New/First Time Corolla owner with a few ?s

[jedolley]

I recently got a job that's about 50 miles away and decided that I did not want to pay around $5k a year in gas to drive my F-150 back and forth.

I was leaning towards the Corolla due to the back seat and the amount you get for your money in addition to it's history of reliability. However, I wasn't sold on the Corolla due to reviews I had read stating that it wasn't that fun to drive and the steering was sub par. With that said, due to the deal a local dealership was offering me I had the Corolla out front on paper and decided to give it a test drive to decide for myself.

I'm not professional reviewer, but I found the Corolla drive quite fun and enjoyable. I also did not have a problem with the steering... Everything was more than adequate and made my purchase decision easy. Part of me will miss my truck, but I am really enjoying the Corolla so far.

Now for my questions...

1. Smart Key & Car Washes - I noticed a section in the owner's manual that addressed taking a Corolla with Smart Key feature through a Car Wash. It says that the door my constantly lock and unlock and recommend either moving the key out of range or putting the Smart Key in battery saving mode. I assume this happens due to the water touching the sensors while the key is in range and not due to water damage, correct? Also, are these "pre-cautions" recommended or necessary? I figure owners that have had their Corolla awhile should be able to answer this.

2. Remote Start (OEM or 3rd party) - I had a factory installed Remote Start system in my F-150 and know I will be missing this come summer. My biggest gripe about the OEM remote start system was the range. Does Toyota have a remote start system for the Corolla and if so how is the range? Also, if you recommend 3rd party over OEM, which ones should I be looking at?

I guess that's it for now, but then again i've only had the car for about 24 hours.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

1. Yeah, I'd do it. Hold the Lock button while hitting Unlock twice. That puts your fob in power save mode. I do it anyway to save power when I'm not about to get in the car. Unless the possibility of your doors locking and unlocking doesn't bother you.

2. I'm not sure if they do. Call your dealership and ask them.

And welcome to the Corolla family.

 

[jedolley]

1. Yeah, I'd do it. Hold the Lock button while hitting Unlock twice. That puts your fob in power save mode. I do it anyway to save power when I'm not about to get in the car. Unless the possibility of your doors locking and unlocking doesn't bother you.

2. I'm not sure if they do. Call your dealership and ask them.

And welcome to the Corolla family.

It would probably be annoying and the method to put the key into power save is pretty simple, so I will probably do that. Would you recommend putting them into power save every night or other times where the car would not be used for long periods of time?

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

It's up to you. It makes the battery last longer the more you do it. I power save getting into work, then power save after I get home for the day, unless I plan on running errands. When I'm about to go in my car I just reach in my pocket and tap a button to turn it back on so it reads as I open the door.