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سلمان خلوق

Jul 8

I was looking for a good sedan, and I went through the usual headache of choices like anyone else. I looked at the Sentra and the Civic—each had something I liked, but also something that made me hesitant. The Sentra felt a bit too quiet for me—I’m still young—and while the Civic was tempting, I just couldn't fully buy into it. I randomly walked into a Toyota showroom, and right there in front of me was the Corolla. I took it for a test drive, and honestly, the sales team was incredibly polite and respectful—unlike the staff I’d dealt with at other dealerships. In the end, I was convinced and bought the hybrid Corolla. After a year of use, the car has been comfortable and smooth to drive, with no major issues. But it’s not without its annoyances—like the sluggish, outdated screen and the old-school head unit, so I replaced them. Even the seats and the center armrest would get dirty easily, so I had them covered in leather. The headlights were halogen, so I swapped them for LEDs. The horn also sounded weak, so I changed that too. In terms of performance, it's decent—not a rocket, but more than enough for daily commutes. At speeds over 120 km/h, the car felt a bit floaty, so I upgraded the wheels and tires from 16" to 17", which really improved its stability. The most impressive thing, hands down, has been the fuel consumption—it once dropped to 3.9L/100km! But after I accidentally reset the system, it now reads 5.3 and I can't figure out how to get it back. Space-wise, it's fine—comfortable up front, and okay for two people in the back, but three will feel cramped. The one thing that really bugs me is the A/C, especially for rear passengers. There aren’t effective rear vents, and airflow is a bit weak during summer. I enjoy tweaking my car, so I’ve done a lot of modifications—brakes, tires, wheels, lights, sound system, and a few small accessories. Overall, though, I’m satisfied. My advice for anyone planning to buy one: don't go for it just because everyone else is. Buy it because you’re personally convinced. Compare prices and features carefully. At the end of the day, the Corolla is a solid, respectable car. It won’t let you down, but it’s not perfect—there are things that need a bit of work, depending on your preferences and how willing you are to spend a little more after buying it.

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Since I got the car, I’ve driven it a few times on intercity highways and elevated city roads. At first, fuel consumption was quite high — around 12 L/100 km — but after some regular use, it dropped to 7.8. It hasn’t gone any lower since then, even though I’ve only driven about 500 km in less than a month. Honestly, every time I refuel, it stings a little 😅. This is my first car, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but driving feels smooth overall. Once you hit 100 km/h, tire noise becomes noticeable, but throttle response during overtaking is pretty decent. The thing that annoyed me most is the infotainment system. There’s no built-in CarPlay, so I bought an external adapter. While it technically works, Bluetooth is unstable, and the navigation voice won’t come through the car speakers. On top of that, the system randomly activates and starts saying weird things, and the voice assistant sometimes greets you with “Hi” and other times with “I’m here” — honestly, it feels awkward. I’m not sure if all Japanese brands do this, or just this one. As for interior space, the rear seat area is quite good, but the new car smell is still strong, so I’ve thrown in a bunch of charcoal bags to absorb it. Overall, I’m satisfied for a first car, but there are definitely things that could be better.

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I was looking for a good sedan, and I went through the usual headache of choices like anyone else. I looked at the Sentra and the Civic—each had something I liked, but also something that made me hesitant. The Sentra felt a bit too quiet for me—I’m still young—and while the Civic was tempting, I just couldn't fully buy into it. I randomly walked into a Toyota showroom, and right there in front of me was the Corolla. I took it for a test drive, and honestly, the sales team was incredibly polite and respectful—unlike the staff I’d dealt with at other dealerships. In the end, I was convinced and bought the hybrid Corolla. After a year of use, the car has been comfortable and smooth to drive, with no major issues. But it’s not without its annoyances—like the sluggish, outdated screen and the old-school head unit, so I replaced them. Even the seats and the center armrest would get dirty easily, so I had them covered in leather. The headlights were halogen, so I swapped them for LEDs. The horn also sounded weak, so I changed that too. In terms of performance, it's decent—not a rocket, but more than enough for daily commutes. At speeds over 120 km/h, the car felt a bit floaty, so I upgraded the wheels and tires from 16" to 17", which really improved its stability. The most impressive thing, hands down, has been the fuel consumption—it once dropped to 3.9L/100km! But after I accidentally reset the system, it now reads 5.3 and I can't figure out how to get it back. Space-wise, it's fine—comfortable up front, and okay for two people in the back, but three will feel cramped. The one thing that really bugs me is the A/C, especially for rear passengers. There aren’t effective rear vents, and airflow is a bit weak during summer. I enjoy tweaking my car, so I’ve done a lot of modifications—brakes, tires, wheels, lights, sound system, and a few small accessories. Overall, though, I’m satisfied. My advice for anyone planning to buy one: don't go for it just because everyone else is. Buy it because you’re personally convinced. Compare prices and features carefully. At the end of the day, the Corolla is a solid, respectable car. It won’t let you down, but it’s not perfect—there are things that need a bit of work, depending on your preferences and how willing you are to spend a little more after buying it.

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To be honest, I didn’t buy the Corolla out of strong conviction at first. Back in April, I quickly bought a used car from the local market before the Eid holidays. Turned out to be a total disaster. I was in a rush and didn’t have time to go to a mechanic or deal with any hassle, so I drove it for a bit, sold it, and moved on. After that, I decided I wanted to buy something brand new, something I could stick with for 10 years without any headaches. I liked the look of both the Civic and the Corolla. I went to check them out, and while the Civic was really impressive, it was a bit too expensive—so I settled on the Corolla. Overall, the car is smooth and comfortable to drive. But when you're on an incline or waiting at a light on an uphill road, you can feel it struggle to get going—you have to press the gas harder, and the engine gets louder without the car really moving much. The front seats are good, but the rear bench isn’t very spacious. I was honestly disappointed to find that the rear seats don’t fold down, so if you want to carry large items, you’re out of luck. As for fuel consumption—those people claiming 5L/100km, I honestly don’t know how they’re getting that. In the city, I’ve been getting around 6.8 to 7.2, and I’m not a heavy-footed driver. From February 2 to early April, I drove about 4,600 km because I was using it for errands after work and even took a long round trip to Alexandria. One thing I really noticed is that the car doesn’t handle rough roads well—you really feel the bumps. In traffic, sometimes the car shakes a bit when moving slowly around 10 or 15 km/h—not always, but it happens. There's also a faint squeaking noise, like the A/C button is slightly loose—it only shows up on bumpy roads. Still, none of this changes the fact that the car is generally reliable and stable. It drives easily, and honestly, I’m quite content with it—especially after what I went through with that used car. For anyone thinking about getting a Corolla, just be realistic about what you’re looking for. It’s a great car for someone who wants something long-lasting, even if there are a few things that aren’t perfect.

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