[vigsom]

Introduction

This is to share with you my out-of-the-world experience with my second Toyota Corolla – a 2005 facelift H5 variant in my favourite shade – Super White.My experience with this car was absolute bliss – in stark contrast to my roller coaster experience with my earlier Corolla.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank

1. Providence for having led me to the perfect car
2. a relative in Chennai with a leading daily who directed me to the right source that helped me acquire this dream machine.

Why another Corolla?

I’d narrated the roller coaster ride with my 2003 Corolla to you all here (2003 Toyota Corolla H4 Automatic Review – The Blue Beauty!) . I had my initial good moments with the car, but the overall ownership experience left me quite disappointed with the air-conditioning requiring attention 6 times.

Flashback to July 2012

This was when I was in my early forties. After spending over 2 decades in Surat, I was relocating to Chennai, pretty excited about launching myself into a new innings in professional life in an industry that I’d never worked in. More than joining the new company, the car that I was going to acquire next was on top of my mind.

I have already said this earlier about myself w.r.t cars:

1. dream big for the time
2. get something different and go pre-owned
3. seldom consider options among several cars
4. study my target car carefully, evaluate if it would work for me, and then, like Arjun, just focus on the target.

I was serving my notice period in Surat and looking at which car to go for next. Given the mixed experiences with my old blue Corolla, my head was tilting towards picking up a new Ertiga Zxi or a Swift DZire Zxi through a lease plan with the new company that I was going to move to. I liked both these cars from Maruti. While the head was telling me to go new, my heart was beckoning to me not to let go of my strength viz. picking up premium used cars. I was very close to violating my mantras 1, 2 and 3 above, when 18 July 2012 happened – the unrest at Maruti Suzuki Manesar. This happened just before I was to leave Surat, and it was quite clear that production and deliveries of cars from their plants would be impacted. That was it; confusion cleared and target path set. My next car was going to be another Toyota Corolla. This time, however, I was determined to get it right.

Which Corolla?

By 2012, the 2005 facelift Corolla with better features was starting to become a good option, and that became my preference.

Fixing the target


The facelift H2 variant had more than enough features and that became my target, but I was open to the 2005 old look Corolla too since this came with ABS. Quick recap : The H2 to H5 variants of the Aug 2005 facelift came with:

• 10 spoke alloys

• LED tail lamps

• lumbar support for the driver

• door warning lights

• 6 MP3 changer

• printed antenna

• better headlamp and wiper stalks

• auto headlights, steering controls, wood finish steering, perforated leather seats and rear sunshade on H4 and H5 variants

2002-2005 Corolla steering and control stalks


Facelift Corolla H2 with same steering but new control stalks


Facelift Corolla H5 with steering controls, new control stalks and a different looking steering,


Perforated Leather Seats on the facelift H5 (Sample Pic)


Rear Sunshade (Sample picture from an Altis VL)


Shortlisting options

Enough used car on-line platforms were available by 2012, and I was thus able to shortlist two examples even before I landed in Chennai.

1. 2006 Corolla H6 Limited Edition Simpson Red with 90,000km on the odo and the following for added kick:

• visor on the rear windscreen
• chrome alloy wheels
• body skirt below running board
• steering controls

These add-ons did not matter to me though, but the steering controls on the H6 was a good feature. Red, however, never appealed to me as a colour but I found a lot of fans for metallic red cars in Chennai.

Corolla in Simpson Red(Sample Pic)


2. 2006 Corolla H1 Champagne Mica with 87,000km on the odo – not my preferred variant, but I just kept it on my list. I had by then concluded that both these cars' odos were back clocked, but, I had just shortlisted them to be evaluated when I would reach Chennai.

Read on..

[vigsom]

Arriving in Chennai

Day 0

I arrived in Chennai in the 4th week of July 2012 and gave myself a week before targeting to join the new company. My target was to complete Project Corolla before I joined.

Day 1

I reached out to the owner of the 2006 Champagne H1 and fixed a time to examine the car early the next morning. I wasn’t keen on the H1 variant but just wanted to examine a face-lifted Corolla in detail.

The same evening, I went to a dealership in Chrompet , approx. 5kms from the Airport. The dealer had an excellent 2006 Baleno Lxi but no Corolla in stock.

Day 2

Morning – Evaluation of Example #1 - the Champagne Mica H1

As scheduled, I went to the owner of the H1 at approx. 7 in the morning before he was to go to work. The car was good, save the fact that there was this cheap wood finish gear knob that was moving 360 degrees. The car drove well but felt like a huge step down from the H4 automatic that I had used in Surat. The owner was expecting INR 4 lacs for the car but seemed open to discussions. He was relocating and wanted to sell his 6,000km run scooter too and am sure would have given a good deal for both together.

Mid-day and Afternoon – evaluation of more Corollas

Meanwhile, a relative had spoken to a sales lady at a reputed used car dealership in Chennai, and they had a 2005 Corolla H2 in Pearl White. I went there around 12 noon and got to see the car; and for the first time since evaluating a pristine 2004 H2 Pearl White done 1,50,000km in Surat, I saw a Corolla in near original condition with the typical Corolla smell inside. This was a second owner pre-facelift Corolla H2, done 86,000km, and had just returned after a potential buyer had taken a test drive. I examined the car and found that this one was exactly like the 2003 model with only ABS and the headlamp leveller as additions. The engine was perfect, and I had done an initial in-situ evaluation of the machine.

Just as I was wanting to take a test drive, I was informed that the deal for the car had just been sealed, by the same buyer who had just returned from the test drive. I said to myself, “Oh No !!”

I saw their inventory and found a couple of sx4s but I was clear that I wanted only a Corolla. While I was preparing to leave, the sales lady told me about another 2005 Corolla H5 in white and asked if I would be keen in examining the car. I couldn’t see any other car there but she clarified that the car had gone out and would be back. I waited, and some 15 minutes later, I saw, through the tinted glasses of the dealership Office, a white face-lifted Corolla roll in. I assumed that this was the car she was referring to but waited for her to return after lunch and confirm. She came, and told me that the car had arrived.

Man, the car was just absolutely stunning to look at, way way better than the 2005 H2 that I had just missed !!!! I had all the time to do my evaluation, and went about it diligently, armed with all the learnings that I had gathered since Oct 2010 (specifically looking for tell-tale signs of bad/ good ownership). Remember what I said at the outset? I was determined to get it right.

The Great

• Oct 2005 registered H5 Super White
• only 58,000km on the odo
• single owner 2 entries (car was transferred from the original owner to his wife on his demise)
• healthy engine- the engine note was clean and again, I used a torch to look all the way down the engine through the oil filler port – the engine was very clean and minus any sludge indicating that oil changes had been done in time
• excellent air-conditioning
• the center console flap operation was perfect – not loose or ripped off as I have elaborated in my earlier thread
• original glass all around
• four Michelin Primacy LC tyres with good tread left; Spare wheel was the Potenza RE 88 that came with the car and had good tread left
• zero corrosion
• structurally sound
• no signs of accident
• steering boots and driveshaft boots in perfect condition
• all engine mounts were observed stock and intact (remember my experience with the blue?)
• original brake pads in the front with lots of life left
• leather on the steering wheel, front and rear seats, door inserts in excellent condition
• wood veneer finish on the steering was as good as new. The steering itself felt premium
• original wiper blades
• alloys and center ornaments in excellent shape
• front windscreen film
• two original remote keys, one non-remote chip key, and one grey valet key – all available
• Toyota genuine accessory boot mat
• smoked PVC floor mats inside
• brushed aluminium scuff plates
• lumbar support, rear sunshade and automatic headlamps
• chrome tipped exhaust

Shortcomings

• the fender flap on the right front wheel was missing
• minor crack on the body of one of the remote keys. The key was working, though
• Owner Manual not available in the car
• Battery was an SF, approx. 3 years old
• Rear brake pads looked like reaching the end limit – hard to assess with the wheels on but that is what it felt like

[vigsom]

The Test Drive

An experienced driver from the dealership accompanied me. There was mad traffic on the road outside. Drivers in Chennai are generally on the boil always since the climate there is unforgiving. Knowing this, I didn’t want to end up in a situation where I would lose my head on anyone, and therefore asked the driver to drive the car outside the dealership. My feeling then was a mix of excitement + nervousness + anxiety as this was going to be my first drive in Chennai in dense traffic.

The driver had by then assumed that I wasn’t an experienced hand and therefore played it safe by offering me the wheel in a colony close by, away from traffic. When I drove the car, it was just an amazing feeling, inexplicable. The windscreen tint only added to the cool feeling inside. It was uber-luxurious. Toyota did seem to have done something on NVH on the facelift as this Corolla was even more silent than my blue car; no body rattles, no transmission whine, nothing. The car pulled clean even at 20 kmph in third gear and I also experienced the speed sensitive door locks in action.

When I was navigating the streets of the colony, the driver had realized that I was quite at home with this car and told me, ”Nalla ottreenga Sir” ( you drive well). He then asked me if I had driven a Corolla before, and that is when I told him I had already owned one for 2 years. He just told me, ”Nalla ottreenga Sir. Innum ottunga” ( you drive well. Drive on). Very seldom would one see dealership drivers appreciating a customer. I eventually ended up driving 5 kms, appreciating the virtues of the Corolla, yet again. The car was just too good, and for the first time, I realized how a real genuinely kept Corolla should drive and feel. For me, it was pure, clean love for the car !!!

I had taken a look at the papers and found them all in order – the paper RC , and the transfer forms. Insurance was expiring. This time again, I based my assessment of this car in its As-Is state without looking at its service history, and was pretty confident that services were done on time. I asked for the list price and was told it would be 3.6 lacs + dealer commission, and that is when I realized one characteristic of the Chennai used car market – big petrols depreciate a lot. Think about it – the blue Corolla in its average condition in Surat at 7.5 years of age cost me 3.4 lacs plus 35k to bring to good shape, and here, in a metro, I see a 6 year 10 month old super prime Corolla with more features, at a price lower than what I paid for the blue;Astonishing!!!

I knew that the offer was fair but still offered them my price. Meanwhile, I realized that the owner of the dealership wasn’t initially wanting to let go of this car because he wanted to use it. They, however, had some business ethics around used car sales viz. if a customer was told about a car, showed interest in the car, and had offered to buy the car off at close to their expected listed price, they would part with the car rather than hold. I was told by the sales lady that she would revert to me.

In this experience, there was no Sethji, no Rooh-Afza, no water bottle in a bucket. It was a no-frills but professional experience this far, with one having to help oneself to water that was available at a dispenser at the dealership.

On my way back home, I was absolutely clear – that this car was well worth the money even without negotiations. I also realized that the Pearl White 2005 H2 would be a good miss if this one clicked !!

Day 3

Morning - the deal is sealed

Not hearing back from the dealership, I rang up the sales lady at 9 am and checked what they had decided as I was going to examine other options like the 2006 Simpson Red Corolla. She asked for 30 minutes, and then called back stating that the boss of the dealership wasn’t keen on parting with the car, but because I had expressed keen interest, they would release the car for INR 3.6 lacs net. (dealer commission plus one year’s comprehensive insurance included). I was fine with the offer and asked her how they would like the payment, to which she said that cash, DD, bank transfer were all fine. If I remember right, those days, NEFT would need to be initiated from a bank and it would take a while for the transfer to be effected. I told her that I would collect the car the same afternoon, and immediately headed to a bank for the demand draft. She advised me to bring some photographs and a few other Proof of Identity and address documents. I got the demand draft in 25 minutes, and headed for the dealership at approx. 2pm, armed with all the requisite documents.

Afternoon - Delivery

The car was there, ready for departure; no ribbons and all that extravaganza. Delivery was an absolute professional experience.

1. This dealership had a clear policy – no delivery of a car unless the transfer forms are signed by the buyer after they have verified the buyer’s documents required by the RTO.

2. I submitted the photographs, all the supporting documents, and signed on the transfer forms.

3. My signature was taken on the delivery note and in a register which mentioned all that I had received with the car eg. keys, tool kit, jack, spare wheel, etc.

4. I was given a receipt for the payment, a copy of the delivery note, and an insurance cover note dated the date of delivery – comprehensive insurance for one full year.

5. As per the dealership policy, transfer fees were to be borne by the buyer and they would get it done through their agent; no deviations here

6. Finally, I was asked to be careful in my drives

Yours truly, who didn’t want to drive this car out of the dealership the previous day, drove the car out casually today – confidence and a sense of relief maybe? So, in less than 72 hours from the time I landed in Chennai, I had a top class Corolla with me; unbelievable car and an unbelievable experience !!! It was as if this was a reward for all the travails I’d been through with the blue Corolla. A puja was performed the same evening.

Meet the Princess !!!!

These pictures were taken a few days later after I installed my self designed front bumper guard and chrome rear strips at the bumper corners.





I personally felt that on the facelift Corolla, Super White was a shade that would stand out. The dose of chrome plus the 10 spoke alloys lent this shade a lot of character. The 2002-2005 Corolla would look absolutely stunning in Pearl White but absolutely bland in Super White.

Ownership and Insurance Transfer

The RC was finally in hand after 45 days. That is because my name was misspelt and they had to get it corrected. Cycle times in Chennai RTOs were never path breaking those days. Post ownership transfer, the dealership called me and told me that a surveyor would come and inspect the car prior to insurance endorsement. Endorsement fee was borne by the dealership. The surveyor came as scheduled, and the policy was in my name in no time, sent to me by post and e-mail.

I would rate the delivery, ownership transfer and insurance transfer experience 5 star. Till date, I have never seen such professionalism in any car that I have purchased.

[vigsom]

The Ownership Experience

Initial Days

The car landed with me five days before my scheduled date of joining the new company. The first things I did to the car was to install a steering cover to make the steering meatier, plus protect the leather from chaffing. I am not a great fan of those stitched leather steering covers as they "mask" the original look of the steering, plus the steering doesn't get any meatier. I also found that the stitching on the top part of the gear lever knob had started giving way, and therefore refurbished the knob with some leather that I had at home.

Steering Protected and gear knob spruced up


I decided to take a Fast Track taxi to work on the first day to familiarize myself with the route, the traffic, and also complete the entry pass system in the company for one’s own car. On my second working day, I took the Corolla to work and experienced the driving ordeal in a metro city.

Welcome to Chennai, Singham !!!

Initial Driving Experience

Likes

• silent, powerful engine
• good all - round view with a massive windscreen
• cool front view, courtesy the front windscreen film
• consistent Fuel Efficiency (12-12.5 kmpl) in a mix of light to heavy traffic with ac on.
• rear sunshade was very effective in cutting heat out in the day, and the glare out of headlamps of trucks and buses when returning late at night
• Auto headlights particularly useful when going through an underpass or sudden darkness

Dislikes

• slight judder on the clutch making navigation through bumper to bumper traffic and slow reversing a difficult experience
• extra long bonnet, making judgments in bumper to bumper traffic difficult
• the wood veneer steering wasn’t great to hold and I had worked around this by putting a steering cover on to make it feel meatier
• headlamps could have been better
• handling around curves was a little vague
• seating position wasn’t high enough even at the max setting of the adjuster
• notchy gear shifts – not bad, but not as smooth as an Sx4 or a Swift DZire

Other Observations

A striking difference was the engine rpm at 70kmph - the blue automatic used to be at 1600 rpm or so while this manual was a tad more at 2000-2100 rpm in the fifth gear. The speed sensitive door locks would auto-lock at some 15kmph.

My first Railway Station pick up in Chennai

Two days after I got the Corolla, I was to do an early morning pick up at the Chennai Egmore Railway Station. I was, till then, quite familiar with most routes in Chennai since I used to transit through or spend holidays in Chennai several times in my early years. When the onus is on us to do an early morning pick up, it has to be spot on. I did a recce the previous night on my Scooty and decoded the various route restrictions to Chennai Egmore.

The Railway Station pick up the next morning went as planned. I received my folks at the platform ,walked to the car to place luggage in the boot, and accidentally opened the boot using the key. The alarm went off. The alarm, though loud, was classy since there was a dedicated single horn for the security alarm, in stark contrast to the typical mad siren that one would find in other cars.

My typical route to work

I would use the route from Ashok Pillar - Olympia Tecci Park – Alandur - Thoraipakkam and then on to Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). Those who know this route can appreciate the horrible state of roads from Kasi Theater to the Kathipara grade separator between 2012 and 2013 until most of the metro work got completed.

My initial route to work - Up and Down


On countless occasions, I would take approx. 25 minutes to cross the 5 km stretch from Ashok Pillar to Kathipara. After that the drive would be a breeze. My return by the same route would be in the dead of night, typical departure at 01:30 am, and that was when I would have a harrowing experience with those trucks on full beam on the GST Road after Alandur. I was used to the Broadway rear view mirror on the Esteem, the Versa and the blue Corolla, and had put one on this car too; and that made me completely forget that there was a prismatic day-night IRVM in the car.

Broad IRVM(sample picture)


I then used the rear sunshade as my shield against not only heat but also the blinding headlights of vehicles from behind.

Sourcing the Owner Manual

This was an extremely important document for me for the technical specifications and the maintenance schedule. Bhpian @camchennai sourced it for me from Lanson Toyota and I collected it from him on my way back from work in the wee hours of one day. I think Lanson Toyota was kind enough to give one as this generation of Corollas was anyways not in production in 2012.

Hunt for a Tyre Store for Tyre and Wheel Needs

One wouldn’t attach much importance to this, but for me, I needed to locate a place that would offer me service the way I wanted. I found my tyre store in T.Nagar and was extremely happy with their service. Here is where I’d get the wheels aligned every 5,000km. They would also offer a free check up in 2,000km or one month. When the car was in position, I’d get into the pit and inspect the underside of the car.

At the Tyre Store



Hunt for an FNG + First service

The biggest challenge here was to find an FNG that I would be comfortable with, like how I was with Chacha’s in Surat. I then realized that my aunt would have their Ambassador and all later cars done up at a place in Nungambakkam. Since this was a known place to her, I decided to do a dry run one day and went there on my Scooty to check the place and my comfort level. The place operated out of a fuel station next to a premium hotel. My first impression was very good – both the guys working were in a dark blue uniform, and were very eager to have my car there. So, FNG worry fixed !!

First Maintenance - 60,000km

The car had done 60,000km by Aug 2012 and therefore got the following jobs done:

1. Oil and oil filter replacement
2. Air filter (Denso) blowing with compressed air and re-installation
3. Rear brake pads replacement
4. Spark plugs inspection
5. Right front fender flap installation

On the fender flap, the stores in Chennai were acting pricey, and that is when I had an idea. The 2011 Swift Zxi also came with 15” wheels and a colleague owned one.

I measured:

1. the portion of the circumference – from the mudguard flap upward to the bottom of the bumper in front of the wheel, and
2. the length between the fender edge and the inside frame

and found the dimensions of the Swift Zxi and the Corolla to be the same. The same day, I ordered an MGP fender flap of the Swift Zxi for INR 350; only two mods were required to fit this flap in:

1. one additional hole for fixing to the frame
2. clipping off some 3 inches of flap at the front end to prevent a minor overhang.

Inspected the plugs which were Denso K16R-U11; the condition of the plugs' insulators and tips was good but the gap was found marginally higher; set the gap at 42 Thou (1.1mm approx.) The stock spark plugs for the Toyota Corolla are Denso U-Groove K16R-U11 or NGK BKR5EYA11. Representative pictures of the plugs are attached.

The Denso OE Plugs


Denso vs NGK OE Plugs


The rear brake pads cost me INR 1850. They weren't OE (just some good quality imported pads placed in an OE carton), but I found the quality good enough. I think those brake pads were made by PAGID.

Got the oil filter and the oil replaced. The Toyota OE filter wasn’t available in the market and so had to settle for a brand called Sunwa which was very well made; cost me INR 190. I had great expectations from Shell and got Shell Helix HX5 15W-40 API SL. After the oil was replaced, the engine sounded comparatively rough to before the oil change; the HX5 may be great on API specs but has been the worst oil that I have ever used – even worse than the API SG 20W50 oils of Gulf that I used in my Esteem and Versa. The car returned a marginally better FE of approx. 13-13.5 kmpl on my regular runs.

[vigsom]

Ownership Experience (Contd.)

The next few months

Over the next few months, I had realized that it was okay to leave office around 12 midnight but to remain available on calls till close of working hours of the client. After experimenting with the Alandur- Thoraipakkam route for 2 months, I switched to:

• Alandur - Thoraipakkam - OMR on my up journey and
• Thoraipakkam – Madhya Kailash – T Nagar – Kodambakkam route on my return.

I found this route plan much better, with no blazing lights of trucks. The drive used to be absolutely smooth with just one traffic light at Tidel Park. A one way toll ticket would suffice for my up journey via Thoraipakkam and down via Perungudi if I crossed the Perungudi toll by midnight.

The Up Route


The Down Route


The best section on the return route was the first 500 meters just after the Tidel Park traffic light towards Madhya Kailash; absolutely smooth tarmac where zero tyre noise could be felt. Rain, sun or cold, this short stretch would always be smooth. Hats off to whichever firm laid that road.

My typical day would start at 9 am, first on-line at home, then leave for office at approx. 1 pm, again leave office at 12 midnight, then be on-line till approx. 3 am. My final tea break would be when I would hear the Lufthansa Chennai – Frankfurt A340-300 fly over our apartment at typically 2am. This was a 4 engined aircraft and would make quite some noise at take off. The engines would sound like that on a sports car. The white fuselage and the lit up dark blue tail would be clearly visible against the dark sky when viewed from the balcony.

Lufthansa A340-300 (Sample picture)


The Corolla was munching miles like I’d never done before. In Surat, I was doing no more than 400km a month, while in Chennai, I was doing approx. 1,200km a month. The Corolla took to the drives in style.

Encounters with the traffic police

I used to typically limit my in-city speed to 65kmph in Surat and found the limit quite reasonable. While driving on OMR one day, a policeman armed with a speed gun near Sanmar asked me to pull over, and asked me for my Driving License. I asked him what the problem was and he said I was over speeding.

I told him that I never exceeded 65kmph and he said, ”Correct Sir, neega 65 le irundheenga, aana inge 40 thaan limit” (Correct. You were at 65, but the limit here is 40kmph). All over Chennai, one would find signboards with impractical speed limits, some even as low as 20 kmph, which I found strange. OMR is supposed to be Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway, and I was no express. However, I couldn’t argue, and was fined 300 bucks for over speeding. This was the first and only challan I have received in my life so far.

I then realized that although 40 kmph was the speed limit, the cops were ok to ignore vehicles upto 60 kmph max. Several times thereafter, I would spot cops pop out of bushes alongside the Pallavaram - Thoraipakkam road and flag down speeding cars, but I would never be stopped as I was careful to drive under 60 kmph. That stretch of road was extremely smooth and tempting. In the months and years that followed, I used to face breath analyzer tests/ questioning by the traffic police in the night at strategic points on OMR and sometimes near Raj Bhavan.

I must compliment the Chennai police for actually doing a very good job of traffic management. Yes, there will be unpleasant instances of one having to part with a few bucks, but one should not take away from them the credit for great traffic management.

Driving in the rain at night

Rains hit Chennai by Aug 2012 and it was a regular affair to see heavy rains for at least 2 hours post 8 pm every night. By the time I would leave office, initially at 01:30 am and later at 12 midnight, the road close to Fortune Hotel near AKDR Golf Village would always see standing water. I would obviously go close to the median, and tread carefully, while dumpers would go on the left lane, create waves in the water, that would practically rock the car.

It was kind of scary, as I had never seen something this bad ever in Surat. But the Corolla was unfazed.

Pictures in the rain on OMR (representative)




Visits to star hotels in Chennai

My new role required me to host clients to dinners; plus there were several team gatherings at star hotels in Chennai. The Corolla went everywhere, and for the first time in my life, with reluctance, I used to hand the car over to valets.

I never faced an issue anywhere except at Courtyard by Marriott, Teynampet, Chennai, where the AC was set to low, and it appeared that the guy had enjoyed the AC when the vehicle was parked. I took the issue up with the hotel management, but got just an apology. On one such drive back from Vivanta by Taj (Fisherman’s Cove), I had 4 folks of my team in the rear seat, and they had all dozed off to soothing music. Such was the feel that the Corolla offered to backseat passengers.

[vigsom]

Maintenance

Aug 2013 – closing in on the 70,000km service

I had, in the meanwhile observed that the car’s rear would jump over speed breakers . On closer inspection, I discovered that the left rear shock absorber was leaking. In the next few days, I was headed to Surat on a small break, and decided to source shock absorbers from there; Reason: I found spare parts way cheaper there than in Chennai. As an example, a fender flap cost INR 950 in Chennai and INR 650 in Surat.

I was able to source the rear shocks for a mere 900 bucks each, and also bought a tappet cover gasket. All my earlier cars had the Joby touch and this one had too; removed the ORVM covers, got them painted in the same Super White shade at Joby's, brought them back to Chennai and re-fitted them on the car.

There were no issues carting the heavy shock absorbers since I’d decided to take a long train ride from Surat to Chennai after a long long time. The good thing about train rides is that a passenger is eligible to carry 50kg in AC 2-tier and 40kgs in AC 3-tier. Air India is the only airline in India that is generous with a check-in baggage allowance of 25kg a head.

On return to Chennai, I went the next day to my FNG with the odo at 70,500km

1. got the shock absorber kits too locally, and had the shock absorbers replaced as a pair.
2. used my favourite oil, Castrol Magnatec 10W40 API SN with a high quality Bosch Oil filter
3. replaced the tappet cover gasket

This was the best service that the car got. Post this, I was getting a consistent 14.5-15kmpl under the same driving conditions against the 13kmpl that I was getting post the 60,000km service.

Oct 2013

On the eve of Diwali, I was reversing into my parking bay when the engine stalled, and the car wouldn’t start after that. Realizing that it was Diwali the next day, I immediately sourced a battery from a shop close by – an Amaron 38B20L for INR 3400.

Fast Forward to Aug 2014 – 79,000km

• Oil and oil filter replaced
• Air filter replaced
• Plugs replaced with NGK BKR5E-11
• Right side gearbox side boot replacement (discovered during an underside check)

I’ll take a while speaking on the plugs. The stock plugs for the Corolla are BKR5EYA11, which is the same BKR5E11 with a slightly raised tip for fouling resistance. Since this was a clean engine running on clean fuel, I went with BKR5E11, which is exactly the same as the stock Denso K16R-U11.

The OE Denso K16R-U11 vs the NGK BKR5E11


NGK BKR5EYA11 vs the OE Denso K16R-U11


This time, I tried the Petronas Syntium 800 10W50 and realized it was good, but nowhere close to the Castrol Magnatec.

Upkeep of the Exterior

Till this day, I clean my cars myself and do some quick detailing too. After maintaining 3 whites (the Padmini, the Esteem and the Versa) in Surat, I was back to having another white car, and cleaning the car was a breeze. Here is some stuff that helped me keep the car gleaming:

1. Waxpol Vinyl and Leather polish and Armor All wipes for the wiper cowl, weather strips and the interior
2. STP "Son of a Gun" tyre polish
3. Armor All Wash n Wax in water would make the car shine.

I also tried out Rain-X wiper blades which lasted two monsoons effortlessly.

Note : I have no connection with these products or their manufacturers; just posting my experiences.

Money Matters

A: Expenses on routine maintenance (Material plus labour)

1. Water wash 500*4 INR 2,000
2. 60,000km service (oil, filter, plugs cleaning, transmission oil inspection) INR 1,690
3. 60,000km rear brake pads replacement INR 2,150
4. 70,000km rear shock absorbers, kits INR 3,600
5. 70,000km service INR 3,050
(oil, filter, spark plugs inspection, tappet cover gasket, caliper pins greasing)
6. 80,000km service INR 3,590
(oil, oil filter ,air filter ,spark plugs ,right gearbox side driveshaft boot)
7. Alignment every 5,000km @400x4 INR 1,600
8. Battery INR 3,400
9. Rain-X Wiper Blades Complimentary
10. Fender Flap INR 350

Sub Total A INR 21,430 approx.

B: Expenses on Accessories NIL

The car was so stock that I didn’t even feel like installing the ICE that I had removed off the old car.

Sub Total B INR 0

C: Expenses on Air-conditioning NIL

Sub Total C INR 0

D: Expenses on Beautification

Front Bumper, Rear quarter panel, front left fender touch up INR 5,500
(included polish of the entire car)

Sub Total D INR 5,500

Grand Total A + B + C + D = INR 26,930

Absolute peanuts, in my view for running 22,000km over 2 years.

[vigsom]

Sep2014 : Decision Making - Retention vs Sell

In Sep 2014, my head debated on Retain vs Release of this Corolla

Arguments Against

1. The car was nine years old, and with my experience with the Esteem and the blue Corolla, something told me that 9 years was about the age a car would start requiring replacement of ageing parts; and the driveshaft boot replacement was the first sign.
2. The clutch judder was a nagging issue; although the clutch disc was fine, this judder warranted a replacement of the clutch set for which I had estimated INR 13,000
3. Michelin Primacy LCs were scheduled for a change in max 10k kms; estimated INR 24,000
4. Front struts replacement ; estimated INR 8000
5. I had gotten tired of driving a manual Corolla in Chennai traffic

Arguments For

1. The car was holding up very well against ageing except for the issues mentioned in no.1 and no.2 above
2. This car proved its mettle – a complete no-nonsense experience in stark contrast to the blue automatic. This white Corolla made me love a Toyota all over again
3. No deterioration in build, rubber, plastic with no signs of corrosion anywhere
4. A car in my favourite colour – white; any change may not yield a white example.

Final Call

I took a decision – If I did not get the next car to my liking and within my budget, I would spend on the Corolla and retain her for at least 3 more years viz. until she was 12.

Colonel arrives – end Sep 2014

Just as I was getting mentally prepared to retain the Corolla, I saw a surprise ad for a 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara automatic. I was always fascinated by this machine and had been keeping my eyes open for an automatic high seater, given my not-so-pleasant experiences with Chennai traffic, night rains and flooded roads. The Grand Vitara had 69,900kms on the odo, and, although not as stock as the Corolla, the Vitara had enough on offer to make me take the plunge. More on that later..

[vigsom]

Oct 2014: The White Corolla finds another pure home

The Grand Vitara AT (Colonel) arrived in late Sep 2014. Just like the white Corolla, Colonel came home at just under 7 years young.

In early Oct 2014, I found a very good natured buyer for the white Corolla. He, in the meanwhile sold the car in late 2018 to someone in his close knit group. I am happy to be in touch with him and the current owner till date and have been getting updates on the car. The clutch on the Corolla was replaced in Feb 2019 with the odo at 1,16,000kms. There were no scoring marks observed on the flywheel even at this odo reading, most of which were city kms.

The Clutch at 1,16,000km



Here are a few pictures as of end-Oct 2020 – see how the car is still very close to new even at the age of 15. The car is still on its stock AC, untouched

The White Corolla at Age 15









The Corolla Club

Never in my wildest of dreams did I imagine that the white Corolla would help me build a network of friends and build a “Corolla Club” in Chennai.

1. Aug-2012 Friendship Day

I helped a colleague in my new company acquire the same 2006 Simpson Red Corolla that I had put on my option list when I came to Chennai. This was a H6 Limited edition with chrome alloys, side skirts and the wood veneer steering and steering controls. This car required only routine maintenance in the few thousand kms that he used the car. The interior had gotten smelly because the car had been detailed and windows closed before the car dried fully. Hence the job had to be re-done. The car was sold to another gentleman, who I got introduced to later. At approx. 96,000km on the odo, the front left wheel bearing was changed to FAG. The faulty bearing was detected to be of the Fu-Gen make and it looks like someone had replaced this bearing because of wrong diagnosis. (Sometimes, tyre noise is diagnosed as bearing noise)

2. Mar-2015

Helped another person (very close to the buyer of the White Corolla) pick up a well maintained 2007 Silver H2 done 83,000km.This car, again, only needed regular maintenance and a set of tyres. The same owner moved to a Feb 2010 Altis GL done just 42,000km in April 2018. The odo on this car is at just 49,800km today.



3. 2012-2014

A close friend had a pristine 2010 Altis D4D G in Pearl White .The car had only 36,000km on the odo as of Nov2014, when he parted with the car and moved to an XUV500. This car needed a new set of tyres at 27,000km as two of the stock Bridgestone Turanzas ER300 had worn out unevenly due to missed alignments. We got 4 new Yokohama dB series tyres.

4. Apr-2019

A 2011 Altis VL-AT black done 1,00,000km.This one has just seen a new set of struts and shocks all around; that apart, only routine maintenance.



In their ownership periods, all these cars have lived up to the Corolla’s USP viz. fill it – shut it – forget it !!! The club is still live with me as the Founder-cum-Chief Maintenance Advisor.

Would I want a third Corolla now after 6 years?

Well, I’d be glad to use a 2008-2011 Altis VL AT for sometime for the sheer experience. This, in my view, is the best used automatic sedan in the country in its class. However, given the recent battering of cities by heavy rains, I am not too sure if going for a sedan is the best decision.

Summing Up – The Toyota Corolla H5 – Clean, Pure Love in White

This white Corolla wiped out all the pain that I had undergone with the blue Corolla and demonstrated what the Toyota Corolla is known for viz. fuss-free ownership. She gave me one more chance to re-think and love a Toyota Corolla all over again. My thoughts on the Toyota Corolla and my transition from the blue to the Super White are beautifully summarized in the attached track. Do listen in with headphones.

https://www.youtu.be/s-4VfJ1vdE0

Thank You, darling, for being part of my journey !!!!

[R2D2]

@vigsom, I have begun to read your Toyota Corolla threads with smile on my face because all those things that you point out are things I can relate to.

Once again, thank you for highlighting a vehicle that gets no glory or headlines but serves its owner faithfully like all Toyotas normally do. In a world of automobile gadgets and gimmicks there's a lot to be said about a machine that does its job well and does so for a long time without getting the owner bent over a barrel.

PS

fill it – shut it – forget it !!!

You said it and believe me it is like the Hero Honda of cars!

[GTO]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line to the Reviews Section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[bajica]

Congratulations on the ownership, which was able to soothe the pain of the previous Corolla with it's niggles.

Corolla is really the fill it - forget it car.

[Raul258]

Love reading through your threads. I am also contemplating a move to Chennai and a car purchase is also on line there. Going pre-worshipped is what I am also going to do. Good to know that there are ethical car dealers there.

[Govardhansupra]

Now now now, as you are a Corolla expert, expect PMs from me, asking doubts and unwanted questions. My Corolla Altis has just 260 kms more to the 1 lakh mark and I need your guidance for a few things.

By the way, excellent writing and looking forward to your Grand Vitara experience

A small doubt: How do you still remember the costs involved in each service and the cost for parts, even after these many years?

[pareekvirendra]

Your thread really brings back memories for me. I purchased a pre-worshipped 2011 Corolla Altis D4DG in november 2018 with 100000 kilometres on the odometer.

The car has now completed 130000 kilometers and is still on its original clutch.

Although it is amazing to drive, I wouldn't call it mine a no nonsense car. Mine has had a few issues, but none that would put me off her. I plan to keep the car as long as i can since it is my first car and i am very find of her, even though i know it will be expensive to maintain it now that she is getting old.

Let's see how she holds up, I am looking forward to a lot of future drives with her, and I will be thinking about this thread on many of those occasions.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by bajica

Congratulations on the ownership, which was able to soothe the pain of the previous Corolla

Corolla is really the fill it - forget it car.

Thank You @bajica,

After experiencing this car, it was a no brainer that the earlier one hadn't been kept well. How can the engine mounts of the blue Corolla give way when this one is going on and on past 15 years? And someone fiddled with the AC of the blue Corolla and screwed it up.

Originally Posted by Raul258

Good to know that there are ethical car dealers there.

Thank You @Raul258. All dealers are out to make money, but yes, there are a few dealers who ensure that ownership transfer forms are signed before delivery. There are others who hand over the docs and advise one to do the transfer. Most of the big cars that they acquire are company owned.

Originally Posted by Govardhansupra

My Corolla Altis has just 260 kms more to the 1 lakh mark and I need your guidance

Thank You @Govardhansupra.

I will be happy to help. Unless there is something confidential, I would request your questions here as any clarification that is offered would benefit several members. Again, I am no expert but try to understand any issue in depth for proper diagnosis.

How do you still remember the costs involved in each service and the cost for parts, even after these many years?

Well, that is because one does not forget things close to one's heart. I have bought every part myself, and got jobs done in my presence.

Except bodywork, every car of mine has been maintained under my personal supervision.

Memory Recall does take a while but it keeps the brain sharp.

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

2011 Corolla Altis D4DG with 100000 kilometres. The car has now completed 130000 kilometers and is still on its original clutch. Iknow it will be expensive to maintain it now that she is getting old.

Thank You @pareekvirendra.

That's a lot of kms on the original clutch. Maybe the car was used on highway runs mostly. Toyota OE spares are dear. I am particularly critical of their exorbitantly priced wiper blades.

There are good aftermarket products available. Example - DEPO headlamps for the old Corolla are as good as OE for less than half the price. On the clutch, however, I would advise only an OE.

Generally in a Toyota, it is regular consumables plus brakes that need attention. Even the suspension will go on and on and on.

My friend's 2010 Altis D4DG was given for a service at 32k kms and they raised a flag about brake pads being good only for 5k kms and trying to recommend a change of discs and all that. I told him to say no. After the service, they hadn't fitted the glove box properly (removed to probably clean the cabin air filter).

I've realised that with any car, look after her well in the initial 6 or 7 years and longevity of the car would be assured. Irresponsible ownership in the first few years would only cause headaches to future owners.