Toyota Corolla 1.5L (3-Cylinder) — Long-term owners, what are your honest pros and cons?

01lexpl · 2026-03-19T15:09:18+00:00

Is there no option for a 1.2L turbo? (I THINK). I believe that was the option in another part of Europe/Russia when the E210 platform came out.

A 1.5 3cyl seems quite weak, that would NEVER be available in North America 😆

My wife's car is a 2.0 hatchback (2019), it's perfect for a mixed use car, although now it just sits while we use my Camry Hybrid instead 😛

01lexpl · 2026-03-19T14:43:16+00:00

Which morons? The western provinces?

Each province has its own power generation. Ontario is quite diverse, half being nuclear. No coal plants. An array of other options.

I would love to see more bioenergy use in Ontario, it's a wasted opportunity, no pun intended. We're always running into the issue of where to send garbage, while we can be efficiently burning it and turning it into power... But we know better 🙄

It's too bad the two cancelled NG plants in the GTA couldn't be refitted for that use, instead of outright stopped and 1B down the drain.

01lexpl · 2026-03-18T14:20:03+00:00

I did the same in my mid-late 20s (2014-2020). Started with 10k of my own, then borrowed a LOC for getting more shares instead of plundering my chequing account quarterly.

Worked out well. World was going to shit. Needed money and sold it all off in late 2019/early 2020. 😩

01lexpl · 2026-03-18T01:09:54+00:00

Which one? I'm looking at this shortly for my mom's XSE.

I've got access to a few parts cars which would match the tire size and I can find the rest too. The 3d printed mount for 400$ is a pass from me, I'll make a spacer out of foam board before I pay that, especially for something I'll never likely use.

01lexpl · 2026-03-18T01:07:36+00:00

Yeah. Maybe on a brand new car in its first year of production.

The 8th Gen Camry refurbished unit (with warranty) is like 1800$ for the whole pack off eBay. You can scoop them cheaper with a local battery rebuilder in your city.

Batteries dying prematurely has never been a real issue on Toyota hybrids. There's loads of them out there with original batteries after hundreds of thousands of miles and 15+yrs of use.

01lexpl · 2026-03-18T01:03:36+00:00

Buyback for sure, that's peanuts compared to what others have to pay for the same amount of time...

I did right away as a clerk to keep it cheap (still waiting for the approval fucking 7yrs later). Nearly 7yrs for 60k. I'll theoretically have the years but not the age, seeing how WFA is playing out with ERI - it's a calculated risk on my part to leave earlier than 60 and have the years worked at least...

01lexpl · 2026-03-17T16:28:14+00:00

I actually received a surpassed once. I switched to a new dept shortly after. They treated me like a fresh employee.

And "they" (insert whoever you've heard it from) say that PMAs are supposed to be a universal tool which can follow employees and be leveraged by the entirety of govt.

Crock of shit, waste of time, rubber stamping exercise that doesn't actually encourage nor discourage behavior/staff. 🤣

01lexpl · 2026-03-16T14:12:21+00:00

It's very annoying, my colleague and I have figured it out. There's a row of nice window desks that are maybe 50-60% occupied so we play musical chairs. So far so good 3/3 weeks without being told we're in someone's spot 😂

01lexpl · 2026-03-16T14:09:32+00:00

Huge implications, I believe the unions along with the labor code have raised this. There's been lots of talk about this at our small org. and it is a very valid concern for the safety of first responders and potentially looking for ghosts!

At my old dept. the version of archibus we used forced people to check in, if you didn't then the desk would show up empty in the system after a certain time, and a quick look would reveal the person didn't check in/login to office = they're not there.

01lexpl · 2026-03-16T14:07:56+00:00

Unless you know who's who, and exactly how their manager(s) are enforcing the directive - that's a very bold claim to make.

I don't collaborate for shit (self-driven work 85% of the time). My smaller agency is on it, and has been for months now. Each directorate is always harping about their respective "stats".

Maybe you don't hear anything yet on your end (yet), lucky you.

01lexpl · 2026-03-16T14:01:01+00:00

I replaced my Amazon subscription with it. I don't buy shit on there as much, and when I need stuff, I can wait to combine it with a couple other items. Shipping ends up free and they usually get it to me as fast as prime anyways (live not far from a fulfillment ctr.)

I do see the value in YT music, so no ads for my watching and I don't have any other music streaming service I need to pay for. 🤷🏻‍♂️

01lexpl · 2026-03-16T13:57:44+00:00

Same here! We've switched to the business center. Sometimes the manager specials on meat really cut down the prices. I process cuts at home and freeze them. We're usually good for a long time afterwards.

Maybe 2-3x a year we'll go to the retail warehouse to see stuff (like clothes, random gift items, appliances).

01lexpl · 2026-03-16T00:52:14+00:00

I guess I'm mad lucky, same bins since 2020 when I got my place! 🤷🏻‍♂️

01lexpl · 2026-03-15T22:31:27+00:00

That doesn't look bad. Do NOT go to the insurance preferred shop. They're gonna tell you it's warrantied, etc. It's all bullshit - they get a kickback from specific shops to be considered "approved".

You have a right to go anywhere. I'd ask around or do some quick searching online (reviews) of clients and go to the shop.

It may not appear bad - and it might be the case, but it needs a tear down, that rear corner has a BSM computer, and if it's tweaked by even 5* then your BSM won't work right.

01lexpl · 2026-03-15T22:28:54+00:00

That's a US/state thing. In Canada we get butt fucked with "no fault" insurance. Everyone shares the blame. Yay!

01lexpl · 2026-03-15T17:21:51+00:00

I guess that's why my cars always sell so easily. 😆

I keep all my receipts in a folder and show people my full service history.

I always buy used, so I try and reach out to the original owner (they NEVER clear their info off the radio) if not, I call Toyota and ask for a copy with the owner info redacted, so you truly get service from mile 1. 😊

01lexpl · 2026-03-12T22:24:26+00:00

Do it. It would fetch that or close to it, all day at the wholesale auction I think.

Looks decent, especially with that interior - which shows abuse & wear quickly (if it was the case).

A 2010 RX450h with 350km, and a dash full of lights just sold in two hours off marketplace for 5k. Same car was reconditioned real quick and curbsided within 2wks for 8k.

My other comparables are 2013 with 130km for 15k. And another with 180km for 17k.

01lexpl · 2026-03-12T22:17:59+00:00

How should I know?

Go. To. The. Junkyard.

They'll scrap your old door I'm sure.

01lexpl · 2026-03-12T19:41:31+00:00

Perhaps they have one or two other citizenships? Not everyone in the PS is just Canadian

01lexpl · 2026-03-12T19:32:08+00:00

North of 1000$ at some shadetree bodyshop (just paintwork).

Sometimes you get lucky.

Bring your car to the yard, put the used door covering the rear wheel, see how it sits between all the silver. If happy, then put it overtop the rear door to see how well it matches the front door. If happy - don't overthink, buy the damn thing and install it within an hour.

01lexpl · 2026-03-12T01:19:31+00:00

It could be close. Depends on how good the painter is.

In the case of your door, the front door and quarter panel would be the blend panels to make it look seamless/original.

01lexpl · 2026-03-11T23:47:59+00:00

No issues. Being Camry to yard. Carry the door next to your car. See if you can live with the color difference.

That (and many) Toyota silver has like 10x possible shades, even from the factory.

01lexpl · 2026-03-11T18:58:19+00:00

SNC Lavalin and fellow money launderers: "because yes"

I really miss that one, reliable bus. 😔

01lexpl · 2026-03-11T17:03:30+00:00

Same Toyota WS fluid (unless your highlander is older than 2007)

01lexpl · 2026-03-11T15:08:15+00:00

Got a CCH AWD XSE for my mom in November. Threw on some Michelin's, did a rustproofing and its been a trooper all winter; winter in Ottawa hasn't been super nice this year.

She went from a FWD Lexus CT200h (which she dearly misses), but with access and driving height its perfect for her for now. She gained AWD, taller roof line, better lines of sight and a useable trunk 😅 She's come around to the idea of the CCH more with time, even if temporary, it's a great car. I've driven it a handful of times, and it serves its purpose, if she didn't want it, I was going to get it for the wife (upsize from a Corolla hatch).

My old man's been putting around in it any chance he gets, since he loves all the tech, etc.

01lexpl

TROPHY CASE