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Comments
The Elantra has a better driving position, is much sportier and is also roomier than the Corolla. The downside is that the Hyundai is not as refined and its interior is not of the same quality of the Toyota. Exterior fit and finish of the two cars is not as far off, but again, the vote goes to the Corolla. While both cars have engines that are durable, the trannies in the Hyundais are not as good. The manuals are a bit sloppy and the automatics do not make the best use of the extra 10 hp versus the Corolla.
Resale of course is nearly industry leading with the Corolla while it is slightly below average for the Elantra - although better than many US makes.
I also own an '03 Civic which I think shares more similarity with the Elantra than the Corolla. I can not give you a clear recommendation for the Elantra GT over the Corolla. They are two different but excellent small cars.
Very neat, peppy little car, glad I bought it.
Mercedes and BMW have historically recommended having a look at it before 150k miles, even if there are no symptoms. In a car like the Corolla, my guess is that most of them will go to the auto graveyard before the chain will ever see the light of day...
Nice thing about chains is, if they begin to stretch or get loose they will make lots of noise and you will know it may need replacement. BIG advantage over timing belts, which will be silent until the day they break and leave you stranded or worse.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
This is my first message in town hall.
Being a teacher, I needed a car that was reliable and economical. Because of past experience, I chose a toyota corolla.
I bought my 2003 corolla at the end of feburary 2003. So far, I am pleased. Have not experienced the smell often(maybe only twice), and I now have 2150 miles on the vehicle.
Two questions:
1) Ocassionally, my driver's door will not unlock from the outside with the key. I have power locks, and I have to turn the key several times to get it to unlock. Has anyone else had this experience?
2) Periodically, when I put my foot on the brake, I hear a 'clunk' from beneath the pedal and feel the vibiration. I do not have ABS, and I asked the dealer about it. The dealership said that this was 'normal', that the components(discs or pads) shift when one applys the brakes. If this was 'normal', why do I not hear it all the time? Has anyone else out there in toyotaland had similar problems??
Anybody have more detailed info to see what changes may have been made to the 04 model?
~alpha
I think your wife is right about the Corolla!
Elentras were good until this last generation. I wouldn't drive one if it was given to me.
IMHO.
... Greg
32 PSI does help (I usually use 35). The only downside to higher psi is a harsher ride. The car handles better, tires last longer, and are safer because they run cooler (lower pressure means more tire flex and more heat).
If your timing is too far advanced then you can take advantage of the higher octane, but that would mean your engine is out of tune.
Can't beat that, my previous car was a 94 Escort and its best gas mileage was 35, worst 25, and it seemed to hang in the 28 mpg in mixed driving.
I do need to replace the tires here soon, any suggestions? I was going to go to a 15" alloy wheel and 195/55/R15 tires, but I'm afraid that will mess up the gas mileage. So, I'll stick with the 14's that it has.
Using higher octane only increases the price you pay for fuel. A Corolla is designed for regular unleaded and will not receive increased mileage with premium.
The idea that higher octane equals better mileage is a myth.
Also, of course, never exceed the tire manufacturer's maximum pressure which is printed on the sidewall.
There, that is my quota of public service announcements for the week! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
If you go to that link and click on "Earlier Designs, you'll see the Elantra near the top. The redesign put them near the bottom.
... Greg
P.S. Thanks for posting the link, gt.
I don't understand how anyone can even think of buying an Elantra if they check out the crash tests on IIHS and NHTSA. Corollas are a Best Pick whereas the Elantra scores among the worst overall.
I was merely pointing out that the Elantra's NHTSA crash test scores are equivalent to those of the Corolla--each has two five-star results and two four-star results. And those results are among the very best for small four-door sedans. Based on that, I don't think it is accurate to say that the Elantra's NHTSA scores are among the worst overall--which is what you said. The Elantra's IIHS frontal offset crash test score is of course worse than that of the Corolla's. But you didn't specify that test in your post, and you included the NHTSA tests too.
The Corolla is a fine car, but maybe there are other reasons besides a single crash test score that people would buy an Elantra over a Corolla. Unfortunately, Toyota decided to design the driving position of the new Corolla to favor shorter people, so it's not a car I could consider buying.
It is the IIHS site where it blew it - in the offset crash.
I guess I need to rethink the Elantra and not be so critical.
Thanks for pointing this out to me.
... Greg :-)
We also have an '03 Civic (115 hp engine and 5 speed) which is not as fuel efficient on the highway but better in the city than the Corolla.
Of course nothing beat my previous car, an '01 Saturn SL with 5-speed, which was capable of 56 mpg (imperial) and 46 mpg (US).
I think the Corolla and Civic are two of the nicest small cars on the market , although I also like the Hyundai Elantra, Mitsu Lancer and Mazda Protege, Nissan Sentra as second choices.
I would have preferred a 5-speed on the Corolla too but my wife can't drive manual and does not want to learn. Fortunately my Civic is manual.
Question to owners of smelly Corollas. Does it go away if you start using exclusively high octane/low sulphur gas (like those from Shell and Sunoco).
Most V6 powered minivans do not have much more towing capacity than 1500 lbs, and in some cases, that includes what is in the van itself.
The Sienna in its previous incarnation occasionally had engine sludging and tranny problems no doubt because people are using them for hauling more than they were designed for (thus over taxing the engine, oil etc).
I think an American vehicle is probably a safer bet for towing since they are typically a little heavier and many come with push-rod engines with lots of low end torque. I think that the Big 3 still understand that some people are going to be hard on their cars and design them with that in mind.
Best to check with Toyota on towing with the Corolla or get a small pickup (Tacoma etc).
For shorter people, I can see that the steering wheel/pedal relationship might be a problem, but it was not for me.
Anyway, I have to agree with the observation that only an extended test drive will tell you whether or not it will work for you - we rented a new LE from our local dealer and drove it for a couple of days before making our final decision. Many dealers who have rental fleets have lots of Corollas and Camrys available - this is a good approach if you have a dealer nearby with the right cars.
BTW most v-6 minivans can tow 3,500 lbs.
The Corolla is rated for towing 1500 lbs which may be OK with a good hitch and a manual tranny but I think you will have to be extra vigilant about maintenance on the engine and tranny if you tow a lot. I think it also depende on the terrain and climate in your area. Best to check with Toyota to be absolutely sure.
With the recent sluding problem (which has affected a few of the last generation Corollas as well though it is not well publicized) I would be careful with towing, especially if the car is under warrantee.
My family has owned all Toyota car models (Tercel, Corolla, Camry and Avalon)over a number of model years with no real problems. My brother's car did consume a lot of oil after 120,000 km but I think he did not baby the car either.
Keep the oil changed at 3000miles/5000 km at a Toyota dealer, and check your oil levels regularly and you should not have any problems. Is there anyone on this board who works for Toyota that can shed some light on this subject?
The Sandman :-(