drove 2009 corolla yesterday

[Armstrong]

parents hired the 2009 corolla from the airport so i thought id test drive it out, being the case that it was in the drive way at home :D

It was horrible!! :(

1.Couldnt see over the dash because the nose was soo sloped. (no im not short for anyone that was curious)

2.The dash is was too long (what a waste of space that could have been put to better use)

3. got these little tiny small windows just infront of the side mirrors....looks kinda gay.

4.Exterior looks fine except there is no boot so if your sitting in the back and somone crashes into you...your definalty dead.

5. interior looks cheap.

I dont know about the more expensive models of the 2009 corolla but the ascent looks very flimsy. I recon the older corolla's are better designed than the 2009.

Edited January 27, 2009 by RAV3R

[KevO]

its probably cos youre not use to it yet. i own the zre ascent but the 08 model which is pretty much the same as the 09 model.

*its true that u cant see your bonnet or how close you are to someone but ive adapted to that and judged for myself how close i am to people.

*the interior isnt too bad but the levin looks way better since they have the different dash instruments, climate control and push to start button.

*the boot is quite small as i have realised, but a driver needs to have driven pretty fast to reach the rear passengers.

* those little windows i dont think act as any purpose but once its tinted, it doesnt look too bad

* as for the dash, it is long but its their design and the front of the car isnt that long anyways

[IMB055]

Interesting to hear. BlackNight's example probably addresses many of the concerns you had in terms of styling.

I have never rented one, whenever the opportunity arises (such as two weeks ago for a mate's bucks party) I generally go for a long wheelbase luxury car, like a Statesman or Fairlane. Doesn't cost much extra at all to get something with leather, climate and an interior that takes five adults easily and a boot that can take three bodies..... (joking)

Also, it's something I'd never buy to keep for myself.

Using rentals to get a feel for a model isn't a bad way to go though. You can give the car a decent run without any real pressure or followup phone calls!

One other thing they are great for is accelerated wear testing - or seeing what bits wear out on a car! For example, Mitsubishi Outlanders ahve very cheap and thin carpet. I rented one last year with 35ks on it had a hole in the carpet. I asked the guy at the rental place about it, and he said it was pretty much normal for that model!!!

[Ascendant Rice]

i own an 07 ascent and what you say angers me :(

1. your not supposed to be able to see teh hood.

2. big dash make you feel cosy thats why the ****er is so high up so u feel like ure in your own little comfort zone :)

3. the frotn window thing is used for styling so that the window looks sleek.

4. wouldnt the car jump forward with an impact like that???

5. personally i like the look of the interrior futuristic and *****.

but its your opinion and i respect it.

[Leroy]

6. It had trouble getting to 180km/h

:P

[Dav0]

6. It had trouble getting to 180km/h

:P

[Cappuccino]

The window in the side is there for a purpose, see you can see behind the a pillar. I have had a few close calls in the Corolla when i first got it because I couldnt really see around it! (Was use to the cappa)

EDIT: Meant window not mirror *doh*

Edited January 27, 2009 by Cappuccino

[Ascendant Rice]

6. It had trouble getting to 180km/h

:P

x2

[DJKOR]

Well, I have had to drive an '08 Corolla and didn't find much to complain about. The only thing I could really complain about is the slight lack of power, but this was only really noticed when having to overtake others.

In my opinion, every car differs. If you drive one for a little bit, you eventually get used to its feel. Some cars are tricky at first to gauge how close you are to cars and obstacles in front, but this is something you get used to. With my car, I had to drive the first couple of weeks with my seat height adjusted a little bit on the high side. Over time, this eventually went down, and now my seat is at its lowest position.

As for the dash being large, it all comes down to the design of the car. By the way the engine sits and the position of the firewall, the dash can end up being quite large. It's not really that much of a waste of space, since if you cut out the 'extra' from the top of it, you don't gain anything in return.

And I would say you need to be rear ended pretty damn hard for your rear occupants to be killed on impact. You would be surprised how things crumple in an accident.

Each to their own though. Everyone has different opinions on different cars.

[Armstrong]

6. It had trouble getting to 180km/h

:P

hahah dam right... i couldn't get it to do 180km in reverse lol

i guess its just me....they drive fine so i cant say anything about performance. I guess its just preference on what people like about the exterior and interior. Im not complaining about all the 2009 corolla's.......just the one i drove.

Edited January 27, 2009 by RAV3R

[le.vinh.zr]

I personally hate how the mirror switch is in such a awkward position, why can't it be on the arm rest!

Vinh

[juvenile]

parents hired the 2009 corolla from the airport so i thought id test drive it out, being the case that it was in the drive way at home :D

It was horrible!! :(

1.Couldnt see over the dash because the nose was soo sloped. (no im not short for anyone that was curious)

2.The dash is was too long (what a waste of space that could have been put to better use)

3. got these little tiny small windows just infront of the side mirrors....looks kinda gay.

4.Exterior looks fine except there is no boot so if your sitting in the back and somone crashes into you...your definalty dead.

5. interior looks cheap.

I dont know about the more expensive models of the 2009 corolla but the ascent looks very flimsy. I recon the older corolla's are better designed than the 2009.

Dont forget this car is 12yrs after yours,alot has happened and they have to cram the safety equipment somewhere.. It was designed from the inside out that why its so roomy,slimmer seats,flat rear floor and everything pushed away from occupants..I went from an AE92 after 14yrs straight into one of these and still getting used to it.. It does feel big inside and everything else ive driven since buying it feels small..But its still a Corolla and i like it.Just a car that cant be thrown around as much as an AE, Well not yet anyway :D

[Dead]

Does the Taco Meter go up to 6000rpm?

If so, yet again, that's a lot of Taco's:

[DJKOR]

^ LOL. First impressions really do last.

[Armstrong]

DJKOR...sadly it does

[Blind Kid Seeks]

Does the Taco Meter go up to 6000rpm?

If so, yet again, that's a lot of Taco's:

heheehehe

love this

[Armstrong]

Does the Taco Meter go up to 6000rpm?

If so, yet again, that's a lot of Taco's:

heheehehe

love this

man i wouldnt mind having a taco now seeing that picture lol :P

[Leroy]

Just a reminder that the taco was MINE!!!

Nelson is paying me royalties.

[LevinEuro]

Lucky you got to drive one, I've never driven this model Corolla, but I love the look of them, the exterior & interior both look heaps good.

[eviltwin]

i find that whole styling really hard to like , but that said it's aquired taste , and also personal preference. i think they stoped looking nice after the first/ second gen sportivos but once again this is a personal belief. i to like the older corollas , not because i own a couple just because thats me. In my eyes you simply can't beat the look of an AE82 Twincam hatchback on the floor with a set of dished wheels and a tough exhaust , then theres the amber instrumentation and the leather wrapped bits and bobs aswell as the tacky interior and seat trim with all of the classic faults that give them the character everyone loves. BUT that said the new corollas are said to be really good cars but how good? only time will tell , if they live up to their older brothers and sisters cars that seemingly last forever through thick and thin with the standardised neglect that most owners give the poor things.

My nan owns an 04 accent and i thought it wasn't bad inside , seems a bit plastic fantastic but so does every other mass produced car so its much of a muchness. remeber that people that drove older toyotas would most prob have thought this about AE101 corollas when they came out , and so on and so forth , times change and so do peoples taste , requirements , lifestyle and everything that makes a car sell.

P.S - im not out to offend anyone just voicing a general oppinion so take it as you will and discuss ;)

[whitestivo]

AE82 hatch - great, classic

AE92 hatch - great, equally great

AE... err, not so good

AE... the one with the turbo sportivo, at least they tried

ZZE - top marks

ZRE.. what were they thinking.

whitestivo

[Armstrong]

AE82 hatch - great, classic

AE92 hatch - great, equally great

AE... err, not so good

AE... the one with the turbo sportivo, at least they tried

ZZE - top marks

ZRE.. what were they thinking.

whitestivo

hey!!!...i got an AE hahahah

[KevO]

zre's arent that bad, great cars to drive actually

[Speedz]

wat about the NVH levels?

alot of ppl stating on other forums that the 'rollas have poor NVH for the price they are asking, nevermind if the car is intended to be sporty or have great chassis potential to turn it into a rice machine...

Edited January 31, 2009 by Speedz

[JJCRU23R]

ive heard this general rule of thumb ever since i started driving, regardless of whichever car you drive (ive driven ford laser, 98 and 03 corolla, 98 celica, 75 and 100 series landcruisers) that you are "close enough" to the car in front of you when the lowest you can see is the bottom of the bumperbar. so even if you can only see the dash and not the hood, you keep a safe distance from whatever is in front of you.

(sorry couldnt condense my post into shorter explanation.. i tried).