# Toyota Corolla or similar small cars



## HondaMotocross (Sep 4, 2006)

Hello, I am looking to get a smaller car for commuting and going riding at farther destinations as my GMC Yukon gets 14 mpg on a good day.

The Toyota Corolla is a front runner because it is rated to tow 1500lbs and that is good because i have a small 5x8 utility trailer and use it to haul my dirtbikes to the Motocross track a few times a year. 

I was just wondering if anybody has any input on the 2013 Corolla mainly on reliability and quality?


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## Bad Idea (Jun 14, 2009)

Not a corolla, but my 09 civic has been flawless as a bike hauler.

That being said, if I were you I'd look at something a little bigger with a bit more power. I haven't driven a corolla, but I've heard the civic is a hair more peppy. Regardless, I doubt it has any less power. There's no way I'd want to pull a 5x8 motorcycle trailer with it. It's slow enough with one or two bikes on the roof rack. I'm sure it could do it a few times, but it'd be miserable. 

I drive pretty much all highway and get 32-33mpg on average with a roof rack on the civic. Parents have an 07 accord that gets around the same mileage with no rack. It's a much more solid and powerful car that I wouldn't think twice about pulling a small trailer behind. I'd go for something like that and throw a hitch and hitch rack on it. Maybe a camry if you're a toyota person. 

An outback would be worth looking at as well. You'll still end up in the 30mpg range, but bump your towing capacity up another 1200lbs. Not very fun to drive though.


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

The Corolla is badly in need of a refresh. I would be looking at a Mazda3 (I own an older one, it's been flawless), Subaru Impreza, or Civic.

Plus it's ungodly boring to drive. That aside, we get like 5-6 year old ones in and they are noticably not as nice in the long run as comparable other cars. It's kind of shocking because Toyota was known for so long for reliability.

I stand to gain nothing by recommending an Impreza (Sport model would be nice, gives you the roof rails) but you'll get a solid 35-38 highway all day long. With constant AWD.


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## nyyankeesrider (Oct 3, 2005)

get a matrix. you get a small wagon that gets 35 mpg, can haul a crapload of gear,and looks good doing it.plus you can get awd.mine hauls my bikes,and at 78 in the left lane,is a smooth riding as a lexus


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## FloriDave (Jul 15, 2009)

mazda 3 hatchback would be one to look at, I love mine.

Sent from my Droid tablet using Tapatalk 2


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## RiceBandit (Mar 9, 2013)

I work at a car rental place and we just got in the '13 Corolla. Everyone like them for the gas mileages. But like someone mention, they are boring to drive. If you are going to get the Corolla, if possible, get the "S" model. More pleasant on the eye and the interior is a tad bit more stylish.


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## HondaMotocross (Sep 4, 2006)

I am looking at the S trim level.....not looking for excitement either, this car would be an appliance to get from point a to point b....i don't want backup cameras or moonroof etc.

I considered Subies, but i really dont want a CVT trans in any car i get...and manual is out of the question due to Chicagoland traffic.


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

You would take a 4 speed automatic over a CVT?? And AWD with better fuel economy than the Corolla, too?

Anyways, this isn't me championing the Impreza, it's just that there are literally better quality and better performing cars out there for the money than the Corolla. Toyota is simply riding along on the notion that people think Toyotas are super reliable, just because they were 15 years ago. I find it offensive that they don't feel the need to properly update the Corolla, knowing that people will buy the same old same old.


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## RiceBandit (Mar 9, 2013)

With the Corolla, we haven't have any issue with them, at least not yet. Only major difference in S trim is the exterior with the "body kit" enhancement and the funky steering wheel and other minor visual. One of the Corolla in my fleet is the S trim without the moon roof/sun roof and the roof mount antenna (not sure if that is an option or not). We don't allow towing with any of my fleet vehicles, so I don't know how it will do with towing.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

FloriDave said:


> mazda 3 hatchback would be one to look at, I love mine.
> 
> Sent from my Droid tablet using Tapatalk 2


I agree. A hatchback is exponentially better. Several good ones these days.


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## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

What a car is "rated" to tow, and what it will "actually" tow are not the same. In the US, they want us to think we need a 6k lb truck to tow a little boat or something:

my Bike Hauler - Chevy Sonic Owners Forum


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## HondaMotocross (Sep 4, 2006)

steadite said:


> What a car is "rated" to tow, and what it will "actually" tow are not the same. In the US, they want us to think we need a 6k lb truck to tow a little boat or something:
> 
> my Bike Hauler - Chevy Sonic Owners Forum


Nice! I really do think the 1500lb rating is conservative knowing people will push the limits....i agree in other country's they tow with sedans, but in the US there are too many lawyers that do not allow tow ratings...everyone thinks you need a Mack Semi Truck to move a refrigerator...that said i would be hanging onto the yukon for towing, at least for the time being.

The 2014 Corolla is supposedly all new, but i always like buying stuff after it has been out for a while and had all the kinks worked out....to put it in bike lingo, i would much rather buy a Garmin 800 Gps computer than the all new 810...even at the same price.

I am still looking and doing homework, and i haven't ruled out subies or any other cars for good yet. But i am leery of the new CVT technology, and it doesn't feel right while accelerating....tho i guess people would get used to it in time...


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## HondaMotocross (Sep 4, 2006)

XJaredX 
i am just curious since you deal with subarus....i have read on subaruforester.org forums the new engines that have a timing chain instead of a belt consume oil (like 1 quart every 1500 miles) have you heard anything on this or do you know anything about the validity of those claims? there are alot of people up in arms over there.. 
Also what do you think of the CVT trans long term? Were the catastrophic failures limited to Nissan CVT trans cars only? What is the highest mileage you have seen on a CVT impreza without the trans being touched? Also the CVT is covered on the 5 year 60k warranty correct?

I am really just looking for a car with good longevity more so than performance or style...i only drive 2 miles to and from work everyday, so i am barley putting on 3,000 miles annually with my yukon, but i would take a few more road trips with a more fuel efficent vehicle, so i am guessing if i got a new car weather its a civic, impreza, corolla, or mazda it would see 5,000-7,000 miles a year.....and i would expect to keep it for around 10 years


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## tednugent (Apr 16, 2009)

HondaMotocross said:


> XJari only drive 2 miles to and from work everyday


.... 2 miles? Sounds like a candidate for bike commuting.

Then keep the Yukon for hauling duties and the winter commute


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## Dirt Bringer (May 10, 2006)

HondaMotocross said:


> Hello, I am looking to get a smaller car for commuting and going riding at farther destinations as my GMC Yukon gets 14 mpg on a good day.
> 
> The Toyota Corolla is a front runner because it is rated to tow 1500lbs and that is good because i have a small 5x8 utility trailer and use it to haul my dirtbikes to the Motocross track a few times a year.
> 
> I was just wondering if anybody has any input on the 2013 Corolla mainly on reliability and quality?


Dude, get something like a Mazda 3, Subaru Impreza or Ford Focus. The Toyota Corolla is a really reliable car but its about as bland and boring as you can make a car. I mean that car literally doesn't even suck enough to be interesting, I've driven worse cars I liked better. If you want reliability get the Toyota. If you want reliability, fun and practicality get a Subaru, or possibly a Mazda. If you want fun and want to take a gamble on reliability get a Ford. I drove a focus 1200 miles, and while I can't attest to its reliability it is one of the best handling and most enjoyable cars I've ever driven. I currently own a Subaru Impreza, which narrowly won over the Focus and Mazda. Toyota Corolla...I guess if you really hate driving (and life in general) it's a good car.


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## Bad Idea (Jun 14, 2009)

HondaMotocross said:


> I only drive 2 miles to and from work everyday, so i am barley putting on 3,000 miles annually with my yukon, but i would take a few more road trips with a more fuel efficent vehicle, so i am guessing if i got a new car weather its a civic, impreza, corolla, or mazda it would see 5,000-7,000 miles a year.....and i would expect to keep it for around 10 years


Is the only thing wrong with the yukon the gas mileage?

If you bump up your driving on the yukon to 7k/year you'll spend ~$2000/year on gas @ $4/gal and 14mpg.

Assuming you'll average 36mpg out of one of the cars you're looking at that'll be $778/year

So you'll save $1222/year on gas.

But you're probably going to spend around $20k on the car. So just on gas, it'll be over 16 years before you hit the break even point.

Since you're keeping the yukon for towing you'll also now be paying for insurance and tags on two cars.

If the yukon is in decent shape I'd look pretty hard at just keeping it and sucking up the gas bill. If you talk a few friends into coming along whenever you decide to take a road trip it'll be just as cheap as a small car.


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

HondaMotocross said:


> XJaredX
> i am just curious since you deal with subarus....i have read on subaruforester.org forums the new engines that have a timing chain instead of a belt consume oil (like 1 quart every 1500 miles) have you heard anything on this or do you know anything about the validity of those claims? there are alot of people up in arms over there..
> Also what do you think of the CVT trans long term? Were the catastrophic failures limited to Nissan CVT trans cars only? What is the highest mileage you have seen on a CVT impreza without the trans being touched? Also the CVT is covered on the 5 year 60k warranty correct?
> 
> I am really just looking for a car with good longevity more so than performance or style...i only drive 2 miles to and from work everyday, so i am barley putting on 3,000 miles annually with my yukon, but i would take a few more road trips with a more fuel efficent vehicle, so i am guessing if i got a new car weather its a civic, impreza, corolla, or mazda it would see 5,000-7,000 miles a year.....and i would expect to keep it for around 10 years


I have seen zero issues with oil burning with the new engine. I used to belong to those forums but I had to bail because a lot of the posters there can be rather... eccentric?

The CVT is under the 5/60k powertrain but I honestly can't speak to it's long-term reliability, as it has only been out since MY2010. But, Subaru replaced their dead-on reliable 4 speed automatic, which they've used for a hell of a long time, with this CVT in every application now, and I can't help but think that they wouldn't have tested it to death before adapting it. Snarky comments about head gaskets aside, people buy Subarus for their reliability, not for their looks, lol.

I guess my point is, you can do far better than a Corolla, in initial value, reliability, resale value, joy of ownership, etc, by looking at a few different makes. The Corolla is just that beat by now.

But yeah, 2 mile commute, buying a new car for fuel economy with the amount of driving you do isn't economical. Even factoring in pleasure driving. Unless there are other factors you haven't told us about, like "My Yukon is 18 years old and is starting to nickel and dime me and I need something I don't have to worry about breaking down on a road trip" or something.


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## MObiker (Feb 14, 2004)

What's with all the Corolla haters. What are we talking about here, rally cars? I have a Corolla, swapped out the crappy stereo for a pioneer dvd, new speakers and a sub, it's plenty fun for me. 
Just need to figure out how to get a bike rack on it, LOL. I haul my bike with a Ford Edge! The bike fits on a hitch rack or inside.
I use the Corolla to get to work.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

My dad always had Corrollas as far back as I can recall(I know he had others before but not while I was old enough), 88, 92,96,97 all worked well to about 120k miles. The 92 was the best drivetrain when it was retired/sold but as we lived on the coast at the time it rusted out a bit. The 96 and 97 were smoking oil a bit at 100k but running decent enough. It was a good enough track record that he decided to get my sister a 2001 when she graduated college. 

That was a mistake. The engine was later part of a big to-do about the cooling system being impropperly designed and not warming up sufficiently. It wore/sludged the rings to the point of consuming almost a quart of oil every couple weeks(conservatively). When the dust settled the company recalled the engines but not for those of us who do our own oil and forget to keep ALL the recipts for the life of the car. Needless to say it was a less than favorable result and the last Corolla we ever bought. 

The reluctance I would bring up if you are wanting to pull a 5x8 which I have one also, is the stopping authority. People focus on the transmissions and power ratings when they get a trailer but a 5x8 can put a lot of force on the braking system of a car that is not designed necessarily to dissipate that much energy. When my dad got his Cobalts he also got a 4x6 trailer which works well with it but the 5x8 is the tail wagging the dog so to speak. It is a balance of vehicle sizes and weights. 

On my personal side, we just traded a 07 Suzuki SX4 awd which was quite fun to drive but cost $200/mo to pay the bank(ew) for a 1994 Ford Escort wagon. The escort needed a couple things fixed but it was only 1k to buy and 700 to fix but at 175k miles it doesn't smoke and gets 30+ mpg with some internal hatch space. In fact it's enough with the seats folded to put a full size mtb inside or on the roof rack. Easy to work on and cheap to fix.


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## Jason R (Dec 9, 2012)

Can't go wrong with the Corolla when it comes to mpgs.My wife has a 2010 and last road trip we averaged 39-44 on the highway. I do agree that it looks a bit boring but it doesn't bother me.She doesn't know it yet, but I have plans to get a 2" hitch mount installed to carry our bikes. We usually use my Nissan Frontier but it gets 18-20 on the highway.


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## RiceBandit (Mar 9, 2013)

MObiker said:


> What's with all the Corolla haters. What are we talking about here, rally cars? I have a Corolla, swapped out the crappy stereo for a pioneer dvd, new speakers and a sub, it's plenty fun for me.


I agree.



supersedona said:


> It was a good enough track record that he decided to get my sister a 2001 when she graduated college.
> 
> That was a mistake. The engine was later part of a big to-do about the cooling system being impropperly designed and not warming up sufficiently. It wore/sludged the rings to the point of consuming almost a quart of oil every couple weeks(conservatively). When the dust settled the company recalled the engines but not for those of us who do our own oil and forget to keep ALL the recipts for the life of the car. Needless to say it was a less than favorable result and the last Corolla we ever bought.


One of the downside to buying a used car, it's hard to tell how well the car has been maintence (unless you know the previous owner personally). My brother bought a brand new Corolla back in 2005 and put over 200k miles and still run and drive like how they first bought it. It all come down to how well the car was taken care of.


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## KrazyKreitzer (Aug 24, 2012)

Bad Idea said:


> Is the only thing wrong with the yukon the gas mileage?
> 
> If you bump up your driving on the yukon to 7k/year you'll spend ~$2000/year on gas @ $4/gal and 14mpg.
> 
> ...


I wish more people understood this.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

RiceBandit said:


> I agree.
> 
> One of the downside to buying a used car, it's hard to tell how well the car has been maintence (unless you know the previous owner personally). My brother bought a brand new Corolla back in 2005 and put over 200k miles and still run and drive like how they first bought it. It all come down to how well the car was taken care of.


That was not a case of abused lemon. It was bought with less than 20k miles from a reputable dealer with dealer maintenance records. Toyota refused to recall it because we did our own work after that. I know they have made some efforts to design better since then but the manner in which they handled it was the major turn off.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Bad Idea said:


> Is the only thing wrong with the yukon the gas mileage?
> 
> If you bump up your driving on the yukon to 7k/year you'll spend ~$2000/year on gas @ $4/gal and 14mpg.
> 
> ...


Indeed. I keep a 2005 Jeep liberty for the trailer pulling since it can do it well at 25mpg and let the Escort be the mileage cruiser. Rather than make one do everything sorta and specialize in mediocrity, let one be mpg and one be utility power. To combine is a much harder element to both afford and reconcile. If towing is the preference(utility side) and the short range can be handled with a bike, you may be able to get by with an older liberty or blazer for mpg improvement without getting a damaging car loan. It would be a decrease in size from the Yukon class but a Liberty can handle a class III trailer with ease and still stays well below 10k purchase.


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## RiceBandit (Mar 9, 2013)

supersedona said:


> That was not a case of abused lemon. It was bought with less than 20k miles from a reputable dealer with dealer maintenance records. Toyota refused to recall it because we did our own work after that. I know they have made some efforts to design better since then but the manner in which they handled it was the major turn off.


It doesn't have to be an abused lemon to have problems. That could of been used as prior rental and have gotten the abused from that. I work at rental office, and some of the cars don't get serviced in time and/or people abuse them. I even have some brand new cars that are already burning oil. But that is just my $.02.


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## desnaephoto (Jun 11, 2009)

We had to replace the wife's corolla due to an accident. Needed something a little bigger (kid planning) but not willing to take a hit on mpg. Ended up with a ford escape. So far, was a good compromise. I can put bike on the tow hitch or use a small trailer if needed. 

But Bad Idea hit the nail on the head. WHY get a car? So far, the economics don't support it.


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## Dimension (Sep 11, 2012)

I've had 4 Corollas, all of them went pass through 150,000 miles without any problem.
Yes, it's like an old ladies car but it truly is reliable.


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## PerthMTB (May 2, 2011)

The Corolla is a great car. Mine's a 2007 and I've got 160,000kms on it now and haven't had any major repairs, just normal servicing. We drive it all over Western Australia where we live, down rutted dirt tracks, across sand, and its never let us down. Best way to fit bikes I've found is a Thule rack that snaps onto the hatchback - attaches in seconds, and secure as anything as it has solid arms not those webbing straps that cheaper designs have...









When we go on a long camping trip and need more capacity we hitch up a small trailer...









Like you in the U.S. most round here drive big gas-guzzling V8s and 4WDs, and look down on our 'little' car, but we get the last laugh when they pull into the gas station and we sail on past! :thumbsup:


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## Eazy_E (Sep 30, 2011)

Lately, Toyota is the ultimate "Show Up Award" manufacturer. Current Toyotas are just appliances you ride in, not a car you drive. Nothing about them is "bad" really, but it's a car that invokes no passion, no thrill. It's a bland box you sit in and it's used to take you places. If you're not a driver, it'll probably be fine. If you like to make an emotional attachment to your cars, Toyota isn't for you. 

Look, I don't want to come off as a fanboi or a shill, but research Subaru. With the current gen of Subarus, you pretty much can get it all with minimal compromise. They're price competitive, reliable, lots of proprietary tech, the AWD drivetrain, and they managed to solve the fuel economy problems. My XV Crosstrek is at 32.7 lifetime average MPG for the manual transmission. The interior also doesn't suffer from "hard plastic syndrome" like a lot of cars today from Toyota and Honda. I personally would take an Impreza over a Corolla any day of the week and twice on Sunday.


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## Clownshoes (Apr 12, 2013)

From personal experience, I've never encountered a more reliable vehicle.

I bought a '99 Corolla CE new in February of that year. It has survived myself, my wife, 3 teenage boys and how now found its way back to me again with just a shade over 300,000 miles on it. 

It's not pretty and is certainly no chick magnet but if if you want something to get you out and back and do it economically, the Corolla will fit your needs.


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

Bad Idea said:


> Is the only thing wrong with the yukon the gas mileage?
> 
> If you bump up your driving on the yukon to 7k/year you'll spend ~$2000/year on gas @ $4/gal and 14mpg.
> 
> ...





KrazyKreitzer said:


> I wish more people understood this.


Everyone's situation is different. For me, I have a econo commuter car and a large SUV. I drive ~100 miles per day. The commuter is new, so there was some upfront cost. But there are several reasons why I chose to get a second car for commuting purposes.

- Less wear and tear on the SUV
- "Cheaper" maintenance. The commuter tires are ~$80/tire for good, name-brand. SUV's are $200/tire. Same goes for oil changes, brake jobs, etc.
- Better resale value retained for the SUV with lower miles.
- Resale value of the cheap commuter will always be good, so although you will spend $10-20k up front, you can get most of that back. Check resale values on Honda, Toyota and Subaru. Almost crazy how well they retain their value. Miles/depreciation ratio is much better on the commuter than the SUV.
- Great to have a second car in case the other car breaks down.

I think even if I were driving only 3-5k miles per year, I would still be really pissy every time I pull up to the gas station. Like Hondamotocross, I would definitely be more apt to take road trips if I had a more fuel efficient car. My Honda gets 40MPG and can take 3-4 MTB's. Not as comfortable on the road, but I love seeing 400 miles on the odo and 10 gal on the receipt.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

Clownshoes said:


> I bought a '99 Corolla CE new in February of that year. It has survived myself, my wife, 3 teenage boys and how now found its way back to me again with just a shade over 300,000 miles on it.


Mine must have been the exception to the rule. My '01 CE started burning more than a quart of oil every 3k miles (common issue with that engine), and the mpg definitely went down to the mid to upper 20s after a couple of years. In addition, it's on it's 2nd transmission because the synchros wore out prematurely on the original.

Current Toyota is definitely not the same as the Toyota from the 90's that people still refer to as the maker of ultra reliable cars. I drove a '13 Corolla as a rental and it doesn't hold a candle to even a Hyundai or Kia. Very basic options, very bland interior and exterior, and just overall uncomfortable to drive.


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## Eazy_E (Sep 30, 2011)

matadorCE said:


> Current Toyota is definitely not the same as the Toyota from the 90's that people still refer to as the maker of ultra reliable cars. I drove a '13 Corolla as a rental and it doesn't hold a candle to even a Hyundai or Kia. Very basic options, very bland interior and exterior, and just overall uncomfortable to drive.


100% truth. The KIA Optima or the Hyundai Sonata are really nice cars. What you get for $21K base is really amazing. Compared to even five years ago, KIA and Hyundai have essentially turned water into wine.

Ignore the name plate, which one looks better?

KIA Optima:









Toyota Corolla:


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

The Kia Optima is a heck of a nice car. Also had that as a rental for about 4 days and put it through its paces in the highway and city driving. Very comfortable, nice to drive with good steering feel and good power, good gas mileage and just overall felt solid and more 'upmarket' than it was supposed to be.


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