Summary. The video below describes the benefits of Traction Control and Anti-Lock Brake Systems in the Toyota Corolla 2010 LE.

Whether you’re buying a car new, used, or renting a vehicle, it’s a good idea to find one that has these features.

Summary. This page offers a review of the Toyota Corolla 2010 Sedan LE that we began leasing on 28 September 2010 from Toyota of Iowa City.

Sales Experience. Russ Bay is the sales person who helped us. If you’re shopping for a new car, we’d highly recommend you contact Russ Bay at Toyota of Iowa City by calling 888-580-8797. Please let Russ know that Greg Johnson sent you.

Journal. As we have more experience with this vehicle, links to journal entries and review commentaries will be listed here.

• Benefits of Anti-Lock and Traction Control Systems (20120112)

Follow-up. We received a nice follow-up email from Russ after the sale. Below is our email response to Russ thanking him for his help.

29 September 2010

Hi Russ,

Thanks for checking back with us. We’re really pleased with our new Corolla. Thanks for helping us find the best vehicle to meet our needs, and the purchase plan that made most sense for us.

As you know, we’ve been renting from Enterprise for over a year. So, we had an opportunity to try out a lot of vehicles. Depending on the circumstances, we’ve rented just about everything from compact cars to full-size trucks. We knew that finding one car to meet all these needs could be a challenge. As far as comfort, responsiveness, and features, many new cars seem similar. With a rental it didn’t matter so much what brand or model we drove.

However, in purchasing a car, the game changes. We knew we wanted a reliable fuel-efficient but spacious vehicle, with low long-term cost of ownership, and a local (but world-class) dealership standing behind it. Those criteria very quickly narrowed our search down to buying a Corolla from Toyota of Iowa City. Having purchased two other cars from Toyota of Iowa City over the past 25 years, I knew I could expect an exceptional experience.

I’d never leased a car before, but renting from Enterprise introduced me to the experience of always driving a new vehicle without considering long-term ownership. My wife and I enjoy driving a car with the latest safety, performance, and fuel efficiency features. The reliability is an added assurance. So, when you explained the cost and benefits of leasing, that really made sense for us.

In perusing the Toyota site today I noticed some older used Corollas with over 70,000 miles selling for over $11,000. There aren’t many vehicles that can hold their value like a Toyota. So, the lease offering us the option to purchase our car in three years (at 36,000 miles or less) for about $10,000 seems quite fair if we choose that.

We’d been renting on weekends from Enterprise with their half-price special at a cost of about $130 per weekend. A few weekends a month begins to add up. Now we can have a new Corolla every day of the month, and save hundreds of dollars.

Thanks again for steering us in the right direction.

Regards,
Greg Johnson

Video. Below is a video review of a Corolla 2010.

Summary. Over the past ten to fifteen years, consumers have loudly spoken by purchasing smaller more efficient cars. During that same time period, numerous reports, studies, focus groups, and research projects all provided the same conclusive and incontrovertible advice: small cars are the wave of the future. This is a Small Car Society report on the decline of large vehicle manufacturers.

Good Policy. Companies like Honda and Toyota listened to consumers and responded to the needs and demands of the marketplace as well as the needs of our environment.

Poor Policy. Companies like For and General Motors were generally less responsive to the needs and demands of consumers and the environment.

Predictable Outcome. As a result, not surprisingly Honda and Toyota have done well financially while Ford and General Motors continue to be declining.

Correction Needed. This kind of behavior pattern among some automotive companies, of ignoring consumers and the environment, is not something a quick bailout will fix. For example, if an obese person has liposuction to remove fat, and then goes back to the same pattern of consumption and habits of inactivity, that person will be back in trouble again in a short period of time unless their behavior is corrected.

Strong Sell Recommendation. The Financial Resource Group in cooperation with the Small Car Society has issued a strong sell recommendation for any stocks even remotely involved in large vehicle production. Owners of larger vehicles should consider selling their vehicles as soon as possible before the bottom drops out of the market and the selling price declines sharply. According to Small Car Society Director, Gregory Johnson, “Unless your large vehicle is actually needed, and used daily for a long-term practical use, we would suggest that you sell it. Use the best tool for the job, and the best car for your actual transportation needs.”

Video Explanation. Below is a thoughtful video presentation by Al Gore regarding why small efficient cars are in demand.

Stock Price Value Charting. From a quick look at the stock value for Ford, General Motors, Honda, and Toyota during the time when small cars have become more popular, it’s easy to see how the stubborn refusal to build small cars has financially harmed the U.S. automotive industry (see charts below).

Members of the Small Car Society have been petitioning U.S. auto manufacturers for years, requesting smaller vehicles. Had U.S. auto manufacturers responded, they could have averted an economic crisis and financial harm to our national economy. They chose not to listen. Ford’s stock value has steadily declined from being almost $40 per share to now being about $6 per share. General Motors stock was worth about $80 per share and now it is worth about 85 cents per share. Companies like Honda and Toyota that listened to our advice have had seen significant increases in their stock value.

Government Funding of Failing Corporations. Because the downward financial spiral of General Motors is largely due to consumer dissatisfaction with their huge vehicles, it’s not surprising that there has been a public outcry about government funding to support the failing corporation. Below is an example of the public response (courtesy Despair.com).