This is the New Corolla

[appuchan]

This looks better to me...



than this one

[Nitin]

The initial test drive makes the Corolla seem like things have gotten pepped up a bit. I like the XRS version,with the 2.4L engine.
Taken over 6 years for a new Corolla to be introduced,but with 400,000 units being sold every year,its not surprising.
Read more about it here:
2009 Toyota Corolla - Photo Gallery - Motor Trend
First Drive: 2009 Toyota Corolla - Motor Trend

[nitinchawla]

The new Corolla was launched in Indonesia today
PT. Toyota Astra Motor » Cars

And I actually like the looks of this one. The question is how will it be priced when it does come to India!!!

If history is anything to go by, it will be more expensive than the current one.

The Innova was more expensive than the Qualis
The new Camry is more expensive than the old one.
Does that mean that the new Corolla will be more expensive than the old one!!!!

[vasudeva]

It could be expected to be more expensive definitely, but say perhaps 5-10% above current price. It has to be compete with Civic, and since unlike Camry, the new Corolla is expected to be manufactured in India, high import duties will not jack up the price, like for Camry.

[HSV]

Originally Posted by nitinchawla

The question is how will it be priced when it does come to India!!!

Well... I'd be damned if it aint more expensive than the current one!

[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by HSV

Well... I'd be damned if it aint more expensive than the current one!

Hi ! have you bought a Corolla ? I have read your questions and comments on Vasudeva's thread on Corolla and hence, wondering whether you picked up one or waiting.

I am also in serious dilemma whether to pick up Corolla or Civic (as currently only 3 automatic cars are available in my budget). As far as performance figure and specifications go Civic is better in torque, power, safety kit list and best - paddles shifters. I have test driven both and am still pretty confused.

Would you like to share any experiences of yours on decision making.

[sassid]

Hi,

To start off, I just love the civic. Played a big role in getting my dad to pick up the auto. He is a die-hard diesel lover and this is the only petrol that he has retained for more than a year after his 90's esteem.

However on performance, the corolla even in its current outgoing avatar gives the civic a run for its money and from what I remember from the tests when the civic was launched, made up for what it lost in the 0-100 by being zippier in the roll-on's in 3rd and 4th. The new engines should claw back this disadvantage.

Again this is only anecdotal, a few years back when we had the highest rainfall in a single day in Mumbai, the only vehicle in our mumbai unit that did not need extensive repairs was a corolla. Most of the city's caught out that day needed a visit to the service station to sort out issues with their electronics.

So then it is a brain vs heart thing. The mind says, the new corolla.... but the blue display, the sporty drivers position, that VTEC engine, If I had the 13 lakhs it would be the black paddle shift and if I had 20, the Civic Sport in racing silver :-)

[nitinchawla]

My second attempt at the post. The first one for some reason did not go through...
I still havent bought my Corolla, but I have well and truly started the process to procure the car. Mine will be a corporate lease, so the process takes long and I am not rushing it since I am likely to catch some March deals if I delay my purchase a little bit
Here's my car purchase history...
When I first entered the market, I didnt think that my search would last too long. I thought that it would be a simple decision with Civic being my car of choice. But since I was in the market, I decided to test drive the other cars in this segment. The search included Skoda Octavia, Skoda Laura, Optra Magnum, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.
Here were the results of the test drive
Skoda Octavia: Wasnt impressed at all. Found the interiors very boring; insufficient legroom at the back; the car didnt seem too peppy
Skoda Laura: Great car, but at close to 14L, this was way beyond my budget. I was tempted, but better sense prevailed
Optra magnum: Another car that I absolutely loved (this was the Magnum LT diesel), but the car is unproven from a long term ownership perspective, so I didnt pursue that either. But the car was THE most exciting car to drive (other than the Laura)
Now coming to the top two. I was very impressed with the interiors of the Civic, the digital dials will impress most, and I was no different; but at the same time I liked the understated yet classy interiors of the Corolla. As far as the drive was concerned, there's not much too choose between the two cars, though I prefered the Corolla. I thought it was easier to drive, as you'll see in one of the reasons below.
So, given that there wasnt much to choose between the two cars, here's why I chose the corolla (or lets say here's why I decided not to buy the Civic)
a) the Civic is a low car. Although, on paper both cars have the same ground clearance (170mm), nearly all Civic owners I spoke to and all reviews I read had this concern about the Civic and the fact that it scrapes the surface of speed breakers quite often if fully loaded. My wife owned a zen; and it had the same problem. We were very careful over speed breakers, but some were unavoidable and each time that happened, we felt extremely bad, almost depressed!!. I couldnt take a chance with a car almost 3 times costlier than the zen
b) the low stance also makes the Civic a difficult car to get in and get out of. My parents will also use the car, so I cannot take that chance. When I graduated from the Santro to the Accent, one could tell the difference. I cant get any lower
c) I always prefer that the bonnet of the car be visible while driving. Given our traffic situation where we have little respect for lanes, people can get very close to the car, and I always derive comfort from the fact that I exactly know where my left front of the car is. With the low bonnet of the Civic, it was a challenge. In my test drive, I took it to a crowded place, and I struggled to find my way through the traffic for this reason. With the Corolla, the problem remains, but to a much smaller extent.
d) I took my research to the next level. I decided to catch hold of owners/drivers of Corollas and Civics wherever I found them. Shopping mall parking lots, my apartment complex, office parking lot. In general, I found that Corolla owners seemed more excited about their cars than the Civic owners; I didnt hear much criticism from the Corolla owners except a couple of them recommending that I wait till the new Corolla enters the indian market
e) Finally, my wife prefers the Corolla to the Civic , so the Corolla it is for me

[alias]

well last week while taking the delivery of our new innova i enquired with the sales rep about the corolla and was told not to go for the one on sale now since they have already stopped manufacturing it and the new one will be launched in may this year

so i guess we should be seeing a new pretty soon

[nitinchawla]

Oh!! Nice piece of information. Usually its extremely difficult to extract any information out of the salesmen. This past Sunday before I started the process of buying my car, I visited the Toyota dealership here in Gurgaon and asked the question on when the new release was expected. Funnily enough, his answer was quite the opposite, saying that Toyota is still manufacturing this car, so I dont think the new Corolla is coming here in a hurry.
I guess one really cant believe these guys

[sriramv.iyer]

I came to US for a business trip - The new corolla is definitely not a looker here. (I did not like the front treatment - Looks good on photo, but doesnt look that great in real)

[carlover98]

The bulging headlamps really look ugly. It looks like frog's eyes.

[vasudeva]

TTAC Celebrates the Toyota Corolla’s 40th Birthday | The Truth About Cars

This recent article and responses has some interesting things about the Corolla.

[nitinchawla]

Just got a call from a Toyota dealer. The discount has increased to 80K (from 50K) for the month of March. Is this a sign that the new Corolla is round the corner or is this March madness?

[HSV]

Originally Posted by shatrughna

Hi ! have you bought a Corolla ? I have read your questions and comments on Vasudeva's thread on Corolla and hence, wondering whether you picked up one or waiting.

I am also in serious dilemma whether to pick up Corolla or Civic (as currently only 3 automatic cars are available in my budget). As far as performance figure and specifications go Civic is better in torque, power, safety kit list and best - paddles shifters. I have test driven both and am still pretty confused.

Would you like to share any experiences of yours on decision making.

Quite frankly I was in the same dilemma. Between all comparisons it had finally boiled down to Corolla vs Civic. My decision was clinched due to one major factor - Discount on offer! I got a cash discount of 124000/- on my H4 - Pearl White mica; (add to that a further 65% NCB). The best deal I got on the Civic was 50000/- cash discount. So I guess it was a no brainer.

As far as the test drive was concerned (I am talking automatics only and not manuals), I found the Civic more peppy and the Corolla more laid back (maybe I didnt floor it enough).

The one thing I enjoyed about the Civic was the extendable front arm rest - absolutely cool. Also the dash is fabulous - great feel good factor. Having said that the Corolla's dash is not too bad at all.

The paddle shift in the Civic is a unique feature and a great thing to have - esp during the monsoons on water clogged roads.

The Corolla has a bigger boot and the Civic in comparison has a puny one.

Didnt have much ground clearance issues with the Civic, however with a longer wheelbase I am sure it'd be adversely affected. Not only that however have seen quite a few Civics in Delhi with busted side skirts - I am sure parking too near the kerb may be to blame. However havent seen any Corollas with busted side skirts.

Not only that, Corolla owners only have positive things to say about the maintenance and issue free ownership experience. Havent had the same response with Honda owners.

Also have heard that service is better at Toyota as compared to Honda where customers are treated like sh*t.

Last but not the least, did a little comparo between the cost of body parts (in case of accidents) and the Corolla turns out to be 25% cheaper than the Civic. Not only that I have seen too many Civics with their ORVMs nicked where as havent seen much Corollas in that situation. Not sure but cost of replacing a Corollas ORVM is approx 6400 and that of the Civic is apprx 10000/-, and considering that Civic ORVMs get nicked more frequently - betcha that'd hurt.

Resale wasnt an issue as I plan to keep it for long.

Oh and not to forget that there are more Corollas as taxis, meaning that if the fleet owners give this particular vehicle a thumbs up then the total cost of ownership may defintely be lower as compared to the Civic.

I guess the total cash outflow in the case of purchasing the Corolla vs Civic being less clinched it for me in the end.