2016 Toyota Corolla Altis Grande
(Upgraded Version)
Hi fellow PakWheelers,
Alhamdolillah, I got this vehicle recently and this thread will provide a feedback review, some comparisons, modifications and upgrades and other general stuff.
How the choice was made:
In August we needed another car and I was naturally inclined towards the new Civic X, being fond of Hondas since a long time. We had only a few Corollas with us, including a sarkaari GLi and my beloved SE-Saloon, which was with us until recently.
I went to check out the new Civic when it was put on display but was a bit turned off due to numerous quality issues, which have been discussed at length in these forums, so it is pointless to repeat them. The Turbo version seemed interesting, but our budget was for Civic X Oriel which carries the same engine that our 9[SUP]th[/SUP] gen has and our 8[SUP]th[/SUP] gen also had. So I felt that a change was needed and resorted to my other alternatives; a used Mark X or a new Altis.
I searched for a clean Mark X but all cars were high mileage and most were abused vehicles so dropped the idea, even though it was costing way less. Having a good experience with the durability of earlier Corollas, I booked the Grande at Toyota Defence and after waiting for two months, it arrived.
As per my feedback, here are some pros and cons about this car:
Pros
- The car is very smooth and feels very different from its 1.3 and 1.6 counterparts.
- I believe that it is a value-for-money alternative, with price positioning close to Civic X hardtop which doesn't compete with the features offered by Grande, like sunroof, paddle shifters, leather interior, leather steering, FF alloy wheels, Android player, etc.
- The ground clearance of this car is excellent
- The car is comfortable, everything from soft suspension to steering response to the touch of the leather steering feels really nice.
- At the end of the day, its a Toyota, known for its reliability and resale value.
Cons
- It has been in the market since 2014, hence not a new model, per say, like Civic X.
- The top of the line variant shares its body shape with XLi and GLi, which makes it less unique, especially since there is there is a difference of PKR 700,000 between them.
Upgrades (as of now):
Wheels
LENSO Project D Spec K rims - 17" x 8jj
Continental ContiMaxContact tyres - 215/50/R17
Audio
Infinity Reference 6500cx front components
Infinity Reference 9633cf rear 6x9s
Kenwood 800W 4 channel amplifier
Cadence Momentum active subwoofer 500W MBX 12A
Ground Zero 4AWG power kit
Here it is, hope you guys like it.
