It starts everytime as any car with 18,000 miles should.

Fit and finish is poor. Toyota's service and respect for their customer is even worse. Definetly not what I have read about in trade magazines.

I started a new job and was going to be driving 50+ miles one way. Wanted something with good gas mileage. Came down to VW TDI at 50MPG and Corolla at 39MPG. Went with Corolla based on Legendary Toyota quality. Have yet to see anything close to 39 MPG best is 34 on all highway driving. Radio bezel buzzes on acceleration and at highway speeds as do both front doors. The car has more squeaks and rattles than my 97 taurus with 205,000 miles on it. Both foglamp delete panels on the front end have fallen out while driving on the highway. I have bought cars from the big three in the past and have always been treated with respect and fairly in service. I can not say that about Toyota. I have never been treated as poorly as I have by Toyota. They have been arrogant and have hidden behind any technicality they can find in an effort to charge you more money. If Toyota is the last manufacturer on earth I'll walk. Not worth the premium price. Very disappointed overall.

Similar Products Used:

Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet

Very reliable
Great mileage
Comfortable ride
Well made

Poor performance in wind, snow, and on gravel
Exterior is starting to rust

Great little car, but can be boring to drive as the acceleration is slow. Very reliable. I've owned it for almost 4 years now and have yet to have a problem (that I haven't caused). Roomy interior, comfortable quiet ride, simple.

I would not recommed this car for anyone in the country or who experiences bad winters. This car feels very unstable on bad or gravel roads, at high speeds, and in the wind. It almost feels like it's floating and could be incredibly unnerving for a new driver.

I have gone off the road twice with it. The first time there was 2 inches of slush and lost complete control. The second time I was on a gravel road only going 60km and fishtailed into the ditch. The side impact damaged both rear bearings and they had to be replaced. Because this car is a Toyota, they had to replace the whole bearing assembly, a whopping $500 each. I've had to keep sandbags in the trunk to weight it down since I bought it.

This car has awesome fuel efficiency too.

I'll never own anything but a Toyota.

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Pontiac Grand AM
VW Golf

The car is unbeilevably reliable: 10 years old, 240 000km and 9 Canadian winters under its belt this car is still running strong. No electrical problems either. Body is well preserved and no signs of corrosion. Well assembled and depreciation is minimal (not so good if your on the buyers end).

Love the car but man is it ever boring to drive: the accelaration is slow, the engine and steering dont respond quick enough. If performance is a key factor, this car might not be for you. Great car. Makes me regret having bought a Cavalier...

If you like to have fun while driving, stay away from this car! It might be extremely reliable and well built but the thing could be registered as sleep medication.

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Chevrolet Cavalier.

Everything.

Haven't found one yet.

I love my new Corolla. It drives like a dream. I've always wanted a big plushy car but didn't want to pay for the gas. I drive 40 miles each way to work and back each day. My ride is now much more enjoyable.

--peppy pick up at a stop, with 1 maybe 2 people in the car and an empty trunk
--A/C works well
--Engine is reliable

-Slow with more than 1 person in the
-A/C sucks up all the power
-Electrical issues all the time
-Can't stop unless you have ABS breaks
-Radio its horrible
-The engine omitts nasty smells, its embarrassing when your passengers think you farted

Crap! Yes it gets you from point A to point B, but thats all it will ever do. Don't even think about listening to the radio on the highway, because you won't be able to hear it. If you have more than 1 other person in the car, you no longer have any pick up, especially with the A/C on; good luck merging on the highway. Whats that 28 mpg gallon city? Well that was B.S. i average 25 mixed driving, 22 city and 33 highway. It has good highway mpg gallon, but forget city. Something is always wrong with the lights, I'm replacing bulbs left an right. Everyone and then the engine omitts this nasty smell, it's horrible. I don't have the ABS breaks, big mistake, this car will not stop! especially in the rain, you'll need excellent tires, because this baby is not slowing down. Bought it with 32,000 miles in 2003, now I have 58,000 miles; and I'm the happiest person every because I just sold this piece, thank god!

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1998 Ford contour--I want it back

Nice litte car. I am really disapointed Toyota does not want to fix the problem. I was hoping to keep this car a second car over the years.

Very unstable on freeway.

Do yourself a favor and don't buy this car. The poor thing goes all over the place when driven at speeds higher than 55 MPH. I've taken it back to the dealer to get it checked and they keep blaming it on the tires, and unfortunately I found out Toyota is not responsible for the tires they put on their new cars. The Toyota specialist suposedly test drove it and did not find anything abnormal with it. Meaning it is normal for this car to wander so much on the freeway as in a windy day.
I wouldn't want anyone to go thru what I'm currently going trying to make Toiyota fix the problem or replace the car. I am currently going to arbitration.
My daughter borrowed the car for a day and came back scared telling me she doesn't want to drive it again.
I'm trying not to drive it on the freeway too much. I'm affraid I could loose control of it.

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Nissan Maxima, ford escort, dodge neon,VW Golf.

REliability,MPG, fun to drive (1.8 5 spd) pleasant looking

hard to find a good used one, otherwise a great car!

After hitting $2000 of non routine repair in our 1998 Olds Cutlass in 2 years/30,000 miles, I'd had enough. I started looking and within a day I found my 1996 Toyota Corolla DX. I've now had Lola (my Corolla's name) for just over a week. Here's my rundown of the car thus far.

Exterior-Yes, this car is pretty plain. But I think it's pleasant to the eye and cute. It's not going to attract undue attention and I think the design still looks fresh even 10 years later. My Corolla is a pretty deep metallic green with tan interior and a spoiler (gives it a little sporty look). It still has good shine to the paint, and normal dings for a 10 year old car. It's got 14 inch wheels with hubcaps. Over the course of this year, I hope to put some 14 or 15 inch rims on, and install a power sunroof. The antenna is manual retracting. The headlight covers seem cloudy, and at night, are not the brightest headlights.

Interiors-My interior is tan/brown. I think the color gives it a bit higher end look for a economy car. The seats are made of a soft but sturdy fabric (which dog hair just wipes off!!) The seats are pretty comfortable. For a few days, I had a little lower back ache from the driver's seat-but that's gone away. For me, the seat is a perfect length from the steering wheel and pedals. I have the tilt wheel-and in the position I like it, it blocks the gauges (to be fair, this happens in most cars). The gauges are speedometer, tachometer (not available in some models), fuel, tempurature and various dummy lights. My car came with an aftermarket Pioneer CD player, so I can't comment on the factory system. I like the placement of the radio and climate controls. The radio is high up on the dash, with the climate control under it. The climate control has sliders, which I prefer. Under the climate control is a huge storage cubby, pop out cupholder, ashtray and lighter. The cupholders don't really block much (expect ashtray/lighter which I don't use.) The cupholder hold the largest McDonald's cup in a squeeze, but I don't think the cups were that big 10 years ago. I have the power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control and A/C-all of which work (amazing on a 10 year old car!). A couple of nags-on the doors where the windows roll down there's a piece of chrome trim which can easily catch the sun and reflect in your face. The other nag is the lock will stick into your arm if you like to drive with your arm out the window. The rears seats are 60/40 split folding and the trunk is pretty spacious for the size of the car. Overall, while I can tell this is a 10 year old design, it's still driver friendly and pleasant to be in.

Driving impressions-
ENGINE: My DX has the 1.8L engine that has an output of 105hp/117 torque. This engine coupled with my 5 speed manual, is a blast to drive. For around the town, it's got just the right amount of pep. It's fun for zipping in and out of traffic, and I can easily merge onto highways. It has pretty decent upper end power also. More than once I've got myself doing 15-20 over the speed limit and not realize it. The engine is smooth, and not terribly whiny for a 4 cyl. The MPG ratings are 29/34 (according to fueleconomy.gov). For my one fill up I averaged 30 MPG. This was mostly in town, with one highway jaunt, and some A/C usage. Compared to the 18-20 MPG around town in the Cutlass...this is heaven! Oh, did I mention my car has 158,000 miles on it? It does. And it runs like it has 58,000 miles on it. Based on reviews of other Toyota's and Corolla's, I expect to get many more miles on my engine.
TRANSMISSION-My car comes with a 5 speed manual. I've never driven an automatic Corolla, so I don't have a comparison. The 5 speed in this car helps with it's fun-to-drive factor. The clutch is VERY easy to use. Shifts are easy, but a bit notchy. Downshifting from 5th to 4th is tricky, otherwise the rest is smooth. In other reviews I've read, the clutches last quite awhile in the Corollas.
STEERING/SUSPENSION-This is where I know less terms and more 'feeling'. This car is so easy to steer-it's very nimble and a dream to park. The steering on my car is a wee bit loose, but overall light and responsive. The ride is quite comfortable, handle bumps well. On rather rough surfaces, my Corolla gets a little jumpy and thumpy. At 75-80 MPH it feels a wee bit flighty. It's definately not a luxury ride-but again, for a 10 year old car, it's not darn bad.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with my purchase. My Corolla is easy and fun to drive, sips the fuel, easy to park, and should prove extremely reliable. Finding a nice one like I did is rare-so when you do find one, you'd better snatch it up!


*UPDATE 6/17/06*I have now had my Corolla for a month and 700 miles. I've filled up 4 times for an average of 30.9 MPG. The check engine light came on, but after reading reviews my mechanic confirmed what I thought-it's my oxygen sensor. Not anything life changing. Our weather has gotten hotter and more humid requiring more A/C usage. The A/C can take my unbearably hot interior and have it cooled in a few minutes. It's actually faster and cooler than our 2001 Sentra. As with any small 4 cyl., there is a bit of lag on the engine with the A/C on-not horrible though. I've also had opportunity to haul people and 'things'(groceries, etc.) 3 adults fit in the car fine and I've also made use of the flip down seats to haul an unassembled entertainment center. I still love the size of my Lola-so easy to park and zip around town. After one month, I'm so glad I found and bought this car. If you ever are in the used car market and find a good used Corolla....don't think twice!

Similar Products Used:

1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass(crap)
2001 Nissan Sentra SE (still have, another awesome car)
1993 Nissan Altima GXE (should have never sold it for the Olds)

It has a very comfortable driving positon with excellent visability and room. It is fairly responsive, with no hesitation. The car is a simple, daily driver. Great commuter car. If you need a car that is reliable, not just for maintenance, but for everything else, then this is the car for you. No matter what, it will get you where you need to go hassle-free. Even though I mostly do city driving, I get 32 mpg on average. The sound system, although outdated (onlya casette player), sounds nice when combined with my iPod.

The Corolla is not much fun to drive. Sure, it drives well, but there is barely any power. It is embarrassing when a Hummer zoooms by as you try to accelerate. There are very few features. It has only one overhead light. There are no mirrors on the sun visors, no cupholders in the back, and no power anything. It only has about a 10 gallon tank, so stops at the gas station occur a little more often than I would like.

This is my first car. I have driven it for over a year, and it has grown on me. I like it better than my dad's Mercedes C280, my mom's Nissan Pathfinder, and my sister's Honda CRV. I looked at a Honda Civic 4D as well, I but I choose the Corolla over the Honda. It is short on power and features, yet it is comfortable and very easy to drive.

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Honda Civic 4D.

Sound system was great - CD/tape/fm and speakers were all great. The power steering made the car feel like a feather. Dashboard features were easy to reach without distraction.

Could have had more horsepower. The seats were not all comfortable for tall people, i'm 6-1 and if I sit in traffic for too long, my clutch(left) leg starts aching.

I drove this car for over two years and I never had any problems with it. I bought it at 90000 and I put extra 40000 on it and it rode so smooth. All I had to do wass regular maintenance and one time when my autoshop scammed me into buying 4 new shocks. If you do regular maintenance like fuel system clean up and the likes you'll ride this car for decades. I had a manual gear and because the car is light, it pulls very easily. Shift at the right time and it will respond beautifully. I had the all lights customized and it looked beatiful with the halo projector.

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1989 Nissan Stanza

Trustworthy

wipers, lights.

Never had any problem with this car except for wind screen wipers.

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Tercel 1982