Intergenerational Warfare

I agree with every point Fish made. Spot on, Fish.

I agree as well, although I'm happy with the head room.

There are not that many cars I can sit upright in. And sometimes my head sits so close to the roof/frame that if I hit a bump I would know myself out cold.

The 9th gen fits me very well. Not as much shoulder room at my GTI had, but more than enough.

(I'm 6'4")

I prefer the 9 Gen in every way except for it being a little awkward for my long legs, it always seems like either my legs are cramped and my arms are comfortable, or my arms are stretched and my legs are comfortable. It really needs a telescoping wheel.

I prefer the 9 Gen in every way except for it being a little awkward for my long legs, it always seems like either my legs are cramped and my arms are comfortable, or my arms are stretched and my legs are comfortable. It really needs a telescoping wheel.

Are you saying that the newer generation has less leg room than the previous one? That is strange as the newer generation is a significantly larger vehicle.

 

Speaking of headroom. I remember when I was a little kid my friend's dad had a Volkswagon bus. Do you remember them? He was a tall man and his hair brushed agianst the roof. There was an oil stain where his head touched!

I agree with fish, I love they way my 02 corolla looks as well. However, I wouldn't mind having an XRS, but I don't think I'll ever get used to the 9th gen corolla body design. It's really too bad that the 8th gen doesn't have much zing and the aftermarket support is kind of slim. But at the end of the day, I still perfer mine 8th gen over the 9th simply because I finally own it.

Is it me or are most of the newer compact sedans moving to that look of rounder and taller? Mazda 3, Focus, Cobalt, and (sic) Lancer have all moved into that direction.

I have an 8th generation corolla, 2001 CE, 3-speed auto.

I personally like the sportier outer design of the 9th generation Corolla (2003+). My Corolla has an older generation of engine transmission, 3-speed, instead of 4-speed Corolla S or LE 2001 model.

But in any case, I like my 125hp engine! However, an extra 5hp would help...but then, the 9th generation is a bit heavier....so I guess it's a wash...hehehe.

- uchok00

112263, re: Legroom. I had a 97 Corolla with fantastic legroom, and my 03 does not have that same amount of legroom. It starts with an extremely large dead pedal that sticks out from the floor some two inches, which immediately leads to a cramped feeling. Passengers behind me, meanwhile, get what Car and Driver called a "limo back seat." Maybe I should hire a driver and enjoy the ride!

I prefer the 9 Gen in every way except for it being a little awkward for my long legs, it always seems like either my legs are cramped and my arms are comfortable, or my arms are stretched and my legs are comfortable. It really needs a telescoping wheel.

Are you saying that the newer generation has less leg room than the previous one? That is strange as the newer generation is a significantly larger vehicle.

 

Speaking of headroom. I remember when I was a little kid my friend's dad had a Volkswagon bus. Do you remember them? He was a tall man and his hair brushed agianst the roof. There was an oil stain where his head touched!

new generation has less leg room and more of a stretch to reach the

 

steering wheel than the older generations.

I prefer the 9 Gen in every way except for it being a little awkward for my long legs, it always seems like either my legs are cramped and my arms are comfortable, or my arms are stretched and my legs are comfortable. It really needs a telescoping wheel.

Are you saying that the newer generation has less leg room than the previous one? That is strange as the newer generation is a significantly larger vehicle.

 

Speaking of headroom. I remember when I was a little kid my friend's dad had a Volkswagon bus. Do you remember them? He was a tall man and his hair brushed agianst the roof. There was an oil stain where his head touched!

I dunno if it has less legroom, but it has a much different seating position. The new one has a more upright high seat that seems less comfortable for longer legs. The Ford 500 has something similar and they call it "command seating".

Most the short people I've talked to love it though, it makes them feel more in control of whats going on around them, so they say.

I agree with the comment about the dead pedal too. Its the worst one I've ever experienced in any car. Its huge. I dunno why they did that. I guess they figured that more short people buy Corollas than tall people.

I like the 8th better than the 9th looks wise. the 5hp gain with the 9th is no faster since you'd need more hp than that for a difference. what I wonder is if the 9th seats are more comfortable to sit in, can anyone answer that? I wish the seats in my 01LE had longer leg support and didnt cramp my body on drives over 30 minutes.

its peppy enough to get the job done without getting killed passing slower people but I'd like to supercharge it since for me its not enough "powda" to pass more quickly as I'd like. for heavens sakes mustang cobras can get 26mpg. thats not too far from the corolla mileage since I get 31mpg but Im frustratedly far off from a cobra power wise though. lol

For one, I would have never considered a 8th gen Corolla as it was still on the small 7th gen platform and 97 in. wheelbase. I drove my in laws 99 and rented a 00 in Florida and didn't like the small car small doors sit on the floor feeling I got.

Small car and soft suspension whereas the 9th gen is much bigger with a much firmer suspension. Body is higher but doesn't roll very much in curves because of that better suspension. What good is a fully independant set up if calibrated like a Buick?

I also like the higher driving position better and larger doors for easier entry/exit.

The small 175/65-14 tires have been ditched in favor of more substantial 15 inchers and bigger brakes.

But have you noticed how visibility is taking a backseat and getting poorer in every car redesign lately?

Higher beltline and dashboards, thicker A, B and C pillars, rear headrests...

I know that it has to do with structural integrity and rollover protection but we may have reached a pinacle here. I removed my 3 rear headrests (I seldom carry passangers in the back seat) and noticed a huge improvement. I miss those late 80's Hondas.

Driving position; As most have said, Toyota missed the mark with the 9tn gen.

Although I'm only 5'-6" and 145 lbs, it doesn't fit me much better than the taller guys. Seat/pedals/wheel relationship is wrong.

Best I could do is to pull my dead pedal and remove a good chunk of it with a hacksaw and put it back into place. Nice improvement but car definitely needs a telescoping wheel and smaller dead pedal.

Funny thing is that on my 99 Accord I had to do the exact opposite and shim my dead pedal to better be able to rest my foot on it...

the dead pedal doesnt bother me. the lack of better seat design and not enough arm rest area on the door is what I dont like comfort wise. thats the worst I could say about the car. Im 5'9" 175lbs btw.

I dont like the mushy suspension that allows you to blow everywhere if its the least bit windy outside and my supercharged toyota mr2 did that too. toyota shouldve learned years ago to tighten up their suspensions but they still havent, and the new corollas arent much better since they are still mushy and blow everywhere in the wind.

these problems can be solved but unfortunately it requires us to solve them with our extra money since toyota wont do their own job the best they should.

I own an '01 Corolla and am quite proud of it. On the other hand, I sometimes wish that I had paid a bit more and gotten an '03 or later - the newer generation.

The '98-'02 (7th) generation is a more conservative, sedate design. Some would say it is boring. The '03 onwards (8th) generation is a sportier look, but some would say it is overdesigned. After all, it is an inexpensive compact.

Which do you prefer?

One thing I have no qualms about is the "S" model. It is embarrassing. That spoiler thing on the back end! On a Corolla! NO!

Ha, ha, ha.

 

I have an S, but without a spoiler. I hate spoilers in cars driving under 200 mph!

The cool thing about S is black interior with lether stearing wheel and shifter and chrome accents. The brown-yellow interior and faux-wood accents in LE made me nausated during test drive!

personally the only grip i have with the 9th gen is those daym headlights...i REALLY do NOT like the way the inner part is slightly bent down...IMO that is UGLY!!!!

i'm in the market for a corolla and i think i'm gonna go for a 8th gen just for its overally everything...especially the looks...

otherwise i'd go for a 9th gen for sure but i just cannot stand that headlght the moment it first came out...sorry...

I completely agree with the last two posts (which have moved back one post in the time it took to compose this). I've got a 9th Gen. and I kind of like the seating position. I'm 6'2" and with the seat is back as far as it can go my arms are bent about 10 degrees which is my preferred driving position. On long trips I alternate on and off the foot rest and stay fairly comfortable.

A larger and higher armrest on the door would be nice. And I'd prefer smaller A-pillars but would probably change my mind if I ever rolled the corolla. As for my spoiler...it comes in handy when opening and closing the trunk but the car would look better without it. It came with the S which I bought for the interior.

I like the exterior of the 9th gen Corolla, but I prefer the interior of my 8th gen Corolla. I have a 99 LE with a spoiler, I bought it used. Like the previous person's post, it does help to open and close the trunk.

I just wish they could come up a compromise ... pick the best features out of 8 and 9th to make a good 10 gen Corolla.

They need to do something about those A-pillars..I know they're meant for our safety and I do like the feature in the new 'rollas have airbags all over the place..so I will probably get an LE later on...like 10 years from now...if I still can get airbags everywhere...,but then again they say an airbag sometimes can do more harm than good..so it can be a toss...

I own an '01 Corolla and am quite proud of it. On the other hand, I sometimes wish that I had paid a bit more and gotten an '03 or later - the newer generation.

The '98-'02 (7th) generation is a more conservative, sedate design. Some would say it is boring. The '03 onwards (8th) generation is a sportier look, but some would say it is overdesigned. After all, it is an inexpensive compact.

Which do you prefer?

One thing I have no qualms about is the "S" model. It is embarrassing. That spoiler thing on the back end! On a Corolla! NO!

At last, a kindred spirit emerges! I also find the '03-and-later Corolla "S" model to be a clear example of taking a perfectly good-looking automobile and uglying it up for the sake of a "sportier" appearance. The damn things should be plastered with "Mr. Yuk!" stickers from bumper to bumper!

 

I also owned a 2001 Corolla LE and thought it was a very sharp little car. I didn't care for the radio antenna growing out of the driver's side A-pillar, and the car was a bit too low to the ground, seating-wise. I like the driving position of my '03 better, except for the usual complaint of the steering wheel being too far away. However, after over 2 years, I've become used to that. I can see how it would be a big problem for smaller drivers, however.

I consider the current generation (9th?) Corolla to be the best looking Corolla yet, and I am desperate for Toyota to offer a high-mileage diesel engine option in the next couple of years. They sell them all over EU, so what are we -- chopped liver? C'mon, Toyota, help us out over here, will ya? Youse guys afraid of making money or somethin?

Everyone start chanting: "Diesel Corolla! Diesel Corolla! Diesel Corolla!"

What do we do when they come up w/a cary that recycles its own energy...using the current hybrid technology??

So like the current Prius, the energy cell (whatever it may be for future use) recharges everytime you hit the brakes.

Would that be a good or bad thing???

And like a cell phone the only time it needs to be heavily charged is on the first use.