Corolla 2.0 D-4D T3 reluctant sale

[bbgffc]

Hi All,

Having driven Japanese cars most of my life, from Honda, Mazda and Toyota, I must admit there are not many other makes in the UK that I would trust.

I still own my trusty 1999 Mazda 323 (since 2010). It's still on the original exhaust. Only ever replaced, tyres, oil changes, one fan belt and brakes in 12 years.

My 1.3 pocket rocket Starlet was fantastic, and only had to go due to under body corrosion. It was sold on eBay to a person who was shipping it to Poland for the engine.

My son has an Avensis and passed down to me his Corolla (this one) as he had an extra child and needed a slightly bigger car.

This 2 litre turbo diesel is great, and returns fabulous mpg. Plus when the turbo hits in it is so powerful. 

With great reluctance I must sell it on, as it is a manual gearbox. I have problems with my left foot, so I only drive autos these days. My wife and other son have chosen to

drive automatics only, so I cannot pass it on to them.

I am not on here to sell my car. It is on eBay and Gumtree. I would love this car to go to a Toyota enthusiast who realises just how good these cars are!

If you are interested, I live in Ashtead, Surrey. You should easily be able to find the ads. Reg starts with AF53.

I am considering purchasing a 2006 1.6 Automatic Corolla in it's place. Unfortunately there are no Auto turbo diesels.

Thanks for looking.

Brian

[TonyHSD]

Hi and welcome.
Sorry to hear that you have to reluctantly sell your beloved car but this perhaps may give you an opportunity to discover and eventually buy the best from the automatic cars that Toyota can offer, the hybrid. Toyota hybrids from 2010 onwards offer very smooth driving experience as smooth and linear as car can be thanks to the unique engine-e motors-transmission combination. These cars has no gears, no torque converter, no dual clutch to worry about expensive replacement. If your budget allows or if you can stretch a bit perhaps a Toyota Prius or Auris hybrid from 2010 -> can be best replacement of your current Corolla, drivability, efficiency and reliability wise. 👌
Regards 👍

[bbgffc]

Thank you Tony. This is very interesting to read. I wasn't sure about the standard Auris, but it seems like the Hybrid is the way to go. The Prius has always had a good feedback, but I was always concerned about the Battery life and replacement costs. Have you any idea what an Auris auto hybrid would go for, dated around 2010?

Once the Corolla has been sold, I will be looking around and will definitely add the Auris to my search list.

Kind regards,

Brian

[Cyker]

My brother had a Corolla 2.0 D4D, fantastic car - Interior was so solid, and the pull was amazing! Engine had enough torque to move the moon!  

Real nice place to be, but I can understand why you want to trade it in - The clutch on those 1CD-FTV engine'd cars was ridiculously hard; I've driven vans with softer clutch pedals!! Whenever I drove it I felt like I was walking slightly to one side once I got out because the muscles in my left leg got such a workout  

Agree with Tony - If you want an automatic, the hybrids are the best thing to get, much better than Toyota's other autoboxes (esp. the MMT which has a very poor reputation here). Downside is they hold their value annoyingly well so will be a bit pricier, but will likely sell for higher too so consider the extra as an investment!

Don't worry about the traction batteries - The computer manages them so well they will likely outlast the car; Almost everyone who has a Mk2 Prius in the forum is still on the original Battery!

I dare say they will last longer than even the massive traction batteries in EV's as the computer is almost rabid about keeping them at an optimal state of charge all the time, whereas EV's run them from high to low constantly which stresses them more.

And even if they do go, they're relatively small batteries so maybe a couple grand to replace these days; The one in my Mk4 Yaris is so small I reckon it's about the same cost to replace as the clutch and DMF in my dad's old Verso  

Won't be as fun as the Corolla, esp. in the torque department, but with diesels being demonized the hybrids are the next best thing. I had a real hard time going back to gutless thirsty petrol engines after being forced to give up my old diesel, but the hybrid I have now is a good substitute! Even has a foot rest for the left foot!  

 

[bbgffc]

Thank you Cyker for your comments and advice.

With more and more Battery cars on the market, and millions more soon will be as manufacturers are stopped making gas guzzlers, do you think that maybe the older style batteries for the Prius will come down substantially in price as more powerful ones become the trend?

This would make an older Prius a much better proposition financially. The question is, will a hybrid engine last as long as the bullet proof old Corolla?

Plus, is the body work as good in terms of corrosion? 

Unfortunately, I am not at an age where I can (or ever would anyway) pay the sky high rental prices for a new/nearly new car. How else I wonder can the average Brit ever afford one of these lovely looking vehicles at crazy prices they are asking today?

Best regards,

Brian

[TonyHSD]

16 hours ago, bbgffc said:

Thank you Tony. This is very interesting to read. I wasn't sure about the standard Auris, but it seems like the Hybrid is the way to go. The Prius has always had a good feedback, but I was always concerned about the battery life and replacement costs. Have you any idea what an Auris auto hybrid would go for, dated around 2010?

Once the Corolla has been sold, I will be looking around and will definitely add the Auris to my search list.

Kind regards,

Brian

Hi Brian, 

if you about an automatic car (Toyota) best automatic is the hybrid indeed. Auris hybrid from 2010 prices varies a lot and depends on mileage and condition. Currently prices on used cars are as crazy high as on new, even higher in many cases., you can check auto trader, eBay, and any other sites for stock. The hybrid Battery should last a good time, it only needs a periodically cleaning of the cooling fan once every 100k miles and the same time cleaning procedure of the egr system, other than that its simply oil and filters changes, and all fluids and the regular stuff like in all other petrol engines. If the car is maintained well should last a long time. Eventually Hybrid Battery replacement from Toyota cost around £3000 - £3500, there are some independent specialists that can do repair or replace for less money. I am driving exactly the same model since 2018, been in the family before and I know the car well and maintain it myself., currently on 205900 miles, on almost everything original. I hope for another 100k miles before anything major needs replacement and I will most likely buy another one, newer model Corolla or Prius. 👍🔋⛽️

[Cyker]

The hybrid engines get a much gentler life, like the batteries do, so they will last much longer than any conventional engine. Toyota and Lexus Hybrids have consistently beat out EVs and ICE cars for the tops spots in reliability surveys.

It's funny as, with the constant on-off cycles and small batteries, everyone assumed they'd be far less reliable (The classic "It's twice as many things to break!" FUD put out by EV people), but because the ICE and EV parts of the car complement each other and share the load they have a much easier life than straight EV or ICE cars which is a large part of why they have been so reliable.

The hybrids that use NiMH instead of Li+ are cheaper for Battery replacement, and some of them also have Li+ conversion kits available (Albeit often costing more than the second hand car!), but the difference isn't a huge amount as you need more NiMH to match Li+ capacity and NiMH is a bit more niche compared to the massive push for automotive Li+ so the prices haven't dropped a huge amount AFAIK. I'm not sure who else uses high capacity NiMH packs aside from Toyota!

DevonAygo or PartsKing might be able to post some typical costs for either, or you might be able to find examples on parts sites.

The Battery is a bit of a red herring tho' as the chances of you needing to replace it are very low. (And why bother when you could buy one that doesn't need a new Battery instead!)

The new hybrids are a huge leap ahead of the previous gen, but as you say quite expensive. You can get them on finance (Although they seem to be withdrawing the 0% finance now) - I'm currently paying ~£200/mo for mine after dropping a 5k deposit, with an expected £10k balloon payment at the end. I'd been saving for better part of 15 years which is the only reason I could make the switch when my Mk2 let me down, but I think it's a bit tricky otherwise. (I was actually saving for an EV but as they *still* all suck I decided to bite the bullet and get the Mk4!)

 

[bbgffc]

Thank you Cyker for your open honesty and I appreciate your knowledge of the Hybrid market and Battery costs.

Unfortunately, we are entering a time in our lives that I have never witnessed before. Rising prices in just about every area, except for salaries and pensions. Something will have to give at some stage, where Mr Joe Average is no longer in a position to lease a car valued at £30k plus, let alone ever actually buy one.

Fuel has hit ridiculous high price levels, so Hybrids are the way to go. I believe the government should offer UK drivers that have petrol/diesel cars over 15 years old a really good trade in on their old vehicles for a new/nearly new Hybrid, EV or ICE one. Make it possible for everyone to finally go greener, therefore reducing the need for petrol, eliminating diesel, and helping the environment.