13th Sep 2006, 14:50
I am the original poster... reporting back. I now have 30k miles on the car. I have not had a single problem with the car so far except the sulphur smell on turning on the heater or ac.
I recently bought a BMW 325xi which weirdly made me respect my corolla a lot more. Agreed I can't compare the two cars in any form or fashion, but the kind of no-headache reliability I get from the corolla which cost less than half the BMW is awesome.
I would highly recommend this car to anyone looking for a good no-frills commuter car. I regularly get a mileage of 28-30 (mixed) and 40-42miles/gallon on the freeway.
I would buy another one without a second thought, but knowing the corolla is will last me atleast a decade more!
29th Sep 2006, 15:31
I have 57000 miles on my 2004 Corolla CE and love it. All I have done is changed the oil (I keep AMS oil in it and replace it every 20,000 miles) and replaced the tires with a little larger tire. I am now ready to move up a notch to a 4 cylinder Camry for a little more room. If you look through Consumer reviews Both of these cars are rated at the top.
30th Sep 2006, 15:47
This is no surprise to me given Toyota's excellent service and reliability reputation. They are no frills, but that 06 Camry is definitely a great looking car! Wow, what an improvement in looks from the last model.
21st Oct 2006, 15:18
Change the fuel type you use - stop buying the same cheap gas, from the same brand, go elsewhere, try higher octane and the smell might go away. It took my friend 6 months for this smell to stop... Toyota did not offer much help. I changed my tires to falkin brand, best rated for rain, and still got $ for trade in of the new corolla tires.
31st Dec 2007, 17:24
I am the original poster with updates. I now have 45,000 miles on the car. I had an accessory belt replaced ($90) but apart from that the car has been rock solid!!! It has consistently given me 33-38 miles per gallon. The brakes still seem in good condition, the air conditioner as cold as ice, heater just great, never had a problem starting the car on cold mornings (I know cold… I am in Minnesota now) and the paint has held up. I guess this is where I say touch wood again!!
A few new perspectives:
This car has now become my wife's ride to work. She puts in 120miles/day and the car seems to hold up to the rigors.
For a while now I couldn’t quite get what I was missing in the car and then I realized the car was like owning a appliance lets say a microwave... albeit a very reliable appliance. It won’t thrill you, but it will be there when you need it.
With the great many miles being logged on this car I have resorted to maintaining the car myself. In this aspect the car is really easy to maintain for a DIYer.
Snow tires: With my wife driving, I decided to buy some piece of mind my buying snow tires. This car can easily accommodate 14 inch wheels apart from the stock 15 inchers and I bought my piece of mind (tires and rims) under $500
I only thing that concerns me sometimes was that I opted for the CE model without the side airbags. This sometimes worries me when she takes off to work on a snowy day. I hate to part with such a reliable all round performer, but I might have to because the corolla with out the side impact airbags has very low crash test ratings. I would highly recommend spending some money and go for the side airbag option if anyone is looking at buying a corolla.
Summary: Apart from the side airbags…..no regrets!!
I’ll report back around 60k! Happy motoring!!
9th May 2005, 07:28
I have a 2002 corolla and I am well pleased with it's reliable performance. However, I do not enjoy the smell from the exhaust which smells like carbide from the miners' lamps. The car is an excellent comuter car and I will buy another one in the future.