2005 Toyota Corolla Reviews

CD player doesn't work.

Intermittent clutch smell.

Blown headlight bulb.

As a city car, the Corolla is hard to beat. Even the entry-level GL has the 100 kW (135 BHP) engine, pulling a mere 1100 kg, which makes for ample get-up and go.

The gearshift is clunky but precise, and the hydraulic clutch is silky smooth.

Steering is nicely weighted and geared, all-disc brakes are fine, but the ABS is a little over-sensitive. Ride quality is very good, for a light car with conventional strut/torsion beam suspension.

Only major negatives are poor rearward visibility, and a lack of traction in the wet.

On the open road, it's not quite so accomplished. The low gearing makes it feel a little buzzy at 100 kph, although it smooths out by 120. Economy very good, 38.5 MPG (7.5 l/100Km), without trying too hard to be economical. Overtaking is not a problem, plenty of grunt.

Pressing on through the twisties, the steering loads up dramatically, and handling is nowhere as composed as, say, a good Euro hatch. It does its best to dissuade pushing hard.

General comments: Plain inside, but nice dash and white-faced dials. Column stalks have a smooth, quality feel. Seats themselves are comfortable, but the driving position is not tailored to taller people. Rear-seat folding is excellent; just as well, because the boot is smaller than you might expect (only 270 litres). Build quality excellent; looking closely in, around and under, there is nothing remotely dodgy about the design and build. There's even a cabin filter for the ventilation system.

Minimal maintenance, thanks to chain-driven cams, hydraulic lifters, no distributor. Combined with excellent fuel economy, and proven reliability, running costs are low.

Toyota's philosophy of "even though it's good, why not try to improve it" should be re- termed "if it ain't broken... Leave it alone!"

I am very disappointed with aspects of my latest Corolla.

To replace a rear brake or indicator light, requires one to dislodge the light holder from the top to bottom, then extract a festoon type of bulb through a ridiculously small entry portal with the smallest of hands of a midget! What an improvement! (my son's similar car had a festoon globe fall into the lens itself - requiring an hour's work to remove half the boot fittings to remove the light fitting - to extract the bulb! Great Toyota!)

Then I needed to install a tow bar for a light trailer!

Wow. What an improvement in design. First I had to physically cut off a piece of the number bar tabs, then remove all the boot lining, followed by removal of the bumper bar itself, and then insert a tapped bracket for the front bolt hole fixer inside the chassis subframe. Great design work Toyota! - not... Why not machine a proper threaded hole as per the others? Derr!

Then there is the issue of the wiring for the tow bar! What a nightmare. With the crazy wiring colour and non-compatibility of standard stop/ tail light arrangements of most trailers, one requires a 'converter module' or Toyota loom. Great, except that in Australia they no longer stock the loom as it is "too old"!!!

And the 'converter module' items are nowhere to be found.

I can't believe that the trusted simplicity of Toyotas has been distorted to such lunacy!

Then there is the craziness of the "wiring loom" that was available for the same model Corolla, differs from the sedan to the hatch. Really brilliant!!!

Damien Curry.

A few days after purchase the oxygen sensor went; replaced by dealer free of charge 09/10.

Brake rotors warped when purchased; replaced myself 09/10.

Various oil leaks; covered under warranty. Head gasket, front crank seal, oil pan gasket all replaced.

Clock comes off and on as it wishes 08/11. Have not yet replaced, but plan on doing so.

New tires 09/11.

Idle hunts when cold; dealer said it is a dirty throttle body. After 35 seconds or so the idle is perfect.

I love this car. My last car broke down all the time, and this Corolla has never once left me stranded. It has had some simple problems that were generally replaced under warranty. The oil leak was just seepage, but the dealership decided to replace a bunch of gaskets because the warranty company was paying for it anyway, and it would prevent larger problems down the road. The oxygen sensor went right after I purchased the car, and after some arguing with the dealer, they replaced it for free.

Recently the clock has been going off and on whenever it feels like it. After some research I found out that it is the solder points on the back. They are very tiny and not worth trying to repair. The parts department at the dealer quoted me 281.00, so I did some research and found a bone yard that I can purchase it from for 30 dollars.

The car is fairly comfortable. I use it to haul around my three little cousins frequently, and although it can be tight with all their junk they need to keep themselves busy, it is still roomy for a compact car.

The gas mileage is pretty good; I get about 30 on the freeway and 25 in town.

The shifter is a little more stiff than my past vehicles, but I have learned to like it over time. I also like the 60/40 split back seats. Perfect for when I have to carry something a little longer, like our fishing poles. I can still fit the youngest two kids in the backseat, the little guy is still in a booster seat, and the oldest is big enough to sit up front. So, I can still seat four with two-fifths of the seat folded down.

The blind spots are not bad. I had a hard time adjusting to the four doors, but if the mirrors are properly placed, the blind spots are rarely a problem.

The car is a little light on the freeway during a windy spell. It blows around a little more than most cars, but never enough to frighten me.

Overall, this car has been amazingly reliable, and posed no real issues or problems in the year I have owned it. I will hopefully own this car for a long time to come.