Rental corolla- my thoughts

[Nick R]

So my car got rear ended.. AGAIN, the other day. I didn't post about it because it felt redundant. There was little damage, only minor paint chipping below the license plate. We got a rental car. It is a 09 Corolla S. I drove it to school and work today...

Wow. I know this is completely a personal preference thing, but how can anyone even compare this to a focus? I tried to be unbiased and was genuinely interested to see how it was in doing more than sitting in it. (Never drove a corolla). To me, it is in a completely different class. And not in a good way. The steering was very, very light, and loose on center (the car has like 7000 miles on it). The thing is SLOW! It feels completely gutless off the line. The interior is Meh. Bland and boring. Ride was smooth, if uninteresting. Lots of body roll in turns though. And the brakes, oh the brakes! I thought at first they weren't working properly! They are extremely light, and scare me. The brakes on the expedition feel and work better than these!

I tried to give it a fair chance. I went into it with an open mind. But this is what is supposed to compete with the focus? I simply think toyota could have done better. This is just my 2 cents, I know others love theirs, but I just don't see the appeal. My parents were of the same opinion, without hearing anything I said about it.

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Consider this, the Corolla will be WAY more reliable and fuel efficient than the Focus. When you factor in the added headaches and costs that the Focus will put you through when it is in the shop, the Corolla will not seem too bad. I have put around 65,000 miles on my Corolla and have only had to replace a starter and left CV axle...that is all! It obtains great fuel mileage 30+ in city mix and I never have to worry about it not getting me somewhere. Maybe you just drove a Corolla that was made on a Monday

. Don't just let one drive in a specific year give you a bad impression.
As a side note, compare the Focus's reliability ratings in past years(not just new models) to the Corolla's reliability history. Corolla is definitely more reliable!

 

[OilNerd]

Nick, sorry to hear about another rear-ender. When it rains it pours.

I've made up my mind, I'm not driving in Saratoga -- too many tailgaters.

 

[tomcat27]

you're gonna take alot of heat here for your comments. that's the beauty of personal choice. Most Corolla owners will cite reliability and efficiency - not driving experience, styling, etc as their priority.

As far as efficiency, the Focus is not that much different than the Corolla. Toyota reliability? I know that the stats say they are great - but my Toyota has needed brakes/rotors at 20k, the transmission has always had an occassional (and very disconcerting) slip in it; and there is currently a horrible grate/grind/clunk from the front end of mine. I am not impressed at all.

In the end - to each his own. and let others have their opinion. (I'm simply sticking up for you - as the toyo owners will come out of the woodwork on this one)

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
Consider this, the Corolla will be WAY more reliable and fuel efficient than the Focus. When you factor in the added headaches and costs that the Focus will put you through when it is in the shop, the Corolla will not seem too bad. I have put around 65,000 miles on my Corolla and have only had to replace a starter and left CV axle...that is all! It obtains great fuel mileage 30+ in city mix and I never have to worry about it not getting me somewhere. Maybe you just drove a Corolla that was made on a Monday

. Don't just let one drive in a specific year give you a bad impression.
As a side note, compare the Focus's reliability ratings in past years(not just new models) to the Corolla's reliability history. Corolla is definitely more reliable!

I feel that my focus will be reliable. (I hope) and since so little has changed since it entered production, they've gotten most all of the bugs worked out of it.


Originally Posted By: OilNerd
Nick, sorry to hear about another rear-ender. When it rains it pours.

I've made up my mind, I'm not driving in Saratoga -- too many tailgaters.



This actually happened leaving the parking garage at my school. I stopped for traffic, and this stupid little 17 year old girl was texting and didn't stop, and hit me going like 5mph. Then she was a hoo-hah and refused to give me her insurance information beyond that it was Metlife. She gave me her name, and phone number. No policy number, nothing. Had to wait for the police report to get it, because she was sullen. And then the police officer didn't even issue her a citation! Couldn't believe it. This was in Troy, not Saratoga. And when I got rear ended the first time, it was also in troy, coming down a big hill to I-787.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
Consider this, the Corolla will be WAY more reliable and fuel efficient than the Focus. When you factor in the added headaches and costs that the Focus will put you through when it is in the shop, the Corolla will not seem too bad. I have put around 65,000 miles on my Corolla and have only had to replace a starter and left CV axle...that is all! It obtains great fuel mileage 30+ in city mix and I never have to worry about it not getting me somewhere. Maybe you just drove a Corolla that was made on a Monday

. Don't just let one drive in a specific year give you a bad impression.
As a side note, compare the Focus's reliability ratings in past years(not just new models) to the Corolla's reliability history. Corolla is definitely more reliable!

I would NOT consider a car that needed a starter and a CV by 65k to be reliable by any stretch. Replacement of those parts at such early age to me is a sign of a poor quality vehicle.

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
This was in Troy, not Saratoga. And when I got rear ended the first time, it was also in troy, coming down a big hill to I-787.


Saratoga is vindicated; Troy blacklisted.

 

[Nick R]

For what it's worth, this was in and exiting a college, so ya know.

 

[Nick R]

The only thing I think I actually liked about it was the seats and stereo. Seats were comfy, and the sound system was respectable.

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
Consider this, the Corolla will be WAY more reliable and fuel efficient than the Focus. When you factor in the added headaches and costs that the Focus will put you through when it is in the shop, the Corolla will not seem too bad. I have put around 65,000 miles on my Corolla and have only had to replace a starter and left CV axle...that is all! It obtains great fuel mileage 30+ in city mix and I never have to worry about it not getting me somewhere. Maybe you just drove a Corolla that was made on a Monday

. Don't just let one drive in a specific year give you a bad impression.
As a side note, compare the Focus's reliability ratings in past years(not just new models) to the Corolla's reliability history. Corolla is definitely more reliable!

I would NOT consider a car that needed a starter and a CV by 65k to be reliable by any stretch. Replacement of those parts at such early age to me is a sign of a poor quality vehicle.
I guess I should have said that I bought the car with 58k miles and it now has around 122k miles. I suppose you could say I am a very loyal Corolla lover!

 

[TooManyWheels]

Since I haven't owned a Ford in thirty years but I did own a Toyota for five of the last ten years, I would be predispositioned to be pro-Toyota.

But I have also, within the last six months, rented both a Corolla and a Focus. There was absolutely no contest between the driving experience. The Focus was fun, comfortable and just generally Right - the Corolla I couldn't wait to get out of because it was just all wrong, a small car that felt uncomfortable, cumbersome and insubstantial.

All of the reliability in the world wouldn't convince me to buy one. When someone describes "auto as appliance", Corolla is the epitome. They must have had to work really hard to make it that way.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
Originally Posted By: JHZR2


I would NOT consider a car that needed a starter and a CV by 65k to be reliable by any stretch. Replacement of those parts at such early age to me is a sign of a poor quality vehicle.
I guess I should have said that I bought the car with 58k miles and it now has around 122k miles. I suppose you could say I am a very loyal Corolla lover!

That's a little better... But I get >200k and 30 years out of my MB CVs. Ive never had a starter go bad, including on my mother's plymouth breeze which gets constant 5-block drives for the last 140k or so (still on original battery too).

122k should be child's play for any car, especially a toyota. Other than radiators, tires and brakes, our 94 previa has needed nothing over 230k. All original.

 

[Cressida]

The 09 Corolla front seats are terrible IMO because they put the headrest about 2 inches to far forward in an attempt to improve safety for a rear end impact. I would have to find some way to bend the risers for the headrest to move it back. (I think this is worse for taller drivers)

The new drive by wire steering also has you making small adjustments back and forth to in order to keep the car centered on the highway.

The drive-train is fine but overall I would not enjoy driving a new Corolla.

 

[Cutehumor]

your focus may be a magnet to get rear ended. what color is it?

 

[SLCraig]

This is nothing new. I have a friend with an 08. It is a terrible car.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
your focus may be a magnet to get rear ended. what color is it?


Dark Metallic Silver. Or "Sterling metallic gray" I think is what it is called. Which is strange, because our family normally has bad luck with blue cars. I attribute it to most teenagers being bad drivers, and cell phones.

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
Consider this, the Corolla will be WAY more reliable and fuel efficient than the Focus. When you factor in the added headaches and costs that the Focus will put you through when it is in the shop, the Corolla will not seem too bad. I have put around 65,000 miles on my Corolla and have only had to replace a starter and left CV axle...that is all! It obtains great fuel mileage 30+ in city mix and I never have to worry about it not getting me somewhere. Maybe you just drove a Corolla that was made on a Monday

. Don't just let one drive in a specific year give you a bad impression.
As a side note, compare the Focus's reliability ratings in past years(not just new models) to the Corolla's reliability history. Corolla is definitely more reliable!

I would NOT consider a car that needed a starter and a CV by 65k to be reliable by any stretch. Replacement of those parts at such early age to me is a sign of a poor quality vehicle.
I guess I should have said that I bought the car with 58k miles and it now has around 122k miles. I suppose you could say I am a very loyal Corolla lover!

Well, that's a bit better I guess, but not the bullet-proof, runs forever with nothing but gas and oil changes sort of thing that I keep hearing about Toyota's.....

Nick, I'm driving a Camry for the week, and I have to say that I'm a bit underwhelmed. The car only has 12,000 miles on it and the transmission moans and whines like crazy. I don't think I've ever had a vehicle that made this much noise.

 

[Steve S]

Toyota quality has gone down hill like a snow ball to heck and I have owned 4 plus my dads and the 2006 while not bad isn't up to what I expect when paying for a Toyota. I am not sure I would buy another. One of my friends has a 2002 Corolla with an auto and a fancy interior 160,000 miles on the odo and it is nice in every way.

 

[MrMeeks]

Seems like most things now are not made as well as they used to be. Cars, appliances etc. are assembled with too many outsourced parts and quality has suffered.Go to the synlube site and click on the 'Forever' button and read why cars can't be expected to go for too long without excessive repairs for the purpose of removing older cars from service.

 

[The_Jeff]

I rented an 05-06 as a collision repair rental thing... for being rear-ended, naturally.

It cornered quite fiercely. On the "appliance" front when you cold start them and floor the gas the auto trans upshifts at 3.5k RPM to keep abuse down.