My father in-law has a '01 Carolla. Not a bad car but it doesn’t have an arm rest! I recently took it on a 300 mile trip and was ready to crash the thing before I got home. I couldn’t stand driving it more than 50 feet. Very uncomfortable for me. Just what are you supposed to do with your right arm?
I had a '93 Corolla that I bought new. Very reliable, etc., but for the money, I think you will find you get more niceties with a Honda Accord, and the same reliability.
liirogue, my sister’s driving instructor this summer uses only Corollas for his students because he has so much faith in them. That may hurt the “cool” factor your sister’s going for, but the car is extremely reliable. His six Corollas range in age from 13 years old to brand new, and he loves each one.
I drive a '96 Corolla. 1.6 litre manual hatchback. It has never missed a beat.
My stepdad was driving a Seventy-freakin’-Six Corolla until 2000, and that never missed a beat either. It was old and beat up, but he got it utterly secondhand and said it was better than some of the new cars he’s owned. He bought a 2000 model Corolla brand new, and loves it. He gave the old one for the price of a few beers to a teenager who wants a beat up car to get around in and tinker with. As far as I know, it’s still going strong.
Corolas are not head-turners. But they are freakin’ bullet-proof. With scheduled maintenance, and a reasonable driving style, I reckon you’ll get thity years out of one. They have respectable performance and economy, and their resale is good.
I drive a 2001 Corolla and in the year that I’ve had it, the only problem I’ve had with it is that I had to tighten up the emergency brake cable. Other than that, no problems at all, and all I’ve done with it is changing the oil.
My last car was also a Corolla(91), and for how many miles it had on it, it was in great shape. I miss that car.
The Corolla decent pickup and great fuel economy. It’s a great car although it is no sports car so I don’t think there’s much of a “cool” factor there. But still, if you don’t want to have to worry about your car breaking down, you can’t beat a Corolla for the price.
I bought a new car about a year ago, and I had to decide between a Corolla and a Protege. I picked the Protege, for some pretty minor reasons. The interior of the Protege was nicer, particularly the cup holders, which in the Corolla looked like it would last about a week. The Protege also had a bit better pickup and handled better, IMO. But the Corolla got MUCH better mileage (45 vs 30) , and I think about that just about every time I fill the tank.
If economy is a priority, absolutely go for the Corolla.
I’ve got a '96 Corolla, and my husband’s got a '92 Corolla, both with well over 100K miles on them.
I. Love. My. Car.
That being said, I always check out what Consumer Reports has to say before I buy a car. Or anything, really.
I drove a '94 corolla for 5 years (got rid of it a couple years ago), up to 170k miles when it was still running like a champ. Great car.
I’ve got a 2002 Corolla, done 24000 Kms and haven’t had a single problem with it. Mechanics love them as they are easy to work on. My old Honda would make the mechanic shake his head in disgust when I took it in, it was also very expensive for parts.
I just got rid of my 1988 Corolla, which had 190,000 miles on it. It was a fantastic car. We had to do very few major repairs, as we maintained it regularly. I’d recommend one to anyone, and if I ever buy a new car, it will probably be a Toyota.
I just got rid of my 1988 Corolla, which had 190,000 miles on it. It was a fantastic car. We had to do very few major repairs, as we maintained it regularly. I’d recommend one to anyone, and if I ever buy a new car, it will probably be a Toyota. Not the sexiest car, but hey it was worth being a little dull to be headache-free.
I’ve got a 93 Corolla and I love it to pieces. It has one problem though. It sucks oil like a mofo. I have a feeling that has something to do with the previous owner though. My dad got it off ebay and this problem was never mentioned during the transaction and we only found out about it after we had the car for a few weeks.
I’m dying for a '03 Corolla though. I think they are preeetty. Next car I get will definitely be a Corolla.
I just got a 2003 Corolla, and I love it. Too early to tell if there are any problems, but it gets great mileage and everything. Like skeptic_ev said, check out Consumer reports, definitely.
(And I think it’s cute, so there. :))
Actually, I don’t much like the new shape (21st Century) of Corolla. It looks a bit like a cockroach. I actually prefer my Corolla’s mid-90’s smooth, rounded look. They’re all great cars though.
I vouch for GM.
Yeah, I’m not too keen on the new shape with “European” styling. I much prefer the 2002 model with the round headlights. With alloy wheels and a body kit they can look quite sporty.
The only time I ever notice a Corolla is when it’s in my way. They seem to be slightly too large a car for such a small engine.
I never really liked Grand Ams either but it was always more an issue of blind spots for me.
Well, sis threw a fit (at the dealership, mind you) and guess what is sitting in the driveway?
Yep, you guessed it, a GrandAm. She is so spoiled it kills me.
I have a 1993 Toyota Corolla - I’ve had it for 7 years now, and LOVE it. It gets great gas mileage, is safe, and have never had any major problems with it. It’s very dependable, and I’ve grown quite attached to it 
I have no plans of giving it up anytime soon!
Toyota makes good cars. But yes, your Mom will nigh cetrainly “get screwed” by the dealer- Consumer Reports has Toyota dealers rated the worst.
Either buy a late model used one from another dealer, or use a broker- for Gods sake don’t buy one from a Toyota dealer!
There are several good online brokers- one was linked in the other Toyota thread.