[R2D2]

Thanks for the interesting thread.

My Altis a 10G Corolla (this is my 2nd Corolla, had a 9G prior to this one) has worked trouble free for 8 years now - low maintenance costs, very decent fuel consumption values both on the highway and in city and solid reliability.

When combined with the excellent service/support from Toyota's dealer it makes me think hard before buying any other make even though the temptation to upgrade to a Big 3 German some day is very strong.

Even if I were to upgrade methinks the bland but reliable Corolla will still find a place in my garage.

[qr20de]

My family owned the 7th generation Corolla back home which had driven over 250,000km over African roads. Now that is an achievement.

It was a no nonsense car with unbelievable reliability, easy repairability and low maintenance costs. Tremendously spacious too.

My mum drove that car for over 10 years and at the time of selling, it was still delivering 13km/litre. Amazing!

[GTO]

A highly over-engineered car with unbeatable durability. Congratulations Corolla!

My favourite looking is the 10th gen, especially with the kit Toyota gave it. A rare time that Toyota India showed some taste with mods. It looked brilliant in silver.



Had helped a roommate buy the 7th gen in Boston. Reliable as hell, b-o-r-i-n-g as hell. Driving it was like taking a sleeping pill. That's the generation that gave the Corolla it's 'appliance' reputation.

On a related note, watch this video from 09:36

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSYD...utu.be&t=9m36s

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

8th-gen (1995)

Never saw that in the USA. I think you've put up the UK / another version.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Give it a few more decades and the Corolla will be S Class big.

Hahaha! Seriously, the Corollas & Civics of today are as big as the Camrys / Accords of the 90s!

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by GTO

Never saw that in the USA. I think you've put up the UK / another version.

You are right. That's the post-facelift EU version, on sale in 4 different body forms till 2002.

The global version of the 8th generation Corolla looked like this:

(Source)

[Murugan]

Even Rajinikanth was tempted to bet for a Toyota car

(YouTube video of the movie segment!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrBjBxXvN9E

in the Kamal Hassan-Rajinikanth super hit 1979 Tamil movie Ninaithale Inikkum (Tamil:நினைத்தாலே இனிக்கும்) (English: Sweet Memories) shot largely in Singapore!

"The scene where Rajinikanth is challenged to flip his cigarette 10 times or lose a finger is based on Roald Dahl's Man from the South" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninait...kum_(1979_film)

Some of us presumed it is a Toyota Corolla!

Were we correct?

[YashD]

It's such a pleasure to be a part of the Corolla family, I am currently driving a 2013 10th Generation Corolla Altis facelift 1.8 GL and it's one gem of a car.

Yes, it doesn't handles that well, the steering is kind of lazy and doesn't weighs up appropriately but then as a package and service costs along with the spare part prices it's such an excellent value for money!

One extremely practical vehicle for your everyday runs and then the 1.8 Engine has enough grunt to plant a smile on your face whenever you hit the throttle. The light steering is a boon in the city and parking it is an easy affair too.

At the end of the day, I am one highly satisfied customer of Altis but then just wish it had a little more features on offer and a better steering wheel. The color scheme used to seems a little outdated but then again my family loves this vehicle and I am quiet sure that it isn't going anywhere for another 10 years atleast.

Some Snaps from a few drives along with friends when I had acquired it!

[asit.kulkarni93]

Having ridden in all the Corolla's from 1991 to 2010 in the middle-east I always was a big fan of the Corolla. Currently, I drive the 9th gen in India and simply love it. The build quality is better than the Altis, the low-end torque is brilliant and fuel efficiency figures are astonishing. With the added ground clearance I never have to worry about scraping speed-breakers. Highway drives ar extremely comfortable. The stock form of the Corolla is a practical car but a few add-ons from TRD USA can achieve transform the car into something else. I have driven one such 10th gen Corolla and can vouch for its transformation.

Attaching a few pics of my car-

[sandeepmohan]

Ah the Corolla. The first "foreign" car that I had experienced back in the early 90's, when I was on a extended holiday in Perth. I was 12 and noticing my eyes going all over the place, looking at all the buttons, the clocks, my uncle popped the hood to show me the engine. I had never seen a engine bay so full and clean in its layout. I still remember my uncle highlighting the differences in the engine bay of his Corolla versus the Ambassador he used to drive when he was in India. There really is no comparison but he was just highlighting the engineering differences between the two.

The Toyota Corolla was the default choice for my uncle when he immigrated to Australia. He could easily afford a German but did not want one. He did not even bother reading up on what car to buy. Such is the reputation that this car has across the world. The Corolla served my uncle for over a decade without a single breakdown. Nothing ever fell off too.

Sometime ago, when I called for a Uber, the car that showed up was a E120 Corolla. We all know that there was no diesel back then. Apart from one or two squeaks, everything inside the car was still tight. The air conditioner at minimum blower setting, turned the car in to a refrigerator. The only noise I could hear inside the cabin was the faint noise of the radiator fan starting up. I asked the driver how he could afford to run a car like this. His response was, Sir; I bought this car used and the only thing I've ever had to do is service it once a year and fill gas. I have spent nothing on repairs and the car set him back less than 5 lacs.

To the enthusiast, the Corolla is a boring car. I have to admit that the current one on sale is a very different car. They've gone sharp with the design, it drives alright and its got decent grunt. Cars in its segment trounce in on the interiors but nobody really cares. The words "Quality Revolution", is the standard this car has set globally and that is why you buy one.

[sumeethaldankar]

I have read this again and again but why is the Corolla considered a boring car to drive? What about it is boring? Is the pickup slow and it does not corner well? Or is it just because it is very reliable? I always wondered what makes this car boring to drive and yet very popular.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I have read this again and again but why is the Corolla considered a boring car to drive? What about it is boring? Is the pickup slow and it does not corner well? Or is it just because it is very reliable? I always wondered what makes this car boring to drive and yet very popular.

Enthusiasts generally consider a car as boring if it has -

- Inoffensive but forgettable styling
- Slow steering
- Lazy transmission (if automatic)
- Acceptable but not really exciting handling
- Appeals to older buyers

The above characteristics might not be applicable to current-gen Corolla though. Sometimes, the phrase 'boringly reliable' is used - but that was coined in 1990 - 2000 when only a few Japanese brands made reliable cars.

[slamnos]

The Corolla was and is meant to serve one purpose : Being a no nonsense ultimate ride mid-sized car and it has served with gusto without a doubt.

Its not meant to excite much as Octavias not flood with specs like Koreans nor confuse people with "This car offers everything" proposition.

Its simple and straight forward, you need a reliable & comfortable car, Corolla will always serve, period.

44 Million customers over 50 years cannot be just by luck, the numbers speak for itself and the car has proven right for all of its 44 Million customers and many more people who dream about it.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I have read this again and again but why is the Corolla considered a boring car to drive? What about it is boring? Is the pickup slow and it does not corner well? Or is it just because it is very reliable? I always wondered what makes this car boring to drive and yet very popular.

Maybe its something car journos keep writing about the Corolla as they must be finding it hard to fill up the 'negatives' column for the Corolla.

We had the ninth gen Corolla for nearly 8 years. At its time it was one of the fastest sedans in India below ₹ 25 lakhs and handled way better than bigger cars like the Accord/ Sonata and heavy cumbersome cars like the Octavia. The steering was a pure hydraulic unit and one of the best I have used even to this day. Handling and braking were predictable. Yes the styling was bland and safe and unexciting. But the car was far from boring.

[photosync]

Hi All!
This is my first post here and although I intended to share this a few days ago, It's the right time!
I had a near fatal accident on my 9th Gen Corolla a month ago and the incredible car saved my life. Driving home in Central Delhi, A tree just came out of nowhere after a day of light rain and smashed into the roof of my car with the tree trunk narrowly missing my head. Needless to say, If it were any other car (Read Maruti), I wouldn't have survived! The car was at a Toyota workshop for nearly a month and was a sticker shocker to repair but the structure was still intact. I've decided to keep it as long as I can keep it registered...
The last image is after the restoration a few days ago. I can vouch for the safety of this car.

[YashD]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I have read this again and again but why is the Corolla considered a boring car to drive? What about it is boring? Is the pickup slow and it does not corner well? Or is it just because it is very reliable? I always wondered what makes this car boring to drive and yet very popular.

The Corolla Altis is indeed a boring car to drive, If the vehicle is very reliable it shouldn't be termed boring, then even the Swift would be considered boring. The basic issue with the Corolla is (Atleast this is what I felt):-

• The Suspension is too soft, hence cornering isn't one of it's forte. When you have such a capable engine under the hood which indeed produces a good amount of power and you cannot utilize that in proper way then well what's the point of having 140 Horses under the hood?

• Light steering, doesn't weighs up well at high speeds. Not confidence inspiring. Another important aspect for any enthusiast is a good steering and here is what Corolla lacks, the steering is lazy. It doesn't offers proper feedback and often feels life less!

• The Rubber band effect in the Automatic, first the AT transmission itself was weak but in 2011 Toyota equipped the Altis with it's 7 Speed CVT Transmission. Even though its a pretty decent transmission, the rubber band effect is present making the driving experience quiet irritating at times.

• Simple and Practical cabin with not many fancy features, the overall design and layout is extremely simple and easy to use. Additionally, the cabin gives a very old school feel. The elders loves it but then the current generation prefers much modern looking cars nowadays labeling the Corolla boring.

Basically, from an auto enthusiast's point of view. The Corolla Altis has an excellent engine, slick 6 Speed Manual transmission with a little heavy clutch and superb brakes but then the Bridgestone tyres provided by Toyota doesn't offers sufficient grip, the steering is quiet lazy and the soft suspension kills the fun factor. Overall, the simplistic old school interiors and dull exterior (I had to take chrome package in my vehicle which heavily enhanced the overall look of car without which it looks way too simple!) makes the matter worse.

[arunu]

Thanks for the wonderful thread.

Corolla along with Camry + Yaris rule the sedan segment in the middle-east especially among the expat population. You will see these cars every where in the Gulf.

These cars, especially 9Gen onwards demand a very high resale value and hence very popular among Expats and locals alike.

I had the 9th Gen used car for couple of years. It had clocked over 2Lac kms when i purchased and was super reliable, refined and efficient. I put up 60k kms in 2 years and almost got equivalent price of my purchase value.

As many have mentioned, corolla has now grown and looks as big as a camry with all comfort creatures and a super refined 2.0lt engine and may over take / cannibalize Camry / Avlon in future.