I pulled the trigger! - 6-spd Manual 2020 Corolla SE Sedan

[KALISPEL II]

I finally took my car in today for some protective & preventative mods, plus the one playful mod that I wanted to try. I ended up doing more than I originally planned, since I plan to keep this car for some time, & wanted to get it protected from the harsh Southern Arizona environment & such as much as possible. Only the release of an authentic Toyota TNGA Yaris hatchback in the U.S. will tempt me away from this girl.

(1) Tinted FULL front inside windshield with 3M Crystalline grade 70% tint. This stuff blocks the incoming windshield heat & UV to such a degree that my automatic climate control system has the fan blowing on low settings at 110+ degree temperatures outside. It is barely darker than clear & outside visibility is unchanged.

(2) Had a 3M clear bra put on headlights to protect them from ever hazing/pitting/scratching or otherwise not looking clear & new. I had this on my 2015 Yaris, & was very happy with the performance of it. It has a 10 year warranty to not discolor or otherwise degrade in any noticeable way.

(3) Had the "full frontal" Suntek Ultra Paint Protection UV/Scratch/Chip film package applied, which covers the full hood, side mirrors, & front bumper painted areas. It also has a 10 year warranty to not discolor or otherwise degrade in any noticeable way. It really is invisible unless you are actively looking for it on the car.

(4) Decided to try the surgical front 3M vinyl wrap experiment that I mentioned in other posts, to break up the long horizontal front dark-gray grill/housing area of the SE/XSE sedan - & the results if you get in real close in-person, actually look like a factory feature of the front grill. I was going to go with white, but decided to try a sporty 'SE red' to match the rear SE badging color, just for the fun of it. I may switch to white later on down the road to give it a try. I'm sure white will give it a more conservative/traditional pulled-together front fascia look & vibe. It's also easy enough to remove if I ever want to get back to the normal factory look.

NOTE: The side & rear windows were already tinted by dealership with Suntek CXP tint, so I am sticking with that.

Anyway, here is the first quickie 'rough' pic of my new Corolla SE 6-Spd Manual Sedan below. The car hasn't been washed since I purchased it, & has also gone through a day or so of some rain. I still haven't received my new license yet, so I don't have that or the powder-white matte frame securely installed yet back there. I plan to do my first hand wash/detail/wax either next weekend or weekend after that.

This sedan really does look a lot better in-person than in cellphone pics.

[justanotherdrunk]

Originally Posted by KALISPEL II

I finally took my car in today for some protective & preventative mods, plus the one playful mod that I wanted to try. I ended up doing more than I originally planned, since I plan to keep this car for some time, & wanted to get it protected from the harsh Southern Arizona environment & such as much as possible. Only the release of an authentic Toyota TNGA Yaris hatchback in the U.S. will tempt me away from this girl.

(1) Tinted FULL front inside windshield with 3M Crystalline grade 70% tint. This stuff blocks the incoming windshield heat & UV to such a degree that my automatic climate control system has the fan blowing on low settings at 110+ degree temperatures outside. It is barely darker than clear & outside visibility is unchanged.

(2) Had a 3M clear bra put on headlights to protect them from ever hazing/pitting/scratching or otherwise not looking clear & new. I had this on my 2015 Yaris, & was very happy with the performance of it. It has a 10 year warranty to not discolor or otherwise degrade in any noticeable way.

(3) Had the "full frontal" Suntek Ultra Paint Protection UV/Scratch/Chip film package applied, which covers the full hood, side mirrors, & front bumper painted areas. It also has a 10 year warranty to not discolor or otherwise degrade in any noticeable way. It really is invisible unless you are actively looking for it on the car.

(4) Decided to try the surgical front 3M vinyl wrap experiment that I mentioned in other posts, to break up the long horizontal front dark-gray grill/housing area of the SE/XSE sedan - & the results if you get in real close in-person, actually look like a factory feature of the front grill. I was going to go with white, but decided to try a sporty 'SE red' to match the rear SE badging color, just for the fun of it. I may switch to white later on down the road to give it a try. I'm sure white will give it a more conservative/traditional pulled-together front fascia look & vibe. It's also easy enough to remove if I ever want to get back to the normal factory look.

NOTE: The side & rear windows were already tinted by dealership with Suntek CXP tint, so I am sticking with that.

Anyway, here is the first quickie 'rough' pic of my new Corolla SE 6-Spd Manual Sedan below. The car hasn't been washed since I purchased it, & has also gone through a day or so of some rain. I still haven't received my new license yet, so I don't have that or the powder-white matte frame securely installed yet back there. I plan to do my first hand wash/detail/wax either next weekend or weekend after that.

This sedan really does look a lot better in-person than in cellphone pics.

dayum she looks BIG in that picture!

[Hamster]

Alright, I got a question. I am very, very seriously considering buying a new 6-speed Corolla sometime in the next 12 months, but possibly by the end of this year. Haven't decided if I want the sedan or the hatchback, though. The thing is, I don't know how to drive stick. I plan to buy the car for no other reason than to learn to drive a manual. I have the cash, so why not. Also I want a slightly bigger car. My parents have always owned a manual car, so I grew up watching them drive stick. But I learned to drive on the automatic minivan, and never really tried to learn to drive stick. Lately, it's just been bugging me that I never learned.

So, my question is, do you feel the 2020 Corolla would be easy for a beginner? Would the iMT mode make this car easier to learn on versus a typical manual car? My mom offered to test drive the Corolla for me and teach me how to drive it. So, no worries, I won't be on entirely on my own. But I still want and need a "beginner friendly" car. Also, I'm holding onto the Yaris. That car will never be traded in or sold. The Corolla will be a second fun car. Well, if you want to call a Corolla fun.

[KALISPEL II]

Originally Posted by Hamster

Alright, I got a question. I am very, very seriously considering buying a new 6-speed Corolla sometime in the next 12 months, but possibly by the end of this year. Haven't decided if I want the sedan or the hatchback, though. The thing is, I don't know how to drive stick. I plan to buy the car for no other reason than to learn to drive a manual. I have the cash, so why not. Also I want a slightly bigger car. My parents have always owned a manual car, so I grew up watching them drive stick. But I learned to drive on the automatic minivan, and never really tried to learn to drive stick. Lately, it's just been bugging me that I never learned.

So, my question is, do you feel the 2020 Corolla would be easy for a beginner? Would the iMT mode make this car easier to learn on versus a typical manual car? My mom offered to test drive the Corolla for me and teach me how to drive it. So, no worries, I won't be on entirely on my own. But I still want and need a "beginner friendly" car. Also, I'm holding onto the Yaris. That car will never be traded in or sold. The Corolla will be a second fun car. Well, if you want to call a Corolla fun.

Well, comparing the 5-spd manual Yaris SE & 6-spd manual Corolla SE, I would say that the Corolla is a bit more refined, less prone to stalling from a dead stop due to user error, & a bit more forgiving in general, in terms of clutch/gas-pedal dynamics. I loved shifting/driving both cars (for different reasons), but the Yaris manual is a bit more "hardcore" & unforgiving in general from a dead stop (but becomes second nature with use). The iMT in the Corolla will help also if you want to use it, but the annoying thing about that system is that you have to turn it on every time you start your car, because for some reason Toyota decided that the vehicle's computer should not remember that it was on the previous driving session.

[KALISPEL II]

Originally Posted by justanotherdrunk

dayum she looks BIG in that picture!

Yeah, I would say that the new 2020 TNGA Corolla has gotten a bit bigger feeling/looking that the previous-gen Corolla. It is less of a compact car now & more of a mid-size car. I would say that it is about the same size as my 2000 Accord EX sedan was, though probably not as long from a hood & trunk length perspective. Totally different driving experience from my Yaris, which had a fun, lightweight go-cart feel to it (at least to me). I like both the Yaris & the Corolla for different reasons. Both are great cars IMO, just different. I would have LOVED to have purchased a new, authentic 2020 TNGA Yaris SE+ hatch - but the U.S./NA market was screwed again in that regard.

[Hamster]

Thanks Kalispel! The fact that the Corolla is less prone to stalling is really, really important to me. That would lessen the fear I have of stalling in the middle of a busy intersection. Of course, I will practice, practice, practice, practice in an empty parking lot before I go on the road with traffic. I live 1/2 block from a shopping center, so luckily I have a big parking lot nearby to practice in. The existence of the iMT is the main thing that made me want to attempt a manual. I've read that the new manual Corolla is more forgiving of beginner's errors, and I'm glad you confirmed that. That makes me feel confident I'll be making the right choice once I get around to purchasing the car.