[Grace]

Thankyou folks for trusting Toyota, We will continue to pool in our efforts to give you the best VFM car.

Andy
TOYOTA INDIA

[khoj]

Good to see Toyota treating its customers nicely in some cities. I am in the market for a Corolla for my parents in Delhi but the dealers attitude is pushing me towards the Civic which I do not want or the Laura Tsi which I am afraid to buy given the horror stories on the forum. Maybe I will get the Cedia and save on money too but my mother has her heart set on the Toyota, what to do?

Is it the price one pays for being in a market where customers are available at a dime for a dozen?

[mrkanitkar]

I am fine with seats. We have stock leather seats. Looks good.
@joybhowmik
Wow, really great to see this.

@khoj,
Try some other dealer. Just drop mail to Toyota bangalore or call them, you will get it fix.
I read on this forum, someguys who contacted Toyota directly, are happy with response.
May be you can PM @Grace.

[Caramelo]

that was a very precise and scientific review! very nice!

* i wanted to know particularly about the loans. can u take 7 years car loan? i thought the most you can get is 5 years! and are there any conditions for a 7 year car loan! it seems a pretty long time interval?

* you must have also got the HID headlamps with power washers! . how are they on the road?

*corolla has a 4 speed auto box and civic is a 5 speed, does it make any difference?

@khoj, if you can just go for the corolla, cedia is now old and you will ruin the resale value,(not that its important but still) and you will have to deal with mitsubishi A.s.s.

[Maximum_torque]

Corolla Altis is a Toyota car so the handling and the quality is nothing but excellent. It has great power at 1.8 V 170 nm @ 4200 rpm. It is unusually fuel-efficient for such a powerful car. But I feel the pricing is on the higher side for an AT car. Honda City 1.5AT is four lakhs cheaper than Altis. And city also has similar power and good interiors. Yes but I do agree that Corolla Altis is a class apart.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by mrkanitkar

@khoj,
Try some other dealer. Just drop mail to Toyota bangalore or call them, you will get it fix.
I read on this forum, someguys who contacted Toyota directly, are happy with response.
May be you can PM @Grace.

Originally Posted by Caramelo

that was a very precise and scientific review! very nice!

@khoj, if you can just go for the corolla, cedia is now old and you will ruin the resale value,(not that its important but still) and you will have to deal with mitsubishi A.s.s.

mrkanitkar & Caramelo, thank you to both of you for your replies.

I contacted the 2 that I thought were closest to where I live and the responses were like at Uttam and at Espirit.

Late this evening I called up Galaxy Toyota. I was pleasently surprised not only by the response but by the fact that this dealership which initially had a single outlet at Shivaji Marg nearly 30 kms from my house, has now grown to 5 outlets. With 2 of them being within a 7 kms. radius (Kotla/Defence colony & Okhla phase II) of my house. I received a call from the Kotla outlet as promised by the telephone operator at their main showroom and will be test driving the 'G' version tomorrow afternoon.

[iTNerd]

Originally Posted by khoj

mrkanitkar & Caramelo, thank you to both of you for your replies.

I contacted the 2 that I thought were closest to where I live and the responses were like at Uttam and at Espirit.

Late this evening I called up Galaxy Toyota. I was pleasently surprised not only by the response but by the fact that this dealership which initially had a single outlet at Shivaji Marg nearly 30 kms from my house, has now grown to 5 outlets. With 2 of them being within a 7 kms. radius (Kotla/Defence colony & Okhla phase II) of my house. I received a call from the Kotla outlet as promised by the telephone operator at their main showroom and will be test driving the 'G' version tomorrow afternoon.

Yes, Galaxy Toyota is very responsive and friendly.. they sent their test drive Altis all the way to Noida sector 93 (which is located along the greater noida express way.. must be around 25 kms from Kotla).. though it was a different matter that I ditched them at the end (bought civic)..but even after that, a lady called to ask me (she already knew I had purchased a Civic!) if the sales man who came by for the test drive, provided me with all the information and that how would I rate (between 1 to 10) the sales man's knowledge of the car and briefing.. I was literally amazed by the very pro-active, honest attitude and I spoke to her for 5 mins or so, and at the end, she wished me all the best with my new Honda without any sour note!!!! I got bowled by their Customer Oriented SERVICE!!! way to go TOYOTA (if only they bring driver oriented car in India!)

[mrkanitkar]

@Caramelo
HID headlamps with power washers works great, it helps on highways.
About 4 speed super ECT AT & 5 Speed auto with honda, I find no much difference in performance. I know 4speed will not be that great as compared to 5 speed but that's not a killer feature.
Yes you get 7 yrs loan against onroad price (including additional accessories) by SBI. ICICI & others give loan against ex-showroom price. It's daily reducing interest. No prepayment charges. You can also get term loan option, which means you can pre-pay extra and later your can withdraw the pre-payment if you want. e.g. say you have taken loan of 10 lac, you pre-paid 4 lac because of any reason, now you need some money of that 4 lac, say 2 lac, you can ask for it and will get 2 lac back. The interest rate will be either flotting or fix at all times SBI charges you on outstanding amount of last day. If you foreclose loan, SBI normally do not charge extra. They charge RS. 5500/- as loan processing fee. Normally you get loan done in 3-5 days. Toyota dealers also process your loan with SBI.

@Maximum_torque
City is great, no doubt. I like it. Finally what matters is TCO & after sales dealer service.
Corolla & City are not competing with each other. Honda charges premium on sales and service as well. I can understand premium on price, but TCO has to be less.
@Khoj
Good to know you find better dealer.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Yes, Galaxy Toyota is very responsive and friendly.. they sent their test drive Altis all the way to Noida sector 93 (which is located along the greater noida express way.. must be around 25 kms from Kotla).. though it was a different matter that I ditched them at the end (bought civic)..but even after that, a lady called to ask me (she already knew I had purchased a Civic!) if the sales man who came by for the test drive, provided me with all the information and that how would I rate (between 1 to 10) the sales man's knowledge of the car and briefing.. I was literally amazed by the very pro-active, honest attitude and I spoke to her for 5 mins or so, and at the end, she wished me all the best with my new Honda without any sour note!!!! I got bowled by their Customer Oriented SERVICE!!! way to go TOYOTA (if only they bring driver oriented car in India!)

iTNerd you are spot on with your analysis of Galaxy. They are super busy with the year end bookings and could not send the G version. They called again and offered to send the GL or the V and having read mrkanitkar's experience with his auto box I opted for the same. The sales guy was very proactive and knowledgeable regarding the car as well as the finance options and Delhi traffic never felt so smooth especially the killer bit on the BRT stretch. I feel the Altis is better insulated against the previous model Corolla as far as the road traffic noise is concerned. So now it is either the G or the V, or is there someone lurking around the corner.

The situation was made more interesting by my father who unknown to me had raised the bar by calling in the Volkswagen guys with for the petrol Jetta.

I am going here

The Jetta guys did not have a petrol car and came with a Diesel Trendline, the trim level being similar to that of the petrol but not identical. The petrol trendline comes with a manual a/c and without the front fog lamps both of these features are available with the diesel. While the engine was not what we wanted but what a car.

The interiors are in a very nice shade that is midway between grey and brown called Latte Mocchhiato. The fit and finish is excellent with uniform panel gaps. The interiors are a mix of soft energy absorbing materials and the switches with their tactile feel are in the same class as I have seen in very early Opel Astras or dare I say in the current (2008) Mercedes E class. The seats are ultra comfortable both in the front and rear and reminded me of the high density memory grade PU mattresses. The rear seat however is good for two decent sized adults, three would be a squeeze. The boot lid and the bonnet are equipped with hydraulic dampners and the way they open is a sight to see. The head lights are halogen but the throw and intensity is far superior to any that I have experienced. The wipers have an interesting feature whereby on the first stroke they leave behind a thin film of water rather than wiping the surface dry. The dryness is achieved on the return stroke thereby eliminating any chances of dry wipe damage to the glass.

The Jetta has discs all around and each wheel has a motor that assists in positive braking for even a slight tap on the brake pedal. 'Brake assist' I asked NO said the sales guy!! The suspension soaks up all of the bumps at normal driving speeds. We took the car over a badly broken stretch of road with four adults on board, it was smooth sailing. There were no bumps or thumps and the car did not loose its composure even a little bit. Between the four of us we had a combined body weight of 400 kgs and yet the car did not scrape its underbelly over any of the humps or the various steep access/ exit ramps that abound in my locality. The Jetta though could do with better insulation against traffic noise where I feel the Altis is better equipped.

I will end this mini review by coming to the best part of the drive that is the steering. It is adjustable for reach and rake and the steering wheel width and diameter are just right. The mechanism is electro-mechanical and it is as direct as one can be. This is a true point and shoot steering, you get immense feedback from the tires. It requires just the right amount of inputs at parking speeds and weighs up well as you gather speed. I could buy the car for the steering alone but then this was a diesel with an extra 100kgs on the front axle. I will wait for the dealer to come back with a petrol engine Jetta before I put my money down.

One thing is for sure that cars is this class have serious competition and if VW were to give a 1.6TSI engine with climatronic a/c and central arm rest on the back seats without raising the price they have a winner on their hands.

So let us see Oonth kis karvat baith ta hai!

[Grace]

I will end this mini review by coming to the best part of the drive that is the steering. It is adjustable for reach and rake and the steering wheel width and diameter are just right. The mechanism is electro-mechanical and it is as direct as one can be. This is a true point and shoot steering, you get immense feedback from the tires. It requires just the right amount of inputs at parking speeds and weighs up well as you gather speed. I could buy the car for the steering alone but then this was a diesel with an extra 100kgs on the front axle. I will wait for the dealer to come back with a petrol engine Jetta before I put my money down.

One thing is for sure that cars is this class have serious competition and if VW were to give a 1.6TSI engine with climatronic a/c and central arm rest on the back seats without raising the price they have a winner on their hands.

So let us see Oonth kis karvat baith ta hai![/quote]

@Khoj,

The Volkswagen is an excellent car on par with Toyota.
Only place where Toyota scores over VW is running costs. Before you decide, have a comparison on spare parts replacement cycle, also the number of Toyota dealerships in India today stands at 94 3S facility and multiple 2S outlets. We have endeavored to cover India upto 250 dealerships for seamless connectivity by year 2012. Since you are in Delhi, I'd like to invite you to Auto show, wherein we have displayed our upcoming model Prius and compact car.

Regards
Andy

[khoj]

Originally Posted by Grace

@Khoj,

The Volkswagen is an excellent car on par with Toyota.
Only place where Toyota scores over VW is running costs. Before you decide, have a comparison on spare parts replacement cycle, also the number of Toyota dealerships in India today stands at 94 3S facility and multiple 2S outlets. We have endeavored to cover India upto 250 dealerships for seamless connectivity by year 2012. Since you are in Delhi, I'd like to invite you to Auto show, wherein we have displayed our upcoming model Prius and compact car.

Regards
Andy

Hi Andy,

Thank you for the invite. I wish we had interacted a few days earlier regarding the same as I will be back in Bombay on coming Monday. However, if your invite is one of those all inclusive ones from and to Bombay then I would not mind coming back for the Expo and I promise not to go to the VW pavilion.

As for the TCO for the Jetta the service cycles are 10000kms. for the 1st service and then @ 15000kms. or 12 months whichever is earlier for 2nd onwards. The warranty is similar to the Altis if not better. I would however appreciate receiving a comparison between the Altis and the Jetta on the spare parts replacement cycle and costs if possible.

Having said that, I think the Altis will score in running costs as the Jetta is a heavier car and has an underpowered engine. Therefore, as I said earlier I will have to wait till I drive the petrol Jetta to see in what manner that power is transferred to the tarmac. The Jetta will also lag behind the Altis for all of the bells and whistles that the Altis comes loaded with. Come to think of it the Altis seems pretty hard to beat and I have not yet broached on the presence of the 3S & 2S Toyota dealer network that you mentioned in your mail.

BTW are there any plans to bring in the diesel powered Corolla in 2010.

Look forward to your inputs.

Regards
Khoj

[Grace]

I would however appreciate receiving a comparison between the Altis and the Jetta on the spare parts replacement cycle and costs if possible.


BTW are there any plans to bring in the diesel powered Corolla in 2010.


@ Khoj,


Mktg would've done some study on that. Will dig up and send them to you
Yes we are launching Diesel Corolla in 2010.

Andy

[GeekSrik]

mr.kanitkar, this is one of the well written posts I ve observed. My heart longs for a toyota, but somehow its too costly for me. But if you look at it as an investment over the next seven years, perhaps then it does not feel so bad after all. And I do agree SBI is a no fuss bank once the loan emi's start. They are also flexible.

Could you tell me what is the mileage you achieve please?

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Grace

Thankyou folks for trusting Toyota, We will continue to pool in our efforts to give you the best VFM car.

Andy
TOYOTA INDIA

Hi Andy.

Is there any word on the recall that is being implemented in the US (for some Toyota models) being introduced in India. This relates to the mats jamming the accelerator pedal. I understand that the 2009-10 Corolla and Camry are among them.

I have an Oct 08 Altis (my 2nd Corolla and 3rd Toyota in the family) and would like to know if the Asian models are also affected.

Cheers!

PS - Way to go Toyota for your pre and after sales is 2nd to none. Thats why I am a repeat customer.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Hi Andy.

Is there any word on the recall that is being implemented in the US (for some Toyota models) being introduced in India. This relates to the mats jamming the accelerator pedal. I understand that the 2009-10 Corolla and Camry are among them.

I have an Oct 08 Altis (my 2nd Corolla and 3rd Toyota in the family) and would like to know if the Asian models are also affected.

Well this is OT, but do have a look at this. I am not sure if Indian Corolla are affected or not, but surely its worth a look for Indian customers, thats why putting it up here.

Source : Toyota suspends sale of 8 models due to pedal recalls

Article :

Toyota has announced that they will halt North American production of eight models, including the top-selling Corolla, until an issue related to the accelerator is resolved. The company also expanded a recall related to a sticking gas pedal that has been linked to 20 deaths and 2,000 complaints, according to safety experts.

Although the problem has been reported in Europe, the recall and stop-sale order only affects North America.

In addition to the Corolla, the world's largest automaker is freezing sales and assembly of the Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, and Tundra. 56% of Toyota's December U.S. sales came from one of those eight models. The company is also closing seven factories in North America for at least a week while the situation is investigated internally.

Toyota first linked the sudden acceleration problem to faulty floor mats, which led to the recall of 2.5 million vehicles. This week's announcement expands the recall to cover 4.8 million vehicles sold since 2005. The complaints were first reported to Toyota by Tundra owners in 2007.

Despite one Toyota PR flack saying that the problem is rare, Toyota U.S. sales chief Bob Carter said, "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized." The uncontrolled acceleration is believed to be caused by a part in the accelerator that swells over time in humid conditions, but until recently the company had disregarded the problem as a "drivability issue unrelated to safety."

"We're making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible," Carter said.

Toyota models recalled include:

* 2005-2010 Avalon
* some 2007-2010 Camrys
* 2009-2010 Corolla
* 2010 Highlander
* 2009-2010 Matrix
* 2009-2010 RAV4
* 2008-2010 Sequoia
* 2007-2010 Tundra