2005 Toyota Corolla Conquest Sedan review from Australia and New Zealand
"Quite alright for its intended purpose"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
* A/C died in March 2006. Apparently a plug in the wire harness worked loose, error during prepurchase installation in Australia. A/C died again during November 2006. What apparently happened is that the first time the A/C died, they put more refrigerant in when it wasn't required, so it caused problems when the weather heated up again. Had to get the car back to a dealer twice in November to get the problem rectified, I basically had to tell them repeatedly to change the refrigerant, which they did, and that has solved the problem. I felt that from these experiences that Toyota needs to look at their after-market service BADLY!!
*General squeaks and rattles, these come and go, whilst they first arose at 1000km, I just live with them, I got used to it. Everything still works...
*side of driver's contoured sports bucket seat is wearing badly. Have installed throw-over seat covers to stop this.
*instrument panel lens that covers the speedometer etc. is badly scratched from cleaning. Will address at 40,000km service.
General comments?
*OK on fuel - 10L/100km around town, 6.8 or so on highway.
*Interior was a little drab so I got some parts painted silver a la the Levin trim grade.
*Handles well, has high dynamic limits, due to good tyres. Ride could be better, though, nothing like, say, a focus. Steering 'feel' is a bit wooden, but basically OK.
*White paint masks minor scratches well.
*Engine performance good for its intended purpose, though needs the boot down up hills and when overtaking. Exhaust note mildly entertaining.
*Transmission well matched to engine, fairly smooth, better than my brothers Mazda 323 Astina.
*Huge boot, my 185cm brother fits in the back.
*Looks better now that I colour coded certain black trim parts and mudflaps.
*Easy to get in and out of, kinda high off the ground for a small car. Good ground clearance for unsealed roads.
*Plenty of storage space.
*I thought the stereo was of poor quality. Changed for an aftermarket system, much better.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 petrol Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 37000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Corolla |
| Date of Entry | 5th January, 2007 |