortunately my driving experience was limited to DC rush hour traffic for 1 hr. The car is smooth, quiet and peppy despite not revving over 3500rpm. The low end torque on the Corolla is much better than any Civic I tried. I am very impressed with the effortless shifting of the 5 spd. With the drizzle tonight, I do miss not having variable intermittent wipers though. Finally, the overall workmanship/quality was impressive.
I compared it to an 02 Corolla and an 01 Civic at the dealership tonight. All I have to say is you gotta see it for yourself.

twistinmelon · February 2002

If you're going to configure a Corolla on Edmunds as Pat suggests, please be aware that Edmunds will allow you to combine any option with any other option as far as I can tell. In other words, you are quite possibly creating a fantasy car on Edmunds and on Cars.com and kbb.com and the like.

If you use Toyota.com, you will see that, depending on your zip code, certain options are not available on certain models or in combination with certain other options. For example, Toyota.com will not allow someone from my zip code to configure a 5 speed LE with ABS.

My question to Mack or any other Toyota salesperson or corporate type, which went unanswered a week ago, remains the same: Can I special order a Corolla exactly the way I want it, or am I stuck choosing between a 5 speed and ABS?

twist

britton2 · February 2002

Please keep us updated on your '03 Corolla - I have a '01 which I've had for almost a year now and I am very happy with it - but I'd be interested to know how those who own '03's like it.

readytobuy8 · February 2002

I test drove the Corolla LE auto, did not like the way the auto drove, kind of sluggish but I am going to try the 5 sp tomorrow Dallas,TX

tlindeman · February 2002

I took a 2003 Corolla out for a test drive today. The dealer had 2 available, a loaded LE auto and a base CE with 5 spd. I took the CE 5 spd. for a spin to compare it to my 2001 Civic (although no frills on the car, the engine and trans. are the same as the uplevel models and I really wanted to try out a 5 spd). Although full of hope I must say I was a little disappointed. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get the driving position right. There doesn't seem to be much leg room for the driver and if I pushed the seat back far enough I had a long arm stretch to the steering wheel...something seems wrong with the proportions here. Another problem was the typical Toyota vagueness in the on-center steering feel. The steering always seems to need minor corrections to keep the car in a straight line. To it's credit the seats were very comfortable (if somewhat softer than those in my Honda) and the elevated seating position is great (although this may have contributed a little to the difficulty in finding a comfortable driving position-the CE doesn't have a seat height adjustment) the interior layout and materials were very upscale and seemed of good quality (better than my Honda) and the ride was well-damped and smooth. Other comparisons noted include:

1. Engine...pretty much a toss-up. The Toyota and Honda feel comparable in power and smoothness (even though my Honda Civic Sedan LX is a little behind in HP and torque...the EX is closer to the Toyota) Both are peppy and reasonably quiet with the 5 spd.

2. Shift quality...no contest here. Honda still makes the slickest, smoothest shifting manuals on the planet. The Toyota was noticeably notchier and required more effort to shift than my Honda (although the Toyota may smooth out with a few miles...my Honda has 15,000 miles on it). Downshifting from 5th to 4th was noticeably less precise on the Toyota. Clutch takeup on the Toyota seemed a little smoother than my Honda though.
3. Interior noise. I'm sure the Toyota is quieter than a stock Civic (Toyota is noted for their quiet cars) but I've added quite a bit of sound insulation to the floor pan, trunk, door pillars and rocker panel cavities of my Civic. The Toyota is quieter than my Civic was before but a little noisier than after my sound-deadening project.
4. Build quality. The Toyota seems to have it here. The Corolla seems rock solid and fit, finish and execution are first-rate. My Honda has a few quality issues from bubbling door panel upholstery to more rattles than should be found in a car with 15,000 miles on it.

5. Suspension...Toyota wins here. Honda blew it on the Civic suspension...too soft and way too bouncy in the rear. Ride quality deteriorates quickly on anything but smooth roads. The Toyota definitely rides better.
Overall, I find my Civic more fun to drive but a little behind the Toyota in some quality areas. I'm not so sure Toyota will necessarily steal Civic sales with the new Corolla but it will definitely give it a run for it's money. Let's hope Toyota did their homework and avoids the teething problems the new Civic has been experiencing.

lfan · February 2002

Here goes.

- The ride is very smooth. Operation of controls and switchgear is very fluid. Overall, a feeling of comfort and isolation (in a good way) prevails. Compared to Hondas which feels more connected with less filtering of the road, noise, etc.

- This seems to be the highest sitting sedan on the road, with the possible exception of the Echo, Camry and the Avalon (notice a pattern here?). The commanding view is nice. Not so good side effect of narrow, tall car is susceptibility to high crosswinds, like today in DC.

- Engine, 5 spd transmission works very well. Adequate engine pull from as low as 1600rpm or thereabouts, the tach is too small. The transmission throws are short. Clutch pickup is smooth. I can shift from gear to gear much more smoothly than my old Civic since the Corolla has much better torque.

- main gripe; The driver side sun visor design is dumb. You can't lower the visor all the way to the windshield without striking the rear view mirror. What's up with that? I am reporting this to the dealer and maybe they will have a fix in the near future.

Finally, I can't wait to get the aluminum wheels that were missing as delivered from the factory. The dealer even will allow me to keep the hub caps. Maybe I will sell them on e-bay.

lfan · February 2002

Thanks for your in-depth observations, tlindeman.

Let me add some addition comments on the seating position:
I agree with tlindeman on the somewhat awkward seating, particularly in the CE. With seat height adjustment in my S (also found on LE's), I can get a more comfortable leg room vs. arm position than in the CE I originally test drove. Not perfect still as the reach to the wheel is still longer than I'd like.

I think each car make has its own seating seating idiosyncrasies. Being acclimated to Hondas and their driving positions for past 12 years myself, it may take a while to adjust to the Corolla's arrangement.

However, it passed the litmus test for me today. I felt no discomfort that after one hour commutes to and from work.

digiturbo · February 2002

Somehow, the dealers here in Raleigh are bringing 30 of LE and CE corollas. Most of them will come with automatic transmission. I check their inventory and no Corolla S coming in during the Feb month. Does anyone know any dealer in virginia area(near D.C or virginia beaches) having some Corolla S (5sp).

Pat: You are right about the invoice on carsdirect.com. They bring the price closer to the invoice claimed by the dealer. But carsdirect.com also sells cars. Is that probably why the invoice quite higher than cars.com?

cwliang · February 2002

tlindeman and others, I was wondering whether you guys know of an explanation for why Toyota engineers would intentionally keep the steering feel the way they do. I had a '91 Camry and test drove a '01 Corolla and they both had this numbness on-center that must be intentional, otherwise they would change it. I find that it makes the cars more difficult to control at highway speeds. It bothered me enough that I stopped considering the Corolla. Otherwise, I have to admit that Toyota makes some solid cars...

marvin75 · February 2002

My `90 Corolla has a curious problem. It stutters while accelerating (e.g., entering the freeway onramp), but it only happens when the fuel level is less than half full. It gets worse when the the fuel level continues to drop. I'm getting poor gas mileage, too. Does anyone have any ideas about why this is happening?

Thanks!

Marvin

mbnut1 · February 2002

My first guess would be a fuel pressure problem. A possiblity is a venting problem with your gas tank. Next time when your tank is low open the gas cap and put it back on and see if the problem goes away.

marvin75 · February 2002

mbnut1,

You are right--I have noticed that the problem does go away when I open and close the gas cap. But then it comes back again later. My suspicions followed your line of thinking too (fuel pressure, gas tank venting, etc.) Any ideas about what to do to fix it? I don't want to take it to the dealer and get charged an arm and a leg, but it seems like this fix could be "a little over my head."

Thanks,
Marvin

dsgecho · February 2002

Test drove a 2003 LE this weekend and did the following comparisons to a 2001 w 10,000 mi.:
1. The 2003's 130 hp does make a bit of a difference in pickup from stoplights up to cruising speed [40-45 mph]. Gets it there quicker and then cruise real quiet.Of course, I never thought the 2001 was really that bad either. Overall quiet is about the same for both cars.
2. Probably the best advantage of the 2003 is the higher seating position. Seats may/may not be better overall. The vertical height adjuster is another big plus on the 2003 and can be done easily while driving. Armrest is bigger and has 2-level storage. Overall handling in curves may be better- hard to realyy tel on the test course I ran. 2003 should be very competitive with the Civic in space, room, and ergonomics- and really handling also. Quiet is better in the 2001 and the 2003 compared to the Civic, IMHO.

Tested a GPS unit on the speedo of the 2001 and also a 2002. The 2002 speedo was too slow in indicating actual speed by 2 mph very consistently. Could be that as a Corolla CE it is not as goo as in the 2001 LE. For the LE, the speedo was off by 0.5 mph at the most. More interesting, when you set the CC it stayed at the indicated speed and varied no more than 0.5 mph [often less than 0.3 mph] and often less if the terrain was flat or even fairly rolling. This was on a 180 mi. trip from Nashville to Knoxville, TN so there are some pretty big hills at times. The consistency of speed was even a little better than a 2002 Prius for the same trip. Overall mpg for the 340 mi. trip better than 40- probably about 42 or so.
Cheers
Don

tlindeman · February 2002

cwliang...I'm not sure why Toyotas seem to have that vague on-center feeling in their steering systems. I test drove a Sienna minivan back in 1999 and noticed the same thing...also recall Car and Driver complaining about it in a minivan road test. The 2001 Corolla and Prizm (essentially the same car) also had a rubbery vagueness about their steering that turned me off. In comparison, although far from sporty, the Hondas I've driven have this dead-accurate tracking built into their steering that really make them fun to drive. I'm sure we'll get some disagreement on this issue and there's no doubt about the quality of Toyota...how a car drives is a lot about personal preference. To be honest, the Ford Focus is probably the best of the bunch in this league for precision steering feel and ride/handling compromise (say what you want about Ford quality, they got the suspension right in this small car). I just couldn't get over the early models problems. If the quality is improved and Ford offers an engine that competes with the variable valve technology of Honda and Toyota (the current ZTec although dependable is no power or mpg champ) it would be a strong consideration. Oh oh...I'm rambling again...been a car nut since I was 10...that's over 35 years and sometimes I just get carried away...

mbnut1 · February 2002

Marvin75

Sounds like it is definitely a venting problem. Unfortunately I have never had to fix that on a car. The only time I experienced it was on my brothers motorcycle. In his case he was using a non vented cap. I would think that the dealer should be fairly effective at isolating the problem

Tlindeman,

Car nuts are what these boards are about!

mpgman · February 2002

Generally disappointed. I was expecting a larger Echo on the inside, with lots of headroom and more legroom. This car is still too cramped up front for legroom and the ability to spread out without hitting the center stack. Also, the A pillars are raked so steeply that it is easy to hit your head getting in, and there is no driver side overhead assist grip when getting out. The dash is superb though and the drivetrain is a gem, but I thought the car was noisier than it should be. Never thought I'd say that I much prefer my Elantra GT to the Corolla and welcomed getting back into it. Better seating, better leg room, much more content, better price, more cargo room, and better warranty in exchange for most likely poorer reliability and resale. 18,000 miles of superb driving so far though.

machiavelli · February 2002

I was really impressed with the styling and the interior appointments of the new 2003, especially in the LE model. It's very "upscale". I'm looking forward to driving one.

claywaterfill · February 2002

Anyone here bought one yet? How do you like it? I wish they would have put a 4 wheel independent suspension on the S model to go with its more aggressive look. I would like to check out a Corolla S, but don't like the way its price is like an LE--just for the ground effects. I'll check it out, anyway. So, how are they?

sandman46 · February 2002

How's the DX doin'? Just got home from a drive and got yhe car up to 80 and it drove like a dream! Still very happy with the car and my 14 year old informed me today that in 2 years, the car will be his. He'll get his way if I end up gettin' the '05 Corolla, time will tell.
Hope the car is runnin' well and keep me posted.

jeprox · February 2002

i saw the 2003 corolla and matrix and yesterday and my comments are wow, cool!

corolla LE with leather seats looks like a mini lexus. it is bigger but it didnt have much headroom in the back and i'm only 5'10". the roof liner was already touching my hair. i find that you are sitting higher for both cars compared to the old corolla.

matrix, plenty of headroom in the back as well as legroom. between the two cars, i would have to say that the matrix is best buy/best bang for the buck! msrp is c$15280 for base corolla and c$16645 for base matrix.

claywaterfill · February 2002

I have not driven one yet, so I'm going off specs here, but here goes. I like the way Toyota mechanically equipped all Corollas the same. Same engine, transmissions, and suspension. The most basic CE will have air and CD. Sure, it'll be about $14k, but what does $14k buy in a Civic? No CD and 115 HP sohc engine. No optional ABS on the Civic DX or LX either--and only about $300 on the CE. The accounts I have read talk about great fit, finish, and quality. I'm looking for it to do well.

readytobuy8 · February 2002

Am I the only one that thinks that extra mile package is just ripe off? at most it should cost 50.00

claywaterfill · February 2002

What is the extra mile package? Looking in a 2003 Corolla brochure, I see no mention of an Extra Mile Package. I do wonder what the "anti-chipping tape" of the All Weather Package is, though.

readytobuy8 · February 2002

It Is a package they sale in Texas it is a port add on it is Window etching and 36 month roadside assistance they try and charge 900.00 for it

machiavelli · February 2002

I certainly wouldn't pay $900 for that. You can join AAA for 3 years for alot less than that if you really think you need roadside assistance.

pat · February 2002

A major newspaper is looking to interview folks who learned how to drive stick in their adulthood, and either fell in love or hated it. Also welcome is any input on why people love to drive stick, and any unusual anecdotes about how you learned etc.

Hope to hear from you before Feb 22 via the Talk to the Press discussion or at jfallon@edmunds.com with your thoughts and contact information.

Thanks as always,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director, Edmunds.com

jeprox · February 2002

i think that if you stick to basic corolla 5 speed or auto and the basic matrix 5speed or auto, then the price is really good. but once you start adding options, not such a good deal anymore.

canadian models dont come with A/C as standard and no ABS on the base model - even as option.

i just went to look again at lunch time today and the more i look, the more i want to buy the matrix!

coolguyky7 · February 2002

I was driving today and there was no one around me...hehe...and I just wanted to floor the gas...so I did a very little...it was safe and all. But I released after I got the burst I was looking for and the engine or transmission must have shifted suddenly because it made a funny sound...but I'm sure it was just doing its (whatever it was) job in order to shift gears to the appropriate one for the speed I should have been going, 35 mph. hehe...just one of those one time things I need to do.

twistinmelon · February 2002

I spent a lot of time in the Corolla, Matrix, and Vibe at the Chicago Auto Show today.

The 2003 Corolla is really, really nice. The body add-ons on the S look better in person than they do in photos, particularly in the reddish color they had on display. I liked the matte black look of the S interior more than I thought I would  it works for me. The fake woodgrain trim on the LE is done sparingly, and looks nice with the beige interior. The seats are softer than any other car in this class, but I didnt sink in that much. The Corolla has a nice drivers right-sided armrest. The manual transmission shifted as fluidly as the Civics, which is the standard of excellence in that realm, I think. Im 61 and I was able to sit in the back seat immediately after pushing the drivers seat back to my chosen position; my knees were a couple of inches away from the back of the drivers seat  an amazing growth spurt since the previous generation Corolla. There are lots of nice storage cubbies. The spare tire cavity is covered with a plastic sandwichboard that seems nicer and more durable than the particleboard found in just about every other car in this class. Headroom is good in the front, gets a bit tight for me in the rear (will be no problem for anybody else in my family). Dual rear cupholders are the best in the class -- seem very sturdy and adjustable. This feels like a much more expensive car. Its as nice or nicer than my 2000 Odyssey in many ways.

The Matrix and Vibe are even cooler than I expected. You sit up higher than a Corolla, but not minivan height either. But at the same time, I felt like I was in a roadster because the windows start up relatively high on the sides of the vehicles. In fact, I wondered if my sons would get a bit unhappy about the visibility from their low vantage points in the back seat with the high-rising doors. Headroom is massive. The plastic material that covers the cargo area and the back of the rear seats seems to be of very high quality, but I think I might break the little locking mechanism on the spare tire cavity loading a heavy item. The drivers right armrest is a little low, but placed just far enough forward to make it useable with the dash-mounted shifter. The 5-speed on the Matrix/Vibe seemed a bit notchier than on the Corolla, but still very nice. The gauge windows (tunnels, really) would take some getting used to. The seats are covered with an attractive fabric with a lot of texture, almost a hint of rubberyness to them. No worries about sliding around in a turn in those things. The Matrix was a VERY popular attraction at the show, while the Vibe was empty both times I visited it. I thought the Vibes lower body cladding looked nice, though I still prefer the cleaner lines of the Matrix at this point. As far as I could figure, the rear glass cant be opened with any sort of handle or switch on the exterior of the vehicle  only the whole hatch opens this way. The front passenger seat has folding mechanisms on both sides, so the driver can easily fold it down and use its hard plastic back as a writing/eating/whatevering surface. The drivers seat has a cloth back with a map pocket. Plenty of rear seat room, same rear cupholders as the Corolla. I really, really liked these vehicles, whatever they are.

And I apologize to anyone who already read this as part of my grand "head to head" post on the Protege board.

twist

canadaodyowner · February 2002

Thanks for your thorough analysis in 'head to head' on the Protege board. I agree 100% with your insightful observations because I just came back from a local 'car zone' in Toronto where many car dealers are located along a half mile stretch. I looked at the 2003 corolla/matrix, civic, protege, sentra and elantra. Like you, we also own a 2000 odyssey EX and are in the market for a compact to replace the 'old faithful' 87 ford taurus. Please keep us posted on your test drive experience with these cars and what you end up buying.

lfan · February 2002

Here are some first week impressions from owning the 2003 Corolla. I purchased a Corolla S 5 spd last Thursday. Read back on posts from 8-14 days ago for previous comments.

- Gas mileage is tremendous. How about 41MPG!

- Handling is much better than I expected; body roll is low, suspension movements are controlled even over bumps.

- The problem I posted earlier about the visor hitting the rear view mirror is resolved. The rear view mirror has two pivot points which can be adjusted. Duh!

- The 6 speaker CD/Stereo sounds pretty good. The highs are clear. Bass is adequate

The qualities that caught my attention from the first test drive still impress: smoothness and quietness, impressive materials, and general comfort and quality beyond the class norm.

Toyota Corolla

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles