Experiences with a used car - Corolla H1

liberal · 9th July 2008, 09:54

Well, it has been a fantastic 2500kms (mix of highway & city) run on corolla bought second hand on 16th May 2008. I had wanted a diesel sedan to replace the Indica Turbo, but some experiences completely changed that & took me to the alternative of buying a second car i.e a used corolla.

After many Test Drives and eliminations, convinced wife and booked Dzire ZDI ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...iesel-zdi.html ), unfortunately had be cancelled due to delivery delays. We again start next round of test drives, this time we tested Optra Magnum & Scorpio

a. Optra Magnum LS Diesel – Wow it was fun to drive, well planted on road with convenience of diesel fuel, good interiors & wife liked it too. Found it more thrilling than the Verna.
b. Scorpio 2.6 Slx – Nice compact SUV, good suspension, engine was sluggish but picked up at higher rpm, was easier to maneuver in the city (compared to TD of Safari earlier), uncomfortable gear lever. Ruled out from consideration.
c. Scorpio 2.2 Vlx – Same as Slx but driving this was very different, the power was available at lower rpm, turbo lag was minimal & engine more refined than Safari 2.2, A/C vent louvers design had limitation in directing the air as per requirement.

As above option were over our 10Lac max budget & after pondering on our finances we ruled out the above options and decided to look at second hand options.

Under used car options considered - Optra, Skoda, Cedia, Civic & Corolla with criteria well maintained, safety features, genuine mileage < 30000kms, Mumbai registered & preferably within 8L budget.

a. Optra 1.8 LT/1.6 LT – Available many options & at best bargains, uncertain maintenance record, found it sluggish on test drives,.
b. Skoda Ambient TDI – Only diesel in the segment considered & it holds its value well, but interior dark, dull & cramped (IMHO similar to Accent). Also apprehensive of high cost of maintenance + parts .
c. Cedia Select – Just one available finding not many buyers, bargain price, Service center were few & far.
d. Civic - Available many options and mostly just 1 yr old. Great condition, fantastic interior, best as self driven, possible suspension bottoming under load, over our budget.
e. Corolla – Available plenty but mostly with high mileage run. Found the car having responsive engine & comfortable .

After evaluating our needs, budget, practicality and value we shortlisted Corolla, Optra and Cedia. After pondering on views of friends & advice@team-bhp forum –( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...n-7-5lacs.html ) we selected the Corolla.

Details: Toyota Corolla H1 1.8J - Dec 2006. Bought Used on May 2008 with 23340kms run. - liberal's Photo Gallery - Team-BHP

To be contd…

vkochar · 9th July 2008, 10:15

Looking forward to the next part.

Corrolla is a fantastic Sedan with unbeatable rear seat comfort.

Mr.Bangalore · 9th July 2008, 10:22

liberal that was a good choice..
and really lucky well maintained sedan you have purchased...

vasudeva · 9th July 2008, 10:44

Great choice. At 23K, there is no perceptible difference between a new and used Corolla in terms of wear and tear. Even at substantially higher mileage, Corolla is reputed to age better.

SRShrikanth · 9th July 2008, 10:48

Awaiting Contd..., Liberal.

It's one hellava car for sure.

liberal · 9th July 2008, 12:12

Heres more...

To begin I would recommend a post Aug 2005 corolla (i.e facelifted) as I found in my test drives that overall it feels a better car.

If I were to describe this car in a single word I would say COMFORTABLE.

Suspension: Silent, soaks bumps very well & gives confidence over potholes due to the gound clearance.

Engine: Refined, silent (<3000rpm) & extremely responsive, driving becomes effortless with minimal gear change. Gets gruff at high rpm but rarely needed to go above 3000rpm.

Driving position/seat: Corolla H1 does not have height adjustable seats but is comfortable, has height adjustable steering and discovered the comfort & convenience of a footrest next to clutch, makes stop and go traffic so much more bearable. Gearing is slick and convenient but have found difficulty at times going back to 3rd from 4th.

Rear Seating: Found it one of the most comfortable and roomy in the segment. Sat at the rear just once as mostly self driven. My mother having back problem finds the rear sitting supportive.

Air conditioning: Chills every time, blower is silent, vents are well placed & controls are easy.

Car Stereo– Stock : Two Din Single CD,MP3,FM,Tape deck, works great but looks dull, changed the rear stock speaker to Pioneer 300W ovals & it sounds very nice.

Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza RE88 Tubeless may run for another 15000kms -makes some noise at high speed. I like the alloy design very much.

Safety & car protection : ABS + Airbags both passenger & driver side. The engine compartment under side is well protected by plates, so unintentional scraps are OK. Comes with engine immobiliser feature (as per manual), central locking with remote key.

Drive: It is stable, quiet & planted. It inspires confidence on highways and during my trip to Aurangabad and Pune (via expressway) I could routinely do over 100kmph with confidence and ease. Overtaking is convenient with enough power but not the quickest (compared to my TD of Optra Magnum diesel). Earlier never could do an Aurangabad trip nonstop without breaks on Indica. With Corolla it was a breeze with just one break each direction & most important without aching body.

Reversing: The reverse sensor (accessory) with display on rear view mirror is very helpful with squeezing in tight places. Recommend strongly on any sedan.

Fuel Avg:- Normal Petrol - 10-11kmpl in city & 15-16kmpl on highway.

After Sales Service: Very satisfied with Toyota After Sales Service, had one minor issue which was promptly settled by Toyota intervention.

Purchase price :- Rs.7,40,000 + Registration transfer Rs. 2,000 + Comprehensive Insurance Rs.21,000. Total = Rs.7,63,000

Post purchase expenses :- Brake fluid cap Rs.100 + Speaker & rear windscreen sunfilm Rs.7500/- + Wiper blades change – coming up + powerful halogens - coming up + Idols & car perfume – Rs.500 + Car care stuff – Rs.500 = Rs.8600/-

Negative : Only one remote key available. Pay extra approx Rs.9-10K for additional remote key

vasudeva · 9th July 2008, 13:23

Engine is supposed to be rough at high speeds, but hardly an issue at upto 110.
I would suggest door greasing every 3K /2 months to fix some creakiness.
Use AC intermittently if you can.
Tyre noise-from my experience in Corolla is more dependent on road than on tyres or car.
Use a cushion (1 inch) on your seat and see the difference (if you are a short driver).
I have found that footrest causes an unnatural feet position and causes more fatigue.

sirajbose · 9th July 2008, 14:58

IMO - The Corolla is an excellent choice for a 2nd hand car in India. The engine's bullet proof reliability makes sure that no matter how its been used - it still has miles to go before it gives you any problem. Additionally most well maintained 2nd hand cars already have some options installed which would set your wallet back by quite some amount in case you bought it new - e.g. the Stanley Seats in your car.

Congratulations once again!

Cheers!

Lalvaz · 9th July 2008, 18:12

Hey Liberal,

Congrats on the purchase man. The Corolla is an amazing car. Wish you many years of safe driving with that baby.

Do write a more detailed review once you've had her for a bit.

Cheers !!!

bhp1 · 9th July 2008, 18:13

Congratulations on your corolla. I own one too. But there are some discrepancies in our evaluation:
SUSPENSION- its pathetic, noisy & uncomfortable. Ask any other corolla owner or reviewer!
DRIVING position- not so good, inadequate leg room for tall drivers, seat back too soft.
CAR STEREO- utterly low quality, my 2din conked off.
TYRES- cheap & poor ride, complete cost cutting.
DRIVE- not much high speed control, not confidence inspiring.

7.63 L for 06 h1, not a bargain price!

Anyway feel good , you have gone in for a good car.

liberal · 9th July 2008, 21:48

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