Team-BHP - Toyota Corolla Altis (1.4 D-4D) Diesel : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by D4D (Post 3423288)

The corolla with 2.0 l will make it more expensive, but I think it's well-worth it.

Skoda/VW have horrendous ASS, Chevrolet's interiors are not inspiring, Elantra has simply not picked up. The toyota corolla makes a strong case for itself with the 2.0 l

Diesel engines are a forte of the Germans, not Japanese. The 2L diesel that you are referring to, is something that the VW group has built and perfected over the years and use it across different brands (Audi/ VW/ Skoda/ Seat) in different states of tune.

There is no such internationally popular diesel mill available with the Japs (both Toyota and Honda). It is rare markets like India where Diesel is priced lower than Petrol that is pushing them to Diesel engines and it is not feasible to develop a wide range of sizes in them unless they are backed by volumes (read ROI). So a 2L Diesel corolla might be a distant dream.

Currently I own a 2013 Polo Tdi Highline now at 70,000Kms. It has been immaculately maintained & very cautiously driven. Still at 60,000kms the car stopped in the middle of the road & we had to tow it 150kms to the nearest service station. Had to replace injectors & high pressure pump. Near to Rs.1 Lac. Thanks to Team-bhp,I had extended warranty & didn't have to pay anything.
But this incident has shaken my faith on Volkswagen brand. Now I am looking for a car that will give me a fuss free ownership for 3 Lac kms. Will Corolla Altis Diesel fulfill my expectations? Because I am stretching my budget for it.

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Originally Posted by Aniruddha C.H. (Post 3947094)

But this incident has shaken my faith on Volkswagen brand. Now I am looking for a car that will give me a fuss free ownership for 3 Lac kms. Will Corolla Altis Diesel fulfill my expectations? Because I am stretching my budget for it.

There is no guarantee that it will, but if I have to bet on one car to do that then it is this. Mine has completed 60k kms and I have till now spent less than 30k on its servicing. The car drives as good as new even today. Do take a proper TD though and see for yourself if you can manage with that engine as its not a fun to drive car and rather more of a cruiser.

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Originally Posted by hardoop (Post 4145895)

I saw a 2012 G variant Altis Diesel parked at the local UTrust showroom
They are asking 9.85 lacs for that 22000 km run car.

Is it worth buying ? I currently drive a 2011 Figo Diesel with 1,20,000 on the odo. Been convincing myself to do more kms with Figo. But after seeing this D segment sedan at the showroom, I am again back to confusion.

Honestly - the Figo is a FTD hatch with brilliant dynamics! The Corolla may feel a little boring in comparison.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Corolla engine has a lot more turbo-lag than that of the Figo - so if you drive in city traffic, the Figo may just be a better bet.

That being said - the corolla ages very well, and 22,000kms is nothing for this car! It's a perfect chauffeur driven car, especially in the city. It makes a very strong case for a practical person / family.
Just see if you can live with the engine and dynamics after owning the Figo, and if you are happy with it, it would be a superb lateral upgrade.

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saw a 2012 G variant Altis Diesel parked at the local UTrust showroom
They are asking 9.85 lacs for that 22000 km run car.

There are a couple of things when you buy a used Car, 22000 Km looks too low for a 5-year-old Diesel car. Double check records, if it has multiple owners then surely ODO is tempered and same if it went to service station last time many years ago.

If there is a reason for such low mileage, better speak to the owner ( who sold the car to the dealership) and check if the profile of seller matches with a low mileage driver.

Also factor that Year of manufacture is important when you sell and buy a used car. Even if the car has genuinely run 22 K, it will lose its value considerably if your drive is more say in 2018 it will be 2012 MY with 50,000 Km ( if your usage is 20-25k a year) so when you resell value will take a hit. If everything looks fine, you should not go beyond 7 lac in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by lamborghini (Post 4145974)

Definitely agree with you on the FTD factor. Will miss the smiles that my Figo brings on twisties. Such a great handler. I will be taking a test drive of the altis this weekend and will decide after that.

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Thanks for the advice. Any idea about the service cost of the D-4D altis from those years ?

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Originally Posted by hardoop (Post 4148270)

Thanks for the advice. Any idea about the service cost of the D-4D altis from those years ?

The service cost is very reasonable and it will cost you around 6-8k per year/10k kms. My 2011 same variant car has been going strong and hasn't given me any trouble yet apart from the AC gas leaking in the beginning of the ownership which has been addressed successfully since. You can see the service costs from last 5 years documented in the ownership thread below:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...cs-pg-5-a.html

Driving wise it is a 87 bhp engine and it shows. There is considerable turbo lag and it is not a car to do wheel spins or drags in. For rest of the things, it is sufficient. An excellent cruiser on the highways with decent driving manners and can easily do triple digit speeds comfortably. The gear shift will become your best friend if you want to enjoy a spirited drive in order to ensure that you stay in the power band all the time. FE wise it has always returned me around 17-19 kmpl regardless of the way I drive and load factor. The AC is a chiller and even though the car lacks rear vents, you will be amused by the number of times the rear passengers will ask you to switch off the AC. Seat comfort is great and this is the only car in which my mother, who has vertigo, could fall asleep comfortably during highway drives. Hope I have answered your queries.

Toyota recalls 23,000 Altis in India

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Toyota said recalls were issued for about 1.16 million vehicles sold in Oceania, the Middle East and the automaker's smaller markets, while about 750,000 vehicles had been recalled in Japan

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In India, nearly 23,000 units of the Corolla Altis sedan are being called back and these are manufactured between 2010 and 2012. Customers will be informed of the exercise and the recall will be done free-of-cost.

Global transport authorities consider Takata inflators, containing the chemical compound ammonium nitrate to be unsafe, if used without a drying agent, and have ordered all of about 100 million airbags in the market to be withdrawn.

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