I purchased this car after trading in my Suzuki Vitara due to engine problems on that Vitara that the dealer would not acknowledge much less fix. I was interested in a small 4 door model that got good mileage and would be reliable.

I paid 14,500 for this LE model (power windows, CC, Tilt wheel, CD player, heavy duty heater group, AC, automatic)

The color is desert sand mica, a nice neutral color that more or less hides the dirt.

Pros
*Excellent build quality, everything was in its place, all seams lined up perfectly.
*Peppy 130 HP VVTi engine.
*Responsive 4 speed automatic.
*Easy to read instrument panel
*Logical HVAC and radio controls.
*Spacious trunk.
*Oft replaced sensors on the engine like the MAF, MAP, Crank and cam sensors are externally mounted thus easy to replace.
*Engine has a timing chain, not a belt, thus needs to replacement for the life of the car.
*Very good brakes with an easy to modulate pedal.
*Very good headlights with ample downroad illumination.
*returns 27 MPG in winter, town driving, with high rolling resistance snow tires.
*Solid unibody structure; no creaks or rattles.
*Excellent IHS crash ratings.

Cons
*A/C lacks capacity on the hottest days, must run in recirc mode to keep from sweating
*Ditto for the heater, very slow to warm up. Unusual because this is an aluminum block/head engine and this design normally heats up faster than cast iron designs.
*Weird CC that "loses" memory setting if you go below 25 MPH. This is not a flaw but rather a design feature that makes no sense to me.
*DRL Some may hail this as the be-all-end-all to driving but I still prefer to control the headlights. Often, in rapidly changing light conditions, the DRL relay will click and the dash lights go bright, dim, bright, dim and on and on until I give up and turn the darn headlights on.
*Lousy stock tires. Nothing new here. I have yet to drive a new vehicle, foreign or domestic, that had good OEM tires.
*Needs special Toyota Trans fluid. Means you simply can't go to sprawl mart and get a 69 cent quart of the cheap stuff.
*Ditto for the antifreeze however most aluminum block/head engines require this so Toyota is not alone here.
*Weak rear window defroster, more attuned to clearing condensation than ice.

Driving impressions
Overall, this little car is quite nice to drive. While marketed as a small car with unpretentious goals, it handles and drives like a car costing thousands more. This is where Toytota "gets it". Realizing that they could either grow customers for Camry's or Buicks, Toyota builds a solid, dependable if boring, econocar with ease.

The motor is rather noisy on startup and on acceleration. I attribute this to the VVTi design (Variable valve technology with intelligence). With this design, when you get on the accelerator, there is an oil control valve that displaces a pin under the lobes on the intake cam which effectively increases intake valve lift and duration. More fuel + air = more power. That is why this is indeed a peppy engine, especially at mid range speeds.
When warm, it purrs along unless you really hammer it then it makes its 4 cylinder origins known with a vengeance.

Handling is sound, not exciting. This is NOT a ricer car to be raced around the high school parking lot but rather a vanilla town car. As such, it does not like to be hustled into corners although it will comply albeit with a lot of lean and understeer.
Brakes are fine. They will haul down the Corolla from mile a minute speeds with no fade pull or other dramas. I do not have antilock and yes, like any other car it will slide in snow.

The ride is well, ok for a small car. This of course is not a Lexus and its solid beam axle in the rear does not bespeak sophisticated design. However, Toyota did a good job tuning the suspension for a good overall ride. With three people, you feel the weight but the ride does settle down a bit. Only when you cross broken railroad crossings do you remember you're driving a small car. Smooth pavement brings about an serene sense of quiet....unless you stomp the gas. When a single person is in the car, like me, it does tend to "hobby horse" on the springs when traversing moderate undulating pavement. Such is typical of short wheelbase vehicles.

Overall noise is on par for this class. If you are crusing along and driving moderately, its really pretty quiet. However, the engine makes itself known anything beyond a midway poke at the accelerator. Likewise, coarse pavement will force you to turn up Howard Stern lest you prefer to hear road noise. I attribute this to the stock Bridgestone tires as I have ridden in other Corollas with aftermarket tires and the difference is obvious as night and day.

Convenience....well, this ain't no minivan so don't plan on finding a nook for all your junk. However, there are two round cupholders in the console, a tip out compartment on the left side of the steering wheel, two drawers below the HVAC controls and two back seat pockets. The center console has a shallow top opening but raising that whole unit reveals a deeper storage area with a 12V outlet.
The front doors have a storage area below the armrests.
The controls are first rate, nothing really fancy or high tech here just good rotary knobs for HVAC, nice easy to see buttons for the radio/CD unit, and clearly labled wiper and turn signal stalks.

The front bucket seats are ok. I am a tall man and as such, I demand a lot from seats. The Toyota slightly disappoints in this area. Lower back support is non-existent and thigh support is there in name only. Why do automakers build seats for 50lb kids? What happened to springs and support? Perhaps they assume we won't be spending too much time behind the wheel! At any rate, I don't single Toyota out here; save for BMW and Mercedes cars, I have yet to park my posterior in a comfortable seat in modern cars.
I cannot comment on the back seat and it could be a park bench for all I care.....I don't ride back there!

Overall, this is a soundly designed, properly executed small car. No more, no less. It's about as exciting as vanilla ice cream but that's ok. If I want adventure, I'll buy an american car.


Amount Paid (US$): 14500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
Model and Options: LE automatic