2005 Toyota Corolla LE 1.8 VVT-i from North America
Summary:
Basic and bland
Faults:
Nothing has gone wrong with the car to date. Only maintenance done was oil changes, and air filter change at 13,500 miles.
General Comments:
This car is nothing special.
It looks like a bubble, especially because my dad didn't listen to me and didn't get himself the "S" or even alloy wheels for his LE.
The a-pillars are very close together compared to my 2001 Honda civic, and all other cars I have driven.
The "sport toned exhaust" makes so much noise and it doesn't sound good.
Interior is Bland and boring. Controls are well laid out, but everything looks cheap.
Speedometer only goes to 110mph, and for me, its annoying to see that the car is usually "almost topped out"
Acceleration and cornering are peppy, but uncomfortable because of the small windshield because its so hard to see around a turn.
Trunk space is very good for a compact car.
Interior is not very roomy. I often-times find myself cramped in the back seat.
Power window controls are set too far back on the panel, almost as if they were made for midget hands. I always have to reach back to open a window.
Stereo system is nothing out of the ordinary. Has no good lows, no good highs, and in general just doesn't work as well as my Honda.
ABS system works like it should, responding quickly, and effectively. Brakes however, are on the mushy side.
Throttle is jerky; even the slightest increase in pressure off of the line, and it jerks the car.
MPG for his highway driving is about 32, and I get that in the city with my Civic.
In general, the car is good for those seeking basic transport, but don't expect this car to be sporty. It lives up to the Toyota name with reliability, but can't stay with Honda for performance. If you want more bang for your buck, and don't mind another pedal and 2 more speeds, go for the XRS model. This car gets my father to work and everywhere else he needs to go, but is definitely not a car that I would drive at 18 years old. Thanks for reading my review, and I wish you luck with the purchase you make.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd January, 2007
11th Aug 2011, 15:47
Still have the car in the family with now close to 80,000 miles. Regular maintenance, on a 3rd set of tires, still runs great. Only repairs outside of that was warranty work for a faulty ECU that threw on the check engine light and made the transmission shift VERY rough. Toyota repaired this under warranty, and apparently also replaced a fuel pump they said there was a recall for, all at no charge. I am the original reviewer.
27th Jan 2007, 23:28
My dad also recently purchased a corolla LE. I'm 26, and a car fanatic, so I'm certainly an not exactly excited by this car. However, I notice a few essential aspects of this car that make it a pleasure to tool around in (unsportingly, ofcourse) and also a few that drive me nuts.
Firstly, I think the interior is distinctly upmarket compared to some of its competition. That big wall of a center stack is distinctly Lexus-like, even if it doesn't have the superlative materials. And the elecrto-luminescent gauges are a small, yet important touch that make the car feel much less like basic transportation. Also, and most importantly, I find that the car has a surprisingly good ride. It's somewhat taught for a Toyota, yet is remarkably solid, with absolutely no squeaks and very little road/tire noise. And unlike the civic, it doesn't buck and bounce over every little pavement ripple. This, to me, is rare in this class, and makes for an overall driving impression of superlative quality. That, afterall, is what modern toyotas are all about, often at the expense of any and all driver involvement/fun.
What I really can't stand, though, is the driving position. It's no secret that this generation corolla was designed for short women after extensive marketing research. As a result, I have to crowd the pedals just to be able to reach the steering wheel, and I"m well under 6 feet tall. Also old-school is the 4 speed auto. Almost everything recently designed has a 5 speed, and the tall ratios in the corolla make for some languid acceleration if (and only if) you punch it at a speed where there's no ideal gear. For example, 2nd gear brings you well over 70 MPH, which means that a quick stab at 40 gives you 2nd gear at low revs and very little acceleration. A shame, really, since the 1.8 liter is actually quite a peppy little thing with it's torque-enhancing VVT-i. Still, though, I do like driving it in part because when I visit my parents in suburban Chicago, the only pleasure to be had from driving is a fair bit of calming isolation from the awful roads and horrendous traffic. For the money, the Corolla handles that part the best.