New Toyota Corrolla

[pops572]

Wife is wanting a new car and this has peaked her interest, I however know nothing about them. Have always been a Chevy or Ford man. Anyone have any input on them. We have 2 small children. 4 and 4 months. I am a big guy 6'1" 300lbs will there be enough room for me and the kids when I have to drive? Toyota trucks have a good track record, what about the Corrolla? Any input is greatly appreciated.

[peejman]

It'll be snug, but ok for infrequent use. Take both kids and their car seats with you to the dealer. Test fit everything to make sure you're happy with it. The 4 yr old will likely need to be behind your wife so he'll have some leg room. The baby carrier may not allow you to put the driver's seat all the way back. The biggest pain will be getting the kiddies in/out. Otherwise, they're good cars. Keep up with the maintenance and they'll last a long time.

[pops572]

She,s got a Jeep Patriot now, and thats kinda the way it is. But the 4 month old is behind her because the carrier takes up more room than the 4 yr olds booster.

[1gewehr]

Corolla has an excellent reputation for reliability. I've never been uncomfortable in the front seat. I'm 6'2", 250lbs, and just had a 2012 Corolla as a rental for four days last month. It's an OK car with no bad habits. It's not flashy or sporty. But it's solid transportation that you can depend on for many years.

Renting is a great way to test drive a car for more than five minutes. Before buying, I'd recommend that you spend $100 renting three different cars for a full day each. For you, I'd drive the Corolla, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, and Honda Civic. My personal favorite in that class is the Mazda3. It's pretty zippy, but not the best for small children.

Here's a good comparison on the Corolla vs it's competitors.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1107_best_selling_compact_sedan_comparison/viewall.html

[TMF]

I've had them a few times for rentals. Last time was 2009. I'm 5' 10'' 175 lb and found it to be a little too compact... maybe it was the ergonomics of it, but even when backed off from the steering wheel my knees were touching the dash underneath. Perhaps they've changed it on the newer models. I'd test drive it with the car seats in there to get a feel for it.

[LagerHead]

Are you looking at new or used? You can find some excellent deals on certified pre-owned cars if you look. All of the main stream Toyotas are excellent in terms of quality but I would think that a corolla might be a bit tight for a family of four. And I would think that the suspension would be straining if you were taking it on a trip and packed the trunk with luggage and diapers, etc.

[Caster]

We just bought a new Camry. I dunno her budget but it's worth a looksee.

My opinion is biased though. I think Toyota builds the best vehicles [a working man's] money can buy. Far better than any of the domestic three turds have to offer. The wife's new car has free maintenance for 100K and a lifetime warranty on the engine and transmission.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Caster

[jon29253]

I had a 2002 Corolla that got 30-35 mpg all day long. Close to 40 mpg under the right conditions.

[peejman]

Come to think of it, you might look at the Nissan Versa hatchback. The back seat is positively enormous! A 6'3" friend fit in the back seat with leg room to spare. Like the others... not real flashy but good basic transportation. I had one as a rental for a week in FL, no complaints.

When had our 2nd, we bought a mini-van. Wifey was not happy about the idea at first, but she loves it now. It's huge and its so much easier to get the kids (4 & 2) in/out than a car.

[Guest nysos]

I had a rental for a few days when I was across country on training and it was a new corolla. I am surprised at the amount of power out of the little 4banger engines these days compared to those of the 90s. Much more responsive on the throttle up to 50ish mph. I used to not want to own any small liter 4 banger due to how some of the interstate driving is around here (have to be able to get up and go most of the time) and considered something with more power a little safer. I am in the saving process for a new vehicle and the toyotas are on my mind, partly because of how surprised I was at the rental I had.

[Guest nysos]

Come to think of it, you might look at the Nissan Versa hatchback. The back seat is positively enormous! A 6'3" friend fit in the back seat with leg room to spare. Like the others... not real flashy but good basic transportation. I had one as a rental for a week in FL, no complaints.

For room, yes the versa is ok - but I wouldn't own one. About half of my company's vehicles are versas and I can say I wouldn't want to own one. I have definitely spent my fair share of time driving in them. They just aren't built very well in my opinion compared to a more expensive nissan. I love nissans and would love to own a rogue or murano - even the maximas or altimas, but I wouldn't dare think about owning a versa.

Edited August 23, 2012 by nysos

[pops572]

We are looking new. Trying to stay under 20k, 22500 is her cap. Base Camry would fit, but are they worth the extra over the Corrolla? Rivergate Toyota has several Corrollas at 18, nicely equipped.

[Guest jwrench75]

We rented a corolla back in July on vacation in panama city. Drove it around for five days and no real complaints with it. Youngest of two kids was in a booster seat. Car had decent power yet it only used about 5-6 gallons of gas for the week and that was constantly running the a-c. I liked that the stereo had Bluetooth built in. At our first stopping point after picking it up I linked it to my phone and had my own 70 hours worth of music to choose from, or could stream music from all the internet radio stations or whatever. If I were in the market for a car, I would strongly consider it.

[RichardR]

I don't fit very well into my mom's Corolla but then again I am used to driving a full-sized Silverado, her Corolla is definately better than her Lexus but it still feels cramped to me (I am 6'1" 185lbs).

[Will Carry]

I bought my wife a new Corolla when she retired. I'm 6'2" 220lbs and I fit in it just fine. It gets great gas mileage and has never needed any maintenance repairs. It is her third Corolla. They are great little cars.

[Murgatroy]

First, let me preface this by stating that I am a Toyota Faithful. I am also a Ford fan.

I have been driving my heavily modified Celica for twelve or so years. Granted, it isn't stock, or anywhere near it anymore, but that isn't the point.

I have owned a half dozen or so Toyotas, Mainly Celicas and Corollas of various years.

Last time I checked the Corolla was the best selling car in the world. You don't get there for free.

Toyotas are a great car, last forever and retain their resale value better than most of the others out there.

Kudos to getting a smaller car which is more efficient, but you have to take into account that it is a smaller car. We are a family of three, our daughter is six. Using my Celica (2 door) is a nightmare for all of us. We fit, and we are mostly comfortable, but crawling in and out is not fun. Hell, just me crawling in and out isn't fun. I am 6' at 180. I do have plenty of room once inside though.

I have had the same problem with my Corollas. If I get into the car at the same time as someone else (using my wife as an example...) we have been known to knock heads. Quite literally.

Now, the later Corollas are a bit larger, more powerful and equally fuel efficient. So that might not be a problem.

We have an Explorer as our family vehicle (comparable to your Patriot) and we all ride very well, with plenty of room to spare. We are currently looking to add another car to the stable for my wife to drive that gets better fuel economy. We have been through the motions, read the reviews and at the end of the day (Blue Oval loyalty aside) we are leaning most heavily toward a Focus. The Focus hatch as more room than any Corolla I have owned (except the wagon that my wife HATED) and rates as highly as the Corolla in all reviews I have read. It also rates higher than anything made with a Bowtie or a Pentastar too. We all have enough room to be comfortable, and it nearly doubles the fuel economy of the truck (what we call Penelope the Pig, since she is an Explorer that was still based on a frame...)

We will be keeping the truck, as it has a lot of good uses, and is 4WD. I will be keeping Chaos, my Celica. But we will add the Focus as a third car for my wife to run her errands and drive back and forth to work. I was really hoping to sway her toward a Fusion (the 2013s just look awesome) but she wouldn't have it.

All said, a Toyota isn't a bad choice at all, just make sure you all fit.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Murgatroy

[pops572]

Well she got a Camry. Black LE. The Corrolla just wasnt big enough, not gaining enough to make the deal worth it. Tha Camry on the other hand is huge compared.

[southernasylum]

You'll love the Camry. They stay comfortable wih age. I just gave away a 2000 model with 230k miles on it. I'm sure it has many more years of service left in it.

-southernasylum

[Good_Steward]

I don't know what price point you're at, but I am a big guy (6'6/265) and the Corolla did not work for me. Piece of advice for a big guy with 2 kids in the compact class: Subaru Forester. Wife has one, and we love it. plenty of room for me to drive, and kids in the back.

[Erik88]

My GF has a 2002 Corolla. Let me just say that they are much better cars NOW. I think it might be a little snug for a family four but definitely doable.

We recently picked up a 2012 Rav4 and qualified for 0.9%APR so there are definitely good deals out there. Good luck!

[hornett22]

I won't drive anything but toyota. I don't buy new either but I'm a mechanic.

I'm driving a 1984 Tercel 4wd wagon now . I don't even know how many miles are on it anymore. LOL

Wife has a 04 4runner with 110k on it. I had to replace the water pump at about 90k and other than that it's been trouble free.