2002 Toyota Corolla LE 1.8L 4 cylinder from North America
Summary:
A Commuter's Special
Faults:
Nothing other than general maintenance!
General Comments:
My previous car was a 1989 Acura Legend which I miss dearly. That was the best used car I ever owned and I finally retired it at 181,000 because it was going to need another timing chain and fuel pump, and tires. I could not justify spending that kind of money on a 12 year old car. The timing chain and water pump were not bad, it's just a preventative measure.
This Toyota I bought for 3 primary reasons: 1. It was fair priced, 3. Great gas mileage and 4. Low operating costs.
My ONLY complaint is that 6 months after I bought the car, I have been hearing various squealing noises from the brakes. The dealer says it is nothing, that they cannot see or hear anything that would cause a major problem. So far, so good. The noises are not that bad, but nonetheless, they are there.
This car is perfect for me being that I drive a total of 70 miles a day to and from work.
A zippy car that does 80 miles an hour on the highway with no problems! Acceleration is better than one would expect from a 1.8L gas engine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th December, 2004
15th Oct 2005, 22:38
Highway chips will occur and be more pronounced on a dark color paint. After a year of highway driving, the white dimples on my hood and grille area were becoming unsightly. I purchased a nose mask for $110 and I only wish I bought it when I initially bought the car. It has made a very big difference!
For anyone doing a lot of highway driving, especially in the snow, do yourself a BIG favor. Drop another $100 and get that nose mask! Your car's re-sale value will suffer if you don't!
26th Mar 2007, 15:15
I am the poster of this review. Here is the latest since I last wrote this review:
-Car now has 94,000 miles. I still own it.
-At 92,000 miles I just had all my brakes done! The first time too! However, I must point out that this is a highway driven car.
-At 88,000, I had to have my evaporator cannister replaced. This was odd, because these allegedly should not malfunction. My engine check light came on, and I had to have it replaced because of NYS emissions standards. A car will not pass NYS inspection with an engine check light on. That cost me almost $400 to replace.
This is it, other than oil changes, serpentine belt, tires, tranny flushes and coolant flushes the car has been flawless. I am really happy I got this car!
16th Jul 2005, 15:31
I own a 2002 Corolla CE "Plus" purchased new. (currently has 40,000 miles) Recently serviced and water pump required replacing, but was covered under warranty. Great commuter car.
From the looks angle-it will require a windshield replacement and rock chips on paint occur quite easily. A word of advice here-try and avoid the tan cloth interior if possible.
Overall, based on the last 3 years I feel this was a smart purchase.