Samirda, I also have recently bought a H4 auto (for Delhi-Gurgaon jam sessions), and so far have driven 3000 kms in 7 weeks of ownership. My review is posted in Longterm ownership report. My FE for last 2 weeks averaged 11.0 kmpl with normal petrol. But Corolla manual does reasonably give around 11.5-13 kmpl. I do not drive beyond 100 kmph under any circumstances so cannot comment on your 140 kmph refinement issues. But the auto is quite quick, and achieving my top speed of 90-100 kmph is not a bother with no vibrations, road noise or harshness. Yes seats are good, but they take some getting used to, and being a short person, it requires a cushion to get a good seating position. But because of the high roof height, using a cushion of Sleepwell 3 inches gives me a near perfect view.
I also did not pay anything for 1000 km service, and since I have bought Toyota miles and smiles, I should not be paying anything for 10000 kms and 20000 kms service, provided it is within 1 yr.
Bumps are a problem though must say that thuds are muted and bad roads handled better than my old Corsa, which also has good dampers. Although handling has been criticised by some reviewers in Indian mags, I found it to be good for my purposes. At sharp corners, there is no tendency to lurch, you do not get thrown around or get scared or vomitty, and the car feels superbly planted and horizontal (know what I mean).
Finally, though I find the stereo adequate with 6-CD changer (I am not a gizmo freak), it does not have advanced functions that you would expect in say a Sony.
I bought a 2006 production model Corolla H4 silver for 103000 off. The 2007 model had a discount of 45000. The on road price was 1314000, but I paid 1210000. It made sense to me since I do not intend to sell for 7-8 yrs, and the extra 58000 off made H4 (which is H5 on manual) affordable rather than the H3 (which is H2 for manual). The 2007 model is presently at a discount of around 35-40 K in Delhi. |