Faults:

Engine replaced at 166000.

Fuel pump replaced at 166000.

Normal wear and tear items: ball joints, tires, fluids, wiper blades, light bulbs, etc.

Front struts are creaking and need to be replaced.

General Comments:

I received this free but badly neglected VE from an in-law, and proceeded to install a second hand engine and fuel pump myself.

After the coldest MN winter in 20 years, I have to give this little car some props. Many, many days of below zero weather parked outside and this car started up every time. Upgrading to 185 tires is a good decision.

Pros:

Fantastically easy car to repair and work on, especially this base model with power nothing. The engine bay has plenty of room to reach everything (try changing spark plugs on a VW Jetta or changing the oil filter on a Honda Civic from the same time period).

Low beam and high beam are bright and well aimed.

Very good view from the driver's seat with small A-pillars.

Affordable replacement parts. Widely available at auto parts stores (note: use OEM Denso upstream oxygen sensor).

Fits easily into compact car parking spaces. Short wheel base and small turning radius.

Brakes are surprisingly good for having rear drums.

Functional layout of controls and dials without looking.

Timing chain and external water pump.

Does not attract attention.

Cons:

VVT-i is a joke with auto trans.

Lack of right armrest.

Backseat is tight for anyone over 4 feet tall.

Gas mileage is not that great with the 3-speed auto. Getting around 25 MPG city with lots of stop lights.

Key copies are impossible to cut for some reason.

The best selling American passenger car in 2000 was the Ford Taurus. I don't see many Taurus on the roads or in parking lots, but I see plenty of these Corollas rolling around. I have no doubt that this car will be around another 6 years to become a "classic".

Simple does not mean less than!

Faults:

Literally nothing.

General Comments:

Comfort - Soft, like most Toyotas, but it's not a squidgy sandwich. Can be a bit crashy on rougher roads above 70kph, but cruises quietly below 90kph. Cruises happily at 50kph in sixth gear on a flat road. At 100kph or more the engine noise starts to intrude a bit as it goes above 3000rpm. A six-speed gearbox would be nice.

Economy - Excellent. I can get 600km from one 50L tank of 98RON petrol (but when I fill up, it's always filling to 45L or less, as the fuel gauge drops faster in the last quarter).

Reliability - The best. I've had nothing go wrong with this car at all. Just follow the servicing schedule.

Safety - One airbag for the driver, as most of the time it's just me in the car anyway. Doesn't have ABS or ESP.

Performance - 85kW doesn't sound like a lot, but this car is light (only 1100kg), so it does get going if you let the engine rev out. Surprises bigger, heavier six-cylinder cars off the line to about 80kph. Handling isn't fantastic due to the soft suspension, but again because the car is rather light, you can chuck it around a fair bit. Pushes into gentle understeer when you go too fast. Lift-off oversteer on wider, faster bends makes it fun. Brakes are decent, they help the light car pull up pretty fast.

Also, it's pretty discreet, and isn't bad looking either.

As always with Toyotas, it does everything well, but nothing brilliantly. Highly recommended.

Faults:

The clutch went within a few months of me buying it used, but it was 'borrowed' while I wasn't looking, so that's not the car's fault, but my poor choice of friends.

Aircon died 2 years ago. It needed a full recon, not just a re-gas.

General Comments:

Very anonymous, & I don't think I was ever pulled over or waved into a booze bus while driving.

Adequate performance, I drove the car between Adelaide and Melbourne (~800km) a few times, and it was fine cruising constantly at 110-120km, and had plenty to overtake. This was with the car completely full with my possessions during an interstate move.

Very cheap to run. I worked out the average fuel consumption of the most recent Melb-Adel trip by comparing the trip meter and how many litres I put into it, and I think it was just under 7L/100km.

I'd still own this car if it wasn't for a new hobby that requires the space of a hatch (this was the sedan). I'm considering just buying the hatch version of this one actually.

The most annoying thing was the air con dying, and having to make the Adel-Melb drive over summer without any cooling, but how many car air cons can go 7-8 years without a service before finally dying?

If you need a car, and just a car, then it is a great choice.