Used Toyota Corolla - To Buy Or Not To Buy?


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In 2009 a new Corolla went on sale in North America. Not entirely "new," the 10th generation Corolla feature carried over mechanics on a newly styled body and interior. A staple in the compact car market, Toyota kept to the winning formula of offering a basic car with high reliability and dependable reliability.
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Engine choices remained a 1.8-litre four-cylinder making 132 hp as well as an optional 158 hp 2.4-litre four-cylinder found in the sporty XRS model. Both engines could be paired to a five-speed manual transmission or an automatic – four speeds for the 1.8-litre and five-speeds for the 2.4-litre.
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Trims Packages

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Models from 2009 and 2010 were sold in Base, S, LE, XLE and XRS trims. In 2011, the XLE and XRS trims were dropped leaving just the base, S and LE trims. For 2012 the base trim was renamed L while 2013 saw the addition of the LE Special Edition.
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Top 3 Reasons to Buy

  1. Reliability – Toyota built its reputation by offering reliable vehicles and the Corolla is an example of that. Although there are a few issues with the car, most are covered under warranty and/or were correct by Toyota in subsequent model years.
  2. Efficiency – The Corolla may not be the most powerful vehicle in the compact segment, but it is quite efficient. Even if the official ratings of 27 MPG city and 35 mpg highway don’t sound overly impressive, owners quite often claim to beat the advertised figures.
  3. Value – Even though the used Toyota Corolla for sale features a high resale value, owners still find it is well worth the price. All the features they want in a dependable car is worth a slight price premium over some other compact cars.
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Before You Buy

If it’s an early 10th generation Corolla that you’re looking considering, be sure the current owner has taken the car to have all the recalls addressed. The most important of those are the recalls that pertain to brake and airbag performance. It’s also important to take one for a test drive that includes a highway portion to ensure both acceleration and steering are adequate for your driving needs.
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Other than that it’s just the usual used car checklist of obtaining service history, ensuring it’s accident-free and inspecting tire and brake wear if you’re buying privately. Alternatively, buy a certified used Toyota Corolla from a reliable used car dealership like Group 1 Cars.
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Best Bang for Your Buck

Although 2009-2010 Corollas appear to have a high safety rating from the NHTSA, the crash test standards were changed for 2011 and the Corolla’s rating significantly dropped that year. For the 2012 model year, the rating was much improved – specifically for side-impact crashes – because of enhancements that Toyota implemented starting that model year.
The 2009-2011 Corollas have also had more issues reported to NHTSA as well as recalls issued. Unless you’re after the sportier XRS model, we recommend looking for a 2012 model, even if it is more expensive. By this year, the bugs seem to be worked out and safety had been improved.
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Article sourced from https://www.autoguide.com/