AboutUs|ContactUs|Sitemap

Search

Forum

HotThreads

News

Reviews

Photos

Advice

TechStuff

Classifieds

Store

TeamBHP>BHPIndia>TeamBHPReviews>TestDrives&InitialOwnershipReports
My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview
My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

UserName UserName

ThisisadiscussiononMy2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReviewwithin Password
TestDrives&InitialOwnershipReports,partoftheTeamBHPReviewscategory
HellofellowTBHPians.Thisismyfirstpost,sokindlycondoneanymistakes.Feedback
frommodsandmembersisvery...
Register

TeamBHPFAQ

NewTopics

Today'sPosts

RememberMe?
Login

Search

Page1of8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >
0

Like

23

ThreadTools

SearchthisThread

27thJune2014,
14:59

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#1
My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

HellofellowTBHPians.Thisismyfirstpost,sokindlycondoneanymistakes.Feedbackfrommodsandmembersis
verywelcome.

TheCar:2014ToyotaCorollaAltis1.8(Petrol)VLA/T
GotthedeliveryendJune.IcheckedthemonthofmanufactureusingtherulesgivenonTeamBHP.ItsaJune2014
model.
TheCosts(withoutaccessories):
BasicPrice:Rs.15,01,621/.A
VAT(@12.5%):Rs.1,87,703/...B
TotalExShowroomprice(A+B):Rs.16,89,324/
RoadTax+Registration+HSRP:Rs.1,79,896/.....C
Insurance:Rs.36,025/...D
TotalOnRoadpriceinDelhi(TotalExshowroomprice+C+D):Rs.19,05,245/
HellwithIndianTaxes!

Alternatives
(Sincewewerelookingforanautomaticonly,myviewsareonlywithrespecttothetopendautomaticvariantsof
eachcar)
Thereisn'treallyalotofcompetitioninthissegmentasoftoday.SkodaOctavia,VolkswagenJettaandHyundai
Elantraaretheonlyworthwhilealternatives.Cruze,onceaverytemptingbuy,nowseems10yearsbehindintime.
Fluence,evenaftertheupdate,wasn'tconsideredduetolackofanautomatic.
Illonlytalkaboutwhythefollowingcarswererejected.Shortcomingsaside,eachoneisanexcellentcarinitsown
right!
SkodaOctavia
Initially,IwasmoreinfavourofthisoverCorolla.I'lladmitIhaveathingforSkodacars(inexplicably),butrepeated
remindersfromDadabouttheobnoxiousAfterSalesServiceaswellasDSGfailuresworkedagainstit.Plus,theres
nothinggroundbreakingreallyintermsofexteriordesign.
NoteventhemosttrainedeyecandistinguishitfromtheRapidfromthisangle(unlessyouseethebadge,ofcourse).

Source:TeamBHPOfficialReview
VWJetta
Thiscarwasonourradarsincealongtimebutgivenourlowrunning,goingfortheDieseltopenddidntmakesense,
whichwasanywaywaytooexpensive,anda1.4LpetrolmotorthattooonlyinmanualthattoowithoutaHighline
variantisjustastupidoffer.Ventolikelooksdidnthelpmatters.

Source:TeamBHPOfficialReview
HyundaiElantra
Wellyougottaadmit,thisgaadifromKoreaisanexcellentvalueformoneyproposition.Butsomethingaboutthe
Hyundaibrandjustdidntletusspend1.5to2millionrupeesonit.Factis,thissegmentandupwards,thequestion
remainsnotonlyofvalueformoneyanymore,asbrandvaluealsostartstocomeintoplay.Yes,likeeveryone,we
alsowantthemostbangforourbuck,butthatbangalsoincludesthevalueassociatedwithabrandormodel.For
somegoddamnunexplainablereason,theHyundai,evenwithallitsfluid*ickstylingandequipmentofferedforlesser
money(thoughthisisn'tcompletelycorrectasI'llshowyoulater),doesn'tappealanymoretotheheartthanitdoes
tothehead.Itfeelsmorelikeabusinessdecisionratherthananemotionalbuy.It'syettoachievelegendarystatus
likeCorolla,JettaandOctavia.

Source:TeamBHPOfficialReview
LasteditedbySeverus:23rdJuly2014at21:28.

(33)Thanks

5thJuly2014,
23:19

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#2
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

AndsoithappenedthatmyDadbookedthecarinFebruarysometime,afewdaysafterhavinghadalookatitatthe
AutoExpo2014.AswehadbeenlookingforaDsegmentcarsincemorethanoneyear,andhadntzeroedinonany
oftheavailableoptionsduetothementionedreasons,hebookedthecarimmediatelyonthebasisoffirstimpressions
andrumouredprice,keepingtheoptionofcancellingitopenforlatershouldwenotlikethecarwhenitisofficially
launched.
CameMay,andaproperfeaturelistandpriceswerereleased.Althoughfindingthepricesabitsteep(particularly
me),wedecidedtocontinuewithourchoice.
Dealership:GalaxyToyota,Chhatarpur,NewDelhi
BuyingExperiencewasokay,nothinggreat.However,aratherforgettableincidenthappenedonthedayofdelivery.
Soontheafternoonofthedayontheeveningofwhichweweresupposedtogetourdelivery,Dadreceivedacall
fromthedealership.Exactconversation:
Someperson:Sir6bajetakgaaditayaarhojayegi,abhiaapkoaccessorieskepaisedenebaakihain.Amounthai
31,000rupaye.
Dad:Okay.
Point1.Sobasically,withoutevenbeingaskedaboutit,thedealercallsusup(whichtheyhavenevereverdoneright
sincethedayofbookinguntiltoday,ofcourse,whenthequestionisofmoneycorrection:theirmoney)totellusthat
thereisabalanceamounttobepaidforaccessories.Havingvisitedtheshowroompreviouslyandchosenthe
accessoriestobefitted,obviouslyweknewwehadtopayforthemandtherewasnoquestionaboutit.Anyway..
Afteronehour,anothercallfromthedealership.
Someperson:Sir,aapkoitneypaisedenehainaccessorieske,lekaraana.
Dad:Haanmujhepatahai.
Sameperson:Paisekaisedogey?
Dad:(perplexedbysuchaquestion,especiallythewayitwasasked)Cashse.
*Conversationended*
Point2:SothedealerjustcalledtocheaplyremindmyDadtogetthemoney,withoutanysortofrespectorcourtesy.
Thishasneverhappenedwithusduringanyofourpreviousbuyingexperiences.Callingtwice(andhow!)forthesame
thingjustshowshowthedealerwasjustanxiousaboutgettinghismoney,havingnocourtesywhatsoeverforthe
customer.Abey,wouldwetrytotakedeliveryofthecarwithoutpayingthemoney?Andwouldsomeonecompelyou
togiveusthecarwithouttakingthemoneythatyouhavetoremindussomanytimes?
Intheevening,wereachtheshowroomandmeetwiththeSAandotherpeople.MyDadaskstolookatthebillof
accessories,himselfofferingtopaythemoneythistimebeforeanyoneremindedhim.Butalas,weweremeanttobe
insultedthatfatefulday..
Dad:Mujheaccessorieskabilldedo,mainpaykardetahun.
ShamelessSA:(insteadofhandingovertheaccessoriesbill,heshowsmyDadtheledgerdocumentandpoints
towardsthefinalamount)Siryeitneypaisedenehainaapko.
Dad:Haanhaanmainpaytohkardunga,aapmujheaccessorieskabilltohdikhado.

ShamelessSA:Sirjobhihaiyehihai,(andpointingatthepaymentcounter)aapwahanjaoaurpaykardo.
Thatwasthemomentwhendaddycompletelylostit.Isthishowyouspeaktoacustomer?Areyouimplyingthatwe
aretryingtogetawaywiththecarwithoutpayingthemoney?Imaskingyoutoshowmetheaccessoriesbill,and
youareshamelesslyaskingmetogotothecountertomakethepayment.Thiswasheightofinsultingthecustomer.
$#!%^!*&$@
AfterafewminutesofmyDadshoutingathimandhelisteningsheepishly,somemorepeoplegatheredarounduslike
thetypicalIndiancrowd(completewiththeirblankfaces),andaseniorpersonatthedealershipcameandtriedto
calmmyDaddown.TheSAfirstkeptdefendinghimselfbutultimatelysaidsorryandhandedustheaccessoriesbill.
Sir,Sir,Sir,NahiSir,NahiNahiSir,JiSirwoh,JimainSirwoh,Sirwohtohbas,JiSir,SorrySir.*Chapter
closed*
ColourChoice:GreyMetallic
Forgetthedecisionastowhichcartobuy,thedecisionastowhichcolour?wasawholedeliberationinitself.Ireally
thinkcarcompaniesneedtooffermorecolouroptionsinIndialiketheUSmarket.Cantblamethemthough,aseven
whennonconventionalcoloursareonoffer,mostofusIndianstendtogoonlyfordullorsobercoloursorcoloursthat
willfetcha'goodresalevalue'.Forinstance,thevibrantKineticbluecolourontheEcosportlookssogood,yetIhave
seenonly12blueEcosportstilldate.AllIseeonDelhiroadsiswhite,silver,white,silver,white,silverandwhite.
Outoflackofchoice,Iwasmoreinclinedtowardsblack,asforsomereasonIthoughtthatthegreymetallicwouldbe
theEtiosgrey,whichisdullasditchwater.Aftermuchdebatebetweenfather,motherandson,colourssuchassuper
white,pearlwhite,champagnemicametallicandsilverwererejectedforbeingfartoocommonontheprevious
generationCorollasaswellasgenerally,andthebluemetallicthatisalsoavailableontheInnovawasnottoour
taste.ItshouldhavebeenadarkerbluelatheShadowbluecolourontheVento/Polo.
(AnoteforprospectivePolo/Ventobuyers:Accordingtoonedealer,theshadowbluecolourissoontobediscontinued
inthesemodelsasithasbeenlaunchedontheJetta(asTempestBlue?).Polo/VentowillgetadifferentNightBlue
shade.)
Ultimately,wentforthegreyasblackisataddifficulttomaintain.Greyalsocomplimentsthecarbonfibrefinishon
theinteriorconsole,saidDad.Butsowouldhaveblack,Ithought.Tomuchrelief,whenIfinallysawthecarin
person,itturnedouttobeamuchclassiershadeofgreynotlikethegreyonEtios(calledclassicgrey),butmoreon
thelinesofgraphitegrey.Imayhavestillpreferredblack.Nothinglikeacleangleamingblackcar!
Belowcomparisonwillhelpinunderstandingthedifference.
TherightoneistheCorolla'scolour:

However,onethingInoticedwiththiscolour:Itcanlookverydifferentindifferentkindsoflightandfromdifferent
angles.Sometimesit'lllookverybluish,sometimesitwillnotatall.AndothertimesitwilllookjustliketheEtios
grey.

LasteditedbySeverus:21stJuly2014at18:34.

(28)Thanks

10thJuly2014,
00:54

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#3
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

WhatILiked:
1.Stunningexteriordesign.Verysporty,butnotoverdone.
2.Spaciousinteriorswithfirstinclassrecliningrearseats.
3.Drivabilityissurprisinglyfantastic.SmoothSuperCVTi,steeringwheelwithagoodamountoffeedback,and
noiselessYokohama'smakeforaveryinvitingdrive.
4.Loadedwithequipmentliketouchscreenaudiosystemwithnavigation,reversecameraandparkingsensors,rain
sensingwipers,automaticheadlights,projectorlamps,LEDfrontandrearlamps,paddleshiftsetc.
5.Mymy,thosealloywheels!
6.ThemuchdiscussedToyotasQDR(Quality,DurabilityandReliability)andthetrustedCorollabrandname.
WhatIDidNot:

1.SkipsoutonimportantequipmentlikeSunroofandrearA/Cvents.Seeingthattwooutoftheabovementioned
threealternativesdonotoffersunroofs,thisdoesntreallymakemefeelshortchanged.LackofrearA/Cventsdoes.
No,A/Cotherwisebeingachillerdoesn'tmakeupforanything.
2.Only2Airbags,noESPorTCSevenintheTopVLtrim.AbigLOLatToyotaKirloskar.
3.Feelingofplushnessintheinteriorisdefinitelylesserthaninthepreviousgencarandinthecompetition.
4.Thatcalculatorstyleclock!
5.Thistopvariantissteeplypriced.LowervariantsarebetterVFM.
Exterior

[X]

Smokedoutheadlampcluster

Longlengthisapparentwhenviewingfromtheside.Greatalloywheeldesign!Myotherfavouritearethe'Atlanta'
alloywheelsontheJetta.

YokohamaAdvanA460tyreson205/55R1615spokealloywheels.Thealloyshaveagunmetalishfinishtothem.

Eventhoughthedesigniscompletelynew,it'sunmistakablyaCorolla.

Withtheprojectorheadlampson.Yes,forreasonsbeyondme,Toyotadidnotthinkitrighttoadvertisethiswhenall
manufacturerswrite'projectorlamps'intheirmainfeaturelist.NotetheLEDparkinglamps.

DaytimeRunningLightson.No,theyaren'tstandard.Availableonlyasaccessory.

Largedoublebarrelheadlampclusterwithchromeeyelid.

Theprojectorbulbontheright(your)throwsabrightwhitelightandisforlowbeam.Lightsuptheroadverywelllike
XenonsbutIdon'tthinktheseareXenons.IthinktheyareLED.OrHID?OrHIDwithLED?Thebrochureandthe
manualdon'tspecify,soIdonotknow.Allthatthebrochuresaysis,LEDheadlamps.Don'tknowifthatrefersto
Parkinglightsonlyortheactualheadlampaswell.I'mreallysorry,I'matotalnoobwhenitcomestoautomotive
lighting.Inthemiddleisthehighbeambulbthatthrowsyellowlight.OnthefarleftaretheparkingLEDlightsand
turninglights.Notehowthechromegrilleappearstopiercetheheadlampcluster.

6LEDsintheDRLsforeachside.Fittedjustabovethefoglamphousing.

LEDtaillampsinaction

Justinfromtheshowroom!

'DUALVVTi'badgingonbothfrontfenders

Awhole180mmofgroundclearance(accordingtoAutocarIndia).That'sevenhigherthantheInnova's!Protection
fromthoseunderbellyscrapesandthudsisguaranteed.

Rearparkingsensorsaswellastherearcamera(justtotherightofthelefttaillamp).Toobadtheparkingsensors
don'tsitflushonthebumper,asinhere,hereorhere.CostcuttingatworkhereIguess.(Sorryformyreflection
)

LasteditedbySeverus:23rdJuly2014at20:30.

(24)Thanks

13thJuly2014,
13:23

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#4
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

Interior:Front

Theinteriorofthiscarisnotphotogenicatall,trustme(hencetheprelaunchattractedflak).Notthatmy

photographyskillsareverygreat.
Theinterioruseshighqualityandmediumqualitymaterialsandgenerallyfeelswellputtogether.Therearesofttouch
plasticsonthedashboardandonallfourdoorsills.However,there'snofauxwoodanywhereinstead,there'sthis
carbonfiberfinisharoundtheAudiosystemareathatIinitiallyhadmixedfeelingsabout.Butit'sgrownonme,andI
realiseditgoeswellwiththeoverallsportythemeoftheinterior.
FitmentofpartsiswhatyoucanexpectofaJapaneseprecise.Everythinginsideandoutsidethecabinfeelsdurable
andlonglasting,butyoudonotgetthatindestructible(read:Jetta)feelwhenyoushutthedoors,forexample.They
doclosewithathudthough.Onegoodthingisthatafewbuttonsandswitchesseemliftedstraightfromthemore
premiumCamry,suchastheStart/StopandParkingsensorbuttons,electricseatadjustmentswitches,gearstickand
reararmrestcupholderunit(sansthewoodfinish)andthewholeORVMsthemselves.
Oneareawherethequalitycouldhavebeenbetter,however,isthedoorarea,whichcouldhavebeenbetterfinished.
Thoughit'snotbadbyanystandards.Toputthingsshort,theoverallfeelinsidethecabinispremium,yetstillmaybe
halfanotchbelowtheGermansandtheCzechs.
Steeringwheelrimiswrappedingoodol'texturedleather,notthesmoothskinnedoneyougetinOctavia,Jetta,
Elantraandinsomeothercars.Thelatterprovidesacleanerlookbutthisonehereoffersmoregrip,Ifeel.Infact,
thiswheelisreallygrippyandfeelsgreattohold.Bigbuttonsforaudioandphonecontrolsonthesteeringwheelare
easytouse,butnothingcomesclosetotheconvenienceoftherotaryknobsseeninOctaviaandSuperb.

Oneobservation:Thehornpadisbigenoughformythumbtojustreachitsedgeswhileholdingthewheel(Ihave
mediumsizedhands),butpressingitthatway,particularlyinthelowerleftandrightpartofthewheel,isunyielding
forme.Thisisbecauseitisquitethinattheextremeedgesandbendsunderpressurefrommythumb,resultinginnot
gettingpressedsuccessfullytosoundthehorn.Thus,forme,itisliterallyastretchasIhavetoextendmythumba
littletoomuchforcomfort."Costcutting",Imurmurundermybreath.Peoplewithlargerhandsmaynotfacethis
problem.Onemorething,thehornsoundispuny!
Righthandstalkforexteriorlightingcontrol.NotetheUpshiftpaddle.

Acloserlookatthebuttonforphonecontrols.Cruisecontrolstalkbehindthewheel.

Voicerecognitionworkswell,butweirdly,youhavetofirstconfigurethevoicecommands.Forexample,youcan't
simplystartsaying"PlayUSB"thefirsttimeyouusethesystem.Youhavetofirstgointothesettingsandrecordthe
voicecommandforUSB.Dothisonceforallthefunctionslikebluetooth,auxinetc.anditwillbefedintothesystem
forever.Onceconfigured,itrecognisesthecommandswell.
Start/Stopfunctionalongwithkeylessentry.ControlpanelforelectricallyfoldableandadjustableORVMsislifted
straightfromthepreviousgenCorolla.ORVMsdonotfoldautomatically.ThatfeatureisavailableasanaccessoryI
wentforit."P"markedbuttonswitchesoff/onparkingsensors.

Toplayer(black)andthemiddlelayer(beige)botharesofttouch.

Automaticclimatecontrolunitisachiller.Nodualzoneortriplezoneorfourzonegimmicksthough.

7StepSuperCVTitransmission,availableonlyinpetrolvariants.Accompaniedbymanualmodeaswellaspaddle
shifts.Shiftstickissurroundedbychrome,pianoblackfinishandsilverinserts,andlookslikeCamry'sunit(but
withoutthewoodaccents)

Frontcenterarmrestwithtwostagestoragespace.Shockingly,itdoesn'tslideforwards!Eventhepreviousgen
Corollahadaslidingarmrest.Notethechromelinedcupholders.

Therearetwoleversunderthearmrest.Pullonetorevealjustthetopstorageareapulltheotheronetorevealthe
deepstorageboxinside.

Lookatthat!Cupholdershaveblueambientlightinginthem!

8wayelectricadjustseatswithlumbarsupportadjust.Passengersideseatdoesn'tevenoffermanualheightadjust.

Abittoomuchblackinhere,eh?Bottleholdereasilyholdsa1litrebottleandhasadrainfunctiontoo.Ifwaterspills
intothebottleholderbyaccidentorwaterdropletsformedonacoldbottleduetocondensationstartflowingintoit,
thewaterdrainsoutthroughthebottom.

ORVMsseemlikeastraightliftfromtheCamry.Sufferfromthesameproblemtheyareabitsmall.

Storagespacesaplenty:

Gloveboxcoverfeelsmoredurablethanitlooks.

Itopensuptorevealahugespaceinside.Thereisafirstaidkit,twosparebulbs,twobooklets,andacameracasein
there.Icanstillputa1litrebottleinandcloseitcomfortably.

OntheimmediateleftoftheIRVMistherainsensorunit.

Viewoutthebackisverygood

MirrorsandVanitylightsforboththedriverandfrontpassengerthoughthesaidlightshavetobeoperatedmanually.
Texturedsunvisormateriallooksverypremium.

HowIwishtherewasaSunroofhere...

...andacurtainairbaghere.Notgoodomissions.

Ratherlargedeadpedal.

Niceoldschooldashboarddesign.Nottosomepeoplestastesthough.Personally,Ilikeitmorethanthemodern
sweepingandslidingdashboards.Forsomereason,itremindsmeofourbelovedCieloandsomeother90scars(and
Imasuckerforthosedesigns).

LasteditedbySeverus:23rdJuly2014at14:36.

(28)Thanks

14thJuly2014,
16:19

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#5
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

Interior:Rear
Tobehonest,Ididn'treallyfocusonparameterslikerearlegroom,headroometc.whenIwascomparingallthese
carsandtakingtestdrives.Hence,nocommentsfrommysideonthosethingsvisvisothercars.AllIcansayis
thatIfindthebackbenchcomfortableandtherehasbeennocomplaintfromwhoeverhassatinthebackseat.One
thingthateveryonecommendsistherearseatreclinefeatureitreallyletsyouchoosetheperfectangleforyour
back.ComingfromanANHC,Ifindthefrontaswellasrearseatsmuchmorecomfythaninthat.City'sfrontseats
givemeapaininthebackduetotheirexcessivelumbarsupport,whichisnonadjustable.

Reallythestarfeatureoftherearcompartment.Pullthislevertoadjustthereclineangleoftheseatback.Identical
leverfortheotherbenchalso.

Almostflatrearfloormeansthe5thoccupantwon'thavetositwithhiskneesinhisfaceorhisshoesontopofothers'
shoes.

AndIthoughtrearA/Cventswasastandardfeatureforthisclass.

Recentlythefamilywastravellinganditwasreallyhotoutside.Iwassittinginthefrontpassengerseatandmysister
attheback.Foragood10minutesIwasjustpulllingandpushingawaytheblowerdirectioncontrollertometiculously
achievethatperfectpositionwherewebothcouldgetapieceofthesmallpiethatToyotahadgivenus.Wecouldbe
travellinginanAlto..
TwincupholderunitintherearcentrearmrestlooksthesameasthatinCamry(albeitinasilverfinish,andwithout
thefoampiecesatthebottom).
Noaudiocontrolsinthearmrestforrearpassengers.

Butwhoneedsfixedcontrols,whenyouhaveafullfledgedremotetoyourself!

Largewindowsaddtotheairyfeelinthecabin.

Flapsbehindtheseatbacksattachtothereartraybyvelcro,soastopreventitemsfallingintothebootwhenyou
reclinetheseatbackforward.

Sunshadefortherearwindshield.Thissegmenthasn'tevolvedsomuchyetastoprovidesunshadesfortheside
windows.Ohwell,theFluencehasthem.

Usingthesameleverasforrecline,youcancompletelyfolddownthe60:40foldableseats.Thoseseatbeltsdon'thave
tostretchdownwiththeseatlikethatIforgottoremovethembeforefoldingdowntheseat.

Plentyoflights.Youcanholdasmallcarobarpartyhere

InCarEntertainmentSystem
TheICEisveryfeaturerichandplayswhateveryouthrowatitUSBdrive,SDcard,Auxin,BluetoothAudio,and
iPod,apartfromtheregularAM/FM(noCD/DVD).NavigationisavailableonthistopendVLonly(Mapsareloaded

ontoanSDcardprovidedbyToyota).Thelarge7inchdisplayisequaltowhatmosttabletsoffer,andthedisplayis
quitehighresolutiontoo.Graphicsandfontstylingarepleasingtotheeye.Touchisobviouslynowherenearthe
'capacitive'touchourfingershavesobecomeusedto,butit'ssensitiveenoughtooperatecomfortably.Setupconsists
of4speakersand2tweeters.

However,speakingofsoundquality,itisamixedbag.Itcanonlyjustbecalleddecent,butaudiophileslikemewill
finditaverage,atbest.There'splentyofbass,butthecrispness(orsharpness)inthesoundismissing.Honestly,I
wasalittledisappointedoverallasIexpectedtheaudioqualitytobeflawless.Nevertheless,Ifoundsomehopeatthe
followingsettingsafter1520minutesoflisteningandadjusting.

TheHUdoesn'tblendintothedashboard,andinthatsensecanbecalledasaftermarketlooking,butthereasonit
doesn'tblendintothedashisbecauseithastoflipoutfortheSDcardslot,whichislocatedinthebottomface.

Still,betterintegrationcould(orrather,should)havebeenachieved.Oneglaringomissionistheabsenceofa
dedicatedvolumecontrolknobontheHU.Mytheoryisthatthiswasdonetokeepacleanlookandmaintain
uniformityofthedash.Anduniformityitdoesachieve,butonlyatthecostofconvenienceandpracticality.Youhave
topressabutton(theonlyphysicalbuttonontheunit)ontheside,andthe'homescreen'showsupfromwhereyou
canadjustthevolume.Itdoesn'tendthere.Youalsowanttogobacktothepreviousscreen,soagainyouhaveto

pressabutton(thistime,onthescreen).Sothat'stwostepsextra.Whenitcomestouserinterfaces,evenasingle
stepextraistoomanystepsextra.Onlythesteeringwheelhasdedicatedvolumecontrols.Mycopassengersprefer
stretchingtheirhandsandusingMYsteeringcontrolsratherthangoingthroughthreestepstoadjustthevolume!
Thatniggleaside,thisisoneofthemostfeaturerichstocksystemsI'vecomeacross,especiallywhenitcomesto
BluetoothandiPodaudio.
Bluetoothplaybackscreenbelow.Asyoucansee,itshowsallthesongalbumartistinfo,youcanPlay,Pause,skipto
nextorprevioustrackorrestartthecurrentsong,andevenforwardorrewindthecurrentsongbypressingdownon
'next'or'previous'buttons.Repeat(RPT)andShuffle(RAND)canalsobetoggledfromhere.Youcanevenopenyour
tracklistandchoosesongsfromthere.Allofthisinbluetoothplayback,withouthavingtoevenlookatyourphone!
ThisisbyfarthemostfunctionalbluetoothaudiosystemI'veeverseen.

iPod(iPhone)functionalitygoesevenfurther.Inadditiontoallthethingsyoucoulddowithbluetooth,withiPodyou
canhavefullcontrolofyourentiremusiclibrary,rightdowntobrowsingthroughspecificplaylists,genres,albumsand
artists.ItevenshowsAlbumArt.

ThemanualsaysiPodcompatibilityisuptoiPhone4S(mineis4S).However,it'sverymuchpossiblethatnewer
iPhoneslike5and5SarealsosupportedasyouuseyourownUSBcabletoconnectyourphonedirectlyintotheHU,
andnotsomelimitedfunctionalitycableprovidedbyToyota.
OneproblemI'mfacingisthatIhaven'tbeenabletoplayvideos,whateversourceIuse.Icanonlyheartheaudio,
there'snovideo.Manualtalksaboutvideoplayability,butI'vebeenunsuccessful.Thisfeaturehasprobablynotbeen

enabledforIndia.Anybodyknowifitcanbeenabled?
Thisannoyingscreenshowsupeverytimeyoustartthecar.

Speedsensingvolumefeatureispresent.YoucanchoosewallpapersforthehomescreenfromyourUSBdriveorSD
card:

LasteditedbySeverus:23rdJuly2014at18:24.

(16)Thanks

21stJuly2014,
23:24

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#6
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

Drive:

(Theseareonlymyviewsbasedonshort1520kmtestdrivesthatItookoftheothercars,sopardonmeifImake
anywrongobservations)
Oneword:Effortless.TheAltisfeelsquitelighttodriveinthecity.Itisn'ttiringtodriveatall.This,Ithink,canbe
attributedtotwothings.Firsttheadequatepower,that'salwaysavailablerightfromasmalldabonthepedal.You
don'thavetopressthegaspedaltoomuchtoextractgoodaccelerationfromtheengineasitstartsmakinggood
pullingpowerfromlowrevs.No,the1.8VVTidoesn'thavethatspinetinglingaccelerationoftheOctavia1.8TSIor
theJetta2.0TDI,butmakenomistake,thisengineisnoslouch.AndaidedbytheamazingSuperCVTiauto'box
(improvedoverthelastgeneration),whichkeepsthecarinjusttherightgear,andwhichIfoundtobenotlessthan
DSGstandardsintermsofsmoothnessoftheupshifts,thecarisapleasuretodrive.ThisCVTdoesn'thavethe
characteristicrubberbandeffectassociatedwithCVTs,whichissomethingmy2013HondaCityCVTterriblysuffers
from.
Secondthesteeringwheel,whichisquitelighttoturnaroundbutit'snotoverlylightastoenableturningbyyour
pinkyfinger.It'saccurate,andheavyenoughathighspeeds,makingyoufeelincontrolallthetime.Speakingofthe
steering,thiseasilybeatstheOctavia'sandElantra'sunitswhenitcomestoresponsiveness,butmaybenottheJetta,
whichoverallhasthebestdrivingattributesamongstthesecarsIMO.Feelingsorryandsurprised,Ihavetosaythat
OctaviahasoneofthemostdeadsteeringwheelsIhaveevercomeacross.EventheElantra'swheeloffersmore
feedback.
IrealisedtheimportanceofagoodautomaticgearboxwhenIdrovetheElantra.Onpaper,itsengineissupposedto
befairlypowerful(148BHP),butallthatpowerisn'tfullyutilisedduetothebelowaverageautomaticgearbox.
Ironically,thisnonCVTsuffersfromtheillfamedrubberbandeffectwhichisnotpresentintheCorolla'sCVT.I
acceleratedafriend'sElantraabithardwhilecruisingat5060kmphandtherevsimmediatelyroseup,butthe
increaseinspeedcameindisappointinglylate,orsoIfelt.
Speakingaboutride,IexpectedtheAltis'suspensionsetuptobecomfortoriented,andinthatsensesoft,since
Corollahasareputationofbeingachaufferdrivencar.Butsurprisingly,itisverybalanced.Itissufficientlystiffto
encouragesomeenthusiasticdriving,butabsorbentenoughthatbumpsandirregularitiesintheroadarewelldamped.
However,thosebumpsandirregularitiesdomaketheirpresencefeltinthecabin,andtheyaren'tdismissedaswellas
intheOctavia(eventhoughtheOctaviaissupposedtohaveastiffsuspension).Still,itistheJettathathasanear
perfectridebalanceatlowaswellashighspeeds.Inthisregard,IshouldmentionthattheElantraalsohasavery
balancedride.
TheonlythingthatasksforimprovementinAltisisthebrakes,whichcoulddowithmorebite.ApreviousgenCorolla
owneralsotoldmethathefelthiscarcoulddowithstrongerbrakes.
Allinall,IhavebeenpleasantlytakenabackbytheCorolla'sdrivingdynamics,andintermsofdrivingpleasureIwill
notrateitmuchbelowtheJetta,whichstillisthebestdriver'scar.Forme,Octaviacomesinthird(wishitsdrive
hadn'tbeenhamperedbyitslifelesssteeringwheel)asonlypureaccelerationisn'teverything,andthencomesthe
Elantra,whichcouldseriouslydowithabettergearbox.

My(andonlymyown)Verdict:
Note:IspeakonlywithregardtotopendAutomaticvariantsofeachcar

IthinkthenewCorollaisaforcetoreckonwith.Itsstylishlooking,hasagreatcombinationofride,handling,engine
andgearbox,issufficientlyequippedwithmodernfeatures,andofcourseitsaToyota.Whileitmaynotbatheyouin
luxuryastheOctaviaortheJettado,noritmayseemasvalueformoneyastheElantradoes,itpresentsa
formidablecompetitionneverthelessasinadditiontotheabovestatedstrengths,itboastsofreliabilityandpeaceof
mindmaintenanceofaToyota,areaswhichtheothers,particularlytheformertwo,scorelowin.
TheElantrawillmakemostsensetoyouifyoureonatightbudgetorifyoureoneofthosewhoarecomingintothis
segmentafterextendingtheirbudgetfromtheCsegment.Otherreasonsyoumightlikeitisthatyousimplylovethe
styling(itlooksamazing,nodoubt)andthewelladvertisedfeaturelist.Ifalowerbrandvalueandsegmenttrailing
performancearethingsyoucanlivewith,goforitasotherwiseitdoesntreallyhavealotgoingagainstit.
SpeakingofOctavia,itsanexcellentallroundvehiclewithaluxuriousinterior,powerfulengine,Germanishbuild
quality,andisloadedwithfeatures.ItdidntmakemefallinlovewithitthoughastheMkIOctaviadid.Anexterior
designthattriestobeclassybutendsupbeingboringandthenightmareinducingSkodaaftersalesexperienceafter
payingalmost21lakhrupeesforit(inDelhi)weredowners.Ipaybriefcaseloadsofmoney,andstillbearwithbeing
takenforgrantedbythecompanyanditsdealers?No,willnothappen.
ComingontotheJetta,thisisIMOthemostwellroundedcarinthissegment.Goodfeaturelist(especiallyafterthe
recentminorupdate),absolutelysolidbuildquality,bestinclassdrivingpleasureandthepremiumtagassociated
withVolkswagenareitsstrongpoints.Whatisnotitsstrongpoint,however,istheverysteepprice(duetothe
absenceofHighlineaswellasA/Tvariantsinpetrol,oneisforcedtogoonlyfortheHighlinedieselifonewishesto
buyanautomatic,whichgoesintoanotherterritory).Butgoodthingscomeataprice,don'tthey?Andthough
VolkswagensA.S.S.isbetterthanSkoda,itsstillbehindToyotaorevenHyundai(fromwhatIreadandhear).Alittle
differentiationfromtheVentointermsofexteriorstyling(barringtherear)wouldhavebeenwelcometoo.
Thatsaid,IstillthinktheCorollawillbeoutsoldbytheElantra,whichhasthegreatestadvantageofbeinglower
priced.Moreover,agreatdealoffolkseemtoregardHyundaiatparwithToyota.However,asIwritethis,Ilookat
theJune2014salesfiguresreleasedbyTeamBHP,onlytofindthatCorollahasoutsoldElantrabyalmostthreetimes.
Alotofthisisduetonewcarexcitement,Ibelieve,andweshouldwaitamonthortwobeforearrivingatany
conclusions.Although,IdontthinkIshouldunderestimateToyota'ssellingcapabilities.AsforJettaandOctavia,I
predicttheirsaleswillbeadverselyaffected.
LasteditedbySeverus:23rdJuly2014at21:00.

(26)Thanks

23rdJuly2014,
16:52

Severus
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct
2012
Location:New
Delhi
Posts:30
Thanked:231
Times

#7
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

OtherThings:
StandardWarrantyof3Years/1,00,000kms.Extendedwarrantyalsoavailable.
At4620mmlong,CorollaisshorterthanJetta(4644mm)andOctavia(4659mm),butlongerthanElantra(4530
mm).
Ahostofaccessoriesavailable,suchasAutofoldingmirrors,Daytimerunninglamps,Headupdisplay,
IlluminatedScuffplates,fabricaswellastraystyletrunkmatsetc.,buteverythingisabitontheexpensive
side.ForthechromelovingIndian,therearechromegarnishesavailableforthefrontbumper,rearbumper,
bootlid,sidemouldings,sidevisorsandORVMs!Weonlywentforthefrontbumpergarnish.
FuelEfficiencyishoveringaround9.5to10kmplwith100%A/Conandcityuseonly.Thisisevenbeforethe
runiniscomplete.MyyearoldCitygivesabout9kmpl.
Interiorlightsswitchonautomaticallyassoonasyoucomenearthecarwiththekey.Ifyoudon'topenthecar
withinastipulatedtimeperiod,thelightsswitchoff.
Seatbeltreminderisenabledforthepassengersideseataswell.
Seethosetwogroovesonfrontuppersideofthehandle?Touchthemtolockthedoors.Tounlock,simplyholdthe
doorhandleasyouwouldtopullit,andbythetimeyoupullthehandle,thedoorswillalreadybeunlocked.

Windshieldwasherstuckedawayunderthehood.

Sparewheelisafullsizealloy.

Bootlighthasaprotectivegrill,incaseyouloadupstufftothebrim.

Sparekeyisafullfunctionkey,justlikethemainkey.

Pushthebuttononthesidetorevealthemechanicalkey

Rearwindowsrolldowncompletely.

Dooropenindicatoralsoshowsifbootisopen.

Calculatorclockisn'tsobad,afterall.

Frontcupholdersareseparatedbyaremovableplasticpiecethatcanalsobeinsertedintootherprovidedslotsto
adjustforthesizeoftheglass.Ascanbeseen,thereisalsoathreeprongedremovablepieceinoneofthe
cupholderstoprovidearaisedbaseforshorterglasses.

ReadaboutthislittleblackpieceonTBHP'sEcosportreview.It'stocomplywiththelawsofcertaincountrieswhich
requirea"certainpercentageofthetyretobecoveredbythewheelarch".Butthisoneisverysmallcomparedtothe
Ecosport's.Somaybethisisonlyanaerodynamicaid.

Thatfamiliarname,butinanewavatar.

Untilnexttime..

Questionsandsuggestionsverywelcome.
LasteditedbySeverus:23rdJuly2014at20:53.

TheEnd

(61)Thanks

24thJuly2014,12:28

Rehaan
TeamBHPSupport

#8
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

ThreadmovedoutfromtheAssemblyLine(The"AssemblyLine"Forumsection)section.
Thanksatonforsharing!

JoinDate:Feb2004
Location:Bombay
Posts:19,518
Thanked:11,480Times

24thJuly2014,12:44

extreme_torque
SeniorBHPian

#9
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

Brilliantlydetailedreview!Thanksforsharing.Alsothepricingforthisparticularmodelisa
revelation.IcouldneverhaveguessedthataCorollacouldcost19lakhsOTRandthattooapetrol!

JoinDate:Feb2005
Location:Delhi
Posts:3,141
Thanked:595Times

(1)Thanks

24thJuly2014,13:10

#10
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

arjab
BHPian

verynice,detailed&informativereport.
manycongratulationsonthepurchase.Wishingyoumanyhappyyearsof"milemunching"!
Enjoyyourrideanddrivesafe!

JoinDate:Feb2005
Location:MAA/CCU
Posts:401
Thanked:485Times

(1)Thanks

24thJuly2014,13:34

D4D
BHPian

#11
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

Congratsonyourpurchase.Thecorollahaschangeddrastically.INR19lakhonroadisahighprice
forapetrol.
HowistherubberbandeffectoftheCVTcontrolled?
Enjoyyourride.AndasIsaytomanypeople:"Atoyotawilloutliveyou"

JoinDate:Apr2014
Location:GardenCity
Posts:407
Thanked:271Times

(2)Thanks

24thJuly2014,13:39

Octane_Power
BHPian

JoinDate:Oct2012
Location:Mumbai
Posts:508
Thanked:307Times

#12
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

ThankYouforsuchadetailedreview!Idon'treadmanyreviewsexcepttheTBHPofficialones,but
Iwentthrougheachandeverylineofyourreview
Goodchoiceofcolorthereascomparedtotheusualwhite/silver.Asextreme_torquesaid,itsquite
expensive,butworththemoneynevertheless.
Asyoudrivehermoreandpasstheenginebreakinperiod,doletusknowhowitperforms.Many
smallbutsignificantthingsyoucovered,althoughtheyarenotadealbreakerbuttheyaddtothe
feelgoodfactordefinitelyatthispricepoint.
Bhargav
LasteditedbyOctane_Power:24thJuly2014at13:44.

(1)Thanks

24thJuly2014,13:52

Amarendranath
BHPian

JoinDate:Aug2012
Location:Stockholm
Posts:470
Thanked:384Times
ViewMyGarage

#13
My2014CorollaAltisVL:ASneakPeek

Averydetailedreviewman.Congratulationsonyouracquisition.Looksbeautiful,speciallyinthis
shade.MyMyMythosealloysonthecar.Ifitwasme,thosealloysandonlythosealloyswould
havesealedthedeal. wishyoumilesandmilesofhappyandasafedrivingexperience.Totally
satisfiedwithallpictures,couldn'thaveaskedformore.I'mnotsureabouttherubberbandeffectof
aCVTfromwhatyouwroteIdon'tthinkit'sabother?
RegardingtheVW'Shadowblue'coloryouarerightitisbeingdiscontinuedandisbeingreplaced
withamoresophisticated'Nightblue'shadewhichisonparwiththe'TempestBlue'shadeofthe
Jetta.BackthenwhenweboughtaJetta,wewereinasimilardilemmaastowhybuyadieselcar
whentheworkplaceissituatedat2kmfromhome.MaybeIdidn'tgetaglimpseofthosealloyson
yourCorollaormaybewewereblindedbythelovewehadfortheJetta.Optedforitandno
complaintswhatsoever.Bytheway,it'saTempestBlue
LasteditedbyAmarendranath:24thJuly2014at13:55.

(2)Thanks

24thJuly2014,13:56

rr_zen
SeniorBHPian

JoinDate:Sep2006
Location:Chennai,India

#14
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

Excellentanddetailedreview(rated5stars)!Greatchoiceofcolor.Goodtoknowthesparewheel
andthesparekeyaresimilartotheoriginalandnocostcuttingmeasureshavebeenadoptedhere.
Havingsaidthatitshardtodigestthefactthattheonroadpriceisawhopping19lacs.AmgladI
boughtmyCivicmorethan4yearsagoandhadshelledout14.2lacsforthesameatthattime.Also
remindsmeofGTO'sthreadondepreciatingvalueofDsegmentsedanswhichfeelssoapt.
Happyandsafemotoring!

Posts:1,518
Thanked:115Times
ViewMyGarage

(1)Thanks

24thJuly2014,14:17

#15
re:My2014ToyotaCorollaAltisVLSCVTi:ADetailedReview

totaloverdoze
BHPian

Greatreview,butaN/A1.8literpetrolengineona19.05lackscarisnotsocool...
AlsoImustsaythisthebestlookingCorollatodate.

JoinDate:Nov2006
Location:mumbai
Posts:39
Thanked:4Times

(1)Thanks

Page1of8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >
MyblueteutonicbeautyVWVentoTDIHL15000KMsupdate|TheBlackKnight:ToyotaEtiosLivaG

SimilarThreads
Thread

ThreadStarter

Forum

Replies

LastPost

ToyotaCorollaAltis(1.4D4D)Diesel:TestDrive&
Review

GTO

OfficialNewCarReviews

199

1stDecember2014
13:17

2014ToyotaCorollaAltis(11thGen)launched@
11.99lakhs

sarthakgupta

TheIndianCarScene

214

5thOctober201422:56

ToyotaCorollaAltis1.8GLInitialOwnership
Review

aparth

TestDrives&InitialOwnershipReports

25

18thAugust201222:08

GotourCorollaAltisVL(AT).

clix22

TestDrives&InitialOwnershipReports

10

4thFebruary201022:19

AlltimesareGMT+5.5.Thetimenowis22:18.
BHPSilver

PrivacyPolicy&OptOutTerms&ConditionsContactUsHomeTop
Copyright20002015,TeamBHP.com
ProudlypoweredbyE2ENetworks