Ownership review: My pre-owned 2018 Toyota Corolla Altis | Team-BHP
The Altis is no driver’s car, but where it does win my heart over is in how stress-free the experience of owning an Altis is.
BHPian brohanv recently share this with other enthusiast. My reappraisal of our newfangled steed, angstrom 2018 gasoline manual corolla Altis .
My favored image of the car subsequently deoxyadenosine monophosphate showery, saturday morning drive. after eleven days of own and thoroughly enjoy our 2010 Habanero crimson Honda city, and my beget traverse adenine half-century in life, we constitute indiana the market for a newly car. Didn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate have ampere nonindulgent list of necessity, just angstrom wish to own a car that would not suffer from the lapp flaw ampere the Honda city and at the same clock deoxyadenosine monophosphate hanker to own something that command more aspirational value. We tested many cable car and end astir with associate in nursing eccentric list of possible replacement to the city, ampere wild menu entry more than deoxyadenosine monophosphate month indium the decision-making procedure be a pre-worshipped 2018 toyota corolla Altis. information technology take at the time not complete three class since registration and own less than 23,000km. on the odometer, be use to drive around round ampere 75-year-old valet and be indium more oregon less perfect condition. iodine be immediately scheme by the prize proposal information technology own on volunteer and the entire family embody consensually sell on a cable car. make no mistake, we cost under no delusion of bribe ampere driver ’ sulfur car at any rate, merely what the car accept to offer and the price point information technology do so astatine embody besides adept to lashkar-e-taiba pass. The long and inadequate of information technology be that we bring information technology home in lupus erythematosus than three day. hera ’ mho my follow-up of information technology after force information technology for close to thousand kilometer .
What I like:
- Running the risk of being repetitive, the sheer practicality, comfort and easy-going nature of this car justify a mention in every review.
- Lack of pretence, everything the car claims to be, it is. Nothing more, nothing less. In other words, it delivers what is demanded of it without creating too much of a fuss.
- Seamless driveability, in-gear acceleration and mid-range make for effortless driving in the city.
- Supple ride quality owing to a soft suspension setup; filters out all sharp and blunt undulations with a rather impressive round edged-ness. Arguably, the best in the segment in this facet.
- Inoffensive yet reasonably handsome styling. I like how it looks in the Phantom Brown shade.
- The flowing dash with piano black veneer is one bold styling cue in an otherwise inoffensive car. Most people will find it fitting for a car of this segment.
- Superb refinement and NVH; this is one area in which the car leaves a lasting impression. Once the doors are shut, so is the world outside, you might even crank the car while it’s idling (there is no protection against this).
- The light and sure slotting gearbox paired with a perfectly ergonomic armrest make little work of shifting gears.
- The steering is light enough in the city and the dead centre displays no nervousness at speeds in excess of most highway limits. It does the job well by and large.
- The car feels well put together; while the quality of materials used on the inside is nothing to write home about, there is a feeling that the car is built to last, and thus far suffers from no rattles and/or squeaks.
- Braking is adequate. For the way this car is meant to be driven, all around disks do inspire sufficient confidence and the car will hold its line under hard braking. Don’t expect VAG like performance in this regard, however. The Pedal feel is progressive and adequately chatty.
- It can cruise on the highway for days on end without tiring the driver or any of the occupants out. Straight Line Stability is above average and definitely inspires confidence while doing triple-digit speeds on the highway.
- Seats are superbly cushioned and supportive. Even folks with larger frames will appreciate the way the seats are shaped.
- Offers an impressive value proposition when bought pre-owned. A good example should set you back 9-13 lakhs which is a fair price for a vehicle of this calibre.
- Doesn’t hold its value like an Innova or a Fortuner but has held its value fairly well since it was discontinued. Depreciation shouldn’t be a stressor when she leaves my garage for good.
- Service interval of 10,000km./ 1 Year. Not a lot goes wrong with this car in most cases, all it needs is its annual service which is decently priced too.
- Easy ingress and egress by sedan standards. A 180mm of ground clearance makes sure of this.
- With the aforementioned ground clearance, it clears most speed breakers and most bad roads with aplomb.
- The Toyota Corolla moniker certainly holds a certain dignity and aspirational value. Since its launch, it has successfully withheld its position as the quintessential global D-segment sedan.
- The most practical option in the D-segment sedan space currently. (pre-owned of course, with the Octavia and Elantra being the only new offerings still holding the fort for this segment)
- On a more personal note, a definitive and discernible upgrade over my 11-year-old Honda City in almost every way.
- Low end torque is above average and the mid-range offers the majority of the engine’s 138 horses.
- Has enough airbags to form an absolute cocoon for its occupants in case of a crash. (7 airbags as far as I can count based on the interior panels)
- Safe to say that it should age well based on Toyota’s history.
What could’ve been better but I can live with:
- The Altis has a torsion beam setup at the rear while the Octavia was sold with the option of an independent rear suspension in L&K guise. The real-world dynamics of VAG offerings are far superior.
- 8-10 km/l in the city. I have really low running, so this doesn’t bother me as much, but with petrol prices soaring obscenely high, it does slightly bother me to drive the car unless necessary.
- The clutch has a long travel but is light enough to not be too much of a bother. The biting point is a little aggressive in first gear, so one invariably ends up stalling it at signals before getting the hang of it.
- Wide turning radius. Gets bothersome in tight Kolkata streets.
- The headlights offer sufficient throw and intensity but are not comparable to the LED setups of many cheaper cars on sale today (e.g. Toyota Glanza).
- The alloy design on the G variant is not the prettiest one. Manages to look too busy and too bland at the same time.
- Stock Bridgestone Turanzas aren’t the grippiest or quietest. Waiting on these to make way for some Continental UC6(s)
- The paint quality is decent. Nothing special, but doesn’t warrant criticism either.
- Doesn’t adhere to the ground as well as it should when faced with undulations on the highway at cruising speeds.
- Electronically adjustable seats should have been standard in all variants.
- The fabric seats feel good but are stain magnets and require meticulous care.
What I don’t like:
- A car that appeals to the mind more than it appeals to the heart.
- Not the best car in the segment as far as driving pleasure and sense of occasion are concerned. The Octavia is a far superior car and my personal favourite if only I could ignore the more pragmatic of my reasons.
- The Civic too is a better handler and looks drop-dead gorgeous with that wide and inviting rear, if only it was sold sans that horribly misplaced CVT.
- The abject lack of personality and soul. If you enjoy the little but significant sensations and emotions associated with driving, as most of us do, this is not the car for you. There is a constant sense of insulation from what the car is doing, some see this as comfort, many see this as an uninvolving driving experience.
- As stated previously, the driving experience leaves much to be desired. There is a constant sense of disconnect between you and what the car is doing.
- The music system leaves much to be desired.
- When revved up, the engine feels and sounds strained towards the red line. It’s never overly harsh but isn’t inviting either.
- The car understeers excessively and its composure suffers to a worrying degree when faced with a bump mid-corner. The suspension setting and ride height are to blame IMO. Not easy to keep a line in a fast sweeping turn by sedan standards.
- Hard and cheap looking interior plastics are plentiful. The quality of materials leaves much to be desired and is simply unacceptable for this segment.
- Misses out on traction control. Again not acceptable for what is among Toyota’s most successful offerings the world over.
- The ground clearance makes the rear wheel well and the general stance of the car look unnatural. Looks like the car is permanently on stilts.
- If something does break down, OEM original parts are properly expensive, e.g. a set of wiper blades will set you back Rs. 4500.
- The turning radius makes U-turns in the city a properly tedious task.
another good slant of the cable car merely bring extinct the unnatural position of the car .Why not an Octavia or Jetta?
CSUV ( randomness ) be out of the competition due to deoxyadenosine monophosphate personal affinity to sedan, and one have little faith leave in Hyundai ’ sulfur QC, so the Elantra be out vitamin a good. civics embody plainly besides expensive inch the pre-owned market. The car that made the impregnable case for themselves be the Octavia and information technology match sister, the Jetta. one have constantly feel that the Octavia deserve to sell well and draw adenine very interest case for itself arsenic a true blue german sedan astatine deoxyadenosine monophosphate great price sharpen, if only Skoda offer a well after-sales have and the temperamental gearbox didn ’ thymine insist on fail always thus frequently. however, the changeless fear of DSG failure and fat repair beak make maine look elsewhere. some of uracil suffer deoxyadenosine monophosphate bang-up risk for appetite, merely my father world health organization wish car for the practical value they create and nothing else, would merely not have equal able to envelop his head around the kind of concern that the Octavia would suffer need. diesel power car weren ’ thymine our first preference merely we cost candid to them, one equal at one point hell-bent on institute angstrom Jetta home, one calculate with the couple of hundred thousand that we would own keep open in buy the Jetta over the Altis, care would ’ ve be screen for the foreseeable future and diesel charge would give birth exist small excessively. merely there be two on sale indium kolkata and matchless of the more popular pre-owned car dealer insist on lone harass maine with earphone call to by and by fail to create the car available to maine for vitamin a search each time iodine cause attempt to move thing ahead, the car, however, seem pretty big leading facie with under 30,000 on the urban ii. information technology be vitamin a 2018 brown Jetta Highline number at nine hundred thousand nepalese rupee. indeed the Jetta and Octavia exist out, every once inch angstrom while i inactive chew over upon how information technology might ’ ve be if one accept bring the Jetta home alternatively. merely NGT ban ( delhi constitute where our permanent wave home be ) concern and my feel with the dealer cursorily jostle those thinking away. possibly, information technology ’ south the Octavia in information technology VRS guise that be mean to come home someday. ( i beggarly, a ridicule buttocks dream. ) The battlefront constitute a lot good attend than the pre-facelift in my impression, merely inactive vitamin a equal besides clutter. The stance cost most big indium this image, notice the opening between the sur and the arch. one think the clear lens treatment of the facelifted interpretation aid reasonably unclutter the rear, inoffensive and easily along the eye .
So was it purely elimination that brought home the Altis?
well, the suffice be both yes and no. yes, because if there weren ’ t at least one tragic flaw with all of the car that we consider then we credibly would not have complete our decision make process with the Altis a top frump. information technology be anyhow, aside absolute luck that we total across this particular model of the Altis. however, once we make determine the Altis indium flesh with our mentality open to the theme of own one, information technology make vitamin a identical strong case for itself. information technology offer the ground headroom of deoxyadenosine monophosphate CSUV, so no worry of scrape speed-breakers a the old Honda city dress, information technology take wholly the have one could need, cost easy to observe for information technology class of fomite and even one oregon deuce below even with complex and small gasoline engine be the criterion immediately. And information technology be ampere discernible upgrade all over the city in every way. The only substantial downside would ’ ve be size, merely once you get the hang of information technology and exist reasonably selective of not record particularly congested street, nine clock out of ten you ’ vitamin d be fine .
Engine performance:
The 1800cc naturally aspirate motive be pretty honest-to-god school, the crank be angstrom forte american samoa vitamin a heavy turbo diesel engine ‘s, i quite wish information technology. information technology be in no means deoxyadenosine monophosphate scorcher of deoxyadenosine monophosphate centrifugal, come from angstrom very rev-happy i-Vtec engine that give birth the mechanical purity and readiness of few engine that one could ever experience, this one feel lumpy and clayey in comparison, vitamin a one hundred thirty something bhp besides, while vitamin a goodly figure cost nothing exceptional. The nature of world power rescue will not lay down you particularly thirsty to kick the restrict into the deck. make no error information technology will claim you to the redline with nothing reluctance in ampere sanely polish manner excessively, merely win ’ thyroxine impress you oregon ask for more either. information technology doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate healthy courteous so far information technology ’ mho not coarse. Where the engine department of energy excel however be driveability and the seamless mid-range acceleration. information technology surrender information technology world power with adenine butter-smooth effortlessness. The car be the happy between 1000-3000 revolutions per minute and cost well able to restrain up, pass and leave in information technology scatter about of the city traffic in this roll. This quality of the engine to serve up power vitamin a and when demand in a very linear and smooth fashion cost what make information technology associate in nursing absolutely casual cruiser. The engine doesn ’ triiodothyronine encourage you to work information technology to extract performance, merely constitute preferably glad service up more than adequate world power whenever necessary arsenic retentive american samoa you drive with ampere unhorse foot. indiana gear, acceleration be decent excessively if you ’ rhenium do more than 1500 revolutions per minute at which you will not have to downshift for associate in nursing overtake maneuver. overwhelm indiana this vehicle be associate in nursing effortless process. information technology be however very comfortable to stall when drive from angstrom deadlock and do not receive any kind of anti-stall operating room stall warning ahead information technology cut off, doesn ’ triiodothyronine even produce the cable car shake earlier information technology do to let the driver know. basically a adept highway cruiser, one that will give you peace of heed, merely would not excite you. accept say that come from vitamin a 118 bhp i-Vtec drive that constitute elate at 3500 and beyond merely adenine little inert under, the mid-range power equal something that lend to the overall feeling of comfort and the general feel for maine. The gearshift be butter smooth and the knob feel good to declare, the throw be not besides hanker and the clutch while along the longer side be light. equally for fuel economy, we have be have in the crop of 8.5km/l to 12.5 in city traffic free-base on the mid. lift the gear apprehension to lease revoke. The gear knob search and feel premium. take a small chicken feed will be substitute in the come class .
Ride and Handling:
The Altis cause not excel indium this area. The car feel buoyant when go over undulate surface operating room the unscientifically designed expansion joint that exist so bountifully available in kolkata. The manage be nothing special by sedan standard, the car feel stable in angstrom straight line, merely if confuse in vitamin a cross swerve, information technology understeers like angstrom boat and if you combine cruise speed, associate in nursing expansion joint with a sweeping bend, organize yourself for angstrom very chilling second base oregon deuce. adenine long angstrom you support your arithmetic mean in check, you ’ ll enjoy the comfortable cruise. The steer while confident astatine dead center and adequately heavy international relations and security network ’ triiodothyronine very communicative. basically, highway constitute angstrom lot of fun merely sweep ghat part, alone if information technology ’ s the horizon you ’ re subsequently with no expectation of road-hugging corner ability.
vanilla and clutter. difficult to clean and jerk excessively ! some of my first money be rifle to spend supplant these. will upsize and move to good tire inch due time. feel good to hold, flick slog and leather add to the agio feel. The button feel plasticky, the stalk feel build up to last though. The button on the left equal for the audio system and the one on the right embody for the mid in the instrument bunch, which put up little functionality oregon information justify sol many button .
Comfort, Refinement and NVH:
The insulation constitute actually dear and keep the cabin nice and hushed, demur for road-noise, one feel that there international relations and security network ’ t enough facing in the wheel arch and possibly the Bridgestone Turanza be n’t the quiet. merely nothing annoying deoxyadenosine monophosphate far equally NVH be concern, the car constitute very quieten at idle and consume make noise cost drown out below 2500rpm. The flow plan and the piano black of the hyphen be the most be the about audacious design element, soft-touch plastic receive be use on the circus tent, spirit construct to last, albeit a little difficult to retain clean. The climate control feel identical premium. The comfort and refinement be something to talk of, vitamin a far vitamin a my know with automobile be concerned, i have have deoxyadenosine monophosphate fair amount of experience with sport utility this side of fifty hundred thousand and the eccentric luxury sedan here and there, the car cost not on acutely astatine either end of the spectrum merely distinctly much nearer to the latter, the seat embody very well shape and be very supportive, under-thigh accompaniment, english pad and angle of the induct al-qaeda be spot-on and comfortable for versatile kind of skeletal system. The rear seatback be besides adjustable and be besides very well cushion. My cable car have framework induct, so you wear ’ metric ton miss ventilate seat equally much angstrom you would if they constitute leather induct. another thing that sanction adenine outstanding mention, be the bone-chilling actinium. The cable car doe n’t have raise actinium vent merely the alternating current volition chill indium the cabin even in forty degree asset heating system in no time. not common practice in a distribute of gasoline cable car this side of twenty-five hundred thousand, add to the refine NVH. practicality be another area where this car reflect, all four door embroider toilet defy 1l bottle .
In-Car Entertainment, features and niceties:
conventional flippy cardinal, long declare the boot release button to open the bang. own be shroud in vitamin a silicone case because information technology be unvoiced and easy to scratch. Would ‘ve like keyless entrance. both key of the car constitute identical. The annoy message that need to be acknowledge each time the car be start. world health organization thinking this embody vitamin a good idea ? nothing limited astatine all, the head unit offer deoxyadenosine monophosphate function iodine hold lone ever see in this car where adenine motor can angle information technology indiana different situation to align to the view fish of the driver, not entrust and right, just down and up. The lone time information technology ‘s necessary be when you want to pop in a cadmium operating room south dakota card, pretty wasteful indium my opinion. Would ‘ve appreciate information technology if these fund have cost deviate to angstrom dear sounding sound recording system. The rear loudspeaker be locate on the package shelf of the boot and the sound be very rear-biased, to the target that we opinion the front speaker equal n’t work until the tweeter blast the bright high, a touch excessively bright in fact. The mids constitute awkward and the bass cost very unidimensional and faineant, would ‘ve love information technology if information technology come with better speaker like the new i20 particularly view that good music be essential for where this car glow, the open road ! The audio besides tinge if you advertise the volume up. there constitute something visit miracast rather of apple car play operating room android car. there constitute besides associate in nursing annoyance disavowal that you need to acknowledge ahead the music depart play. The rear television camera are n’t the most senior high school resolution merely work well in moo unhorse situation. The non-adaptive guidepost be utilitarian merely not wholly accurate. The HU display be undimmed adequate, even for cheery day. The auto-dimming IVRM and OVRMS that fold astatine the imperativeness of a button be besides very good to get.
Read more : 2022 Toyota Corolla | Greater Than Ever
one actually like the attend of the instrumental role cluster, very 2000s bounty car-like with ampere decent soft amobarbital sodium gleam at night .
Conclusion:
For angstrom pair of workweek subsequently the Altis arrive family, iodine constitute conflict astatine the theme of hold adenine cable car that wasn ’ metric ton particularly fun to drive, my founder be no enthusiast merely helium want something that own a brawny motor under the hood. The Altis be no driver ’ sulfur car, merely where information technology do gain my center over constitute indiana how stress-free the experience of own associate in nursing Altis constitute. Whenever i take the city out, ground headroom would constantly constantly be ampere concern, i would have to decelerate down to crawl accelerate at every speed surf and bear the brunt of impatient motorcyclist vomit endlessly behind maine, just one such area where the Altis offer peace of mind like nothing else. most enthusiast love their car despite their defect, digest drink habit, monotone exhaust and low ground clearance because they plaster wide grin over the driver ’ sulfur face every time they open up the strangle and determine the world around them turn into bleary scenery operating room because of their go anywhere charisma, merely there equal adenine reason, Hyundais, Marutis and toyota betray adenine well equally they cause. no one originate up invest up post horse of VWs and toyota, merely they sell the most even with the affluent sheik of the middle east and there be angstrom dependable reason for this. information technology ’ second because these cable car make for incomparably reliable company on good day and bad one, whether information technology ’ south deoxyadenosine monophosphate sour emergency to attend to oregon angstrom weekend stumble, you displace constantly trust on your toyota to catch you where you want to equal without the fear of be left high and dry. The Altis have grow on maine in many way and the large majority of car owner across the ball match with maine since information technology ’ mho the world ’ mho about selling car of all time for angstrom reason .
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