Buy Corolla Blog

2007 Corolla Tops June 2007 in Australia

2007-07-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Corolla tops Aussie new vehicle registrations in June 07 according to Car Update blog.

French Dude Video 2007 Corolla Verso

2007-07-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

French program test drives the 2007 Corolla Verso wagon.

Video of 2007 Corolla Axio and 2007 Corolla Fielder

2007-07-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Corolla Axio is the new Corolla Sedan. The Corolla Fielder is the Wagon.
These will come out in 2008 in the US. I hope they also bring the Corolla Fielder wagon to the U.S. market.

Corolla Versus Prius

2007-07-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

When I was looking for a car. I compared the prices of similarly equipped Prius versus Corolla. The Prius is about the same size as the Corolla, but it costs about 6k more. So is it worth it? 6k is still a good chunk of change.

I also compared the insurance quotes for a Corolla versus a Prius and the Prius is a but higher due to the higher cost.

Another ding for the Prius is that the batteries will one day need to be replaced. They say this would cost about $3000. And of course the old batteries would end up polluting landfills for many decades to come. So is the Prius truly a green car?

I like my new 2007 Corolla, I just filled up my first full tank. It gave me 380 miles for 11 gallons. So that's about 35mpg. Not bad! My 98 Accord never got this close.

Click here for Gadabout Jack's research on the Prius compared to Corolla. It's a good read.

My FICO Score saved me money

2007-07-10T14:34:00.001-07:00

When I was buying my 2007 Corolla, they ran a credit check and I was able to get a good auto loan rate.

The credit scores range from 300 to 850. This score lets lenders see how you compare to others. The higher your score, the more likely you'll get a better rate on your auto loan. Click here to see a graph showing where most people rank with their FICO score. Only 13% are at the top.

We should all handle credit wisely. A good credit score can mean hundreds and even thousands of dollars saved via lower loan rates. See here for how a higher FICO score saves you money.

Wikipedia entry for Toyota Corolla

2007-07-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia has lots of info about Corolla's history, they even have photos of the original Gen 1 corolla.

2007 Corolla Car Crash Safety Test

2007-07-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a 2007 Corolla being crashed for testing the safety rating.

The 2007 Corolla is available in select countries in Asia and Europe. In the USA, this will be the 2008 Corolla.

Corollas have Very Good Air Conditioning

2007-07-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

According to this ad, Corolla's have very cold air conditioning

Car Buying Step #3

2007-07-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Car Buying Step #3
Get the Invoice Price

The third step is very important as part of getting ready to buy a car. Nowadays it is possible to get so much information from the web. In fact you can easily find the invoice prices of cars on the web. The two most reliable sites that provide invoice prices are Edmunds.com and KBB.com. I have used Edmunds.com and their info has been reliable.

By now you should have decided on what make and model you want. And you also need to have a list of the extra features that you want such as cruise control, 6 CD player, or whatever you like.

So for example, you may have something like this

2007 Corolla
Auto transmission
Air, cruise, pwr door, pwr locks, 6cd, side airbags

From my research from Corolla features on toyota.com, the CE and S have power windows, and doors as accessories, while the LE has this as standard. Plus only the LE has keyless entry available. So I decide on the LE.

This is how you can get the invoice price from Edmunds for a Corolla. The info is free and you do not need to register.
I go to www.edmunds.com, and click on NEW CARS.
You now have to enter a zip code, use either zip code close to your home or work.
Under the Browse by Make section, I click on TOYOTA.
Select 2007 Toyota Corolla
Now I see the S, CE, and LE listed. Select Corolla LE AUTO 4dr sedan
I now see the invoice price is $14,764 (MSRP is $16,315)
Click the Price with Options button.
Next select the options desired.
Select BE Side airbags
Select VV Audio package (6 cd changer)

Select color Silver Streak Mica
Click TMV Pricing Report to proceed to next page.

You will now see the total pricing for this car.

Click on EMAIL THIS REPORT and send it to your new email address.

You now have a very useful information that can be used in your car search.

Car Buying Step #2

2007-07-06T06:21:00.001-07:00

Car Buying Step #2
Select the Exact Car Model You Want or Need

I was able to buy a 2007 Corolla LE for $750 under invoice. Follow my easy suggestions on how you can get a good price for your new car.

The second step involves being very specific on what you want to buy. This is important, because you are going to be spending thousands of your hard earned cash to buy this. Be honest with your budget and select the car you can afford. And also pick a car that fits your need.

Why do you have to know exactly what you want? Because you want to be prepared when you walk into the dealership. If you are unsure on what you need, then it's like blood in the water. You will be pitting your wavering impulses against professionals who sell cars every day. Guess who will win this battle?

The big reason is the third step you need to get the invoice prices, so you need to know exactly what you want first.

Is this car for commute? Then you may want one with good gas mileage.

Do you want a hybrid? You may also want to compare hybrids from different competitors. Toyota's Prius is a top seller, and they do have the best technology. The hybrid designs from other companies may not be as reliable.

How much space do I really need? If you are just using the car for commuting, do you have carpool partners?

Decide what you want or need. Take a test drive, but don't DONT get pressured to buy right now. Keep saying, I am just checking, not buying, if they bug you. If they really are pushy, then take your business elsewhere.

So decide what you want.

Do you want to buy new or used?
Take a look at the interior and exterior colors, which to pick?
Sedan or coupe? hatchback? wagon? SUV? Truck?
Manual or Automatic?
4 cylinder? V6? larger?
Airconditioning?
Power windows?
Power locks?
Cruise control?
Multi CD?
ABS
Side airbags
Sunroof? moonroof?
on and on and on

If you find it hard to decide, do this. Make up 2 list, one car you will enjoy, and another car with all the extra frills if you have money to burn. Then later you can compare the prices of both cars, and compare the monthly cost.

Pick a car with the "must have" configuration. This is the minimum you need, not want. For example:

For everyday commuting, I want a gas saver. So this is what I would be happy with.
2007 Corolla Sedan
Auto
Power locks
Power windows
Cruise control
Aircon
Side airbags for extra safety

Then you can also chose another NICE TO HAVE configuration. This is your dream car, if money was no object.

Porsche 911... yeah right

So maybe for your this will be a
2007 Acura TL
All the bells and whistles.

Car Buying Step #1

2007-07-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I was successfuly in buying my 2007 Corolla LE.
And I got it for about $750 under invoice.

I will share my secret on how you too can successfully purchase a new car from a dealer.

Step #1.
Get a Separate Email Address for Your Car Hunt

You want to get started by getting a new email address specifically for your car search. You can get one easily from Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail.

This is so you can freely pass out your new email address to the dealers out there, without cluttering your regular email account with spam. The dealers will only know this new email address and not your regular email address. After your car search is over, you can just cancel the new email address.

Pick a New Email Address
For example, if your real name is John, and you live in Springfield, create a new account like JohnFromSpringfield@gmail.com.

You want to use your name, and keep it simple. If you create a wacky sounding email address, like rocketBangBang@gmail.com, then the dealers may not take you seriously.

Another tip is you can just give your first name, just skip your surname for now.

Enable Email Forwarding
After you have created the new account, you can optionally enable forwarding from the new account to your regular email account. This is an optional step, to save you from having to login to multiple email accounts, which gets annoying. Once you have set up forwarding, you simply have to login to your regular email account--any new emails to your car search email account will be sent there too.

1. So log in, for example, to your new JohnFromSpringfield account. (for example)
2. In gmail, click Settings.
3. Click Forwarding.
4. Then select to forward emails to your regular account. Enter your regular email address. For example JohnsRegularEmail@gmail.com.
5. Click Save your Changes
So now all email sent to JohnFromSpringfield@gmail.com will also be forwarded to JohnsRegularEmail@gmail.com

Check your Yahoo mail or respective email help for how to "forward mails".

Difference between 2007 and 2008 corolla

2007-07-02T11:45:00.001-07:00

So should an interested buyer get the 2007 or the new 2008 corolla?

Here are some details and photos on the new 2008 Corolla. New styling, better suspension, and a little longer body.

Actual Prices People Paid

2007-06-29T18:53:00.001-07:00

Edmunds.com has a nice forum where people post what they actually paid for their cars.
They have it nicely separated by car models. So shoppers can research and find out if their quotes are good or if they should find a better deal.

High standards of Toyota's Lexus

2007-06-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

Found this article about the high standards at Toyota's Lexus plant titled "Master Craftsmen Ensure Lexus Quality"

Penfed or Lockheed Credit Union

2007-06-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Pentagon federal Credit union (penfed), and Lockheed fed credit union has the most competitive auto loan rates I found, starting at 5.75% as of June 2007. Penfed and Lockheed are among the largest credit unions in the US.

They both are open to all to join. Penfed requires that you pay $20 to join a group to be eligible. Lockheed credit union lets you join them for $5 fee to Achiever's Club.

So I decided to apply to Lockheed CU with their online form here. The Lockheed membership application form let's you specify you also want to join Achiever's club. Their secure site asks for your personal info, including driver's license. You then have to print a PDF, then sign and mail it to them. This form acts as your signature card.

Credit union search

2007-06-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

As I hate the games car dealers play. I had a very bad experience at Honda of Oakland's finance department, trying to twist my arm, so avoid dealers' games and be prepared with your own financing. I'll first get my own financing ready. Last time I looked into auto loans with Patelco credit union, but I found their rates the same as banks at 6.3% (as of June 2007).

So I looked around for other credit unions that offer good auto loan rates. I found this blog entry which lists the credit unions that are open for all to join. Penfed and Lockheed looks promising.

Buy Corolla?

2007-06-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

So after many years of service, my Honda Accord died. So I want to replace it with either a Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, or a Mazda3.

Stay tuned on how this goes.