Corolla’s

[cptbarkey]

Originally Posted By: supton
Seat cover: wife tucks a fleece onto the Camry rear seat, does ok with the dog. Does good with the goldfish and Legos and lollipops that the kids drop. Does nothing for the doggie nose prints on the windshield though.

Unfortunately the only doggie accident we had was in my car, and on the floor carpet, the day we got the dog. Who feeds their dog macaroni and cheese anyhow?

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Different generations: I really wasn't looking to go too old, rust fears and all. I did think the 12 was more thrashy than the 13, but maybe that was me beating on it to accelerate--or maybe that 12 had other issues, I dunno. That 12 was about my limit for thrash I think.

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Went back today, got trade in on my Jetta (no shock there), left the deal behind. Just not the deal I had in mind, and I have to say, shopping for a car I am willing to settle for is a pinch easier than a car I am dying to buy. Numbers did not work, not in love, thus easy to move along. Should do this more often.

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Was left wondering if CPO on a Corolla is worth it. I am sure prior owners can abuse anything, but Corollas are both hardy and probably easy/cheap to repair. Skipping that puts me back in age and miles though, but is a thought. A car that is simple and cheap to repair does not need much of a warranty.


your TDI would sell like hotcakes on CL, i would not be too worried about that.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: faramir9
Probably almost no one on this forum will agree, but I always liked the '03-'08 generation Corolla. It was definitely an appliance, but an appliance with soul. Sort of. It was no sports car, but if you pushed it, it responded with plenty of oomph to pass or merge.


i agree, i had one and it was responsive and had tight steering. the only con was noisy engine. i test drove the next generation and it was very bland, but quieter engine.


I like the 03-08 gen Corolla as well because it looked light on its feet, and I think that is why I sort of like the latest generation as well. It retains similar proportions and doesn't look bloated and heavy like the 09-13 generation.
I am still yet to drive the latest gen, but I like the interior and exterior on it.

 

[CELICA_XX]

I have been following your search for a vehicle and I have never seen anyone put so much effort into buying a used car.

I am truly eager to find out what vehicle meets your standards.

 

[supton]

I am likely going to go back to lurking now. Am tempted to buy a used Corolla next summer, may do that eventually. I think I will do that, as the other option is to find a green sticksift car that my wife wants, and I do not think I want to go through the new car buying thing again, even if it is "her" car. So, it will be a while I am afraid.

 

[supton]

What is kinda funny is that I had my wife try driving my Jetta today. I put all the interior pieces back into place, in hopes of selling (some were in the way of repairs that happen often, others left off to deal with squeaks). She said it was the best clutch and trans out of the ones she drove (base Versa 5MT, older Versa 6MT, older Corolla 5MT, new Corolla 6MT). She does not prefer it over her Camry 6MT, but I think she has more respect for my Jetta. At least for how it feels.

 

[rjundi]

Most modern normal cars (except Honda) are pretty cruddy in terms of clutch engagement and transmission feel. It is like they gave up on manual transmissions.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
Most modern normal cars (except Honda) are pretty cruddy in terms of clutch engagement and transmission feel. It is like they gave up on manual transmissions.


Yeah, I got that vibe myself. I think that is why it is hard to give up my Jetta, and why I am open to an old school 4spd auto. Less shifting around, and if a clutch/gearbox is no fun, then might as well resign to a borematic. If expected lifespan of an auto is 150k then at least pick a cheap one to replace.

Plus, I am driving 495 once a month now, and might start driving twice a month or so, during rush hour, as part of my job.

 

[Nick1994]

I drove my dad's FJ Cruiser yesterday and just like you said about Toyotas, 5th & 6th is pretty close together! I didn't pay attention to exact RPMs but they're pretty close, makes almost no difference going up hill from 6th to 5th.

I wonder what Toyota's logic was behind that one.

 

[supton]

Couple reasons:

First, gear splits need to get closer together. Wind drag goes up with vehicle speed squared. But I'd expect stupid close gear splits on cars that go crazy fast--at high engine speeds, close splits are needed to stay in the power band. Not so much here...

EPA test procedures also don't allow downshifting on hills, IIRC. That, and the general population dislikes downshifting for hills. Feels like an underpowered vehicle.

I don't know what to call such six speeds; faux six, or perhaps a 5.5MT. From where I sit, they seem purely marketing. I wish they'd save the money and just use a 5spd.

 

[HangFire]

Good review. I have to wonder what's up with the 2012 LE. My 2010 doesn't wander on the highway, unless my wife drives. She's always trying to find the center "by feel" but there's no feel, so two hours later she's still bouncing from one side of the lane to another. I told her to just hold the wheel still but never mind....

Also my 2010 doesn't lock/unlock and rev hunt on the highway either. I have to wonder if the 2012 has bad tires, a loose steering component and/or some hard wear and tear on the transmission.

 

[supton]

I had but a few minutes really to drive each and any car. I mean, I was not driving any $40k vehicle for the weekend; these were quick drives down the highway. On the 2012 I was deliberately modulating the throttle to see if it would do what I have noticed in both a 2011 Camry auto and in my 2010 Tundra. The Camry was wicked sensitive to throttle, the Tundra a bit less so.

NH has lots of hills, and after years of only owning stickshifts, I tend to pulse throttle--learning to drive my truck I've learned to slowly lean into the throttle. I'm guessing I'd get used to it. The Camry was very shift happy, my truck just has a big rpm jump when it happens (and is quiet enough to notice it).

Anyhow, at the time i was testing the convertor, I was on an incline, and still accelerating, and technically had a full car (wife, two kids, and sales woman). Car was under load, to be fair. I was largely glad it was much less noticeable than my Tundra (less rev's).

As for wandering: I find both my Toyotas wander. My Jetta has more stiff steering, and I think it has to do more with over-boosted steering than any suspension problem. I mean, if I look away for a moment, the slightest pressure in any Toyota will result in a lane change--in my Jetta, the steering resistance means it's more of a deliberate act. Perhaps that is straight up user error.

I really would have to drive longer to say either way. I mean, I've driven my "wander happy" Toyota's for hours on end, and managed just fine. I think it's probably user error on that aspect, to be honest.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: faramir9
Probably almost no one on this forum will agree, but I always liked the '03-'08 generation Corolla. It was definitely an appliance, but an appliance with soul. Sort of. It was no sports car, but if you pushed it, it responded with plenty of oomph to pass or merge.


I really enjoyed my '07. It was a 5-speed stick shift LE model. Pretty hard to find. I should have held onto it longer than I did, but that's a long story (and no fault of the Corolla at all).

I put a strut brace and some stickier Yokohama tires on light weight 15" Prius wheels on mine. It handled and drove GREAT.

 

[supton]

I have read the 09-13 gen is more quiet; and I'm afraid that will win me over the prior gen. Would be fun to try one out sometime, though.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: supton
I have read the 09-13 gen is more quiet; and I'm afraid that will win me over the prior gen. Would be fun to try one out sometime, though.


It reportedly is. It's also a little softer on the handling. I think this happens with many vehicle lines. Subsequent generations become just a little more "grown up" feeling (quieter, softer, sometimes larger, etc). Eventually, that model grows up so much it places itself out of the segment, and something back-fills it.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: supton
I have read the 09-13 gen is more quiet; and I'm afraid that will win me over the prior gen. Would be fun to try one out sometime, though.


It reportedly is. It's also a little softer on the handling. I think this happens with many vehicle lines. Subsequent generations become just a little more "grown up" feeling (quieter, softer, sometimes larger, etc). Eventually, that model grows up so much it places itself out of the segment, and something back-fills it.


I think it kinda makes sense. If you can win a customer you want to keep them; and people tend to get softer and wider as they age. Plus the natural order of things is to get better, and in this country bigger seems synonomous with better.

 

[HangFire]

This model growth thing is a beef I have with automakers, especially American marques.

When the consumer says on the satisfaction survey they won't buy a car again because they want something bigger, it doesn't mean they want THAT model bigger. They want ANOTHER model that is bigger.

Cars like Neons, Expeditions growing from nice compact economical vehicles to hulking expensive ones. The US-market 1970.5 Ford Falcon is the worst example I can think of. The problem is this, people who buy an economical car often want to move up to a bigger one, once they retire, their commute gets shorter, they have a larger family, and/or they are more affluent. But they won't buy the same model name again, because that model name is associated with entry-level compacts, and buying again represents stagnation and lack of progress in life.

At the same time entry market buyers often lose the cute, sporty, economical model they looked forward to buying.

I won't beat up Toyota too much on this, though. Even if the current Corolla is much bigger than the smaller-than-Yaris 1st Gen Corolla, it took 12 generations of very gradual growth to get there. Honda Civic lovers sure cried a river when their beloved model went near-mid-sized (and lost the double wishbone suspension) at Gen 7. A friend of mine literally cried when her little 5th Gen Civic was totaled by a careless driver rear-ending her. She was planning on keeping it forever, it only had 350K on it.

 

[rjundi]

My brother in law who has the Corolla S 2008 with manual like the car for the primary reason of inexpensive to run. From 90k(purchase)-200k(current) in 3 years it has required spark plugs, air filter, tires, brakes and that is it. It achieves close to 40MPG to boot. The car was $9k.

He is former 2000 Jetta GLS owner and loved that prior car for drive,feel, handling however reliability was garbage for them and expensive to own beyond the cruddy MPG. That car had reliability of what is out there on internet for VW(terrible).

In terms of road noise there was not a lot of difference in my experience and his. His driving is primaryly 2 lane back roads with 40-55MPH speed limits in Western MA.

 

[supton]

I think if got the speed up he might notice. I thought the Corolla was about the same at 70 as my Jetta at 80. Hugely subjective, and without back to back driving... subjective. Low enough though for me; I know I cannot hit the same noise as my Camry nor Tundra. Those are quiet vehicles.

I did some looking and while I can find S models in stick with cruise I cannot on base. Granted I did not search coast to coast, but it seems harder to find that config.

 

[supton]

I went to a different dealer, one that I thought had a '12 LE (auto of course); didn't find that but did find that most were rockin' 205/55R16's, and Eagle RS-A's at that. From some searching, sounds like the rsa's are hated. Worse, I thought Corolla's used the 195/65R15's for a tire size. Wonder if that is on the base, and LE got the tire bump. Bummer. But I bet the 15's would swap on. Don't need low profile, wide tires.

 

[cptbarkey]

I thought I would share my experience with corolla ownership.


1. it makes an excellent work area.

2. it carries great loads too (busted engine block in the truck but tools in the way)

3. it also can take a lick up front, still runs great. ac works, all accessories work but frame is to far bent for repair. it will be a hoon/tractor eventually on the family ranch.