Car choices

[cjsmith]

Test-drove a 2007 Corolla. If I buy one of those, I know exactly what I want on it. (Well, almost. Undecided about sunroof: just another thing to go wrong?) Spent lots of time fiddling with it in the parking lot and on the road, and it passed almost all of my tests.* That's pretty good.

Not at all firm on the decision for a Corolla though. Should drive a Yaris too. Better turning radius, a tinch better mileage, fewer frills available. Want to compare the two on trunk space. Would have done that today if I didn't have to get to the airport.

Should also drive that 2001 Prius before somebody buys the dang thing. Financially stupid to consider it, I know. Its batteries have half their useful life gone already, and I know darn well I don't drive enough to warrant a Prius even at used prices. Ah well. I may drive it anyway. :-)

____________
* Failures:
- No way to get cassette-playing capability. Would have to replace the radio right off the bat to get it.
- Cup holders suck. They're there but they can't be retracted and they fit only one size of object.
- Recirc exists only when the windshield air vents are turned off. Stoopid interlock.
- Timer turns rear window defrost off. Every car will fail this, though, and I know I can change it.
- Right-side mirror does not fold.
- Turning radius is distinctly mediocre compared to what I'm used to.

Comments

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Undecided about sunroof: just another thing to go wrong?

In my opinion: Yes. Mine hasn't had a problem yet, but I expect it will break and/or leak sooner than a solid roof would, and it doesn't appear to be good for anything in exchange for the potential problems.

I never wanted a sunroof, but I had to get a one when I bought my 2000 Mazda Protegé because it was the only way to get anti-lock brakes and side air bags. See, those two safety features were only available in a $1500 package with the sunroof -- sorry, moonroof (what the hell is the difference? is there a difference?) -- and keyless entry system. Turned out the keyless entry system didn't include a trunk opener (which drives me crazy, because when your arms are full of stuff is when you need it!) and I never use the heavenly-body-roof. It's the first one I've ever had, and I thought it would help in hot weather -- leave the hole in the roof cracked and the windows cracked slightly and the hot air would vent itself, right? Nope. I never noticed a particle of difference.

If you like open windows, you might like a sunroof. I prefer to keep the windows closed when I'm going more than about 40 mph because of the noise, and the whatever-it-is-roof is very noisy at those speeds. And it doesn't let any air in, it just makes noise and reduces gas mileage. So I pretty much never use it. If it's good for something, I hope someone will tell me, because after 6 years I still haven't figured out what that might be.

Incidentally, a remote control entry system is worth the money. When it's raining, when you're alone in a dark parking lot, when your hands are full of stuff ... it's terrific not to have to fumble trying to get the key into the lock and remember which way to turn it. Make sure it opens the trunk, too, though. Or do all cars come with keyless entry systems now? I know they have those $150 keys that are radio controlled or something -- I just have regular keys and a little pushbutton doohickey, but it's great.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The way manufacturers package options together is, in my not at all humble opinion, asinine. I'm sorry you had to get something you considered a negative in order to get the safety features you wanted.

Rob's moonroof in his Saturn was a constant source of trouble. It wasn't that it broke all THAT often, just that when it did they had to disassemble the entire top of the car to fix it. Bad. We mostly left it broken. However, Toyota engineering is in our experience (two Toyotas and two Saturns) WAY WAY BETTER, so maybe a Corolla moonroof would last longer. ...or maybe not. Leaking sure would suck.

Moonroof = the more common thing, with a translucent or transparent piece and an opaque piece. Sunroof = one single thick opaque open-able panel. If I'm remembering right, that is. It's been quite a while since I paid attention to those definitions. I think people like these things because they like the extra light. Me, I always liked being able to stand up in stopped traffic. ;-)

Hmm, the Corolla keyfob I saw didn't open the trunk. I need to ask about that. Thanks for reminding me!

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

The way manufacturers package options together is, in my not at all humble opinion, asinine.

To say the least. I did a lot of ranting about that at the time.

However, Toyota engineering is in our experience (two Toyotas and two Saturns) WAY WAY BETTER, so maybe a Corolla moonroof would last longer. ...or maybe not.

Maybe not is right. The windows on my '93 Corolla are the reason why I got a Mazda instead of a Toyota last time. Right after the warranty expired the driver's window suddenly slumped down several inches. Fortunately it wasn't raining at the time, but when I tried to activate the mechanism to close it, first nothing happened ... and then the window fell all the way down!

It was supposed to storm that night so we had to get out there and cover it with plastic and seal it with huge amounts of tape (which was a pain to clean up later). It turned out to be the regulator (http://www.arvinmeritor.com/media/Low_Resolution/car_and_light_truck_products/door_systems/CPDS001L.jpg) -- the part that physically moves the window up and down. It had nothing to do with whether the regulator was powered by electricity or a manual crank -- the regulator just plain failed.

I browbeat Ken (who insisted he'd never done anything like that and didn't know how) into trying to fix it with the argument that if he succeeded we'd save a lot of money, and if he failed it wouldn't cost anything more because I'd have to have it fixed anyway. Fortunately he did fix it, so it cost me "only" about $95 (plus gas to drive an hour and a half round trip to the only dealer that had one in stock and listening to a lot of bitching and moaning).

That was bad enough, but I would have put it down to a fluke that could happen on any car ... if the same thing hadn't happened to the other front window a few months later! Evidently the damn things weren't made properly and failed after a certain amount of usage. If I had had to get it fixed by a dealer and paid $200 or $300 for each repair I probably would have gone to Toyota and tried to see if there was a secret warranty (http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=721&scid=112) about those things, but since Ken now knew how to do it (albeit with another heaping helping of bitching and moaning) we just trotted back to the dealer and bought another one and Ken fixed it.

But I really distrusted Toyota after that, and bought a Mazda. Which I now regret since the stress crack in the windshield and the broken door lock were also due to bad engineering, bad parts, or bad assembly.

Moonroof = the more common thing, with a translucent or transparent piece and an opaque piece.

That's the kind I have. I still call it a sunroof. I do occasionally open the sliding panel to let light in in the winter, but mostly it just causes unpleasant glare so I rarely do that. And the glass-opening part is useless, at least for me.

the Corolla keyfob I saw didn't open the trunk. I need to ask about that.
My keyfob has a place for another button, but it just has a solid plug in it, so obviously it's even the same fob -- I guess it's just a matter of paying a little more to have the receiver and mechanism installed installed in the trunk. That's something I do feel is worth the money. I wish I'd known to ask, but it's my first remote control entry system and everyone else I've ever ridden with (including Meredith) can open their trunk with it, so I just assumed that was the way they all worked. I didn't find out until I got the car home that the trunk didn't open automagically. :-(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh weird. Did the regulator physically break? I've had a window slip part way out of one, once (don't remember why or how) but it was easy to get back in.

I admit I dislike power windows, power locks, and all that other UNNECESSARY CRAP that breaks a lot more than manual. One reason I've loved my car for so long is that it doesn't have unnecessary crap and therefore it doesn't BREAK all the time!

Yep, most people call both thingies a sunroof.

The Corolla keyfob had only two buttons. Gotta go look... thanks for the reminder.

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

If it's good for something, I hope someone will tell me, because after 6 years I still haven't figured out what that might be.

I find that in combination with the vents being open it makes for a lot more flow-through at speed. But then I am totally a windows-down kind of girl. I refuse to use my AC when it is less than 90 out because windows are so much nicer.

But the REAL advantage to a sunroof, IMO, is that leaving it cracked when the car is parked in the sun results in reduced interior temperature. Much more effective than leaving the windows cracked because of that whole hot air flowing upwards thing. I pretty much don't close mine for the entire dry season.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I like windows-down too, except when there are other cars on the road ;-) (smokers, people playing loud music, etc). OK, I'm exaggerating. I do enjoy riding with the windows down.

Mmmm, yes, cracking it while parked. Good reminder; thanks.