My mom and sis are looking into getting an '03 Corolla (they will share the car). Sis wants a Pontiac GrandAm, which I am strongly against. I have never heard good things about Pontiacs (Please do not turn this into a flame war, however)
So I have come here hoping to get the good, the bad, and the ugly about this car.
I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla and love it. I got this car because I was in a wreck in October and the 16 year old that hit me totaled my other Toyota Corolla which was a 2001. They have great safety features and the gas mileage is good. They hold their value (even if they are totaled) I plan on keeping this car for awhile and passing it down to my 17 year old son.
I bought a 1988 Toyota Corolla in September 1994. It had 63,000 miles on it at the time. I drove it until April 2001, at which point it had 121,000 miles. It was a good car for a long time, but in its final weeks it developed several problems, including an overheating engine and sharply decreasing gas mileage, plus the A/C went out on it. The mechanic gave me a $2300 estimate on the repairs, so I decided to trade it in at that point.
They hold their value well, but you’ll get more bang for your buck with a Mazda Protege ES, a Nissan Sentra LE, or a Hyundai Elantra GT. Especially the Elantra, that car is an incredible car for the price and you get a 100,000 mile warranty.
Our 2002 Corolla is great, just great. We’ve only had it for a few months, so it is not surprising that no problems have developed, but the gas mileage is excellent.
I had a Pontiac Grand Am for a while- granted, it was used, but still- I spent so much time with it in the shop that I became reasonably good friends with my mechanic’s secretary. I will never buy another one. It was constantly leaving me stuck on the side of the road.
98 Corolla owner checking in. I’ve got 125,000 miles on this baby and I’ve done nothing… Nothing… for this car besides regular oil and timing belt (every 60K miles) changes and tires when necessary. The experience I’ve had with this car has made me a Toyota owner for life. Not once has it left me stranded. No squeaks or rattles. No leaks. It’s not the flashiest car in the world, but it gets me where I want to go.
I can’t recall any of my customers who had Corollas who weren’t happy with them. It’s a proven model that has developed and maintained a very good reputation for quite a while.
Pontiacs generally aren’t bad–though some are better than others–but they’re just not as good as Toyotas.
I’m curious as to why your sis wants the Grand Am. I wouldn’t be surprised if it has to do with a cuteness factor. If so, that’s a poor reason to buy a car if it’s not for a toy. Cars ain’t cheap, and if reliability and minimal repair costs are important, cute don’t count.
Your mom deserves the Corolla.
It’s because the only thing that counts with my sister is the way it looks and what other people (ie her friends) will think. It drives me nuts. I’m just too practical for her, and I’m afraid my mom is going to give into her, and end up getting screwed over.
Granted, I like the way the GrandAm looks to, but you couldn’t pay me to drive an “American made” car (don’t argue about that here, ya’ll know what I mean!)
Pontiacs are great cars. You can’t go by reports of new gm cars that are based on gm cars back in the 80’s. I’m biased toward Chevy right now and love my 03 cavalier.
However, Toyota makes great cars and if I wanted to buy a foreign, non luxury car, I would go out for toyota. 
Most gm cars are made in Europe and Asia. I think there is final assembly done in America, but your foreign cars are actually American made. 
Must have been an older one. Pontiacs make great cars now. I mean, if they even have a problem, it’s a really small problem that most cars most likely will experience or have the same odds of happening to them.
Remember that there is no such thing as a perfect car. They all have their problems.
In my experience, folks who have this attitude are folks who have not had true financial responsibility for a car. Most people can’t afford to approach the matter so frivolously.
Unfortunately, you may well be right. This isn’t a prom dress. Selecting mainly on looks and style is not appropriate–assuming, of course, that you’re not rolling in excess money and that you actually count on it for transportation.
Ah, well, the ladies will reap the benefits and the consequences of their decision.
I drove an '03 Corolla recently as a rental. Not bad; seemed a bit tinny, no more so than the current Honda Civic or Protege, but much more so than my own Subaru Impreza. Protege handles better than Corolla, IMO. Didn’t leave much of an impression otherwise, except that the trunk (boot) opening seemed awfully small considering the space available within.
I’m a HUGE advocate for the Corolla! My family is on its 3rd one, and my sister just got one as her first car (that she’s paying for on her own). Never had any problems, great gas mileage, love the car.
I bought a new Geo Prizm (a Corolla under the hood, with a Chevy nameplate) back in about 1989. I drove it for ten years, when at 221,000 miles it blew a head gasket at speed. I got out of the car, patted it on the hood, and said thanks. Other than regularly scheduled maintenance and wear items, I never had a problem with it until the day it died. My wife and I are both driving Prizms now, as they were a bit cheaper than the Corollas, though that may not be true any longer.
I have a 1988 Corolla with 270,000 km on it. I love it to bits! This car has never let me down, and I’ve taken it all over BC, WA, OR, MT, WY, CA…etc etc.
The bottom fell out of my Pontiac the day after I sold it, but it was pretty trashed and I blame myself for not taking the best care of it. 
So let me get this straight: all your sister cares about is the car’s looks and style and she wants to buy a Pontiac Grand Am? She needs help. Call the taste police!
If she really wants a “cute” car that her friends will go ga-ga over, tell her to get a slightly used VW Jetta.
My friend drove a 2003 Corolla before getting his WRX (Corolla was his “sister’s” car). My impression was very good. No rattles, smooth and quiet. Small but then again, it’s a compact class car.
My sister has a Grand Am. She loves how it handles, I hate the fact that it’s pretty busted up (sister hit a curb) decent power (it’s a 98) but she already needs a new exhaust, suspension (from hitting a curb) and the interior (IMO) sucks. Maybe it’s just me but I had those seats!
I drive a Matrix myself. If she want’s cute, maybe a Matrix base or XR will do (Corolla based car within the same price range). Same engine and tranny but it’s a hatch and it’s a bit bigger all around.
BTW, the Matrix and Corolla are Canadian cars, built a few hundred kms from Toronto
1989 Corolla. 192000 miles. Only problem: Leaking radiator when it was three months old.
Helluva car. Dull as all get-out, but boy, for reliable.