Toyota Nation Forum banner

New member with a '17 Corolla LE

571 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  TrailDust 
#1 · (Edited)
My wife had a '11 Yaris 3-door hatch with a 5-speed which she loved but we had to get rid of it for something with an automatic a few years ago due to some early onset arthritis in her hip (clutch was aggravating it). The Mitsubishi Mirage had just come out and it seemed like a good city car so we bought a cheap one with the CVT but it turned out to be a horrible experience (A/C problems, lots of recalls, aged quickly/felt like it had 150,000 miles on it, terrible suspension that sagged and bottomed out with three people inside, no customer service from the dealers and Mitsu corporate).

I have a '12 Yaris 3-door/5-speed and it has not had a single problem and the dealers have been like clean shiny palaces staffed with concierges from the Hilton compared to the Mitsubishi store. My Yaris has been such a good car that we decided to replace the Mirage with another Toyota. We went down to the dealer on the last day of November and the last day of Toyotathon and picked up a '17 Corolla LE for $500 under invoice with the 0% for 72 months. I got hosed for a couple grand on the trade-in but the discounts and incentives handled most of it and I am so happy to be rid of the Mirage that I don't even care.

Anyway, we absolutely love the car. I got a base "L" rental a couple years ago and didn't care for it too much to be honest (didn't mind the 4-speed transmission but the 15-inch wheels and tires were no fun and it really needed cruise) -- but the upgrades they made to the car, fancier interior materials and added equipment have made it a very nice package. The Bi-LED headlights are amazing and I love the radar cruise control (auto braking and the lane assist are nice as well). It is loaded with equipment like heated mirrors, backup camera, really nice features on the stereo and is so quiet and refined, while the suspension is so much more buttoned down and well damped compared to Corollas from a few generations ago. The LE isn't sporty by any means but the 16-inch wheels and 55-series tires (H-rated) will let you hustle it around without too much protest.

I loved the look of the iM hatch in white but we decided on the sedan due to the much larger back seat and because the iM didn't have the LED headlights, radar cruise or steering assist. I would have liked the alloy wheels and leather steering wheel but those are not dealbreakers. My other top choice was the new Civic hatchback but they are not discounting them at all and there are no incentives, either (and I don't really trust a Honda automatic/CVT for the long haul) so it would have ended costing about $5k more.

Anyway, I am happy to be rid of the Mitsubishi and glad to be a two-Toyota family again. The car has a lot of nice little features in it and I will do an in-depth review if there is interest. I really can't get over how good the headlights are and will take some more example shots if people would like to see them.

It has been rainy so I haven't been able to take any pictures but here is a shot of the headlight cutoff:
 
See less See more
1
#2 ·
Welcome to Toyotanation :hi: It looks like a nice sharp cutoff. I'm glad you're liking the new wheels. It would be a very good car for me as well as I'm sure it gets better milage than my Camry. They always get you on the trade in. I had never traded one in until we bought the wife's last car and I had a bottom dollar I would take or sell it myself. I never told them what it was but they just barely met it. If it was my car I would of sold it myself but she didn't want to hassle with it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top