Wife bought 2020 corolla my first impressions

I don't have a 2020 Corolla but I do have a 2016 LE that I commute with. In all honesty the car could have a better suspension, better seats, and a whole list of improvements for the price point but I brought it knowing what it is. I needed a small gas efficient car that was super reliable. And the car serves its purpose well...commuting, its definitely not a good family car. I don't put my children in the Corolla because it doesn't offer much protection hence why I have a 4Runner. I do value reliability (Toyota vehicle simply haven't let me stranded on the side of the road as much as other brands) above all else when purchasing a vehicle but that is my choice and I don't expect others to live by my credence. Toyota does have many issues that they need to address but that goes for every manufacturer so I am not saying they are perfect because they are not. And Toyota being expensive is simply comical...NAME one vehicle on the market today from any manufacturer that is not stupid expensive for the crap inside it. In my opinion none of today's cars and especially mid to full size SUV's/pickups trucks are worth what they are sold for. Ultimately as consumers we only have the choice to buy or not.
 
The bottom line is that the Corolla sells well because of Toyota's supposed "quality". But that ship has largely sailed years ago....

I'd buy the Mazda 3 in heartbeat if I have a choice between the two, of course you can still get a base 3 with a manual while you need to spend much more to buy the
manual and of course the Mazda automatic is a reliably traditional slushbox, while the Corolla gets stuck with a CVT.

The 3 is a much better car at a similar price, so it is really a no brainer. What hurts Mazda in the USA is lack of dealerships/
 
Originally Posted by DGXR
The Corolla sells well because it is good on gas, reliable, durable, and is useful/ has good utility for passengers and trunk space. It is basic transportation, and it's good at what it does.


+1
We bought our 2015 Corolla S+ new and really like it. I think it is well-built and quite comfortable for a compact sedan and we get a lot of compliments. Our 1996 Corolla had nary a problem until it hit over 250k miles and finally developed transmission problems so we didn't even consider anything else and went straight to Toyota. That's getting your money's worth as far as I'm concerned. For less than 18k we paid for the top of the line S+, the car is sharp-looking, super economical, and problem-free so far. I think it offers a lot of bang for the buck and I'm smiling ear to ear on trips when the display is showing upwards of 45 mpg and it isn't even a hybrid!
 
We had a 2019 Corolla as a rental while we were waiting on insurance to settle on my wife's wrecked RAV4. We both liked it quite a bit. We wound up purchasing the Subaru Impreza in part due to the AWD also due to the good pricing and financing offered as well as presumably similar reliability to the Toyota. With the exception of a few days in the winter I think we would have been equally satisfied with either car. I think the Corolla is a sensible choice and will serve your wife well for many years.
 
Originally Posted by NissanMaxima
Originally Posted by DGXR
The Corolla sells well because it is good on gas, reliable, durable, and is useful/ has good utility for passengers and trunk space. It is basic transportation, and it's good at what it does.


+1
We bought our 2015 Corolla S+ new and really like it. I think it is well-built and quite comfortable for a compact sedan and we get a lot of compliments. Our 1996 Corolla had nary a problem until it hit over 250k miles and finally developed transmission problems so we didn't even consider anything else and went straight to Toyota. That's getting your money's worth as far as I'm concerned. For less than 18k we paid for the top of the line S+, the car is sharp-looking, super economical, and problem-free so far. I think it offers a lot of bang for the buck and I'm smiling ear to ear on trips when the display is showing upwards of 45 mpg and it isn't even a hybrid!


This is the consensus of most Toyota owners. Even these owners can't believe their luck which is why they keep returning to the brand.
 
among everything that has been said above why it is selling great I'd add the back bench room

these new compact size cars on the market are on the pair with older mid-size cars such in case of my Mazda6; these new Corollas for example, they have the same room in the back if not more than in my Mazda

plus it is an affordable along with brand new scent mean of transportation
 
Originally Posted by NissanMaxima
Originally Posted by DGXR
The Corolla sells well because it is good on gas, reliable, durable, and is useful/ has good utility for passengers and trunk space. It is basic transportation, and it's good at what it does.


+1
We bought our 2015 Corolla S+ new and really like it. I think it is well-built and quite comfortable for a compact sedan and we get a lot of compliments. Our 1996 Corolla had nary a problem until it hit over 250k miles and finally developed transmission problems so we didn't even consider anything else and went straight to Toyota. That's getting your money's worth as far as I'm concerned. For less than 18k we paid for the top of the line S+, the car is sharp-looking, super economical, and problem-free so far. I think it offers a lot of bang for the buck and I'm smiling ear to ear on trips when the display is showing upwards of 45 mpg and it isn't even a hybrid!


See, I am on the other side of the fence. The Toyota is less comfortable than a comparable 2019 elantra, 2019 civic or my 2018 Mazda 3.

I have had 2 2002 Mazda protege's in my possession. One I sold with 300k+ miles on it. Had to replace the alternator once, the clutch once, and done timing belts. The automatic with 250k miles has had a starter and an alternator go out. These are parts that can go out on any car at any time. I have no questions about the toyota being "reliable", but Mazda has never proven to be less reliable than what I read about Hondas and Toyotas on the road. I just feel like I could have gotten the same reliability with better overall vehicle quality at the same price. Sadly necessity of being able to make it to work and drive the kid to school made her have to buy what she had time to buy after an accident.
 
If Mazdas were all that we'd see dealers selling them everywhere.
If Toyotas were really that bad, they'd have the same dealer network as Mazda does.
That Corolla will be running around long after a new Mazda would have rusted to dust.
This is one of the dirty little secrets of Mazda cars that we up here observe whenever we see one that's more than a few years old.
Is the Corolla an exciting beast?
Of course not. The last entertaining Corollas had RWD and these left the scene back in the eighties.
Will the Corolla keep on for as many miles as your wife wants to drive it?
Of course it will, and I write this as one who's not a fan, as you can see from my sig.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
If Mazdas were all that we'd see dealers selling them everywhere.
If Toyotas were really that bad, they'd have the same dealer network as Mazda does.
That Corolla will be running around long after a new Mazda would have rusted to dust.
This is one of the dirty little secrets of Mazda cars that we up here observe whenever we see one that's more than a few years old.
Is the Corolla an exciting beast?
Of course not. The last entertaining Corollas had RWD and these left the scene back in the eighties.
Will the Corolla keep on for as many miles as your wife wants to drive it?
Of course it will, and I write this as one who's not a fan, as you can see from my sig.


Wish my 06 Mazda 3 got your very insightful memo
crackmeup2.gif
 
Enjoy the new ride! Unfortunately, my son just totaled my 2004 Camry. After 35 years of Toyota's the only manufacturer we are looking at is Toyota. What I have found is the break in period is fairly long for the Toyota vehicles.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
If Mazdas were all that we'd see dealers selling them everywhere.
If Toyotas were really that bad, they'd have the same dealer network as Mazda does.



That makes no sense.
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted by gfh77665
Originally Posted by domer10
I absolutely despise cvt transmissions, it is one more thing that has been getting phased in as standard that is taking away that feel of driving, being in tune with the car. My mother's honda has one, and it annoys me to no end driving it around.

And they are literally shoving them down our throats, every chance they get. Between this, losing manuals, all this self drive technology the feel and enjoyment factor is being taken away.




I have to agree. I do not like the CVT's at all. I will take my Fiesta's DCT easily instead. (Before anyone protests, mine is a 2017, AFTER Ford fixed the DCT, thanks). Anyway, with a different type trans, I would like the Toyota better. Annoying, but the Toyota will run a really long time. BTW my 2017 Fiesta has 20K miles and has been flawless. I really like it.

That's not what the Detroit Free Press uncovered. Even Ford admits there is no fix for that transmission. 20,000 miles ? Still nearly new. Time will tell. Great you're optimistic. Hope it works out for you but I wouldn't be too surprised if it takes a dump on you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FordFocus/..._dct_what_it_is_why_its_still_broken_in/

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cu...d-settlement-for-ford-powershift-owners/

https://www.freep.com/in-depth/mone...s-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/
 
The vast majority of people don't rely on their cars and driving for excitement or thrills. The Corolla eats up the miles and keeps on ticking.
 
A friend of mine in high school had a silver 1973 Corolla. It was a blast to drive and would chirp 2nd gear!
laugh.gif
 
The average purchaser of a Corolla is not looking for any "real driving fun or engagement", instead a modestly costing vehicle that will get him/her where they need to go with a high degree of reliability over the life of the car.

Plenty of $50,000 cars for sale that will satisfy those who need more out of their drive.
 
We've had three Corollas at my house: 1995 (1.6L auto) that was sold still running great at 187K, 2007 (1.8L 5-speed) that was sold still running great at 178K and a 2015 (1.8L auto) my wife is currently driving with 80k trouble free miles. Money well spent on all of them IMO.

I also had a 2012 Mazda3 (2.0L Skyactiv 6-speed) that I loved but that I decided to trade after Bambi rearranged most of the front end. I traded it for a 2016 Mazda6 (2.5L Skyactiv 6-speed) that is at around 40K with no issues. I would have just gotten another 3 but they had just moved production to Mexico and I didn't want to be the guinea pig for a new low budget factory build. My 6 was made in Japan and that's just how I like it.

It makes me really sad they stopped making these with manual transmissions. I bought another car so I can make my 6 last as long as I can.
 
She will get lots of miles out of that Corolla.

If you're in a bind and need wheels a Corolla is a very good choice for an economy car.
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
Originally Posted by fdcg27
If Mazdas were all that we'd see dealers selling them everywhere.
If Toyotas were really that bad, they'd have the same dealer network as Mazda does.



That makes no sense.
lol.gif



It probably makes perfect sense to those who can read and understand the lingua franca.
 
The wife really likes her 15' Corolla LE. Great little car. Gets mid 40's on road trips and mid 30's in town. Back seat has a ton of legroom. Even more than some bigger vehicles we've had.
 
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