Bought a 2011 Corolla, new.

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smc733

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Nov 14, 2011
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Hi all,

I promise this will be my last thread for a while, as I have finally PURCHASED a vehicle.

I test drove a 2011 Corolla LE with the floor mat package, fully loaded with the electronics, etc, and I LOVED it. Drives great, smooth, easy to drive, and small to get around in the city with, everything I need/want in a car. Got it with cloth seats and a nice Charcoal Gray exterior color.

I will be using ToyotaCare for the first 2 years/25k miles, the only thing is that the OCI is recommended at 10k, so I think it would be best to stick with 5k, and pay for every other change during this time.

I wanted to thank everyone for all of their input, which lead me in the right direction.

I'm still looking for a nice "tote" to keep in my trunk that is small as to not take up space, but will allow me to keep some spare accessories from rolling around in the trunk. (Namely, a bottle of Heet, a quart of the oil I use, some washer fluid, and an ice scraper).

Thanks again everyone, I finalized the deal tonight and paid cash (got $10k trade on my RSX with 90k miles and an accident on the Carfax!), so any input as to what I can do with my car is greatly appriciated.
 
Floor mat package, eh? You went all out I see.
wink.gif
Was there an ashtray package and a cup-holder package available, too?
lol.gif


Seriously though, congrats on a new ride!
 
Much better move than the Sebring.

I'd change the oil every 5K miles. I think Caterham (and others) really like Toyota )W20, but check the manual for requirements.
 
@Quattro Pete

Haha, interestingly enough, that was a nice $200 "addition" to the standard invoice for the LE, which apparently doesn't include them. (Yet includes power everything and remote entry, pretty sure floor mats have come with cars since before I was born 21 years ago...) But thanks!!!

@Hyundai Guy

Thanks, I agree, it already feels to me like I made a better decision, and I am very happy about that. I just need bare bones transportation that gets me from A to B comfortably, and efficiently.

I really, really can't stomach that 10k OCI that Toyota recommends, so I will be going with the 5k interval of Toyota oil. (I do wonder, I hear the 0w-20 is Mobil 1, but does it have more Moly than M1?).

Thanks for the input so far, these forums really are hopping with a bunch of intelligent and friendly commenters, I can't wait to spend more time around here.
 
Congrats on the purchase. I personally like the new Corollas more than the Civics, although I'm kind of sad to see you let go of the RSX.

As for Toyota 0w-20 being M1, I don't think so. The Toyota's version has more VII.
 
Thanks semaj281,

I'll miss the RSX a bit, but leaking ball joints, rusted off cat heat shield, and a few other things, plus the manual sucks in the city, it just makes sense... (the master cylinder is starting to vibrate and squeak on the clutch, too).

I used to be a Honda guy, but with from the horrid designs of the Civic interior, and the road noise, I couldn't go for the new Civic.

So what does VII mean? Is the Toyota oil still good? I admittedly joined for more non-oil related topics (mostly the car advice), so I'm not up on what means what.
 
No reason to change the oil at less than 7500 miles or so.

Congrats on your purchase, I know people on most car forums despise the Corolla today but if all you need is reliable daily transportation it is NOT a bad buy at all. Actually I would possibly consider one with a 5 speed manual transmission if the price was really good.
 
Thanks George, I'll keep that in mind.

I feel like they don't like it because its not sporty or luxurious. I find it to be a [censored] nice comfortable ride that has nice styling that just doesn't stick out. And it drives perfect for a DD that sees a lot of traffic, and for a driver that really doesn't care about acceleration/speed.
 
Originally Posted By: smc733
Thanks semaj281,

I'll miss the RSX a bit, but leaking ball joints, rusted off cat heat shield, and a few other things, plus the manual sucks in the city, it just makes sense... (the master cylinder is starting to vibrate and squeak on the clutch, too).

I used to be a Honda guy, but with from the horrid designs of the Civic interior, and the road noise, I couldn't go for the new Civic.

So what does VII mean? Is the Toyota oil still good? I admittedly joined for more non-oil related topics (mostly the car advice), so I'm not up on what means what.

That's understandable.

Are you not a fan of the 8th gen Civic interior? I really like the digital layout and the controls on my friend's 8th gen Si. And the older ones (EK?) are a breeze to work on.

VII stands of viscosity improvement index. In a nutshell, it improves cold start flow and has a positive correlation with NOACK volatility. Meaning that oils with more VI are more prone to shear. Although shear stability shouldn't be much concern to you since your engine calls for a 20 weight and you live up north.
So in your case, more VI is good, and I wouldn't count out Mobil 1 0w-20 either. Get whichever of the two is more available/cheaper. Either one will do the job and meet your warranty requirements.
 
Nothing wrong with the Corolla. Good purchase.

Not a fan of the Civic interior myself. Too many friends complain of squeaks and rattles.
 
So has anyone here or one of your friends bought a late model 2009+ Corolla with a manual transmission and if so what is the feeling about it?

I like cloth seats as well.
 
All I can say is good luck. If the thing is built even half as bad as my grandparents 2011 Sienna Get the extended warranty. The rear liftgate broke within a month, ie the rear wind and electric arm was binding and broke. The rear glass has poor fit and finish, and the worse thing is that they drove Out from Kentucky, to AZ to visit my parents, then to Colorado to visit me and it leaked coolant 4 times. The repair manager at the Dealer in Erie looked at me and said "new cars just do that" Good luck with the new car hope it gets you years of good service.
 
ahhh....going from a fun sports car to the ultimate boring car O_O
good thing you didnt get the new civics as they are equally as boring to drive as corollas. my girlfriend has one....i was SO happy getting back in my integra after 90 minutes of driving that car. honda has lost what i call "raw" feeling of driving a car. hondas made in the 80s to early 2000 made cars that allowed the driver to feel connected to the car and road.
 
Id take the RSX anyday, i wouldnt mind fixing the parts you mentioned at all over buying a new boring car.

And i thought you just made a thread about loving a sebring!? What happened!?, lol
 
My mom has an '03 Corolla, 5-speed manual and that thing has 90k on it and the only thing it ever received as far as maintenance is concerned is over-due oil changes on quaker state dino.

Not saying that's the ideal way to treat the vehicle lol, but the car just keeps on trucking. Pretty reliable even if you go ahead and neglect the thing.

10k for the trade seems pretty good IMO.
 
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