LexFather

It's not every day that you get more for the same money. Yet that's what Toyota is offering with the 2010 Corolla, which will come with traction control and vehicle stability control and no price increase over the outgoing model. The MSRP of that car remains $15,350 for the base model 5-speed sedan. The Matrix also adds the two features as standard, but the price on the CUV goes up by $201, to $21,960. Both cars will arrive in dealer showrooms at the end of February, and for more pricing info you can check out the press release after the jump.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/24/2...y-and-traction

JHStrange

It seems like we first started to see traction control on high end cars in the early 90's. It was an option on our '94 GS300. So we're seeing about a 16-17 year lag it getting that sort of thing to the mass market cars. All in all, not too bad. Isn't there some legislation requiring stability control on all cars in the next few years?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

nice addition but i don't think it will spur sales much.

Lexwang07

All standard stability and traction control useless thing. Why we get into cars crashed every year. I don't need them anyway. Somehow, save the people's life and to the death.

IS-SV

I agree, certainly the right thing to do. Toyota has already added stability systems to all SUV's.

Mr. Jones

all 2010 MY Toyota's have standard ABS, VSC, side curtain airbags and front row side torso airbags.

mmarshall

Thank Uncle Sam for it, not necessarily the Toyota marketers. There is a pending Federal safety regulation making it standard in all American-spec cars within the next 18 months or so. And it will probably affect the car's base price, too, although Subaru was able to make traction/stability control standard in the new Impreza without a big price increase....we'll see with the Corolla/Matrix (the AWD Matrix, BTW, is one of the few good competitors available for the Impreza).

pagemaster

Does that include Tundra and Tacoma?

pagemaster

Its good news that the Corolla will have these safety features.

Would you agree that by now the cost of these safety features is likely minimal?

mmarshall

I'm not an engineer, and don't consider myself an expert on the subject, but much of that would seem to depend on the quality materials used and how efficient the installation system at the plant was. GM, for instance, had a reputation for doing low-cost ABS/traction control/VSC, since, for the most part, with all vehicles, they all use the same wheel-rotation and/or yaw sensors). And, with ABS, there is a 3-channel system, which uses fewer sensors/hardware, and a 4-channel system, which uses more sensors, costs more, but is generally more effective.

pagemaster

Right. But economies of scale likely make it cost insignificant in the grand sceme of things.

Few reasons why I doubt the base price will move much.

I believe VSC and traction control debuted on mid to late 90's Lexus.
Active traction control started with the 1999 Land Cruiser and now is offered on Tundra.
Electrolum gauges started with the LS in 1989. Today, the Toyota Tundra, Corolla, Camry and Avalon all have this feature which likely cost next to nothing compared to what it cost in 1989.

Today. Features like 8 speeds, ABS that works on gravel, cameras, self parking etc are all exclusive to the high end Lexus and Toyotas. Eventually these features will be offered on the lesser models.

You agree?

With Corolla. I would like Toyota to offer a 5 speed auto by now.

pagemaster

Toyota does not cheap out on hardware and mechanicals. The ABS in the Corolla will likely never need repair.

FKL

yawn....about four years late Toyota, but thanks. volkswagen beat you to this in 2005. embarrased? I'd be too.

nabbun

even hyundai's come with trac standard

mmarshall

VSC was developed in the mid-90's, by primarily by the input of 3 companies.....Mercedes, BMW, and Cadillac (Cadillac called their version Stabilitrak). It was NOT developed by Lexus.

Mercedes and Volvo pioneered modern, electronic ABS back in the mid-late 1980's, though primitive versions of it went back to the 1971 Lincoln Continental and 1971 Chrysler Imperial. Traction control was developed a short time later (much of it off the same wheel-rotation sensors working in another manner), but I don't remember which car offered it first (probably Mercedes or Volvo).

You are correct that Lexus introduced electroluminescent gauges with the first-generation LS400.

I don't see a need for 7 and 8-speed transmissions like those offered in Mercedes and Lexus vehicles......IMO, they are simply overkill and add, needlessly, to the costs and complexity of production.