15th Jun 2011, 15:28
Yes, I too strongly recommend researching any car before buying it. From what I've read, newer Toyotas don't seem as well made as older models (early 1990's and earlier), seems like they're not building them as good as they used to (cheaper materials, poor design, etc).
For your next car I'd suggest something older but cheaper, you may have a few things go wrong but you'll still save money over financing a new car.
15th Jun 2011, 23:08
The Corolla is the most boring car I have ever known. How the people still buy them these days (with so many greater choices out there) is a real mystery to me!
And please don't tell me it's reliable; they are not any better than other Japanese/Korean/US cars in the class at all.
27th Jul 2011, 06:44
I'm sorry to hear so much negativity towards Corollas. These cars in the past were built to last long, be reliable and low maintenance. Most models built in the 90's are die hard; I'm speaking not only from research, but actual experience; I own a 98 Corolla. Research is the key. I did prefer to buy an older model versus new, because the quality has gone down based on my research.
27th Jul 2011, 22:17
I'm following my friend to drop off his 2009 Corolla at the shop for major repairs Friday. It is just out of the mileage part of the warranty, and is literally falling apart. It is having something go wrong every couple of weeks now.
In recent comparisons, the Corolla finishes dead last against all competitors. Motor Trend ranks the Ford Focus best in that class. My friend plans to sell his Corolla to someone who is still not aware that Toyota is no longer very good, and buy either a Ford Focus or Hyundai Elantra. Since many people don't appear aware of how bad Toyota has become, hopefully he can recoup some of his losses on it.
28th Jul 2011, 13:17
Heeeeerrre we go again with the "I hate imports!" stuff. Boy does it get old, especially when none of it is based on fact. The FACT is that Toyota still ranks in the top 3 in terms of reliability, and the Corolla still ranks at the top of that list overall.
29th Jul 2011, 19:41
Actually as of 2008, Ford has had the world's most reliable car (Lincoln). Toyota is way down the list, and the Corolla ranks dead last in every small car comparison I've read on the 2011 models. One major magazine, in rating the Corolla 8th out of 8 cars tested, referred to it as "A to B transportation... with nothing in between." It was referred to as "boring", "antiquated", "unsophisticated", and a few other rather derogatory terms. Nowhere has it EVER been called "best" by any reviewer. None of them are that blind or biased.
23rd Jun 2012, 19:23
Whoever said that Toyota is in the top 3 for reliability is incorrect. Both Consumer Reports and JD Power have been ranking Toyotas near the bottom for some years now.
It's not "import-bashing" if it's true. Apparently, when a domestic car has a problem that's taken as gospel, but when someone reports on an import having a problem, they're just "import-bashing." Give me a break.
25th Jun 2012, 20:15
Commenter 19:23 has it right. Pointing out the many many faults of imports is "import bashing", and daring to compliment the well-built and highly reliable newer domestics is "biased". Please explain the inconsistency of being the "best" cars, while having more recalls than any car maker in the history of the known universe.
26th Jun 2012, 10:12
The latest 2012 reports show the following 4 automakers at the top of the lists in regards to overall reliability:
1: Subaru
2: Mazda
3: Toyota
4: Honda
5: Nissan
So in other words, pretty much the same lineup thereabouts as it has been for the past several decades. End of story.
27th Jun 2012, 11:45
What's the publication? As far as we know, it's something penned by you! To have an end of story, it has to start somewhere, and facts have to incorporated into it.
27th Jun 2012, 15:38
Care to mention your sources? Probably not... LOL.
Completely irrelevant either way, as most all these companies do not make full size trucks, cargo vans, commercial vehicles, or fleet trucks, which are the most common vehicles on the road.
Perhaps for small cars, yes, so that information should be stated.
27th Jun 2012, 16:34
Here we go again, back and forth. Mine's better than yours, and so on and so forth.
28th Jun 2012, 10:22
Open a web browser and type in " Most reliable automakers for 2012", and there will literally be thousands and thousands of results showing the list. It's easy. Again - facts generally prevail.
29th Jun 2012, 13:28
Type in consumeraffairs.com then type in Toyota make and year. And then read braking, sludging, air bags etc.
29th Jun 2012, 13:42
I own domestics (honestly) and I just googled "best automakers", and the list in an above comment comes from a leading (if not the leading consumer magazine).
What surprised me is that Ford dropped from 5th to 10th, and my brand Chrysler ranked dead last.
I still like my Chrysler!
29th Jun 2012, 15:42
I always get a laugh out of these "check the internet for facts" replies. One import owner cited a website about how "dangerous" the Ford Pinto was. I actually checked the website and it stated that there were a total of TWENTY THREE fire deaths out of TWO MILLION Pintos sold. It also stated that the percentage of fires with imports was GREATER for comparable models than for the Pinto. These "most reliable" lists are very unreliable, and probably put out by the Japanese auto industry. My family has owned both imports and domestics for many years. No import (German or Japanese) has ever been as reliable as a Ford, GM or Chrysler vehicle.
29th Jun 2012, 18:18
My story started when a 2009 RAV-4 was left to me by a deceased family member.
The same story ended about a year and half later when I ran it through an auction because the transmission was on its way out. This was after a few other unnecessary repairs.
These are supposed to be reliable?... "sloppy!"...
15th Jun 2011, 13:01
Research is a MUST in buying a car. One recent compact car test ranks Corolla dead last, and one other test didn't even bother to test the Corolla. Hyundai took the top spot in both those tests.
In the Initial Quality Survey (IQS), which is based on actual problems encountered with cars in the first few months of ownership, Toyota ranks near the bottom (21st out of 33 car makers). That is a very poor showing.
Over the years ad hype has created a myth that Japanese brands are more reliable. Probably never true, and certainly no longer true. Ford currently holds the title of World's Most Reliable Car with its Lincoln brand. That is based on a three-year long-term survey of actual problems reported with each brand. It's not a subjective opinion, it's documented fact.
People spending a lot of money on cars (and these days ANY car is a lot of money) need to spend time researching actual facts (not opinions) regarding the cars they are considering. Too many people are swayed by ad hype, friends who know little about cars, or erroneous information they encounter in various types of media. There are thousands of car myths out there, such as the myth that running your A/C uses no more gas (not true), or that using premium gas doesn't boost power and mileage (not true). Try to use sources that are accurate and based on factual data before investing huge amounts of your hard-earned money into something you may regret.