Change or not

[Bozz]

My Corolla is coming to the end of the PCP term and has done 33k miles. Probably enough time to take delivery of a replacement before it ends. 

Is it worth me taking out a new PCP contract and getting a new Corolla ST 2.0 Design?

The % APR is higher at 2.9% whereas previously it was 0%.

Is the 2024 model year car better than my 2021 car of the same spec?

Views would be appreciated.

Bozz

 

 

[Paul 85]

I have recently taken delivery of a Corolla 2.0 TS Excel and looked at the spec. in detail versus a used approved model and I must say you gain some and lose some as the specifications change.

I'd had a VW Tiguan, kept for 8 years before the electronics started playing up and that was the end of that.

Overall, I'm very happy with the 2024 model. Bought on PCP to get extra discount but paid off after the first instalment. If you are happy with what you have and it's reliable, why change?

[sportse]

33k miles isn't much, I'd keep the existing car. Particularly as you have the 2 litre.

With the 100k miles/10 years warranty if you use dealer servicing, keeping a car shouldn't cause any issues.

My own mileage is 20/25k a year, so for me I'll only get 4-5 years warranty but plan to keep mine until I'm close to the 100k mileage limit. I don't expect I'll need any repairs, just some tyres and maybe one set of brake pads.

Plus the new 2024 model will have the speed limit alerts that can't be switched off permanently - only disabled through settings until the next time you start the car.

[TonyHSD]

Keep or return and buy another all it’s up to you and depending on personal circumstances and preferences. 
One thing for sure Toyota cars last well beyond the manufacturer warranty and they does not cause any major problems except the usual wear with time and mileage. 100 000 miles end of warranty is where these cars start their second life of another 100000 miles and more. 
The different between two Corolla in question are small and overall these two are same cars. 

[AndyN01]

I'd be keeping her. But I choose to keep my cars for years anyway.

Given what's happening today I reckon that the future for us motorists is unpredictable to say the least.

So, by keeping the car you have a known rather than an unknown. And at 33K she's barely run in with a huge amount of life left in her plus you know the history from brand new.

But, obviously, your circumstances may well be different leading to a different conclusion.

Good luck.

[ToyotaFanDriver]

The biggest shame is they've moved all the 0% offers and deals to shift the EV tat...

[ThomasL]

Price has gone up as well as the APR hasn't it?

Keep it if you can afford the CBP or crippling balloon payment... 😅

Tell them we're all waiting for a PHEV Corolla and we'll only change our cars then!

[FreddoChoc]

If you want a new car go for a new car.

Another option is to look for a 1 year-old Corolla model (so 23), with a reg starting with F, so FL, FE, or F whatever. These are normally ex-Toyota employee company type cars, of which there are a number based on the two manufacturing sites in the UK. I think they give them to managers. They run them upto 10k miles and are a year old I think and then sold off I think through the dealer network. The last but one I got was newly serviced as well.

I used the word think too many times in this post but it's what I remember and I still see to this day a number of these going out and into the UK manufacturing site at shift change at Deeside.  

[Niky]

One more for an year old 2023, mainly because of the speed limit alerts on the new ones. The interest might be higher on an used car vs a new PCP deal though. 

[sportse]

You may be able to pick up a  facelift 23 pre-reg car at a discount as it’s last years model.

watch out though, last time I looked there were some pre-facelift pre-reg 23 models still about. They had been sitting on the forecourt for months. The adverts weren’t clear that they were the old model, and it was only contacting the dealers that I found out the truth. 

[taxidriver50005]

If money is no object then change but expect to get annoyed at the constant bleeping... But value for money is defo on keeping these for as long as possible.. They don't normally turn into money pits as they age unlike other brands. 

As much as I love getting a new/newer car I always find the novelty has worn off before I've made the first payment and end up wishing I'd kept the old car. 

[SDR]

It's mentioned above and, personally, the issue of the devil you know, etc., resonates with me.

I think that I have come to accept that, with mass produced cars, the occasional lemon is going to escape the factory and end up being bought by someone.   It's happened to me only once in 50 years but the experience was bad enough that, ever since, new car day has never been a pleasure. 

The issue with the TSS, and speed warning bleeps, etc., is a consideration but I have just got used to the way it is;   live with it for short distances, switch to visual only for longer drives.   Again just personal opinion, but I wouldn't let this influence a buy/don't buy decision. 

[Willss]

On 7/4/2024 at 8:52 PM, FreddoChoc said:

If you want a new car go for a new car.

Another option is to look for a 1 year-old Corolla model (so 23), with a reg starting with F, so FL, FE, or F whatever. These are normally ex-Toyota employee company type cars, of which there are a number based on the two manufacturing sites in the UK. I think they give them to managers. They run them upto 10k miles and are a year old I think and then sold off I think through the dealer network. The last but one I got was newly serviced as well.

I used the word think too many times in this post but it's what I remember and I still see to this day a number of these going out and into the UK manufacturing site at shift change at Deeside.  

Be a bit careful on that front. I bought an FDxx xxx  Toyota auris which was an ex hire car for a hire company (Enterprise or someone similar can't remember). I got it at a ludicrous discount and was aware of its history so took the risk there were about 40 around the country at the time all identical apart from the last 2 letters, all with similar mileage etc.  Car was one owner before me (the national hire company) maybe Toyota registered them all for the company but......  suffice to say not all Fxxx xxx Toyotas are ex Toyota company cars! Mine had not been maintained/looked after well despite being only 14 months old.

[Benn1991]

I am in a similar position at the minute. Currently have a 1.8 GR hatchback with 12k on the clock (22 plate) and am expecting a child in the next month or so.

 

I would ideally like to swap to a touring sport version, probabaly in a design spec. It is just a shame that the 0% PCP is no longer available (will it ever be again?) and that it seems the list price of the cars have risen massively in the last couple of years. It’s a difficult one. The car is great and I got it as it was affordable and economical. It seems now however they are becoming almost unaffordable, and venturing into the realms of BMW/Audi prices

 

 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Benn1991 said:

I am in a similar position at the minute. Currently have a 1.8 GR hatchback with 12k on the clock (22 plate) and am expecting a child in the next month or so.

 

I would ideally like to swap to a touring sport version, probabaly in a design spec. It is just a shame that the 0% PCP is no longer available (will it ever be again?) and that it seems the list price of the cars have risen massively in the last couple of years. It’s a difficult one. The car is great and I got it as it was affordable and economical. It seems now however they are becoming almost unaffordable, and venturing into the realms of BMW/Audi prices

 

 

That’s a problem with all car’s prices currently and another huge issue is that many new Toyota models and other manufacturers offer almost no rear seat leg room, kind of a mid sized hatchback can’t be a family car anymore., where some years ago if you had golf or Corolla they were offering as much space as Passat or Avensis on rear seats. 
You either have to opt for an estate version or go for a suv, which aren’t anyone taste. 
Yaris cross you need to check, has more headroom, legroom and larger boot than Corolla hatchback. 

[simond64]

2 hours ago, Benn1991 said:

I am in a similar position at the minute. Currently have a 1.8 GR hatchback with 12k on the clock (22 plate) and am expecting a child in the next month or so.

 

I would ideally like to swap to a touring sport version, probabaly in a design spec. It is just a shame that the 0% PCP is no longer available (will it ever be again?) and that it seems the list price of the cars have risen massively in the last couple of years. It’s a difficult one. The car is great and I got it as it was affordable and economical. It seems now however they are becoming almost unaffordable, and venturing into the realms of BMW/Audi prices

 

 

Try carwow to get a good discount, I switched from a Corolla GRSport HB to TS Excel last year to get the extra space, well worth it, car is only 28cm longer but boot 3 times bigger and back seat leg room and space massively better

[forkingabout]

Corolla TS 1.8 hybrid Design spec is the service managers car of choice for my works fleet, normally handed back at 3 years old with very tired rear suspension. 

[TonyHSD]

3 hours ago, forkingabout said:

Corolla TS 1.8 hybrid Design spec is the service managers car of choice for my works fleet, normally handed back at 3 years old with very tired rear suspension. 

What exactly would mean “very tired rear suspension “ ? 
Are there any worn out bushes, springs or shock absorbers ?  

[forkingabout]

51 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

What exactly would mean “very tired rear suspension “ ? 
Are there any worn out bushes, springs or shock absorbers ?  

Some of them often get over loaded by carrying to much weight around for long periods of time.

 

[Benn1991]

6 hours ago, simond64 said:

Try carwow to get a good discount, I switched from a Corolla GRSport HB to TS Excel last year to get the extra space, well worth it, car is only 28cm longer but boot 3 times bigger and back seat leg room and space massively better

I have tried car wow and even with the discounts, for a 1.8 design it’s still quoting up to £100 a month more on pcp than I’m currently paying, and that’s with a decent deposit down too! Maybe it’s just a sign of the times. Even the icon was showing as very pricey and it just doesn’t offer the features which I want.

 

what sort of deal did you manage to get if you don’t mind me asking?

[sportse]

7 hours ago, Benn1991 said:

I have tried car wow and even with the discounts, for a 1.8 design it’s still quoting up to £100 a month more on pcp than I’m currently paying, and that’s with a decent deposit down too! Maybe it’s just a sign of the times. Even the icon was showing as very pricey and it just doesn’t offer the features which I want.

 

what sort of deal did you manage to get if you don’t mind me asking?

I also bought my car through carwow. 
 

it showed up as a ‘used’ pre-reg in stock on the carwow search just after the other new cars in the list. It only had less than 50 miles on it and had been registered one month before, so was basically a brand new car but a 23 facelift model instead of 24. 
 

discount was a crazy 25% off list price. Most other icons from main dealers were only 7/8% off list price. 
 

I had been looking at the design models, but the facelift icon added a lot of equipment over the original. I added window sun shades instead of the design tinted windows. Only two things I missed are folding wing mirrors and rain sensing wipers, but for the discount I didn’t mind. 

[simond64]

15 hours ago, Benn1991 said:

I have tried car wow and even with the discounts, for a 1.8 design it’s still quoting up to £100 a month more on pcp than I’m currently paying, and that’s with a decent deposit down too! Maybe it’s just a sign of the times. Even the icon was showing as very pricey and it just doesn’t offer the features which I want.

 

what sort of deal did you manage to get if you don’t mind me asking?

I got a pcp with 1.9% interest, paying £75 more a month over the previous years model although I’d moved up to a TS Excel from GRSport HB. At the time of order used prices were high, used prices now are not so good which likely affects the offers you are getting. 

[David Hinchliffe]

On 7/4/2024 at 8:52 PM, FreddoChoc said:

If you want a new car go for a new car.

Another option is to look for a 1 year-old Corolla model (so 23), with a reg starting with F, so FL, FE, or F whatever. These are normally ex-Toyota employee company type cars, of which there are a number based on the two manufacturing sites in the UK. I think they give them to managers. They run them upto 10k miles and are a year old I think and then sold off I think through the dealer network. The last but one I got was newly serviced as well.

I used the word think too many times in this post but it's what I remember and I still see to this day a number of these going out and into the UK manufacturing site at shift change at Deeside.  

I just bought one of these through Motorpoint Derby  ex family and friends BiTone GR sport £22999 8600 miles great car  first service stamped