I love this car!
No major problems, but the paint does tend to flake off easily.
My Corolla is very dependable.
It is comfortable and roomy.
The MPH is very good, especially in light of the rising gas prices.
I was the second owner on this car and have never been sorry that I bought it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th May, 2008
The WORST car I have ever driven. PERIOD!
I just had to put this on the Internet!
I borrowed this of my grandfather last week and was in hysterics for all of the 5 miles I drove it. I cannot believe that a car this bad was made as recently as the 1990's!
It is completely incapable of exceeding 40mph on a normal road. Obviously on a motorway it would, but that's because there are hundreds of miles of motorway for it to build up speed.
It is also unforgivably ugly. I mean the Japanese make some awful cars, but this is something else.
The only redeeming features are that it is 100% reliable and it is good on fuel. The fact is though that a Honda Civic does those things too and at least has some character.
If you ever find yourself in a position where you are going to buy one of these things, take a step back and have a hard think about what you are doing.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 13th May, 2008
Who cares what it looks like, although I quite like it anyway.
It's a reliable, easy drive of a car.
Are you sure you can judge about the car after 5 miles???
Excellent car. I bought mine in 2003 with 54,000 miles on the clock, and now at the start of 2011 and at 190,000 miles, I have had no issues with this car. Truly reliable, it's just a pity that the newer model is not supposed to be as reliable.
GREAT CAR!!
Is this review a joke? You base your assessment on 5 miles of driving the car, make the absurd claim it won't exceed 40 mph, and call a fairly bland-looking car "ugly".
That's typically all the time you get with a test drive from a new car dealership. With the salesperson talking all the time. Then you fork over many thousands of dollars after wondering what you really got on your trade in. A price circled with this is your final price with your trade. I would rather rent a car from a place like Enterprise and then buy. And sell my old car myself.
Finally a car I won't be stressing over
Nothing, but I've only had it for a day.
For a year I was driving a 1994 Nissan Sentra LE 410 miles a week. I bought the Nissan with 84,000 miles on it in 2007. When I sold it (to a mechanic) I had put 24,000 miles on it and it needed new brakes and exhaust (exhaust was OEM). It was a great car, but my brother-in-law gave me his Corolla (he bought an '08 Avalon Ltd). We also have a '00 Mazda Protege LX (LOVE THAT CAR!!!).
I drove the Corolla 116 miles home from RI to NH. Though it is a '99 and the Nissan was a '94, Corolla actually had 10,000 more miles on it. Even so, the benefits of technology that was 5 years newer were obvious.
Engine is silent. Noticeable difference between the CE's 1.8 L and the Nissan's 1.6 L. I had to drive through Mass in construction and traffic. I set the cruise to 70 mph and cruised in and out of lanes and over less than perfect pavement.
Handling is a bit sloppy (especially compared to Mazda - Proteges are built on Miata platform), but I think some tire balancing and an alignment could help that a lot.
Seating was not super comfortable, but my work commute is only 45 minutes so should not be issue. This car could have benefited from the Mazda's lumbar adjustment feature.
The Mazda is not getting the best mileage because it needs some fuel economy related TLC. The Nissan (even with exhaust issues) was holding steady at 31.2 MPG. The Corolla is doing better than both cars. Took 3/8 of a tank to go 116 miles at 70 mph. I'm doing a mileage test now and will post results on FuelEconomy.gov.
This car was babied. Carpet in trunk still smells new car - trunk was never used. I inherited the car with new tires and all the fluids changed.
I don't beat on my cars, and the NH roads I drive are all in good shape. I imagine this Corolla will end up being one of those 200K+ models like the ones the commercials brag about.
'99 was also one of the last years for this particular engine type (the kind that made Toyota's longevity famous).
Final note: My first car was a 1993 Toyota Tercel I bought new off the lot. I sold it still running with 214,000 miles.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th May, 2008
9th Jul 2009, 15:00
My thoughts exactly, my Father has a 2001 Corolla 1.4 GLS (Y reg) and I have to say, it really is a hideously ugly car - very dated and endlessly facelifted, so by the time of the replacement in 2002, it looked really tired.
However, never judge a book by its cover!
It's a really good car, he has never had any bother with it and it still has the original exhaust on it (8 years on).
Its the 1,4 vvti engine and it certainly packs some punch and is good on fuel. I am 6'0" tall and I do notice a lack of headroom, but as most drivers of these cars are men in their 60's and older - reliability is their main issue for buying a pre 2002 Corolla, and looks don't matter to them. My father is 69 and loves his GLS model!
I drive a 1999 Nissan Primera and my mother drives a 1999 Toyota Yaris.
Japanese all the way for our family, but if you are younger than 60, leave the pre 2002 Corolla alone!