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Sedans Toyota Corolla 2009 Toyota Corolla
3074 messages, Last post on Aug 04, 2009 at 6:36 PM
You are in the Toyota Corolla Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: thegraduate (Apr 07, 2009 12:52 pm)
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Replying to: terceltom (Apr 07, 2009 1:44 pm) I'm actually amazed, and a little speechless at your post. I want to say so much, but I don't think you'll get it, so I'll just stop. I honestly don't intend any offense here, but..geez, I just don't know what to say. Just to show that everyday people (not just Race-Car style Car Magazine Editors) know that this system is substandard, here's some driving thoughts from consumers who tested the Corolla, listed right here on Edmunds. Men and women of all ages drove them. The Corolla is what I'd describe as a soft ride — soft suspension, soft pedals, more body roll than the Honda Civic and Mazda3 and on the acceleration test. I didn't feel like I had much contact with the road. It felt very unstable at higher speeds. It also had the cheapest feel — it didn't even have cruise control. We made the mistake of flipping the visor up and were amused to hear a "tin can" sound that carried over to the doors. While floor mats were standard on the other models, mats for the Corolla add $199 to the bill. ++++ 3rd place (a very, very distant 3rd place): Bringing up the rear, we have the Toyota Corolla. This thing handles like it's in a bowl of Jell-o and has seats only a grandmother could love. Every time I got into this car I couldn't help but think I was riding in a rolling La-Z-Boy. But maybe that's your thing, maybe you want some super-soft seats and you're more concerned with where you're going than how you got there. If that's the case, then the Corolla may be for you. Just remember that it's severely lacking in the fun department. All that body roll, mushy brake feel and sloppy steering could be forgiven if it managed to be the serene mini-Camry it wants to be. But alas, this thing's engine makes you hear every awful decibel in the cabin. And get this: no cruise control. That's right, the only car here not to come standard with it was the Corolla. And for a car destined to be clogging up left lanes everywhere as a daily commuter, that seems like a big misstep. - 27 years old ++++ Driving dynamics match the rest of the package. Off-the-line response is sluggish, as the engine doesn't hit its sweet spot until 3,000 rpm and things get almost farm implement-buzzy at about 5,000 rpm. Vague steering and substantial body lean don't inspire confidence, especially in an emergency situation. Although braking performance seemed decent, the pedal felt it would be pushed through the floor. - 40 years old ++++ This Corolla is aimed at its traditional customer: the (now-aging) baby boomer. As the customer got older, softer and larger, so did the Corolla. This Corolla brings the "full-sized car" experience to an efficient smaller package. Unfortunately, that experience brings with it the craptacular road behavior of a mid-'90s big car as well. Clearly sporty road manners were never mentioned by Toyota's focus groups. I recommend the Corolla be driven at the legal limit at all times. It really feels loose and disconnected. - 48 years old ++++ The Toyota had the best manners of the three. It drives like a mini Buick — soft and cushy. There is less noise and less jostle than the other two autos. I felt less in control in this car than the others, as it has a loose steering feel. The ride is so soft, I felt like the car was not in total control on bumps and rises. Toyota saved 30 cents by mounting the outside mirror controls inconveniently low on the dashboard instead of on the door armrest, where they belong. Ease of entry and exit is poorest of these three cars. - 68 years old
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Replying to: thegraduate (Apr 07, 2009 1:51 pm)
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Replying to: denvecsr (Apr 07, 2009 2:04 pm) What's worth noting is that every review says essentially the same thing. That's not an accident. |
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Replying to: thegraduate (Apr 07, 2009 1:51 pm)
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Replying to: terceltom (Apr 07, 2009 5:01 pm) You obviously aren't reading my posts (which makes me wonder if you're just blindly replying to me without thinking it over). I blatantly said that I "doubt it is a mechanical failure."  I think it is a poorly tuned system. The Corolla is obviously not the only car on the market with EPS, and others happen to have some road feel. By the way, can ya link me to those sales numbers? I'd love to see them.  People buy Toyotas because they want a comfortable, reliable ride. They deliver. The Camry LE/XLE doesn't have EPS, but still is devoid of any driving fun or steering feel. It's not a Corolla-only thing. It's inherent in Toyota's tuning.
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Replying to: thegraduate (Apr 07, 2009 5:17 pm)
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I agree with both sides. The EPS from Toyota does have a 'no effort' feel and it's something that can be tuned differently in the future. The new 2010 Prius is an example. But the way it's set up for example in the Corolla is intentional. Why? This has been rehashed over and over and over again in this thread. The Corolla is not a curve-carver. It is not intended to compete with the Mazda3 or Si. It is only intended to do one thing, that is to appeal to the largest number of buyers looking for a very efficient, inexpensive, low maintenance, traditional vehicle that will endure long miles and long years and get the owner from point a to point b................and most importantly..... to make a profit. It has no other function in life. For those wanting or needing more 'feel' or more 'fun' or more power or more room there are many other vehicles available. The Corolla is directed toward one very large segment. It succeeds as terceltom notes by actual the number of sales it makes. This is marketing. Toyota has identified a need, or if you want to put it another way a 'lack of needs', and it has created the Corolla to meet this demand - intentionally. By the sheer numbers of Corolla's sold Toyota is correct. But then so are all of you, individually. Isn't this a great country? 
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Apr 08, 2009 7:21 am) |
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Replying to: terceltom (Apr 08, 2009 4:17 am) And, I told you why I didn't buy a Toyota, because it is geared towards buyers that like the comfy ride and couldn't care less about driving fun. Having said all that, I'll ask this: Is the Corolla going to get anything more than a 4-speed automatic anytime soon? Any rumors on an upgrade flying around?
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