Postby Terran » May 17th, 2013, 10:01 pm
Well, I must say, this thread has been informative and entertaining somewhat. Thanks to a lot of experienced drivers and owners right here, I think the average buyer can make a relatively informed decision.
Personally, I own 2 Toyotas. They are all I have ever owned, but I have driven lots of other makes and models. I bought my first car - a 1998 Tercel - new from Toyota Trinidad. Around that time, it was marginally more expensive than competitor cars in its class. Also, it was a time when a lot of my other friends bought new cars of different makes, and we all engaged in comparisons about who got value for money. For a very long time, I always felt I made a bad choice because my Tercel simply didn't come with all the goodies the other cars had. The Lancer had great economy and a body kit with fog lights. The Mazda 323 came with EFI and more power. Honda Civic had a completely customizable car and an advanced system (VTEC) and tons of aftermarket support and lots of guys put pretty pink and green neon lights on them. Wow. So I believed my little Tercel was fairly shitty in comparison. Time will prove otherwise.
As each dealership collated data and findings of their competitor brands, I learned that they did so not just to study how advanced the other brand had developed, but to determine strengths and weaknesses opposed to their own. This is what they use to emphasise their own vehicle's strengths about what made a Tercel a better car for me, rather than a Lancer. It suit my needs. For as long as I can remember, all or most other brands came with more toys and gadgets than most basic Toyotas, so there is a great deal of the argument in this thread that I've had with my friends about their cars 14-15 years ago. The trend is no different here now. Quite frankly, I'm very ashamed to see that the brand I will still choose to this day is using cigarette lighters, cup and bottle holders on doors as a marketing tool in this day and age. I guess nothing much has changed over the years. But what I know is that while each brand stripped down competitor models to determine each build's strength and weaknesses, Toyota emerged at the top in most instances for quality, economy, superiority, safety, durability, interchangeability of parts and reliability. In some way, I can relate this to the 'legendary reliability' that some of you are throwing back at toyota2nr because it is my opinion that Toyota made this and continues to make this their forte. Undoubtedly, others will catch up and they have. They too have stripped down Toyotas to see what they did and if they can do it as good or better. I also believe that they are the ones who have listened to their consumers and given them what they want. USB radios. Volume controls on the steering wheel. Reverse cameras. Etc, etc, etc. It comes down to your needs. I don't need USB, I hardly listen to music in my car. I love the sound of my engine and exhaust with my old VVT engine screaming at 8000rpm. I don't want controls on my steering wheel, just the horn is fine. And I don't or have ever had need for a reverse camera, I am a damned good judge of distance and use my mirrors properly. They sound like nice accessories to have, but I have always managed without them and I am not in the market for a new car now. My 91 Corolla (2nd car) made some dude in a Teanna wonder why he spent all that money for all that car and power and cannot outrun a smaller, older car. Maybe the gadgets were more important to him. To me, I have what I need and what I love the most - reliability and some driving fun. So, I don't think it's necessary to highlight all that Toyota does not have in comparison to the new Elantra - which to me, looks very attractive. If it can survive the test of time beyond its predecessors is left to be seen - and those did not fair too well now, did they? I am very certain they have made significant improvements with the evolution of technology. My old man drives an Audi A4 and he does not know it has a turbo or what 'quattro' means. He barely crosses 80kmh in it but maybe it makes him look and feel young again.
Bottomline: to each, his own. Buy what suits your needs. That way, only you can determine the real value for your money. The Corolla is not a bad car. It does what it has to do exceptionally well, and better in some areas than competitor cars. It is not by any means crap that some are bent on making it seem. And its 'legendary reliability' attests to that. I can't say anything about the new Elantra because I simply don't know. But from what I've read here, I'm curious.
