Toyota's are known for their reliability. Here's one more ownership story of a Corolla Altis now in its 15th year, and running.

BHPian Vid6639 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Been a while since I updated this thread. The Altis is now in its 15th year. Running has significantly reduced due to dad's age and post COVID. From the last update in 2021 to now the car barely did 10K kms. It's now at 1.05L kms.

A few years back one of the drivers from Driveu had scraped the rear quarter panel and door. I had got this fixed at Sai colorium. Noticed that in last 1 year the entire panel was bubbling up and paint was about to chip off. 

Before:

I decided to get this fixed outside this time at Carmed. It's been more than 6 months and the paint has held up well. Apparantely Sai colorium didn't do proper treatment after using the dent puller when they stripped the paint down causing the inner layer to bubble up. 

I got the rear quarter panel, rear door and front bumper painted. Results below:

The front suspension was also making a racket and I had to get that addressed ASAP. Last time dealer convinced me not to change anything but honestly after 15 years rubber bushes and joints don't last. 

I decided to change the front lower arms and anything with rubber bushes. 

When Ravindu opened up the suspension, they surprisingly found the front right strut had failed! This was changed in 2021 less than 10K kms earlier. They offered to replace it with a discount as it was rare for a Toyota part to fail so soon. 

They also found the CV joint boot was cracking due to age and those were replaced. 

Front strut that had gone bad and was going back up too fast. Was leaking fluid as well:

Bump stop had disintegrated as well:

New lower arm fitted:

New CV joint boot left and right:

New strut on right side:

Overall work done:

- new front right strut

- new lower arms

- new CV boot front

Total repair cost was 40K including service but no oil change since I did that a few months before. 

Suspension is now quiet and no noise. Feels tight and soaks up the roads like it did when it was new. Even though no bushes had gotten cut or worn out, this is needed change for older cars. 

I'm keeping the car as it is pointless selling off a 15 yr old car that is running fine. The last service was done in 2021 and it never went to the workshop for 2.5 years other than oil change every year. 

This August the FC is up for renewal as well and will renew and keep chugging along as the spare car at home.

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My dad in our Toyota was driving at 75 km/h when the Maruti taxi with 9 people on board entered the highway.

BHPian adigup recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This happened in January but I am posting about it now.

My dad was driving from Manesar to Delhi in the afternoon and met with an accident in our 2019 Corolla Altis. He was doing around 75kmph and a Maruti Ertiga cab with 9 people in it, decided to enter the highway and tried to merge to the right-most lane (where our car was being driven), without any blinkers or even slowing down/looking.

As a reflex, my dad slammed onto the brakes (luckily no one was behind the car), but it was too late, and he had to swerve the car to the right to hit the divider. Meanwhile, the Ertiga hit him from the left. Everything happened in a fraction of a second.

No one was injured and everyone walked out. The car was sent to Toyota, and repaired within 15 days. The total bill was around 5 lakhs 80 thousand rupees, which was covered by insurance. The Ertiga broke both its axles, as it hit the divider later from the front, and from the rear the Corolla hit.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We all liked the car but my brother didn't because he wanted to buy a Fiat Punto Abarth.

BHPian Govardhansupra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Pros

• One car does it all
• Exceptional handling
• Great hydraulic steering
• Relatively good audio system for a car of that segment and time
• Sports kit add character
• Amazing 1.6 Duratec which is easy to drive in the city too
• Good gearshifting quality
• Has safety equipment like ABS and Airbags, compared to the other driver's cars at the time (Baleno, VTEC, Lancer)
• Great throttle response for a Drive-by-wire throttle
• Amazing stock intake growl/snarl
• Relatively low maintenance costs

Cons

• Single digit fuel efficiency in the city and while driving hard
• Brakes have bite, but less feedback
• Stock headlights aren't adequate. Upgrade advised
• Seats are not the most comfortable
• A little stiff ride on rough roads at low speeds
• Missing equipment like Rear seat armrest, etc
• Well-maintained examples are hard to come by nowadays, and good cars command a premium

Apart from these, the car doesn't have many negatives.

Prologue

I’m not a writer, nor a reviewer kinda guy, so I don’t know how to start an ownership review. Anyways, let me start by saying that we were happy owners of a Toyota Corolla Altis GL 2009 Petrol. Now neither the Fiesta nor the Corolla needs any introduction as they are quite popular cars. The Corolla was a no-nonsense reliable car which I loved dearly.

After owning the Corolla Altis for exactly a year more, I was six months short of turning 18 years old, and Dad knew that once I get my driver's license, it will always be me driving. Along with that, the Corolla was beginning to show its age too, and dad wanted a newer car (The irony is that the Corolla was 2009, and the Fiesta is 2008).

The Altis was sold to a guy from TN and here's the final video of the car.

Around this time, I managed to make a few like-minded enthusiasts friends through Instagram and Whatsapp groups. These people had an important role in my life, from giving car advice to life advice to helping in sourcing car parts, helping in maintaining the car and actually bothering to drive all the way to meet a small stupid kid, which is me.

I knew through these friends that Fiesta is a very capable car. Fiesta is kind of a "One car to do it all" vehicle, which is exactly what I wanted. It can do the role of a family car, while also being fun-to-drive. Nowadays, Fords are quite easy and economical to maintain too, even after the brand has packed up and left the country. On the other side, my brother wanted the family to buy a Punto Abarth, which is honestly overkill for the family. It's quite impractical, and being a Fiat product, spares might be an issue. Also, the Fiesta costs less than 2.5L, while an Abarth would cost somewhere near 5L-9L depending on the condition and modifications done. During this phase, it was full of arguments between my brother and me on which car to buy.

My justifications were the Fiesta was easy to maintain, parts are not a big issue, and the initial purchasing cost was quite less. He wanted an Abarth, so he was like Abarth is a much newer car, no re-test coming up any time soon, etc. Fiesta was a much more sensible option.

I wanted a 1.6S after seeing photos of a friend's car, which is easily the most beautiful 1.6S in India. It has a BMC DIA intake, Eiback lowering springs, Michelin PS4 tyres and 17-inch wheels, which look like they were made for the Fiesta, due to the PERFECT fitment.

The owner of this car is an expert with Fiestas and keeps track of the 1.6S' available.

Here is a picture of his car.

He sent me photos of an extremely clean Paprika Red S for sale, which was owned by his friend. The car had an extremely detailed history and was clean with no complaints. Since the car was extremely clean and is owned by a fellow enthusiast, I knew that I had to get it.

Dad liked the car and the colour. Mom liked it too, she was the one who selected Red colour for our now-sold WagonR and Toyota Etios. We wanted to buy it, but my brother disagreed because he wanted an Abarth.

He proposed buying a Stage-2 Abarth, tastefully done with Essesse wheels, bumpers, and aftermarket suspension. I put my foot down saying that it was impractical, given the price quoted, and the future maintenance costs. Also, I believe that you should never buy somebody else's modified car, unless you are the owner's friend, and fully aware of the history.

I tried for a couple of days to convince him to get an S instead of the Abarth, and I was successful in it too. But, the car got sold by then.

The car was sold to a very close friend, and I was terribly disappointed. At this point in time, we were without a car. I came to the conclusion that an S is not destined for me. Some things need luck, I told myself.

A few of my friends asked me to get a normal commuter car, something like an Amaze or a Ciaz or an ANHC (Arrow shot city). I considered that option for a while but decided against it as these cars would cost above 4L, while a normal Fiesta can be had for around 2-2.5L or even cheaper, depending on the condition. Next question was petrol or diesel, and petrol 1.6 was decided since that is the closest thing to an S. Also, my running is extremely short to warrant the need for a diesel.

I started searching OLX and Facebook marketplace for 1.6 SXi for a few days. To my surprise, 1.6 SXi was quite rare, and available examples were either poorly maintained, or were overpriced. I was fed up with searching and finally decided to settle on the ZXi variant (The variant just below SXi). Fiesta Classic Titaniums were also inspected during that time.

I was losing all hope of owning a Fiesta, but one day while searching for Fiesta 1.6 irrespective of the variant (as I had stopped looking specifically for SXi, ZXi etc), I saw an advertisement for a clean Ford Fiesta 1.6S Aquarius Blue in Kochi. I called the owner and asked him a few general things, and hung up. I wasn't too excited or serious, as I had completely left the idea of getting an S. Like I said earlier, I believed that I wasn't destined to own an S. Also earlier, to console myself, I had told myself things like "The suspension of the S is too hard, it has no lane change indicator which the SXi has, it has no rear armrest etc".

Later that evening, my friend with the black Fiesta came to Thrissur and we met up. I was telling him about all this and showed him the advertisement on the above said S. Immediately, he fetched me all the details and history of the car that I had to know. It was a re-registered car, and I got to know the details of all the previous owners. It was an odo-rolled car too. This was found out from the thread of BHPian E=mc^2.

After my friend helped me get the history, he left for his place. This is how he left.

Now I decided that I have to get this S. I also decided that I will save up money and install a BMC DIA filter whenever possible.

I was advised to not buy this car because it was odo-rolled. I called up the owner and gave him all this information. He was unaware of the odo-rolled meter too. Anyways he assured me that the car is in extremely good condition and was only serviced by Ford during his ownership. The service history proved his words true. Both the previous owners had done the maintenance from Ford, and all recalls were duly done, and parts like the Timing Belt and Water Pump were replaced too. This gave me enough courage to proceed with the deal. Armed with the history, I negotiated and got a good deal.

These were the pictures that were posted in the OLX advertisement.

I wired a token to the seller and went to his place with my Dad and brother later that day. Inspected the car, transferred the rest of the money and brought the car home. A very satisfying day it was!

Stopped to have food

About the car

There are multiple posts on the Fiesta 1.6S on Team-BHP, so I won't be going into detail on that. My car came with a brand new 195-55-15 Yokohama S-Drives. The car has good steering feel and feedback. It keeps on chattering and lets you know the road surface. Car has a good grip and is fun through corners.

The interior was designed specifically for the S, and it had a different seat stitching design, a few panels were different in colour, and the lower interior was black-blue, unlike the normal Fiestas with dual tone colour. The instrument cluster is the best part, with a different design. The S variant has cool sporty pedals too. It did not have a rear armrest though.

The car has a body kit (spoiler, side skirts etc) and it looks cool. The 15-inch wheels also came in the S variant only. The Aquarius Blue colour was limited to the S variant. The S variant came in all other colours that the normal Fiesta came in too.

The engine is a good unit, 1596cc 16V DOHC, with ample torque lower down and good power in the mid-range. It isn't a screamer above 5000rpm though. It is easy to drive around the city, and it pulls quite easily from lower speeds in higher gears, even when fully loaded. It is just not a high-revving unit like the OHC VTEC. Gear lever has kind of a short throw, which is smooth and easy to slot. No complaints there, except that the engine should have had a couple more horses, or maybe it should have had a better top end and revved higher.

A few places where the car disappoints are the brakes. It has sufficient bite, but lacks feedback. Seats are not the best seats either, and the same can be said for the headlamps too. Headlight upgrades coming soon! Fortunately, the brakes and seats can be improved later on too, as long as you have the money for it.

That's it. That's my review of the car. I am too lazy to repeat what has already been raved about the 1.6S all these years. It was the best driver's car under 10 lakhs back in the day. It is still fun to drive, now that all new cars are computers on wheels, with no character. The car has 2 airbags, the interior is modern, sharp handling, and can do it all, be it transporting the family, or when you want to have fun by yourself. No touchscreens, no unwanted electronics, just what is needed. I wish the 1.6S had a cable-operated throttle body, instead of a drive-by-wire, even though it's very responsive. Naturally Aspirated, Hydraulic power steering, they just don't make them anymore.

You can just drive all day, and the only thing that will come your way is dismal fuel efficiency. Apart from the single-digit fuel efficiency, this is a great car with a few little compromises here and there. But the best part is everything is forgotten once you're behind the wheel and you're driving through corners and smooth tarmac.

Continue reading Govardhansupra's review for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

I started looking for used Fortuners as well but finalised on a Corolla Altis AT at the end.

BHPian vivek.ks recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Detailing steps that took me to a used 2013 Altis

• Step 1: Selling my current car
• Step 2: Which used car to buy?
• Step 3: Inspection of used car
• Step 4: Delivery

In Sep 2018, I sold my 2003 Corolla 1.8J and have been looking out for a new car since then. On 23 Dec, I went ahead and purchased a well-maintained 2013 Altis from an Individual Buyer via OLX. This log is for detailing my buying journey and the time I spent with this car in the future.

Previous Car

My 2003 corolla was purchased from a friend who was not able to keep his car with him due to a lack of parking. At that time odometer was at 1,04,000 km and the engine felt as fresh as new. However the front suspension was completely shot and the tires were really old, like 12 years old. By then I had read @swami69's 12-year-old corolla thread and was convinced that Corolla was great to buy at the rock-bottom price of 2L only.

I got the car home, got it cleaned in and out and slowly started replacing parts of the front suspension. To keep it short, I replaced the engine belt, 2 front shock absorbers, and front tires and put in a new head unit. The car was a pleasure to drive and felt comfortable during long drives. I even took it to Goa and what a ride I had in it. After driving my Corolla, when I sat in the 2010 ANHC driver's seat, I could see the difference. Corolla however old has spoiled me with its comfortable front driver's seat.

Finally, after 2.5 yrs of ownership, I decided to look for a new car and dropped Corolla at Car's 24 in Bangalore. Got a price which was low but with the registration expiry being the very next month, I decided to part ways with it.

On a trip to Mysore in 2016

Sold to Cars24

I learned 2 things from my corolla buying experience:

1. Used cars are a great value for money, especially D Segment cars
2. Check a used car thoroughly as much as possible before committing to buy

After a search of 3 months, I finally zeroed into a well-maintained Automatic Altis and got it home last week.

After selling my car, I decided to take a break from buying a new car for at least a year. This decision was due to the ease of commute via Ola Auto. My office is at a distance of 4km from my home.

I kept on browsing team-bhp on an hourly basis and my decision was getting diluted on a regular basis. Finally, I decided to start hunting for a new car.

I started with the idea of buying a hatchback for my wife and retaining an i10 for myself. Visited Honda, Tata, Ford, and VW on the same day. Decided to look for a used Jazz, Figo and Polo GT the same day. I was really against paying road tax for a new car and started hunting for 2017/8 models on OLX.

I made a few inquiries and realized that Jazz makes the most sense to me. Started discussing with a seller on Jazz VX AT @ 8L. He was not ready to budge an inch and I was not ready to pay 8L for Jazz.

My heart now was calling out Figo AT and Polo GT. I visited the showroom multiple times and did not like the rear seat in both of these cars. Figo was out as a facelift was not in the scene. In the end, no discounts, an 11.5L price tag and 4 months of waiting for the Polo GT made me decide against the new Polo GT. I would, however, buy the new model when it comes to India.

I listed all car models and started filtering them one by one.

I finally narrowed down my choices to only 3 AT models:

1. Tata Hexa
2. Toyota Fortuner
3. Toyota Corolla

Hexa seemed like a winner but there were only a few XMA Hexa available on used car sites. All of them were priced at around 17-18L.

At 17L, I started looking for used Fortuners as well. Came across 2-3 AT models with 1L km run, all sold via Toyota Trust. They also showed me a 2016 Altis with only 2k on the odometer. This car even has plastics on the back seat. The dealer started quoting 15.5L and was not ready to go down a bit.

In between, I had seen 2013 Altis AT via OLX which I finally purchased.

Buying used cars in India is a difficult decision because of so many choices and sources available. You can buy cars from used car dealers, company-affiliated showrooms and from individual buyers. I found OLX to be the best as there are tons of listing available compared to other sites. I am not associated with OLX in any way. OLX should add a filter for transmission while searching cars.

I fixed an appointment with the seller and inspected the car from the inside and outside. The car looked clean from the outside sans minor scratches on the bumper. The interior looked as good as new and was very clean. I immediately put forward my inclination to buy and requested another appointment for a detailed inspection at Toyota Service Center.

Photos from 2nd November 2018 when I first met the seller and inspected the car.

Keyless entry/start, 7 Speed CVT, Bluetooth Media Player, HID Lamps and more.

I also drove the car for around 3 kms the same day and found the engine responds with a bit of a CVT lag. No signs of rattling at all and the drive was very peaceful.

Post this visit, I requested the seller to get the car inspected at the authorised Toyota Service Centre. Fortunately, the seller agreed and we fixed a date for the car inspection.

On the planned date, I was super excited and visited Ravindu Toyota, Banswadi, quite early. I am typing this in 2023 and still remember the day. Seller Mr S came at the appointed time and discussed regarding inspection with service centre folks.

Now Mr S is a true gentleman. He patiently waited and answered my queries. He also requested a complete annual service for the car to be completed. This was a true surprise for me. If I am going to sell my car, why should I get the car serviced? But Mr S beat all my expectations. I meanwhile requested for having a look at the previous service history of the car. The service advisor was very patient and showed me all the records. Nothing very surprising came up. The car was regularly serviced and had a clean history. At that time car had approx. 38182 on the odometer.

Now I came across some interesting history of this car.

• Owner 1 - Registered in name of the company in Mumbai
• Car was then moved to Bangalore in the Bangalore branch of the company
• Car was sold to Toyota Trust by Owner 1
• Car was purchased by Mr S (Owner 2) on 15/July/2017 with an ODO reading of 35,057
• After 1 year and 5 months, Mr S was looking at selling the car with an ODO reading of 38,177

I was going to be owner 3, which means a depreciation in my car value. This got me thinking for a while, but I decided to go ahead with it.

Problems identified during inspection:

1. The engine sump had one screw with a damaged thread. I lost my Bajaj Pulsar due to a similar issue and was surely worried. However, on talking and inspecting the underbody, I understood that this should not a problem as a seal has been applied which reduces the risk. The question for me still remained as to why the cover was removed in the first place or how it got damaged. It is still unanswered.

2. Damaged Front engine bottom guard - This was again not a deal breaker. The cover was hanging loose and was looking ugly, however with the help of a few zip ties, the service centre folks were able to secure it in place.

Now, with the car looking good and in good shape, the price negotiations started the next day. Mr S. had purchased this car in 11.5L a year ago and he was not ready to lose a lot. He started with 8.5L and finally settled on 7.5L. These negotiations took some time and finally, we agreed on a delivery date of 23rd December 2018.

Delivery

The car was delivered to me by Mr S. after payment of the required amount on 23rd December 2018. I took my friend along to be the witness. Collected both the car keys and the required documents. Took the car home and then to a Puja in the evening.

Immediately the next day I applied for a CC in the KA 03 RTO.

I also had a verbal agreement with Mr S regarding Insurance claims and he agreed to help me out in case situations arose in future. Later on, I was unable to transfer Insurance from Future Generali in my name and insured car via Acko.

Travels

I have taken this car from Bangalore to:

1. Mysore
2. Hassan
3. Goa
4. Munnar
5. A 11 day Kerala road trip in 2022

During all my trips, there have been 0 hiccups. There has never been a situation where the car refused to start or gave any kind of trouble. Now, this is the kind of experience that people look for while buying a car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Low-end performance is good but the engine becomes slightly audible and rough when the revs rise.

BHPian B.Trilok Chand recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Brand: 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis VL automatic 1.8J

Generally, when it comes to a Toyota of course it's reliable and comfortable. Toyota builds are solid, efficient and reliable vehicles. The majority of their models do well in consumer testing due to their refined powertrains, good fuel economy, comfortable rides, quiet cabins and intuitive controls.

Exterior

With the bizarre Red colour, the Corolla Altis comes with automatic headlights with HID lamps and headlight washers. The headlights look impressive and overall it is obvious that the Corolla is inspired by its elder sibling the Toyota Camry.

Interior

Getting into the driver's seat, one is greeted by the plush interiors, with a lot of attention to detail. The steering has a wooden finish, which looks great. The steering wheel is slightly smaller compared to the old Toyota Corolla with quite a few buttons and controls giving it a high-tech feel.

Ride and Handling

The ride of the Corolla Altis was decently good. The car does not turn in sharply at high seeds but was well balanced with very little tendency to oversteer.

Performance

The 1.8-litre VVTI engine produces 132 PS at 6000 rpm. The engine accelerates well with good gear ratios. However, the car feels slightly sluggish from 0–100. Low-end performance is good but the engine becomes slightly audible and rough when the revs rise. Lower end torque for petrol is good but we would have liked more power.

Pros:

• Good quality audio system
• Attention to detail
• Light steering with multi-information display
• Superb Toyota build quality
• Engine well refined and smooth
• Awesome interiors.

Cons:

• Headroom
• Driver's seat in the rear-most position is slightly cramped for tall drivers.
• No black colour
• Too much expensive to maintain.

My experience

To tell it's a good car in looks, performance, luxury and safety. I'm the guy who often drives like there is no tomorrow. This car has the "potential to pull out instant performance at any gears". But on a fine afternoon, I met a small accident with an Etios guy, who did not put on his blinkers while turning left on the highway*. I had crashed on the front, both the headlights popped out and Bonet scratched. Hopefully, nothing happened to anyone in the car. Toyota billed me around Rs 1.5 lakhs for a new front bumper and pair of headlights with service cost, which was the main reason to sell the car. This car was too expensive to maintain.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Cars considered so far include a Honda Brio, Etios Liva, Santro Xing & Corolla Altis.

BHPian jomson13 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello folks,

I'm looking for a car for my sister who recently got married. She's been driving for quite a while. We've had an Alto and currently have a Celerio at home. Brother in law is learning to drive.

Requirements

• Petrol, Manual gearbox. Airbags would be nice to have.
• Primary usage would be shopping runs in the city and the occasional drive towards some touristy places.
• Highway running is minimal (once in 6 months or so).
• Must be low on maintenance (trouble-free ownership).
• Plan to hold onto it for at least 5 years.
• Budget - 4L, don't want to spend more now since BIL is in the army and they plan to get a car through CSD later.

Cars considered till now

• 2015 Honda Brio S MT, 32k kms (Cars 24). Low-run car and is in decent shape. I found the asking price (3.5L) to be a bit high for a 2015 model.
• Etios Liva (Cars 24 - Haven't driven this one yet. Car is in Mumbai
• 2009, Santro Xing, GLS, 66k kms - Is a known car hence under consideration. Haven't driven it yet.
• 2012 Corolla Altis G, 32k kms (Spinny) - This one suddenly came into the consideration set. I drove it yesterday and the car is in top shape. Asking price 5L.

My Opinion

I quite liked the Brio and I feel it fits the bill nicely for my sister. It also falls within their budget.

They are more attracted to the Corolla due to its safety features. I know it has airbags, I'm guessing the G variant has ABS too.

While the Corolla is in top nick and is quite a deal at 5L, I feel it is a bit too much of a car to be their first car. It's designed and manufactured to transport 5 people, comfortably over really long distances; not to go grocery shopping or for the occasional weekend getaway. Moreover, it's too powerful for a new driver.

The argument in favor of the Corolla is about its safety quotient to which I countered by asking them to consider a Polo which would cost them pretty much the same and would have pretty similar safety features.

What would you guys advise? Does it make sense to get the Corolla or should they go for a small hatch?

Here's what BHPian lamborghini had to say about the matter:

I'd suggest looking at the Etios (preferably) or the Liva to be honest.

The Brio is a touch too small and if they are planning a family : the Brio could fall short on space a lot quicker than the others.

The Santro is just too old! Any old car will require maintenance : even if well maintained, there will be wear and tear. It may not burn a hole in the pocket but it is an inconvenience.

The Liva is nice : good visibility, you can look for a higher-end model with ABS & Airbags, it has a stable structure, etc. The Etios takes this a step further with boot space & a better 1.5L engine for those highway runs. It's popularity in the taxi market makes maintaining it that much easier and the car is abuse friendly.

The Corolla too is a good option, but as someone new to cars and car ownership : it is a little too old for my liking and it is very easy to be taken for a ride in terms of maintenance cost. Plus you wouldn't get zero dep insurance : so any accidents would be costly to fix as parts pricing will still be on par with that of a new Corolla.

About performance, etc : I wouldn't be too worried - it is important to first find a car with good visibility, good ergonomics, and linear acceleration & braking. In a month or so, they will get used to the power and size.
At the end of the day, the Corolla is a family car - not a performance car where the rationale to suggest something slower / practical is different : I wouldn't suggest a stiff suspension, low profile tyre performance vehicle to a beginner as it would just be more stuff to worry about for them - like avoiding bumps, crawling over speed breakers at an angle, etc. but none of this is applicable to the Corolla or even the Etios 1.5.

In fact, I am not suggesting popular cars like the Honda City 3rd Gen, Civic, etc. because of the ground clearance and visibility : for newer drivers, it becomes more things to watch out for and be mindful about - and that distracts from the basics of driving safely.

Here's what BHPian condor had to say about the matter:

I will rule out the Xing. Most cars today are much better. Brio is great for the city, but outstation trips? Luggage space on the lower side.

Do check other options beyond these. Corolla can be a long-termer. Ask both not to be over-awed by the size of this compared to the Brio/Xing. Doesn't take long to get used to.

Here's what BHPian Latheesh had to say about the matter:

Go for the Corolla if the condition is very good. Honda Jazz is another good option. You should be able to get one if you increase the budget a little.

Jazz advantages:

• Spacious
• Boot capacity
• Reliable
• Don't need to think of upgrading next few years
• Occasional in-laws visit or long journey is not a problem

Here's what BHPian AJ56 had to say about the matter:

If you’re willing to spend 5L on a 2012 Corolla, spend that 5 on an Accord instead, you’ll get a nicer vehicle with a higher quality interior that’s built solid unlike the tin can Brio (I have an Amaze which is essentially the same car) so can speak first hand comparing both, there’s simply no comparison in build and safety (and power + space).

Accord is also much more stable at highway speeds and isn’t affected by crosswinds like the Amaze is, I learnt to drive on it and it’s fairly easy even for beginners, it only takes a few mins to get used to when switching from a smaller vehicle. Corolla feels fairly underpowered in comparison.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This car will be seeing a usage of 7000 kms annually, with 4000 of those in city conditions. I plan to use this at least for the next 5-7 years.

BHPian CR07 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all. I am in a dilemma to purchase a reliable workhorse for primarily city usage. I will try to be as thorough as possible with my requirement set, for you to guide me in purchase of the car.

Prelude- We are a family of three (soon to be four in may 2022). Our family has always bought brand new cars, but due to my stern insistence on atleast checking out a used car, we purchased an used Ecosport S TDCI in July 2020 (23 month old car). I was lauded by my parents for saving almost 35% money as we intended to get a brand new Ecosport at that time. The car has served us extremely well till date, and apart from a small scratch on front passenger door, still looks darn new. Our annual travelling has been a consistent 10K/ annum, and I expect it to remain the same.

Need for a second car- I would soon be transitioning to married life in a few months, and with the pandemic easing up (thank heavens for that), I would be requiring a second car in the family. This car will be seeing a usage of 7000 kms annually, with 4000 of those in city conditions. I plan to use this atleast for next 5-7 years.

For the second car, I have two approaches, but confused which I should adopt-

1) Keep Ecosport as the primary drive for all highway drives. Use the second car as a city vehicle. This way I can buy a car that is a bit older, and doesn't cost much upfront.

2) Buy a second car, that is equally capable for the highway drives as well as serves the city duties. This way the initial purchase cost will increase significantly, but hopefully will be easier to maintain in longer run.

Budget- 8-8.5L. Can stretch to 9-9.5L, if the deal is worth it.

Requirements and expectations

1) Must be an automatic. Since we are looking for a used car, CVT/AT preferable, well tuned AMTs are also good enough. DSGs will be avoided.

2) Should be from a reliable brand where the car won't just be reliable, the annual service bill will also remain lower than 15-20K.

3) Me and my father (5'8 foot and 5'10 foot) are relatively taller, while my wife (5'1 foot) and mom (4'11 foot) are relatively shorter. As you can decipher, legroom/headroom isn't a huge issue for us (myself/dad would 90% be seated on front seats), but we would appreciate if car could seat 5 adults comfortably.

4) Accustomed to the tank like build of Ecosport, need a safe car (either by perceived build or a 4-5 star rated NCAP product).

5) In ride vs handling, ride quality matters more. City ride @ <40 kph speeds is more important in this regard.

6) This car won't necessarily be driven in pedal to metal style. At highway speeds too, this will spend most of it's life in 90-120 Kph range.

7) Will appreciate a quiet cabin. This not only includes engine noise, but also road and tyre noise and rattle free interiors.

Feature requirements

Must haves- Auto AC(Chiller Unit required), Cruise control, decent headlamps, Fog lamps, a decent audio/touchscreen system, Alloy wheels, rear wipers (for cars other than sedans), auto dimming IRVM.

Good to haves- Puddle lamps, Keyless entry and go, Android auto equipped touchscreen, LED/HID headlamps, remote engine start stop, TCS and ESC, dedicated cornering lamps

Not necessary- Sunroof and Connected car tech

Shortlisted cars

1) Corolla Altis 2013 (10th Gen)- This car has almost everything that I require. I will also be able to get one at around 5L; sizeable savings.

Three doubts I have with this car-

a) The annual service costs. Will they be lower than 15-20K?

b) The car is 9 years old, can I trust this to remain trouble free for next 5-7 years?

c) It's nearly 4.6 metre long. I have never driven this kind of vehicle yet, will it be really hard to drive one daily in city traffic? I stay in Viman Nagar region of Pune, which has relatively lesser traffic than Bangalore or peak Mumbai traffic.

2) Corolla Altis 2015(11th Gen)- A substantial visual upgrade (externally) to the above car. The positives remain the same. My doubts also remain the same.

3) Tata Nexon Diesel AMT (2018)- The only C-SUV styled car, that fits my budget. 5 star rated GNCAP product, strong build, plenty of GC, spacious as a 5 seater, it has a lot going for it.

Two major grouses-

a) It's a TATA. Have seen and read about many Harrier/Safari owners complaining about frequent niggles. If the flagships have so many issues, am I supposed to expect much more for Nexon? (My sister owns a 2016 Tiago (MT), which has been trouble-free for most part, therefore have included Nexon)

b) Since it's an AMT, will this be much of a bother for my cruise type of drive on highways? It also misses out on cruise control, which I have found extremely handy on Ecosport.

4) Honda Jazz V CVT (2018) and City VX CVT- Traditional Honda +ves. Also satisfies most of my criteria. I am only unsure of the NVH levels and AC performance. Also is the CVT trouble free?

5) Hyundai Verna SX(O) AT/ SX+ Diesel AT (2018)- Verna's only major weakness of limited rear seat space, is not bothersome for me. Two grouses, the petrol SX(O) is stretching my budget till 9.5L (may get it down to 9), while diesel AT misses out on Keyless entry/exit, cooled seats 6 airbags and the likes. Second- Any issues that I should be aware of with regards to 6 speed ATs? Can they last trouble-free for next 5-7 years?

I request anyone with any knowledge on the above cars, to share it with me and help me make an informed decision. You can also suggest any other car, that I might have missed out on. Thanks in advance!

Here's what BHPian sunikkat had to say on the matter:

I would suggest stretch the budget to 9.5 and look for a new Amaze. It might not meet all your criteria’s but will meet many.

I believe below 10 lakhs range (unless the car has very low resale) it’s not worth going for a used car. They are either old or you hardly save anything.

Here's what BHPian AJ56 had to say on the matter:

Get the Accord, satisfies all your requirements of safety/ride/power and has cruise control + ESP for highways, also is quite stable at high speeds, very reliable and cheap to maintain mine has given zero issues in 11 years of ownership. Look for 2012-13 2.4L models which go for 6-7L. You’ll save a significant amount here as well that you can use for new tyres/upkeep over the years. Annual service cost of oil + oil filter + air filter comes to 5-6k using oem Honda parts and oil (Idemitsu full synthetic 0W-20).

Ecosport is a sub 4m vehicle and too small to use as a highway driver. I’ve driven extensively in peak Mumbai and Gurgaon traffic for many years and vehicle length doesn’t really matter, I switch between the Amaze (3.95m) and Accord (4.95m) and it takes under 2 mins to acclimatise in either vehicle, I prefer the Accord in traffic in fact as it’s not underpowered like the Amaze and makes closing gaps easier. Cheers.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car was so well built that even after nearly 10 year of usage. There were no rattles, no squeaking sounds from anywhere inside or outside.

BHPian Strider24 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My pre-worshipped 10th gen Toyota Corolla Altis AT:

Disclaimer: This is a long post of my car ownership history, how at various stages of my life I owned different cars & how being a car & driving enthusiast kept my morale high in difficult life situations. You can also directly jump to the 'The Corolla Altis Story' to skip my car ownership history.

Here is a glimpse of what's coming up:

Prologue:

I was leaning outside my balcony with a cup of morning tea in my hand. Wife by my side sipping her tea, we both are looking at the outside world, the sky, the road, the compound wall & there was no one there. There is no traffic on the road, no crowd inside the society, nor anyone to look at anywhere. Why? Because it was the 1st lockdown period, and everybody was trapped inside their homes, binge-watching Ramayana, Family Man & what not.

My wife was looking at me & I was looking at the car parked under the shade below - an electric blue Skoda Octavia in its full glory, admiring its colour, curves, the awesome looking alloys & that vRS badge!

If you think that I was admiring the beauty of MY car, then NO. It was not mine. Someone had visited the society from Mumbai before lockdown started and now was stuck here until further notice. So no, it was not my car. My car was parked opposite the Octavia - a humble Renault Kwid in white colour, giving me no reason whatsoever to even look at it twice. In my heart, I kept questioning why I owned this car when the world had a beauty like the Octavia.

“Kabhi meri taraf bhi itne pyar se dekh liya karo”, taunted my wife.

Me (back to reality): "Do you think we should change our car now? The Kwid is not suiting us. What if we have to travel to our hometown by road? Can you sustain that long journey in it? I know I can't drive 700+ km in the Kwid!"

Wife: "So you want to buy a new car again? it has been just 1 year since we bought the Kwid."

Me (being at my persuasive best): "No, No,..No. It's not like I WANT to buy a new car, but we NEED a bigger & better car to endure long road trips. Due to this pandemic, I don't think we can do air or train travel anymore. Not for a long time, at least."

Wife: "Here you go again."

Me: "Okay, prove me wrong!"

Wife: "No point in trying. I know if you have made up your mind, then you won't stop. So I leave all car-related decisions to you, but this time, please, buy something for the next 5 years at least & it has to be a really good one that you can drive without complaints, no compromise at all & mind you, I will not be driving on long road trips at all."

Me (mentally grinning from ear to ear): "Aye Aye, Captain!"

And just like that, I got a green signal to replace our car.

My car ownership history is almost 11 years long now. In this period, I have owned, in total, 5 cars costing from as low as Rs. 80,000 to as high as Rs. 6.5 lakhs. If you are wondering why I've owned so many cars in such a short period of time, then read the full article. Else, just jump to the Corolla ownership section.

The car owner's history:

My first car, as a driver, was my dad's 1998 Maruti 800 DX in blue colour. I learnt to drive on it & it was a joy to drive then. I have lots of pleasant road trip memories in it with my dad & with my family.

This is my father with his beloved Maruti: He would talk incessantly about driving etiquettes and road manners on all our road trips. He is the reason I am a good driver today. I hope I can pass them on to my son.

However, when I moved to Pune for my job, I started to feel the need for my car & with lots of deliberation and limited choices at a low budget, I zeroed in on a pre-owned Daewoo Matiz from 1999.

I bought it for a paltry sum of Rs. 80,000 from a service centre owner. The date was 10.10.10, to be precise. I noticed this coincidence later when I got the RC. The car served me well for nearly 18 months before I sold it to a friend in Mumbai and moved on to pursue MBA. The Matiz had a zippy engine, sufficiently good build quality & spacious interiors compared to my dad's Maruti 800. The ownership experience was not entirely trouble-free, but that is what you can expect with your first car. Like any other car-loving person, I learned from every problem. The biggest lesson for a 26-year-old me was, get your car serviced on time & don't accept any faults in it.

My second car was a brand new, fabulous Honda Brio VX MT in 2014. It was the first car after my marriage and my wife, and I have so many fond memories of road trips in it around Pune. The best memory was being stuck in a long traffic jam on the Pune-Bangalore highway on our epic 13-hour Pune-Goa road trip with our 6-month-old son.

This car was such a brilliant pocket rocket that I enjoyed driving between Pune & Aurangabad on my weekly night drives. I used to redline it regularly on highways, and so far, no other car has ever given me driving thrills as much as the Brio has. The 'VTec kicked in Yo' feeling was awesome.

However, this redlining of the engine didn't stay for long. This has partly to do with the fact that earlier before my son was born, I used to drive alone, and now, most of the time, I drove with my wife and son. So no more adventure of high speed or pedal to the metal thrills.

But, what's life without a little drama in it? While all was going on fine in my life, the back & neck pain started to increase exponentially. Earlier, it was all attributed to my pre-existing disease of 'Ankylosing Spondylitis'. The latest scans showed a different picture. The rheumatologist sent me to a neurologist & he attributed my persistent pain to an 'Arachnoid cyst' on the C3-D1 section of the spine. The only treatment was surgically draining the cyst & putting a shunt to avoid any cyst in the future. So I had major spine surgery in December 2017 to remove my extradural Arachnoid cyst from my spine. Unfortunately, it was a failure. The surgeon couldn't remove it completely . I was told to keep an eye on symptoms & continue medication to suppress my neck & back pain.

 Around this period, I was also bit by the bug to buy a used car from a higher segment and get it modified as per my taste. The 'CarThrottle' video series 'High Mileage hero-Miles' on YouTube primarily inspired me. I was amazed how an almost dying and the at-the-end-of-its-lifecycle car can be revived, given so much love, and then made ready to go back to life again.

I decided to take the plunge (against my wife's advice) because of YOLO! Life is too short not to experiment with things you are excited about. I soon found an enthusiastic young buyer for the Brio who loved it & we sealed the deal in 2 days. I zeroed in on the 3rd gen Honda City & started looking for a pre-owned one. Found one at a nearby used car centre and bought it at a reasonable price. It was an MY 1999 S AT model with paddle shifters & less than 45,000 km on the odo. I spent Rs. 12,000 on leather seats and got me an excellent car to live with and drive.

The major health scare:

My neurological problems were nowhere close to being resolved. In the next 6 months, my left foot was dangerously close to giving up its use in daily life. By June 2018, the threat of paralysis materialized. Slowly, I started to lose my ability to run, then went walking and finally the balance to stand. It all happened so quickly that I had no option but to have another major spine surgery at Bombay hospital. The surgery was long and successful this time. The cyst was calcified, but it was removed entirely and thankfully, the biopsy said there were no cancerous cells in it. I considered myself lucky.

But this surgery also resulted in me suffering from paraparesis, i.e. I temporarily lost the use of both my legs because of nerve damage. The next course of treatment was physiotherapy & although the claimed & expected recovery time was 3-6 months, the first 4 months of abysmal progress with extensive physiotherapy made it clear that it was a long road to recovery.

Recovery from major spine surgery is a gruelling task. It takes a mammoth amount of mental strength, carefully planned functional exercise & weight training regimen to get each and every affected muscle in shape and working. All the damaged sensory & motor nerves are regenerated and are trained again. But nerve generation on the spinal cord is a prolonged process. One needs a lot of moral support & something to keep going every day. The trick is to keep the expectations real and take one day & one step (literally) at a time.

So for the next 6-9 months, driving was out of the question, let alone the modifications I had planned on the City. The car was kept in the society parking for the next 6 months. After a careful evaluation of my situation & options, I took a decision and sold it on OLX to an NRI buyer in December 2018. In total, the City was with me for 8 months, and I could only drive it for less than 1,000 km on city roads.

Although I couldn't drive, nothing could keep me from dreaming about it. Thanks to various travelogues and driving videos, I kept my morale high and kept on planning my next road trip, possibly 1 or 2 or 3 years later. Over the next 9 months, I made a good recovery, and as soon as the right leg regained its power and control, I was ready to get back behind the wheel.

Next was the Kwid RXT (O) AMT in May 2019. This was my 4th car & I bought it purely as a stopgap arrangement for local city drives & until I was ready for long drives & with an understanding with my wife that she would be the primary driver at home. We kept it for 18 months & it served us very well.

The Kwid was suitable for city use & the occasional nearby highway drive, but I never felt safe enough, knowing that it scored just a '1-star' rating in NCAP testing. The engine never felt underpowered, but the NVH levels were terrible, and seating comfort was not acceptable to my semi injured back for long drives. My son never liked it as he always complained of motion sickness in the back seat. The overall ownership experience was neutral. The only positive about the car was the ride and handling. It was so impressive that when I compare the Corolla with the Kwid, I feel that the Corolla lags behind (primarily because of the stiff suspension setup of the Corolla after a suspension overhaul). Despite all its shortcomings, I will never forget the Kwid as my first car after recovery & I had so much fun with my family in it.

However, one road trip to Mahabaleshwar made it very clear that I would not keep it. The return drive on a super crowded Bangalore-Pune highway was torture in the Kwid, mainly because of the uncomfortable seats (my poor back) & the constant droning noise of the 3 pot motor. Soon, a passive search for the next car started. Passive, because I was afraid that as soon as I would mention "new car" to my wife, she would explode about how I keep changing cars and can never stick to just one.

The following episode:

A few months later, one morning, I coyly said to my wife, "let's change the car," and she readily agreed to it to my surprise. She too had the same reasons as I did to change it - the car not being comfortable & safe enough. In addition, she knew I was not enjoying driving Kwid at all (now you can relate to the prologue of this article).

Now, an active search for my next car started with the below parameters in mind, agreed by both of us:

• Car has to be safe with a 5-star crash test rating.
• Car has to be at least from the C2 segment. No more hatchbacks, not even premium hatchbacks or mini sedans.
• Budget was set at Rs. 15 lakhs (maximum), but was extendable up to Rs. 16.5 lakhs as the car WILL BE with us for the next 5-7 years at least.
• All 4 seats MUST be comfortable. No compromise on this.
• And of course, an automatic transmission car. Only CVT or TC. No DSG or AMT.

Because of the 1st point itself, our choices were limited & after watching numerous YouTube videos and reading Team-BHP reviews, we shortlisted the below cars:

• Mahindra XUV3OO W8 - 5 star NCAP safety rating, powerful turbo petrol engine, large wheels & imposing stance of an SUV from Mahindra. My son loved it as it was big & it had 60:40 split rear seats. Wife & I loved it because of the plush, comfortable leather seats. However, the AMT was not as smooth as a CVT & the boot space was tiny compared to others in the same segment. So it was kept as the last option.
• Tata Nexon XZA+ - I considered it, but Tata salespeople were too reluctant to bring it for longish test drives. Some of my colleagues have given less than good feedback about TASS. The AMT transmission was another downside. Still, being a 5 star rated car, I shortlisted it.
• Honda City V CVT – was a great overall package. The latest generation model was well built & though its crash test rating was not out, I really liked the overall driving experience. The CVT was awesome (in my opinion), the cabin felt premium & the redesigned front & rear were easy on the eyes. My heart & mind, both were set on this one.

Enter the EV argument:

All this was in my mind and I couldn't help but also consider the fact that the EV market was fast developing. So while I was open to EVs too, I was not convinced that an EV can actually suit my long road trips. The best possible alternative was the Tata Nexon EV, but even its best-case driving range was limited to 250 km only. This gave birth to the thought that when in the future, we get longer range & higher battery capacity EVs, it would be prudent to own one. So, did I want to spend Rs. 15 lakhs on a car which again I might replace with an EV? One alternative was to go the pre-owned route now, keep it for the next 4-5 years at which point, possibly, the EV market would become mature enough and offerings would make sense to consider owning.

In the pre-owned route, a few D1 & D2 segment cars were in my mind & one car which stood above anything else was the 10th generation E140 Corolla Altis. Its long-term reliability, low maintenance & solid build quality was sworn by by all Team-BHPians. A few ownership experience articles made it the best contender. I also considered a 3-year-old Octavia AT (in blue colour of-course, remember the prologue?) which would have cost the same as a new CITY, but I simply was not ready for the hassle & expense of maintaining a Skoda. With my ongoing recovery, peace of mind trumped over the heart's desires.

I shortlisted only one variant of the Corolla in particular. It had to be 10th generation E140 Corolla Altis VL AT from September 2011 onwards only. It was the facelifted top-end variant with a 7-speed CVT as opposed to the 4-speed CVT, which was not so great to drive.

Zeroing on Corolla & specifically this particular model was all thanks to the review post written by bhpian @Jaxy & another post by Sr.bhpian @aparth here.

One fine day, when all the right stars were aligned perfectly, I found one exceptionally well-maintained example on OLX. It was exactly the same variant I had in my mind. I went to the owner's office on a weekend with my wife & took a small test drive. We both loved it. The car's owner, Mr Santosh Mane, was very open about the entire service history of the car. Its price was non-negotiable for the reason that car was in mint condition. It drove really well and felt premium in every aspect. In the next few days, I got the car checked at a Toyota service centre, checked the service history & pending work on the Toyota connect app & all was good. Showed it to my trusted driver Raju bhai & he gave his OKAY to buy it. Some suspension work was due, which I accepted. Within the next 15 days, I sold my equally well-maintained Renault Kwid to its next owner through OLX and on the same day, welcomed the Toyota Corolla Altis VL AT into my family.

The Corolla Altis story:

It was 24.12.20 when the Corolla arrived home. My son was very excited to see a big car at our home. My wife performed the mandatory puja and we all went for a long drive.

By the end of the first week of ownership, we all were smitten by this car. My son loved the 60-40 split seat feature and played with it a lot whenever he could. The car was so well built that even after nearly 10 year of usage. There were no rattles, no squeaking sounds from anywhere inside or outside. Every function & feature of the car was working like new. Nothing was broken. The only sign of wear was on the driver side seat leather which was showing the obvious signs of usage. So, all in all, we were happy.

Major decision making factors which worked in favour of this car:

• Ergonomics: Seating comfort, cushioning & side bolstering of front seats are perfect. VL being the top variant came with eight-way electrically adjustable driver seats & let me tell you, for someone with persistent back issues, the electrically adjustable lumbar support in the driver seats is a god's gift. I can drive the entire day and not feel even a bit of pain all thanks to these seats. Even all 3 passenger seats are super comfortable. Ingress and egress were spot on. I just wished it had powered neck rest adjustment too.
• Powerful engine: The1.8L, 4-cylinder NA petrol engine with 140 PS power & 173 NM of torque is more than sufficient on Indian roads. With a weight of 1,380 kilos, it has a power to weight ratio of 101.45 PS/ton. Though the linear power delivery does not give it a sporty driving character, it is fun to drive. With a 7 step CVT gearbox, overtaking is effortless. Gear changes are not noticeable. It cruises at 100 km/h at around 1,200-1,300 RPM and the engine noise is non-existent at this speed. The only sound which penetrates the cabin is the road noise on cemented sections, but even that is minimal thanks to the soft Michelin tyres. Driving a big car with a powerful engine is effortless and covering long distances is not tiring anymore.
• Automatic climate control and auto-dimming IRVM: In all my previous cars, I had to fidget with the manual air-con switches to find a setting that would suit all occupants. The ACC has relieved me from this torture. That being said, my son, in the rear seat, still complains of being cold (even at 24 degrees). The simple solution is a permanently placed blanket at rear seat.

• Money saving: Yes it was a big factor in making a used car purchase decision. I paid Rs. 4.85 lakhs for this car & I am getting all the power, comfort, convenience and features which are present in a Rs. 15+lakh car in today's market. I would spend a few thousands on gizmos and this car is as good as Honda City V AT, which would have cost me Rs. 15 lakh+ OTR. Therefore, it is a straight saving of Rs. 10 lakhs or a saving of EMI of Rs. 15,000-20,000 pm over the next 7 years. Total savings on the future cost of ownership calculated over a period of the next 7 years is nearly 47% compared to a new car. I call it one wise financial decision, which gave me the freedom to go for accessories & upgrades whenever I want and whatever I wish for. You can refer to the attached excel sheet, which I downloaded from somewhere on the internet & used for this calculation.

Smaller yet significant things that I like in this car (it is a long list):

• The previous owner had installed a Matchpoint GPS module in the car, giving some features of connected car tech. I can track the car movement on the map, see the critical information like drive time, idle time, max speed and current speed. It also has multiple tracking modes like valet mode, service centre mode, parking mode and 'no tracking' mode, depending on who is driving the car. Geo-fencing can be done i.e. I get a notification on the app if the car leaves a certain area. The subscription is valid till 2024.

• Puddles lamps on front doors are a safety feature, which should be made mandatory in all cars now.
• Manual rear window shades are very convenient for rear passengers on a sunny day's drive. I wish it also had them inbuilt in all 4 doors.
• Headlight washer is a cool party trick. My wife was amazed to see it. When I told her that back in the 80s and 90s, Mercedes cars used to have proper headlight wipers on them, she went wow! There is a switch to operate them manually. They automatically activate whenever wiper fluid is used & headlights are on.

• Full-size alloy spare wheel is a rarity even in today's cars. Thankfully, Toyota did not cut corners 10 years back.
• Car was manufactured in Aug 2011 and I was told by the previous owner that it is a CKD model assembled in Bangalore. So parts quality, fit & finish are top-notch. Probably this is the reason that some spare parts are so expensive. Even a single HID bulb costs around 12k+taxes in Toyota ASC.
• Car came with 3 remote keyfobs! All 3 are working fine. Apparently, each keyfob costs 30K+ for replacement in ASC.
• Sliding armrest, height-adjustable seat belts for front passengers, soft opening lower glove box & soft-touch material on the dashboard & upper door-pads makes the cabin feel premium.
• Illuminated glove box and trunk. Both vanity mirrors have lights near them.
• Auto headlights with 4500k HID bulbs light up the darkest roads. Although they are expensive to replace and hard to find in aftermarket shops. It has an automatic headlight leveller too.

Here is a video showing the illumination on a dark highway.

• Full keyless entry & start-stop function. I do not have to remove the keys from my pocket at all. As soon as I reach near the driver side door, the car recognizes the key, cabin lights light up, I just put my hand inside the door handle and it unlocks. Press the request sensor to lock the door. It is a big feel-good factor about the car.
• Keyless boot opening - When I have to open the boot, if I am carrying the keyfob then I just have to press a button beside the license plate lights & it opens. No need to press the boot opener button on the keyfob.
• Hill-start assist & hill hold control is a boon on hilly climbs & where there is a lot of traffic. Although I use the handbrake most of the time on such roads.
• Ground clearance of 175 mm in a sedan - I can (but I do not) go mostly anywhere without worrying much. It also means that ingress & egress is much better compared to other low slung sedans.

• There are tons of sensors for safety. A constant warning chime sounds in the below scenarios and ensures I don't leave the car unsafe:

- I open the door without putting the gear in D mode.

- Driver side door is open & keyfob not detected.

- Car is not in P mode, and I am trying to lock the doors from outside.

- However, no chime if the boot is left open after locking the car. The MID shows if the boot is open, but one can miss it easily.

- Open the hood without the key near it, and the car safety alarm would scream like hell. It happened once when the car battery died, and the keyfob's battery died too. I opened the door with a manual key & then opened the hood with the key in my pocket. Since the engine couldn't detect the immobilizer chip without a working battery in the keyfob, it detected it as a theft and bam! The siren blurted out in full intensity in my underground parking. It was quite a racket before I could realize what was wrong. I googled and immediately found out how to deal with such a situation, just keep the fob near the start/stop switch and press it a few times. Problem solved.

- Seat belt warning for both front seats.

• Rake and reach adjustable steering wheel - It's perfect to find the sitting and driving position for a person of any height.
• Cruise control is a boon on roads with controlled traffic. Also, it is great to extract good FE on such a road. I have never tried it on city roads because most of my city drives happen in a radius of 2-3 km only.

Things I miss in this car:

• 4/6 more airbags, hill descent controls & DRLs.
• Current touchscreen infotainment system's incompatibility with a rear parking camera. So far, no accessory shop has found an adapter to integrate a rear park camera into it. & I would hate to change the HU just for a reversing camera.
• If ORVMs could auto fold and unfold when locking and unlocking the car. I have to press a button every time for it.
• 2 or 3 stage door opening.

Repairs done in the last one year at FNG:

• Suspension parts replacement: It was due when buying the car itself. I got it done in August 2021, and after this, the car glides over all types of roads. Although it is now a relatively stiffer setup, I do not mind it because it has resulted in improved highway handling & better steering feedback. City ride suffers a bit, but I have gotten used to it & am okay with it now.
• Rear brake pads replaced with TVS branded pads. Rotors turned as advised by Asit. However, braking performance at 80+ km/h even after this repair is still not up to my expectation & I am pushing my FNG owner Asit to diagnose this. A car with all 4 disk brakes should brake very effectively.
• I have OCD for keeping my car trouble-free. I can't tolerate even a single unexplained issue in my car & at the first sign of trouble (which sometimes is just my oversensitive ears), I go for a quick check-up. I plan to keep this car fully maintained until it is with me. Periodical servicing will always be done at the Toyota service centre only. However, I will not always go for Toyota spare parts (except the critical ones) as the OEM parts are available at a lower price at my FNG.

Fuel efficiency figures:

• I bought this car primarily for highway usage. On my road trips so far with a combination of good & not so good roads, I get close to 13.5 km/l, by tankful to tankful method.
• On very good roads like expressways, the FE reaches up to 18 km/l (on MID) over long stretches of roads. The real figure would still be around 17-17.5 km/l.
• On city roads, I get an abysmal 8-9 km/l owing to the reason that I use it for short drives in a radius of 2-3 km only. My city usage is low, so this figure does not bother me much.

Accessories/functional part changes done so far:

• High beam stock lamps replaced with Philips Xtream Vision G force headlamps.
• Parking lamps replaced with Osram T10 LED lights.
• Battery replaced last month as the old one was almost 4 years old & was giving me starting trouble.
• Sensairy internal TPMS installed, works very well.

• Carried over the 70mai Dashcam Pro from the Kwid and DIY installed with hidden wiring up to the 12V socket.
• 70mai car jump starter kit - This saved me twice in the middle of the road when I was facing battery trouble. Soon after, I replaced the battery.
• Carried over the tyre inflator from the Kwid. I use it for all my vehicles & my son's basketball as well.
• All 6 stock speakers were replaced with JBL speakers in Nov 2021, along with sound damping on the doors. Changing speakers made big difference to the audio experience in the cabin.

So far, the only gripe I have with this car is its exterior colour scheme. It is all silver on the outside. All body panels, door handles, ORVMs, alloy wheels, and even the front grill is in silver colour. Subtle chrome elements do very little to bring any contrast. So much silver is unpleasant to my eyes.

To overcome this, I am planning to introduce some black elements in below two potential combinations:

• Gloss black roof wrapping + black grill (by plastic-dipping) or
• Black grille+ dark gunmetal grey or matte black alloys (by repainting).

Either of the above modifications would hopefully give some sporty visual character to the otherwise monotonous silver exteriors. I found some pics online, and I wish to achieve the below look:

My wish list for this car:

• ICE upgrade:

- Sony under seat subwoofer XS-AW8 (need more suggestions from BHPians about subwoofer choice).

- An upgrade of head-unit to Sony XAV-AX7000 (low priority).

• Sound damping on floor and firewall.
• Reverse parking camera.
• IPH projector fog lamps with HIDs.
• Some cool looking ambient lights in the cabin. No excess of it, though.
• Steering wheel full leather wrap.

Summary:

In the last year, I have driven my car exactly 7,000 km, including a 1,500 km round trip between Pune and Nagpur, a 900 km round trip to Goa and numerous other weekend drives around Pune. City usage was hardly 2,000 km in total. On all of my road trips, the car has been a joy to drive and very comfortable for the passengers. My wife and son absolutely love going on road trips in it, and I love it even more to drive. This is not a rumbling racing car with crazy low gear acceleration. There is no turbo kick or VTec kick in feeling, but it is not a boring underpowered car. I am a sedate driver now & I don't push it to its limit anymore. Am I happy to drive it? A big YES. Am I glad to own it? An even bigger YES. Could I have owned something new & better? Yes, of course, but which car lover's heart wouldn't mind upgrading to a better car at any given point in time? But it is the mind that keeps us grounded and allows us to make better choices & that's what I did.

Based on my current usage pattern, I am planning to keep this car for another 4 years when the next upgrade will happen, which will either be an electric sedan/SUV or a combination of a small electric hatchback & a used 4X4 soft-roader like the Hyundai Tucson 4X4 AT GLS.

In the end, thanks for reading till here. It feels good to share my experience of owning a great used car. I would highly recommend everyone to consider owning a good car from 1 or 2 segments above before the EV revolution takes over.

A parting shot, my car in its natural habitat, at an angle from which it looks the best:

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The cars today are nowhere as well-engineered and built as this damn Corolla. It is difficult to find fault with it.

BHPian Vid6639 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

12 years and almost 1 lakh kms.

Well, it's been a long time since I've given an update on the Altis. Some friendly mods ended up sowing seeds of #YOLO (You only live once) in my head and in the last 18 months I ended up with 2 more cars in the garage.

This meant 2 things, I was in 2 minds about selling the Altis and secondly, the running was a lot lesser. The last service was done in December 2019, just 3 months before the COVID lockdown and now in Dec 2021 the odo had just crossed 5000 km. The odo stands at 95K km now.

I had 2 complaints with the car:

• Front suspension was squeaking and felt like something was worn out.
• Clutch pedal had some noise when engaging the clutch.

Initially, I thought I would look for an outside workshop and not take it to Toyota like it has been going for 12 years. I checked around a few places for suspension parts for the Corolla thinking I would be able to get a lower cost and good quality.

Hunting around and checking with known folks I realised there is one good quality vendor which is TRW but out of stock everywhere. Gabriel was much lower in costs than OEM for front struts. This did not give me confidence. The lower arm is available OEM from 12K but you get a Chinese brand Semyong for much cheaper like 4-5K each side vs 12K.

In the end, I decided with low running, may as well just stick to the dealer. I took the car to Ravindu and was happy to see my usual service guys are still around unlike other brands which have had a change of staff due to COVID.

The final conclusion was the lower arm was still fine. I wanted to change it as the rubber bushes were 12 years old now. The gripe is that you can't change the rubber bushes alone but need to change the entire lower arm since the bushes are fused into it. But being a Toyota they apparently don't really go bad.

So the shocks were the ones that had worn out and the rubber ring between the shock and spring was completely worn out as well.

Other than that the clutch master cylinder shaft was greased.

The car was returned with full service including all filters, air filter, oil filter, cabin filter.

The final bill was Rs. 24K which had 7.5K for each strut, labour for fixing the struts, some 1K for the rubber ring and full service + taxes totalling 24K.

Since the rear shocks were changed 3 years back, there is no brake and suspension work required for the next 3 years given the lower running. These are anyways the only 2 parts in the car that need work due to our roads. Nothing else wears out in a Corolla. lol.

I was in 2 minds whether to keep or sell the Corolla. But seeing as to how reliable and low cost it is to maintain it is working perfectly as a chauffeur-driven car for everyone at home as well as any visitors. It will hardly fetch much being 12+ years and almost 1L km discontinued model so really no point in selling it.

The cars today are nowhere as well-engineered and built as this damn Corolla. It is difficult to find fault with it. So I am back to keeping 4 cars at home. lol.

A few pics of the service.

Up on the ramp for the service:

The offending rubber ring that had worn off causing a terrible squeaking sound in the cabin. Was duly replaced:

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The Altis is no driver’s car, but where it does win my heart over is in how stress-free the experience of owning an Altis is.

BHPian brohanv recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My review of our new steed, a 2018 petrol manual Corolla Altis.

My favourite image of the car after a rainy, Saturday morning drive.

After 11 years of owning and thoroughly relishing our 2010 Habanero Red Honda City, and my father crossing a half-century in life, we were in the market for a new car. Didn’t have a strict list of requirements, just a wish to own a car that would not suffer from the same flaws as the Honda City and at the same time a hankering to own something that commands more aspirational value. We tried many cars and ended up with an oddball list of possible replacements to the City, a wild card entry more than a month in the decision-making process was a pre-worshipped 2018 Toyota Corolla Altis. It had at the time not completed 3 years since registration and had less than 23,000km. on the odometer, was used to chauffeur around a 75-year-old gentleman and was in more or less perfect condition. I was immediately intrigued by the value proposition it had on offer and the entire family was consensually sold on a car. Make no mistakes, we were under no delusion of buying a driver’s car at any rate, but what the car had to offer and the price point it did so at was too good to let pass. The long and short of it is that we brought it home in less than three days. Here’s my review of it after driving it for close to 1000 km.

What I like:

• Running the risk of being repetitive, the sheer practicality, comfort and easy-going nature of this car justify a mention in every review.
• Lack of pretence, everything the car claims to be, it is. Nothing more, nothing less. In other words, it delivers what is demanded of it without creating too much of a fuss.
• Seamless driveability, in-gear acceleration and mid-range make for effortless driving in the city.
• Supple ride quality owing to a soft suspension setup; filters out all sharp and blunt undulations with a rather impressive round edged-ness. Arguably, the best in the segment in this facet.
• Inoffensive yet reasonably handsome styling. I like how it looks in the Phantom Brown shade.
• The flowing dash with piano black veneer is one bold styling cue in an otherwise inoffensive car. Most people will find it fitting for a car of this segment.
• Superb refinement and NVH; this is one area in which the car leaves a lasting impression. Once the doors are shut, so is the world outside, you might even crank the car while it’s idling (there is no protection against this).
• The light and sure slotting gearbox paired with a perfectly ergonomic armrest make little work of shifting gears.
• The steering is light enough in the city and the dead centre displays no nervousness at speeds in excess of most highway limits. It does the job well by and large.
• The car feels well put together; while the quality of materials used on the inside is nothing to write home about, there is a feeling that the car is built to last, and thus far suffers from no rattles and/or squeaks.
• Braking is adequate. For the way this car is meant to be driven, all around disks do inspire sufficient confidence and the car will hold its line under hard braking. Don’t expect VAG like performance in this regard, however. The Pedal feel is progressive and adequately chatty.
• It can cruise on the highway for days on end without tiring the driver or any of the occupants out. Straight Line Stability is above average and definitely inspires confidence while doing triple-digit speeds on the highway.
• Seats are superbly cushioned and supportive. Even folks with larger frames will appreciate the way the seats are shaped.
• Offers an impressive value proposition when bought pre-owned. A good example should set you back 9-13 lakhs which is a fair price for a vehicle of this calibre.
• Doesn’t hold its value like an Innova or a Fortuner but has held its value fairly well since it was discontinued. Depreciation shouldn’t be a stressor when she leaves my garage for good.
• Service interval of 10,000km./ 1 Year. Not a lot goes wrong with this car in most cases, all it needs is its annual service which is decently priced too.
• Easy ingress and egress by sedan standards. A 180mm of ground clearance makes sure of this.
• With the aforementioned ground clearance, it clears most speed breakers and most bad roads with aplomb.
• The Toyota Corolla moniker certainly holds a certain dignity and aspirational value. Since its launch, it has successfully withheld its position as the quintessential global D-segment sedan.
• The most practical option in the D-segment sedan space currently. (pre-owned of course, with the Octavia and Elantra being the only new offerings still holding the fort for this segment)
• On a more personal note, a definitive and discernible upgrade over my 11-year-old Honda City in almost every way.
• Low end torque is above average and the mid-range offers the majority of the engine’s 138 horses.
• Has enough airbags to form an absolute cocoon for its occupants in case of a crash. (7 airbags as far as I can count based on the interior panels)
• Safe to say that it should age well based on Toyota’s history.

What could’ve been better but I can live with:

• The Altis has a torsion beam setup at the rear while the Octavia was sold with the option of an independent rear suspension in L&K guise. The real-world dynamics of VAG offerings are far superior.
• 8-10 km/l in the city. I have really low running, so this doesn’t bother me as much, but with petrol prices soaring obscenely high, it does slightly bother me to drive the car unless necessary.
• The clutch has a long travel but is light enough to not be too much of a bother. The biting point is a little aggressive in first gear, so one invariably ends up stalling it at signals before getting the hang of it.
• Wide turning radius. Gets bothersome in tight Kolkata streets.
• The headlights offer sufficient throw and intensity but are not comparable to the LED setups of many cheaper cars on sale today (e.g. Toyota Glanza).
• The alloy design on the G variant is not the prettiest one. Manages to look too busy and too bland at the same time.
• Stock Bridgestone Turanzas aren’t the grippiest or quietest. Waiting on these to make way for some Continental UC6(s)
• The paint quality is decent. Nothing special, but doesn’t warrant criticism either.
• Doesn’t adhere to the ground as well as it should when faced with undulations on the highway at cruising speeds.
• Electronically adjustable seats should have been standard in all variants.
• The fabric seats feel good but are stain magnets and require meticulous care.

What I don't like:

• A car that appeals to the mind more than it appeals to the heart.
• Not the best car in the segment as far as driving pleasure and sense of occasion are concerned. The Octavia is a far superior car and my personal favourite if only I could ignore the more pragmatic of my reasons.
• The Civic too is a better handler and looks drop-dead gorgeous with that wide and inviting rear, if only it was sold sans that horribly misplaced CVT.
• The abject lack of personality and soul. If you enjoy the little but significant sensations and emotions associated with driving, as most of us do, this is not the car for you. There is a constant sense of insulation from what the car is doing, some see this as comfort, many see this as an uninvolving driving experience.
• As stated previously, the driving experience leaves much to be desired. There is a constant sense of disconnect between you and what the car is doing.
• The music system leaves much to be desired.
• When revved up, the engine feels and sounds strained towards the red line. It’s never overly harsh but isn’t inviting either.
• The car understeers excessively and its composure suffers to a worrying degree when faced with a bump mid-corner. The suspension setting and ride height are to blame IMO. Not easy to keep a line in a fast sweeping turn by sedan standards.
• Hard and cheap looking interior plastics are plentiful. The quality of materials leaves much to be desired and is simply unacceptable for this segment.
• Misses out on traction control. Again not acceptable for what is among Toyota’s most successful offerings the world over.
• The ground clearance makes the rear wheel well and the general stance of the car look unnatural. Looks like the car is permanently on stilts.
• If something does break down, OEM original parts are properly expensive, e.g. a set of wiper blades will set you back Rs. 4500.
• The turning radius makes U-turns in the city a properly tedious task.

Another good angle of the car but brings out the unnatural stance of the car.

Why not an Octavia or Jetta?

CSUV(s) were out of the contention due to a personal affinity to sedans, and I have little faith left in Hyundai’s QC, so the Elantra was out as well. Civics were simply too expensive in the pre-owned market. The cars that made the strongest case for themselves were the Octavia and its twin sister, the Jetta. I have always felt that the Octavia deserved to sell better and made a very interesting case for itself as a true blue German sedan at a great price point, if only Skoda offered a better after-sales experience and the temperamental gearbox didn’t insist on failing ever so often. However, the constant fear of DSG failures and fat repair bills made me look elsewhere. Some of us have a greater risk for appetite, but my father who likes cars for the practical value they create and nothing else, would simply not have been able to wrap his head around the kind of care that the Octavia would have needed. Diesel powered cars weren’t our first preference but we were open to them, I was at one point hell-bent on bringing a Jetta home, I figured with the couple of lakhs that we would have saved in buying the Jetta over the Altis, maintenance would’ve been sorted for the foreseeable future and diesel bills would have been smaller too. But there were two on sale in Kolkata and one of the more popular pre-owned car dealers insisted on only harassing me with phone calls to later fail to make the car available to me for a look each time I did try to move things forward, the car, however, seemed pretty great prima facie with under 30,000 on the odo. It was a 2018 brown Jetta Highline listed at nine lakh rupees. So the Jetta and Octavia were out, every once in a while I still ponder upon how it might’ve been if I had brought the Jetta home instead. But NGT ban (Delhi is where our permanent home is) concerns and my experience with the dealer quickly shoved those thoughts away. Maybe, it’s the Octavia in its VRS guise that is meant to come home someday. (I mean, a guy can dream.)

The front is much better looking than the pre-facelift in my opinion, but still a touch too cluttered.

The stance is most prominent in this image, notice the gap between the tyres and the arch.

I think the clear lens treatment of the facelifted version helps somewhat unclutter the rear, inoffensive and easy on the eyes.

So was it purely elimination that brought home the Altis?

Well, the answer is both yes and no. Yes, because if there weren’t at least one hamartia with all of the cars that we considered then we probably would not have concluded our decision making process with the Altis as top dog. It was anyway, by sheer luck that we came across this specific example of the Altis. However, once we did see the Altis in flesh with our mindsets open to the idea of owning one, it made a very strong case for itself. It offers the ground clearance of a CSUV, so no worries of scraping speed-breakers as the old Honda City did, it has all the features one could need, is easy to maintain for its class of vehicles and even one or two below even with complex and small petrol engines being the standard now. And it was a discernible upgrade over the CIty in every way. The only real downside would’ve been size, but once you get the hang of it and are somewhat selective of not entering particularly congested streets, 9 times out of 10 you’d be fine.

Engine performance:

The 1800cc naturally aspirated motor is pretty old school, the starter is as loud as a heavy turbo diesel engine's, I quite like it.

It is in no way a scorcher of a motor, coming from a very rev-happy i-Vtec engine that had the mechanical purity and eagerness of few engines that one could ever experience, this one felt lumpy and heavy in comparison, a 130 something bhp too, while a respectable figure is nothing exceptional. The nature of power delivery will not make you particularly thirsty to kick the throttle into the floor. Make no mistake it will take you to the redline with zero reluctance in a reasonably refined manner too, but won’t impress you or ask for more either. It doesn’t sound nice yet it’s not harsh. Where the engine does excel however is driveability and the seamless mid-range acceleration. It delivers its power with a butter-smooth effortlessness. The car is the happiest between 1000-3000 rpm and is easily able to keep up, overtake and leave in its dust most of the city traffic in this range. This quality of the engine to serve up power as and when demanded in a very linear and smooth fashion is what makes it an absolutely effortless cruiser. The engine doesn’t encourage you to work it to extract performance, but is rather happy serving up more than adequate power whenever necessary as long as you drive with a light foot. In gear, acceleration is decent too if you’re doing more than 1500 rpm at which you will not have to downshift for an overtaking manoeuvre. Overtaking in this vehicle is an effortless process. It is however very easy to stall when driving from a standstill and does not have any kind of anti-stall or stall warning before it cuts off, doesn’t even make the car shake before it does to let the driver know. Essentially a good highway cruiser, one that will give you peace of mind, but would not excite you. Having said that coming from a 118 bhp i-Vtec motor that is intoxicating at 3500 and beyond but a little sluggish below, the mid-range power is something that adds to the overall feeling of comfort and the general experience for me. The gearshift is butter smooth and the knob feels good to hold, the throws are not too long and the clutch while on the longer side is light. As for fuel economy, we have been getting in the range of 8.5km/l to 12.5 in city traffic based on the MID.

Lift the gear collar to engage reverse. The Gear Knob looks and feels premium. Has a small scratch will be replaced in the coming year.

Ride and Handling:

The Altis does not excel in this area. The car feels floaty when going over undulating surfaces or the unscientifically designed expansion joints that are so plentifully available in Kolkata. The handling is nothing special by sedan standards, the car feels stable in a straight line, but if thrown in a sweeping curve, it understeers like a boat and if you combine cruising speed, an expansion joint with a sweeping curve, prepare yourself for a very scary second or two. As long as you keep your expectations in check, you’ll enjoy the comfortable cruising. The steering while confident at dead centre and adequately heavy isn’t very communicative. Essentially, highways are a lot of fun but sweeping ghat sections, only if it’s the view you’re after with no expectations of road-hugging cornering ability.

Vanilla and cluttered. Difficult to clean too! Some of my first money is going to spend replacing these. Will upsize and move to better tyres in due time.

Feels good to hold, thumb pads and leather add to the premium feel. The buttons feel plasticky, the stalks feel built to last though. The buttons on the left are for the audio system and the ones on the right are for the MID in the instrument cluster, which offers little functionality or information warranting so many buttons.

Comfort, Refinement and NVH:

The insulation is really good and keeps the cabin nice and quiet, except for road-noise, I feel that there isn’t enough cladding in the wheel arches and perhaps the Bridgestone Turanza aren't the quietest. But nothing bothersome as far as NVH is concerned, the car is very quiet at idle and exhaust noise is drowned out below 2500rpm.

The flowing design and the piano black of the dash are the most is the most audacious design element, soft-touch plastics have been used on the top, feels built to last, albeit a little difficult to keep clean. The climate control feels very premium.

The comfort and refinement are something to speak of, as far as my experiences with automobiles are concerned, I have had a fair amount of experience with SUVs this side of 50 lakhs and the oddball luxury sedan here and there, the car is not on acutely at either end of the spectrum but clearly much closer to the latter, the seats are very well shaped and are very supportive, under-thigh support, side bolstering and angle of the seat base are spot-on and comfortable for various kinds of frames. The rear seatback is also adjustable and is also very well cushioned. My car has fabric seats, so you don’t miss ventilated seats as much as you would if they were leather seats. Another thing that warrants a prominent mention, is the bone-chilling AC. The car doesn't have rear AC vents but the AC will chill in the cabin even in 40 degree plus heat in no time.

Not common practice in a lot of petrol cars this side of 25 lakhs, adds to the refined NVH.

Practicality is another area where this car shines, all four door pads can hold 1l bottles.

In-Car Entertainment, features and niceties:

Conventional flippy key, long hold the boot release button to open the boot. Has been covered in a silicone case because it is hard and easy to scratch. Would've liked keyless entry. Both keys of the car are identical.

The annoying message that needs to be acknowledged each time the car is started. Who thought this was a good idea?

Nothing special at all, the head unit offers a function I have only ever seen in this car where a motor can angle it in different positions to adjust to the viewing angle of the driver, not left and right, just downwards and upwards. The only time it's necessary is when you want to pop in a CD or SD card, pretty wasteful in my opinion. Would've appreciated it if these funds have been diverted to a better sounding audio system. The rear speakers are located on the parcel shelf of the boot and the sound is very rear-biased, to the point that we thought the front speakers weren't working until the tweeters blasted the bright highs, a touch too bright in fact. The mids are clumsy and the bass is very unidimensional and lazy, would've loved it if it came with better speakers like the new i20 especially considering that good music is essential for where this car shines, the open road! The audio also distorts if you push the volume up. There is something called miracast instead of apple car play or android auto. There is also an annoying disclaimer that you need to acknowledge before the music starts playing. The rear cameras aren't the most high resolution but work well in low lighting situations. The non-adaptive guidelines are useful but not entirely accurate. The HU display is bright enough, even for sunny days.

The auto-dimming IVRM and OVRMS that fold at the press of a button are also very good to have.

I really like the look of the instrument cluster, very 2000s premium car-like with a nice soft blue glow at night.

Conclusion:

For a couple of weeks after the Altis came home, I was conflicted at the idea of having a car that wasn’t particularly fun to drive, my father is no enthusiast but he wanted something that had a powerful motor under the hood. The Altis is no driver’s car, but where it does win my heart over is in how stress-free the experience of owning an Altis is. Whenever I took the City out, ground clearance would always invariably be a concern, I would have to slow down to crawling speeds at every speed breaker and bear the brunt of impatient motorcyclists honking incessantly behind me, just one such area where the Altis offers peace of mind like nothing else. Most enthusiasts love their cars despite their shortcomings, tolerating drinking habits, droning exhausts and low ground clearance because they plaster wide grins over the driver’s faces every time they open up the throttle and see the world around them turn into blurry scenery or because of their go anywhere charisma, but there is a reason, Hyundais, Marutis and Toyotas sell as well as they do. No one grows up putting up posters of VWs and Toyotas, but they sell the most even with the affluent sheikhs of the middle east and there is a good reason for this. It’s because these cars make for incomparably reliable companions on good days and bad ones, whether it’s a work emergency to attend to or a weekend trip, you can always rely on your Toyota to get you where you need to be without the fear of being left high and dry. The Altis has grown on me in many ways and the larger majority of car owners across the globe agree with me since it’s the world’s most selling car of all time for a reason.

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