2005 Toyota Corolla


Decision time

There are two ways for people to get into a Toyota. One is the hard way; the second one is the smart way. The hard way is when someone goes thru numerous unreliable, fast depreciating cars before making up their mind. I don't mean that we are all that smart, but this is our seventh Toyota. This time it is my lady who purchased one and I am still driving my loyal and reliable Camry which I also wrote a review of five years ago! Most of the times we take the new Corolla when we go places together. You would say I am out of my mind trading a Camry for a Corolla, because we traded her 98 Camry CE for this brand new Toyota Corolla CE. Just picked it up on first of June, 05. This was about four weeks ago.


Picking a model

We decided to go with the CE model with a power package. This way her car has the same options as her Camry had. The CE model with the optional power package makes your Corolla into an LE version without the ABS brakes, alloys and fog lamps. Everything else is the same. The car has a 1.8-Liter, 130-Bhp Twin-cam, 16-valve VVTI engine which is a carry over from previous years Corollas. Toyota completely re-designed the Corolla for 2003 and the engine also has some minor changes on it. I also have to mention here that Toyota made over 700 minor changes on the Corolla from 2004 to 2005. The one you will notice first is the new type catalytic converter which makes the Corolla an Ultra low emission vehicle and also louder than previous models. Some changes include color keyed side moldings, different wheel covers, third head rest, chrome grill accent and many more. Maybe you are unable to differentiate a 2004 Corolla from a 2005 from a distance, but you can easily tell them a part when you look at them from closer.

As I mentioned above, we owned other Toyotas before and if you look at my reviews, you will see an opinion on a 98 Corolla which I owned for over a year. Here is the most disturbing part of this car: The exhaust noise on the new Corollas is almost irritable.
Even louder on a Toyota Matrix which is a sister car of the Corolla and they share the same power train and exhaust system. Originally we wanted to purchase the Matrix due to its versatility and tasteful design. Once we drove the Matrix, we decided not to buy one after hearing the sound of it. Plus it would of cost us more and have less options than this Corolla has.


First look and feel

When you first seat in a new, (2005) Corolla, it feels weird, but the more you drive it, the better it gets. The outside of the new Corolla is very elegant in design and the interior materials are of high quality, as this is expected from a Toyota. When you look at the car from the outside, you can notice the shorter trunk and even shorter hood. This is due to a longer cabin which gives us, drivers and passengers more interior space. The new Corolla has more space at the back than any previous Corolla before. Despite the outside appearance of a small trunk, it does have a huge trunk once you open it and look. Largest in it's class. Buttons and control switches are well spaced out and easy to reach. The steering wheel is nice to hold and it looks a little sporty also. The car has four cup-holders, two at the front and two at the back. Ashtray is removable and placed into one of the cup-holders. This way you can completely remove it from your car if you wish to do so. We just use it for coins now since nobody smokes in the family. The materials of the seats are not as cheap as in previous Corollas! (Thank you for listening Toyota!) Our Corolla being a CE model with the power package has all the convenient power options as an LE model would have. Including Power windows, power locks, Cruise control, tilt steering, and remote keyless entry with two remotes. In addition we also have a remote starter built in. Plus Security immobilizer system and an AM/FM CD player with four speakers. I was expecting this stereo to play MP3s also, but hey it's a Corolla! Combining this rather large interior space with adequate power and stylish design, plus all the power options, you have a Winner economy car that feels like a larger automobile.

Safety

The new Corollas all come with two front airbags and side airbags are also available on more expensive models. ABS brakes are standard on the LE model only (In Canada) Side impact beams in the doors are also standard on all trim levels. The new Corollas also feature an inside trunk release. This comes handy for people, mostly kids locking themselves in the trunk at times. This way they can open the trunk from the inside and get out of it. This should have been invented long time ago in my opinion!

Other features

The Corolla we have came with 15-inch wheels and plastic wheel covers on them. The tires are Good Year Integrity, all season radials. I find these tires rather cheap, but when you drive the Corolla, they feel okay. I havenˇ¦t noticed too much road noise or vibration from the tires. Once you open the trunk you can notice two pulleys that open a lock, so you can fold down your rear seats. This is very convenient and prevents anyone from bending down or climbing into the trunk. All corollas come with mud-guards which is also very nice. Floor mats came with the CE model, so I assume it comes with every Corolla. I still recommend rubber mats on top of the regular floor mats.


Driving the Corolla

Driving the 2005 Toyota Corolla is a unique experience at first. The one we have is a four speed automatic transmission model. It also has overdrive which can be turned off by pressing a smaller button on the shifter. This is handy when you don't want the transmission to shift onto different gears, up and down. I recommend leaving the overdrive on at all times for best fuel economy. Compared to the older Corollas this one drives somewhat differently. First, you are sitting higher in this car, which also makes it safer. Plus you can see out of the car better. The driver seat is conveniently height adjustable. A very handy feature for shorter drivers. Second, the suspension is tuned differently compared to previous models. Driving a new Corolla almost felt like driving a small Honda Accord. I am around 5.9 in height and I can seat comfortable in the Corolla by pulling the driver seat all the way back, as far as it goes. You might have a problem fitting in it however, especially if you are taller or a much taller person. Place the shifter in drive and accelerate, the corolla is very quiet, but when accelerating and the Rpm hits around 3000, the engine gets loud. This is not noticeable once the car is in higher gear and cruising around a 110 Km/h (80-M/ph) it feels safe and comfortable, giving you the impression of driving a larger vehicle. Steering is responsive and not too light. The Corolla also feels agile on curvy roads. Never expected this from a Corolla, nice surprise! There are about 4, 5 inches of head-room above my head when driving the car. I assume if I was taller, I would have no problems with head-room. Having the driver seat pulled all the way to the back, there is still enough room for a smaller adult to seat at the back, behind the driver seat. The CFC free A/C blows cold and the fans are relatively quiet. Temperature control and fan buttons are easy to turn and adjust. The stereo sounds nice and to my surprise it displays the names of songs playing from a CD. Not having an n MP3 player still bothers me at times. Brakes are powerful and quiet on the Corolla, unlike on the older models. I can say the brakes are even quieter than on my 99 Camry CE, especially the rear drum brake. Nice improvement Toyota, I see they listened to us when designing the new Corolla. Driving this car at night is a pleasant experience. The A/C cools the interior even better and the dashboard illuminations are just fantastic. Doom-light is controlled from the dashboard and it is delayed shut-off when you close the doors. Another nice improvement here from Toyota. All new corollas have a small arm-rest in between the front seats, how nice ha!
Our car came with a 3 year bumper to bumper warranty with roadside assistance and 5 years power train warranty which includes engine, transmission and front-end. The first scheduled tune-up is around 190,000 kilometers. Oil changes are at every 8,000-Kms. Spark plugs are platinum and should last you over 150,000-Kms. This could take us 15 years or more! The Corolla has no timing belt, so you don't have to worry about ever replacing it.


Conclusion

The 2005 Toyota Corolla is an economy car and it does what it's supposed to do. Take you from one place to the other in comfort and a little style too. It has all the modern conveniences you would expect from a so called econo-box For Toyota Corolla buyers the number one importance is reliability. The Corolla is nothing short on this. The new models are roomier and more comfortable than ever before. This car is a definite winner among small cars. The closest competitors for the Corolla are the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, Suzuki Aerio, Saturn Ion, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cobalt and Dodge Neon.

If you are currently on the market for a super reliable, good looking car for under $20,000, you absolutely can not go wrong with the Corolla. It will serve you for years to come and will keep its value, just in case you want to sell it. Do not expect a BMW ride and handling, but expect a very low cost ownership and little to no maintenance. This car runs on 87-octane, regular petrol/gas and it is designed to run on regular. A few things I would personally recommend as additions to your Corolla. Remote starter for Canadians, rubber floor-mats and shaded glass for everybody else. This will keep the interior of your car cool and gives you privacy.

Thank you for reading and rating this article.

Amount Paid (US$): 18000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
Model and Options: CE, automatic with optional power package