Built Quality

[gramacar]

I have always consider the noise of a closing door in a car

as an indication of it' s built quality. Have you ever noticed how

the door closes in an Audi A3 or a Mercedes Sports coupe?

Why can' t toyota do the same with corola or even with the more

pricey celica. The way the doors close reminds me a cheaper

car like alfa or ford.

[Fidgits]

(cough) Lexus (cough)

[spwolf]

Corolla doors close really nicely.... new avensis too...rest of the cars that are designed before corolla have a metallic clunk when you close the door...

starting with Corolla, Toyota wanted to change quality perception of its cars, hence Corolla and Avensis have 10x improved quality perception over the models they replaced...

[PeterNem]

Our corolla's doors definately close with a nice "clunk" compared to the cars we've owned recently. The only one to better it was my parents old audi 100 estate!

[gramacar]

I agree that there is an improvement from the previous corolas

But compare it with a3 or golf. Dont you think toyota could build

it just the same as those cars? And dont forget that new corola

is much more expensive than the previous ones, at least in my country.

[spwolf]

i dont know - new corolla closes better than new a4 or golf IV in my personal opinion...avensis too. and its still cheaper by loads than audi or golf

interior quality perception is top notch in both new corolla and avensis, hence they are more expensive...

[gramacar]

I dont agree. A friend of mine has an A3 1.8T Its built

quality is amazing. You dont hear a thing even in the

bad full of bumps and pots greek roads. You close the door and

you think you are inside a banker. Its just a pity that the

excellent 1.8 turbo engine (180ps) was stopped in the new A3.

I dont think corola is any much for a3 in built quality. They are in

a different league.

[gaz]

I have to agree with gramacar. The !Removed! are good at copying and dressing things up, but on the inside the materials are not as good or as well screwed together as an audi A3 or A4, look further than the quality dash which Toyota try to bring to your attention, it's whats behind it that counts, the plastic fixing are used in too many places. Take the body panels on the Corolla they flex too much just look at the wing around the front head lights you can move it around the lights it's hardly solid, the same with the door panels which dent very easily...

[CTS03]

The doors are OK, but it is unacceptable a new CTS, the most expensive Corolla, to have a noisy dashboard!

[gramacar]

I have heard so many things concerning built quality issues

in that forum that I am now very sceptical about

purchasing a CTS. May be I should wait for the

facelift in 2004? which may have some improvements.

[Mevi]

Take a look at a cut-away picture of a Audi-Volks car. They fill the empty spaces in the chassis with wax to deaden the structure and cut down on noise. They add a lot of MASS to cut down on vibration and noise which we perceive as a higher level of build quality.

IMO - they build heavy cars with good plastics.

[mytbyte]

For what they charge in BMW, Mercedes or Audi for their cars they better have 0 creaks or mechanical problems in whole of their lifetimes...Corolla is a match for Golf, Astra, Alfa 147, cars in the same price range..., not audi A3...anyone can put top quality materials if price is not an issue, A3 is not produced in the quantities a Corolla is...Toyota is a popular brand...don't forget: they also make Lexus, the luxury brand that directly competes with BMWs, Mercedes and Audis...and Toyota and Lexus are yet again the best brand in US according to JDPower survey, with the before mentioned german brands being very low on quality ladder...

[Degringo]

However when you compare the CTS to the Type R the toyota is extremley well built I heard comments that the Type R is very noisy.

Would Toyota and Lexus score top marks in the JD power survey if it wasn't true.

You will always get the odd creak and rattle, have you driven a BMW? They suffer from these, especially after driving on Yorkshire roads.

I have to say that the CTS is well built (the uk ones that is) and easily compare to anything else in the same price range. Remember these are NOT luxury cars.

[gaz]

Apparently there are all sorts of TSB's relating to rattles behind the dash many are radio related. I spoke to my dealer about mine but on this occasion he has just re-packed it. It still rattles! I got this info from the corollaland web site.

Parts used were listed as:

55406-02080-B0 Panel, Sub-Assy, Inst

08231-00801 Noise Kit

Job title was BD3005 PERFORM RADIO BEZEL TSB

342 W93

As you may know, Toyota has issued a TSB for those of us who have a gap between the top of the panel surrounding the radio and the bottom of the dash cover.

Just wanted to let everyone know that the fix done two weeks ago at my dealer has worked, and the gap has not reopened.

If you have the problem and it's annoying, you may want to have your dealer order the kit from Toyota and fix the gap on warranty.

My service order said "Radio Gap TSB" - no number - but your dealer should be able to look it up.

END

I think you need to plague your dealer to do something. I will.

[CTS03]

Gramacar

you should better wait for the new Corollas. It seems that TOYOTA has used many new materials/parts in the interior of the present Corolla but they have not controlled everything properly.