2005 Corolla Xrs

You didn't hear me say this... but as long as you don't apply full throttle under 2000RPM, you shouldn't have trouble with knocking even if using 87 Octane. Every motorcycle I've ridden recommends 91 or higher, but all have run fine on lower octance. Just stick to name brands like BP, Shell & Mobil. Their fuel quality is a little more consistent than independents. You might be able to compromise wiht 89 octane.

Again, just watch hard acceleration at lower RPM's when using lower octane. Otherwise I can't tell the difference.

Compression is a little high for 87. If it were my car, I wouldn't run regular unleaded.

Specs

with gas prices going up, I called toyota for the official word on gas for the XRS. premium is the word.nothing less. 20 cents more per gallon than regular.

by the way, if there are other XRS owners out there, it would be nice to chat

Let's say you drive 20,000 miles a year. A high estimate.

Let's say on the average you get 30 mpg. (I rarely get below 32mpg on my '02 )

Then each year on the average you consume 20,000 / 30 = 667 gal.

Assuming regular unleaded is $ X / gal and premium is $(X + 0.30) (again a high estimate)

Then the difference in yearly gas prices is:

667 * (X+ 0.30) - 667 * X = 667 * 0.30 = $200.

That is $16 a month. like, each month, just don't go out to eat a few times and it'll be like you're driving a prius.

Now to put this in perspective, consider the fact that for the XRS you paid probably (I'm guessing here) $5000 more than a base CE.

If the price differential between premium and regular were really such a big deal, then we probably wouldn't be buying the fancier model to begin with. The enjoyment you get out of your XRS should relieve you of any worry that the marginally more expensive fuel you run is consuming your pocket book. it's still a corolla, btw. You might consider worrying had you bought a Viper or Excursion.

I love the economy of my corolla, but i would trade it in a heartbeat for something sporty that only gets 20mpg, just for the pleasure of it. you only live once, you know. i guess being a grad student doesn't entitle me to luxury, though....

to each his own. btw is the xrs noticeably faster than the cheaper models?

thank you very much nil5 for your reassuring response. very much appreciated.

richard

I am going to buy an XRS in a month, cant wait!

I wouldn't buy an xrs ...screw that --- okay the xrs is a corolla and it is a nice car, but its price is high for the performance, i mean yes you run the 1/4 in 16 secs and the car has some pep and gets good gas mielage. But frankly I'd rather buy a 2 year old or 1 year old celica, rsx or just buy a new eclipse...much higher performance. But eh your money.

You have to be able to fit in a car to drive it. Not everyone has their choice of vehicles.

dude your last comment was so dumb i'm convinced your dumb

Dude, if you are talking to me, I must disagree. It would be dumb to purchase a car that you can’t sit upright in. To consider this in choosing a car is not dumb, it is a simple logical way to rule out many cars that are too small with not enough headroom.

The Celica and RSX you mentioned are too small for me. I can’t sit upright in a Mazda 6 for christ’s sake.

The XRS is dirt cheap compared to most cars I was looking at, and I don’t smash my head against the car when I hit a bump.

BTW, I purchased mine, base price, for $17,054 plus airbags and mods.

My central reason for the purchase was that I really liked the gearing. Consider, I’m stepping down from a GTI VR6. I didn’t buy the car because it was better than any other car, but simply because it was enjoyable to drive and wasn’t primarily configured around an automatic trans.

Why so caustic?

It’s just a fancy Corolla after all.

I just bought a Corolla XRS about a month ago, a few days less actually.

It's a blast to drive and pretty speedy. I chose the XRS over the SRT-4 because I didn't like the neons K-mart styling. It might not be as fast, but it is still a riot to drive. I look forward to my drives to and from work because I have such a great time. Having the ability to crank RPMs over 8 grand is just a joy lol. It just screams down the road. "Look at me!! Look at me!!" Haha.

I have never had a problem paying a little extra for gas. My last toyota truck needed premium so I am used to paying it. It really isn't that much more. We are talking like an extra $2 a tank maybe. For the sheer fun the vehicle provides I would pay an extra $5 a tank without flinching.

Not to mention that the Corolla with the extra airbags was the best in class for side impact from an SUV.

We live in the JethroPlex where a Hummer is considered a compact car.

We live in the JethroPlex where a Hummer is considered a compact car.

Strip clubs, pyramid schemes, big bellys, bigger cars, and a church on every corner.

Boy, this discussion has gone a lot further than the gas pump.

My XRS is great fun to drive. I bought it because it was a Toyota, it was sporty, it was RED, and way more invigorating than my old Taurus. I like its understated appearance. My salesman ( Jesus ) told me it was a monster. I think it was a great choice, and I'm very happy ( see my face below) and thankful for it. Thank you Jesus!

id prefer an impreza RS, actually im trying to convince my parents to trade in the 01 corolla for a 00 impreza RS, im gonna pay the difference tho, its a nice choice good combination of ride height handling ride comfort and sportiness

Another great car I wish I could fit in.

hey heres a great idea jupiter boy why don't you shell out the cash for a used midsize car theres a great idea.

I looked at a 2005 Impreza RS before I ordered my Corolla. I was generally impressed with the fit and finish, creature comforts, standard features, and especially the AWD and powertrain. What I was not impressed with was the gas mileage (not bad, just not great for such a small car) or the lack of a folding rear seat. I realize the lower fuel economy is caused by the AWD and the larger engine, but the AWD wouldn't do me a lot of good 10 months a year, and so it's not worth the fuel economy trade off for me right now.

If I were still in High School, I would have definately chose the RS. However, being in College, I need something that gets better gas mileage than a RS, and I really need a folding seatback for the moves to school in the fall and back home in the summer.

Back to the XRS. You can put regular in almost any car that says it takes premium, unless it's supercharged or turbocharged. I'd imagine the XRS would do fine with regular, on the condition that you drove it moderately. If you want to do any high revving, etc. you need premium for the extra octane.

im talking about the old school ones (98-01) pre bug eyed imprezas, i realize chassis rigidity isnt the best (actually its pretty bad) and suspension is relatively soft but as a package it is better then the 01 corolla ce im driving now