Why I sold my 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis: Pros & Cons of ownership

Low-end performance is good but the engine becomes slightly audible and rough when the revs rise.

BHPian B.Trilok Chand recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Brand: 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis VL automatic 1.8J

Generally, when it comes to a Toyota of course it's reliable and comfortable. Toyota builds are solid, efficient and reliable vehicles. The majority of their models do well in consumer testing due to their refined powertrains, good fuel economy, comfortable rides, quiet cabins and intuitive controls.

Exterior

With the bizarre Red colour, the Corolla Altis comes with automatic headlights with HID lamps and headlight washers. The headlights look impressive and overall it is obvious that the Corolla is inspired by its elder sibling the Toyota Camry.

Interior

Getting into the driver's seat, one is greeted by the plush interiors, with a lot of attention to detail. The steering has a wooden finish, which looks great. The steering wheel is slightly smaller compared to the old Toyota Corolla with quite a few buttons and controls giving it a high-tech feel.

Ride and Handling

The ride of the Corolla Altis was decently good. The car does not turn in sharply at high seeds but was well balanced with very little tendency to oversteer.

Performance

The 1.8-litre VVTI engine produces 132 PS at 6000 rpm. The engine accelerates well with good gear ratios. However, the car feels slightly sluggish from 0–100. Low-end performance is good but the engine becomes slightly audible and rough when the revs rise. Lower end torque for petrol is good but we would have liked more power.

Pros:

• Good quality audio system
• Attention to detail
• Light steering with multi-information display
• Superb Toyota build quality
• Engine well refined and smooth
• Awesome interiors.

Cons:

• Headroom
• Driver's seat in the rear-most position is slightly cramped for tall drivers.
• No black colour
• Too much expensive to maintain.

My experience

To tell it's a good car in looks, performance, luxury and safety. I'm the guy who often drives like there is no tomorrow. This car has the "potential to pull out instant performance at any gears". But on a fine afternoon, I met a small accident with an Etios guy, who did not put on his blinkers while turning left on the highway*. I had crashed on the front, both the headlights popped out and Bonet scratched. Hopefully, nothing happened to anyone in the car. Toyota billed me around Rs 1.5 lakhs for a new front bumper and pair of headlights with service cost, which was the main reason to sell the car. This car was too expensive to maintain.

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