Life with the Corolla has been very uneventful. Exactly the way the missus likes it! Some notes concerning our life with this car in the slightly over three years we've had it...
The good:
The paint is the best paint we've had on a car on a long time. After two full and one partial Alberta winters, the front of the car is nearly chip free. In about 1995, manufacturers starting using water based paints, and it seemed that they chipped with even a microscopic bit of dirt would contact them. The Corolla's paint is very tough. Only one small door ding too despite parking it pretty much anywhere.
The seats are comfy, for us. This is subjective, of course, but I've driven the car some long days, and while they fall short of the various German cars we've owned, for $20K (taxes in!) the seats are well suited to my bony butt.
The fuel economy is shocking sometimes. It's not difficult to dip into the 4's on the highway, and 125-135km/h cruising is still around 6 flat. All city driving is typically in the low to mid 7's, with low 8's as bad as it gets.
The insurance for the car seems nearly free at $600/yr for $250dd all perils, compared to 2x that for my older, worth far less Forester.
Service costs are minimal. We use synthetic oil, so that adds to the overall cost, but this car is super cheap to run.
The trunk is quite large for the segment and we've taken some ridiculous amounts of stuff on trips.
The A/C is COLD. At 40C+ last summer, you could still turn the car into a freezer. Nice.
The AT only has four speeds, but shifts nicely around town. The car is very easy to drive smoothly, something the missus really appreciates.
The interior had some rattles, but the dealer solved them easily. It's stayed tight since the fixes.
The cruise control is deadly accurate.
Headlamps are very good.
Ergos are good. Big knobs for HVAC are great and a real radio knobs are nice.
With premium snows works well. Despite no ESP, exhibits little or no trailing throttle oversteer. Nice for the missus.
The Bad:
This is an uninspiring FWD car. I'm not a fan of any of the segment, finding them all pretty tepid, but the Corolla has numb steering and slightly grabby brakes.
The windscreen cracks if you look at it. Hell, it cracks if no one is looking. It looks like it's been on the Alaska Highway.
The OE summer tires were fine, but wore quite quickly. General purpose T-rated all seasons should last more than three summers.
The highway downshifts are more abrupt than I like. Upshifts are super smooth, but the 4-3 shift could be more refined.
The automatic headlights wait until it's getting pretty dark. I wish they could be adjusted.
The terrific fuel economy is mostly thanks to a combination of engine and aerodynamics. Fine, but the rear visibility is not that great. Better than some, but not the airy greenhouses of Corollas past.
The stereo is pretty lousy considering that even cheap cars come with decent systems now. Also, asking $1800 plus install for a factory NAV is a joke.
The trunk hinges are exposed and will crush your stuff if you don't pay attention. Huh? In a 2009?
Overall:
This car is not aging all that well in the looks department. We didn't buy it on style, but the newest offerings for some other makers are certainly more flashy. But, it still sells well and the missus has no regrets as it is bulletproof and costs nearly nothing to own. This is a sensible shoe car, and if that is what you're after, it is still worthy of consideration. The smallish 15" wheels mean cheap tires. The AT might only have four speeds, but is a proven unit that lasts a long time. Insuring it is cheap.
The really tough paint was a nice surprise...
