my uncertainty about sportivo

[losties]

hi im a new member although i dont have a corolla, i am thinking about getting one, to be honest i dont know anything about them

so i was hoping that all you corolla experts can lend me a hand. to be exact i've been eyeing this corolla My link i was excited to see it on carsale for that price, but at the same time when i was browsing through the "sportivo issues" thread it made me feel uneasy whether i can trust it or not. the car on the ad is already above my budget but i thought it was nice and might be worth spending the money on. now my question is does all the sportivo have those gear issue and other related issues. i've already checked the VIN plate of the car and its AHT which is south african made im assuming.

i'm usually a honda person and have always trusted in them but i wanted something abit different and stylish, this is sorta my first real car and i wanted it to last for a while. also correct me if i am wrong here that insurance for one of these things would be around 1.5k - 2.5k? since its a sport's car.

sorry if this is the place to post it, and thank you for reading my thread :)

Edited July 15, 2011 by losties

[Kenshin X]

hi im a new member although i dont have a corolla, i am thinking about getting one, to be honest i dont know anything about them

so i was hoping that all you corolla experts can lend me a hand. to be exact i've been eyeing this corolla My link i was excited to see it on carsale for that price, but at the same time when i was browsing through the "sportivo issues" thread it made me feel uneasy whether i can trust it or not. the car on the ad is already above my budget but i thought it was nice and might be worth spending the money on. now my question is does all the sportivo have those gear issue and other related issues. i've already checked the VIN plate of the car and its AHT which is south african made im assuming.

i'm usually a honda person and have always trusted in them but i wanted something abit different and stylish, this is sorta my first real car and i wanted it to last for a while. also correct me if i am wrong here that insurance for one of these things would be around 1.5k - 2.5k? since its a sport's car.

sorry if this is the place to post it, and thank you for reading my thread :)

ALL sportivos have the AHT vin number. as ALL of them are made in SA.

most of the models and this is a prefacelift had those problems. but the only way u know if its been through a recall is that u have to ask for reciepts and drive it urself. 9 million kms? ROFL yeah its a nice car to drive and mine hasnt given me any problems since i got it so i'm one of the lucky ones :)

[razzmadazz]

hi!

Im no expert in the field, but I'll share with you my experience. My first official car was a 05 corolla sportivo. When I bought it had very little knowledge and the issues raised were concerning. However at the end of the day it really depends on what you are after yourself. I was looking for P Plate friendly cars that still give power, and I was also a Honda person. Honda's became out of my budget so I then looked around and found the corolla sportivo that runs a celica engine. After owning it for not too long I didn't have too many problems with, small problems that were easily fixed or aren't important enough to be worth fixing. The first big problem was the gearbox, that I struggled to shift during high RPM, after looking around there were lots of solutions available + if you drive it normally there should be not many problems(none I found so far). It's a very good regular drive, it's a 4 door hatch so very good with the family as well. Comfortable leather, lots of goodies inside tbh..

Hope it helps!

[eviltwin]

Most guys have the shifting issue but i reckon half of the time it's the fact that they aren't driving the car the way it should be driven... It's quite hard for me to comment as i drive my car very tamely as it's my daily but i did change the gearbox oil and run a Nulon treatment which improved it alot.

The Sportivos are one of those cars where you pay for what you get, With the Km's on this one id definatly go and have it thoroughly inspected especially with the TRD stickers and bits and bobs it's definatly something i wouldn;t touch.. but that said it could still be a great car.

If it was me id be buying something else if the 10k example is out of your budget as that really is the lower end of the scale... Toyotas are very very reliable so something a little older would still be suitable , what about a 4AGE powered corolla import like an AE111 Levin with a 20V motor?

My 2 Cents..

[P_T]

Funny enough when I was looking at civic type R I came across gear problems associated with it.

Bad batch in the mass production perhaps.

[lateralus]

that sportivo has been on carsales for quite a while now, too.

[2times]

i my self am new to owning an 03 stivo, i got mine for a very good price. but that turned out to be for a reason...

me and a knowledgeable friend of mine checked the car out, we spent a good while checking everything and took it for a decent drive and it seemed all good, we came to the conclusion it might be a bit of a gamble because of the relatively low price and minor inconsistencies but from what we could see at the time the odds SEEMED in my favour so i bought it. but after a few days of driving and stuffing around with the car it came out that the car had had a fairly large repair done on it even though it was not on any revs or RTA records... for that price i would be very wary of it, and if you dont want to take a gamble then dont....

so far though my car has been awesome to drive with out any major fault, im quite happy with my purchase... sure i know its been repaired and the interior has rattles but it drives perfect and has awesome economy for the zip it has. moral is cheap sportivos are cheap for a reason.

[lateralus]

the car had had a fairly large repair done on it even though it was not on any revs or RTA records... for that price i would be very wary of it, and if you dont want to take a gamble then dont.....

keep in mind that it there will only ever be anything on REVS if it is declared written off or stolen. contrary to popular belief, there isn't some big database of accidents and repair jobs done to every car

[losties]

thank you to everyone that has replied, i am considering just saving up abit more before i purchase it or so. :) i am going to be more cautious when trying

to find a cheap price sportivo. i have some questions about making a sportivo look like a levin ZRE in terms of appearance, but those questions will have to be posted another time

and thanks again :D

[P_T]

I ended up buying a brand new 2010 Corolla and now I'm about to send it back to the dealer for a major gear parts replacement on Monday. I was told it'll take one and a half or two days. Not sure if it's the gear or clutch problem.

[Matty P]

I ended up buying a brand new 2010 Corolla and now I'm about to send it back to the dealer for a major gear parts replacement on Monday. I was told it'll take one and a half or two days. Not sure if it's the gear or clutch problem.

But at least you had new car warranty to fall back on!

Never a good idea to go over your budget on a car that is very likely to need money spent on it. Better to save for a nice example or look at something else.

GIven that you're a Honda guy have you considered a Civic VTi-R or something like that? Not sure how their reliability compares to the Sportivo, but they are a nice drive.

[losties]

I ended up buying a brand new 2010 Corolla and now I'm about to send it back to the dealer for a major gear parts replacement on Monday. I was told it'll take one and a half or two days. Not sure if it's the gear or clutch problem.

But at least you had new car warranty to fall back on!

Never a good idea to go over your budget on a car that is very likely to need money spent on it. Better to save for a nice example or look at something else.

GIven that you're a Honda guy have you considered a Civic VTi-R or something like that? Not sure how their reliability compares to the Sportivo, but they are a nice drive.

hello matty P, the reason i chose the sportivo because it was a 4 door hatch, with leather seating, stock fog lights, and a stylish sort of look. i have considered the VTI-R civic however the vtir exist mainly in the 95-2000 models. most of which have a lot of km, and the ones that are done up aren't my kind of car, i simply want a stock car that looks and drives well especially with a little bit of power. just a quick question though, do toyota corolla really have an issue with this gear issue thing or is it the way u drive it that causes the problem? i had considered a 03 integra type R however it doesnt meet all of my standards with that car although its a very good car i must admit.

thanks for reading my reply

[RedSportivo]

Look pushing your budget is a risky thing. If you dont inspect the car right

I bought my sportivo well out of my budget, But i checked everything out, Its a toyota you find one that isnt buckled and you treat it right it will last a very long time.

Besides i'd go for something under 150k reason being they are a 8-6 year old car so 100k-150k is reasonable you get one with low k's its jst a owner that didnt drive it much which is better and i suggest do a rta certificate its 30 bux but what da heck, you know the cars history.

[LFT-OOF]

my sportivo was my first car aswell and truthfully i love it... no real problem except for the gearbox but after i change the oil and put some MT-90 seemed to become a bit of a diffrent gearbox but seriously no other real problems except other rattles that are self inflicted from having so much bass lol but otherwise great on fuel im getting about600-650km to a tank and i got full exhaust and extractors and cold air... so i cant complain good luck with car hunting

[dweebz]

ive just recently got my 03 sportivo. i thought my gearbox was stuffed to, after driving all my friends car and shifting in theirs is so smooth. but u get use to how its slightly stiffer

You should put ur insurence under your parents name like me. 600 for RAA full comp insurance. WIN!

[LFT-OOF]

Yep agreed if I was to put it under my name they wanted 2.5k.... With my parents name I think I'm paying about 850 so not too bad

[losties]

im not sure if this thread is still alive, but i wanted to ask how much did those gear box issue cost to fully fix? it doesnt cost like 6k does it like those impreza 2000 model. and if it was to break down would be getting a second hand from lets say a normal corolla work? or does it have to be a sportivo gearbox. haha for some reason i thought of using a type R gear box when it dies but thats just stupid thinking.

my mind is still set on the corolla sportivo just a little bit more saving then i should be good :D. i've already thought of some mods, but i wanna hear ur opinion before i even get serious about it.

would it be wise to change the cluster to some other toyota cluster? such as the 05 rav4 cluster, or a normal corolla ascent one. AND if it was possible then how do i go about on changing the km thats on the cluster or would i need a mechanic to do so, i was told that it was illegal to change the km but im not too sure about it.

thank you for reading my reply. if i've broken any rules by posting this then let me know cheers

Edited July 22, 2011 by losties

[Pro86]

the gearbox issue can be solve with better grade gearbox oil but the best solution is to upgrade to a heavy duty clutch cos the stock clutch is crap. and if u need to replace the gearbox u either look for the sportivo or the 7th gen celica

[losties]

not sure if any1 is still following but i test drive a 03 sportivo today and im abit hooked! however there are some things im not sure about can u mind clearing them for me, when i turn on the engine it had a louder then normal torque like sound, im not sure if thats a stock sound or a sound with a CAI in it. And also the clutch is harder then a normal car clutch is that normal or am i mistakening it with a heavy duty one? and also i think i try to go from 4th to 2nd gear but it kinder didn't let me im not sure if thats normal in all cars? also when i clutch i pressed it all the way im not sure if ur ment to do that i was just afraid that i didnt clutch enough (its been quite a long time since i've last drove manual, don't taunt me for being so amateur-ish). Anyway the car had 93 0000 km on it and the outside was in good condition however the inside was an okay for me probaly just 7/10, it had some scratches where the electronic window switch was on. anyway the dealer wants about 14k for the car is that too much?

anyway if u can be bothered reading and give me some thoughts back that would be great :D

thanks

Edited July 23, 2011 by losties

[Charlie Trout]

Check the panels and see if they line up straight on both sides (make sure the gaps are equal on both sides). If you have a friend thats a mechanic, get them to jack it up and have a look at it from underneath.

[lateralus]

not sure if any1 is still following but i test drive a 03 sportivo today and im abit hooked! however there are some things im not sure about can u mind clearing them for me, when i turn on the engine it had a louder then normal torque like sound, im not sure if thats a stock sound or a sound with a CAI in it. And also the clutch is harder then a normal car clutch is that normal or am i mistakening it with a heavy duty one? and also i think i try to go from 4th to 2nd gear but it kinder didn't let me im not sure if thats normal in all cars? also when i clutch i pressed it all the way im not sure if ur ment to do that i was just afraid that i didnt clutch enough (its been quite a long time since i've last drove manual, don't taunt me for being so amateur-ish). Anyway the car had 93 0000 km on it and the outside was in good condition however the inside was an okay for me probaly just 7/10, it had some scratches where the electronic window switch was on. anyway the dealer wants about 14k for the car is that too much?

anyway if u can be bothered reading and give me some thoughts back that would be great :D

thanks

not sure what you mean by "torque like sound". but if you're talking about the higher idling when the engine is cold, that's how all toyota's are.

with regards to the hardness of the clutch pedal, you'd be surprised that a lot of heavy duty clutches are lighter. the stiffness of the pedal is usually influenced by the turnover spring and how worn the current clutch is. the more worn the clutch, the heavier it will feel.

the issue with going from 4th to 2nd could be related to you not pressing the clutch pedal in all the way as you have admitted to (btw, fully depressing the clutch is how they operate normally). the shifting trouble could be related to an out of adjustment pedal height.

with limited info on the car and not having a look at it, there could be numerous things that could contribute to what you have described. you're best to get your own mechanic to look at it if you're not confident.

hope that helps.

[losties]

not sure if any1 is still following but i test drive a 03 sportivo today and im abit hooked! however there are some things im not sure about can u mind clearing them for me, when i turn on the engine it had a louder then normal torque like sound, im not sure if thats a stock sound or a sound with a CAI in it. And also the clutch is harder then a normal car clutch is that normal or am i mistakening it with a heavy duty one? and also i think i try to go from 4th to 2nd gear but it kinder didn't let me im not sure if thats normal in all cars? also when i clutch i pressed it all the way im not sure if ur ment to do that i was just afraid that i didnt clutch enough (its been quite a long time since i've last drove manual, don't taunt me for being so amateur-ish). Anyway the car had 93 0000 km on it and the outside was in good condition however the inside was an okay for me probaly just 7/10, it had some scratches where the electronic window switch was on. anyway the dealer wants about 14k for the car is that too much?

anyway if u can be bothered reading and give me some thoughts back that would be great :D

thanks

not sure what you mean by "torque like sound". but if you're talking about the higher idling when the engine is cold, that's how all toyota's are.

with regards to the hardness of the clutch pedal, you'd be surprised that a lot of heavy duty clutches are lighter. the stiffness of the pedal is usually influenced by the turnover spring and how worn the current clutch is. the more worn the clutch, the heavier it will feel.

the issue with going from 4th to 2nd could be related to you not pressing the clutch pedal in all the way as you have admitted to (btw, fully depressing the clutch is how they operate normally). the shifting trouble could be related to an out of adjustment pedal height.

with limited info on the car and not having a look at it, there could be numerous things that could contribute to what you have described. you're best to get your own mechanic to look at it if you're not confident.

hope that helps.

hey lateralus i should of made my description more clear. Im not sure if its me but im just not used to the loud engine sound when pressing on the pedal (before my car broke down i drove a underpower civic 90 model) so maybe this sportivo power feels fast to me. anyway how would i know if the clutch is worn it just feels hard to me, the first time i drove it i had to adjust my seat just so i press the clutch all the way down. At first i thought i had pressed it all the way down but it came to my surprise that i had only pressed it half way. but just to update you i'm planning on buying the car :D im quite happy with my purchase although its abit pricey for the time being however im getting it from the dealer so its a 1 year warranty hopefully i can get them to change the clutch. and btw when u drive is it stiff changing gears? i thought it was abit stiff but maybe its just my inexperience with manual driving.

if u can be bothered reading and replying thank you