Re: Why did I buy a 12 Year old Toyota Corolla - My experience Quote:
Originally Posted by swami69
everything seemed SILENT and the rev and power was adequate. it was not like Civic, but I somehow felt more at ease, probably due to larger steering wheel, comfortably higher driving position, I was feeling at home and never felt like I am driving a totally new car. The interiors were very nice and the seats were good and firm. The AUTO A/C was a chiller ! The positiveness started settling in.
The previous owner had changed the Battery recently to a new one.
Other observations :
The left headlight had condensation and Lanson cleaned it using air and they said, it will again come up. They further said, there is no way you can avoid as there is something wrong and I need to replace it. I checked through the Internet God - Google/YouTube for any remedies. There were few to identify the cracks etc., Last week, I removed the bumper with a help of my friend, removed the head light, removed all the bulbs, poured water - NO LEAKS ! So, what is causing the condensation ? no answer. While doing that, I noticed that there were 3 ventilation plugs for each of those barrels. Without even knowing what was it, I just removed the plugs and something like a dirty tablet came out of all three - Mud and dirt. I cleaned them up and put everything back together logically thinking that this blockage in the ventilator is probably causing the problem i.e., there is no escape path for the condensation or moisture. Praying, I put everything back, drove for few kms from then on, and NO CONDENSATION !! gone. Not sure, why I could not find this Ventilator clean up tip anywhere in the internet. If someone had mentioned this, I would have first tested it by just removing it without going through the pain of removing the bumper, headlight, pouring water etc., anyway, i hope it stays like this
The interiors are extremely clean and the seats are very supportive. Only thing, it does not have driver seat adjustment, but only a lumbar adjustment.
The Air Conditioner is extremely good and works beautifully on AUTO mode
The gear shifts are nice and smooth and only the reverse is somewhat harder compared to the other shifts
The head lights are adequate, but I would prefer more power and I will start looking for an upgrade in the bulbs.
The Music system - pretty old stuff, 6 CD changer, a Cassette deck and Radio. It works pretty well though. I bought a Cassette adapter from internet for Rs.500 and connected by Ipod and it works fine. The overall sound quality seems to be pretty descent. I do not have any intentions of changing the HU for now as I feel this is enough for me.
It has dual airbags
It does not drag to one side or the other. It is quite good DIY planned :
Buffing and Polishing
Alloy wheels, clean up, Sanding and repainting (as it is chipped at some points)
Swami |
I must start by saying that I have become a proud owner (actually my brother) of a Blue Toyota Corolla H2. A dejavu experience while reading your post. I too went through test driving a lot of honda citys. Type 1 OHC, type 2 Vtec and almost ended up buying a type 1 for 1L. I'm glad in a way I didn't. I would say the Honda and toyota are in a different league. The OHC felt so low when in drivers seat but the higher stance of corolla felt better I must say. The only additions I would make apart from the ones already mentioned :
Issues that need attention:
1. Right wheel has knocking noise. (probably the ball joint/lowerarm/suspension/bushings)
2. Rear left wheel has a sound as if some sort of metal plate is loose and it has no pattern but just appears at random. Needs more inspection.
3. Front bumper on the right needs a re-fit as there is a considerable gap between it and the headlight.
4. Rear tyres need replacement not immediate but going by the looks there is still about 8-10k kms life left on it.
The Goodies (Features that I've not been accustomed to simple and subtle for many but a 5 Star for me) :
The AC is truly a chiller and auto mode works impeccably. I thought figo had the best in class AC and i'm sure this is at par with the Ford. I wasn't aware that the mirrors were motorized. I only realized it the next morning when I inserted the key and then the sweet sound of the mirrors unfolding. Wow. Goosebumps! The engine is so refined but not as silent as the Marutis yet, coming from a Diesel Ikon 1.8D you can imagine the grin on my face driving about in the 'silent mode'. The armrest had two storage compartments. TWO! The parcel tray on the front passenger area unfolds in a controlled manner and not like a freefall in the Ikon. Even the spare wheel is an alloy. The interiors are just superb with the fabric type that I always wanted in a car. Feeling cocooned in luxury. Brakes being all 4 discs are sharp and with potential to stop on a dime. With the fog lamps on it looks sweeter at night. I had my brother drive it while I just watched for a couple of laps as he drove around the block. (Secretly still have a soft corner for the Civic's design and a City Vtec Type 2). I must thank my family for putting up with me asking their feedback on a shortlist (actually a longlist) of vehicles for the last three months. Even went to the extent of checking for options in Delhi and Mumbai looking at an Camry/Cedia. Everything on the inside of the car works. The first owner has maintained it very well. There are a few scratches on the bumper and cosmetic issues are to be sorted next year. The alloys show their age and have an orangish tinge but i can live with the mild sport color.
Thank you swami69 for sharing the fix for condensing on the headlamps. I was thinking it was more related to rubber seals that go around the headlamp assembly. I'll be checking for it later today and will post an update. I also wanted to check with you, how easy is it to remove the bumper and fix it. Do you have any pics/tips n tricks before I try to fix the bumper myself. |