The Compact that could...beat the Civic in 2003!

The 2003 Toyota Corolla is one of the best cars that I have ever purchased in my life. It is the first “new” car that I have had and am completely satisfied with it. Toyota has taken a gigantic leap with their new design and it paid off, the Corolla has over taken the Honda Civic for top compact sales. (www.autosite.com) The Corolla comes in 3 different styles; the CE base model, the sporty S class, and the LE. All 3 cars come with the same engine, a 1.8 liter VVT engine that has 130 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and is plenty for this car. Next year, I believe in May of 2004 Toyota will release the Corolla XRS with a tweaked out engine pumping 170 horsepower and a better suspension. I have had my LE for a year now and would purchase it again in a heartbeat.

Fuel

I’m sure this is one of the main reasons to buy a Corolla. The 40 mpg highway on a 13 gallon tank. This car is amazing in how efficient it runs. I use 87 octane and have absolutely no problems with the engine.

Driving Impression
The Corolla is a fun little car, if you slam on the gas it does pick up. I have noticed that the 2003 Honda Civic Ex with the VTec engine feels the same. Actually, off the line the Corolla seems faster. The stats may prove otherwise but I have driven both vehicles extensively and would say the Corolla picks up quicker. Both cars are winners in my book.

Exterior
The 2003 Corolla took a bold new step with it’s sleek new design. As opposed to older models that were basically a box to drive in, the new 2003 Corolla has some style. The CE is the base model and to be honest, all cars look pretty much the same from the outside. The S Class has a mini body kid and looks a little more sporty. I thought it looked a bit cheesy so I opted for the LE which is a bit more elegant. It looks like a mini Camry. The Halogen lights have a nice neo-Euro feel. The back lights have a nice Japanese racing feel. The overall design is really nice in my opinion and that is why I went with the Corolla over the Civic.

Interior
Leave it to Toyota to make plastic look nice. The interior of all 3 cars are very nice. The LE has a nice fake wood finish on the console and the side doors. It’s a nice touch. The S class has a more sporty feeling with a silver/grey finishing inside. I really like the white backlit dials that add another racing feeling to the car. The LE I purchased came with a 6 speaker audio system with CD/Cassette and it sounds really nice. It can fit four people comfortably and for the average person, I don’t think there will be any problems with the interior. The seat folds down allowing for cargo space; I was able to fit a 6’ plus Xmas tree IN the car!

Engine
All 3 models come with the 1.8 DOHC VVTi engine that ouputs 130 horsepower at 6,000 RPM. This engine is super quite. I am amazed at how silent the engine really is. Sometimes, I am unaware that I have started the vehicle! The car I have is automatic so I am not sure how the manual runs, but all I can say is that the engine has pep and does a very good job of performing.

Brakes
ABS is an added option or you can have drum breaks. It does a really good job stopping and is very smooth. The 4 wheel ABS break system on my LE is a very nice feature.


Price
From what I saw at the dealer, the CE ran about 13,500 base, S class was about 16,500, and the LE was about 16,700. I paid 15,900 for my car after haggling with the salesman and it came fully loaded. It is a really nice car and I think Toyota will be doing very little with the 2004 model because the 2003 did so well. Keep an eye out for the limited Corolla XRS coming this May.

Conclusion
Toyota has done a great job developing, marketing, and designing the 2003 Toyota Corolla. This four door compact is a really nice car for the price. You will also get the dependability of the Toyota name brand behind every car. As a matter of fact, worldwide the Toyota Corolla is the number one selling car. After one year of driving this car, I am very happy with my purchase.