2001 Toyota Corolla S review from North America

Replaced rear struts at 56000. Needed replacing again by the time I sold it.

Oil pan seal leaked. Shop said it was a poorly done repair under previous owner. This only reduced the oil loss problem.

Sludge problem starting at 60000.

This little car handles poorly in weather. It tends to slip in rain and snow on standard tires. It's stable for its weight in crosswinds, though. Cornering is excellent.

Initial pick-up is decent. However, it struggles at high speeds. Overtaking at speeds over 45 mph is strictly for the brave. Even after I figured out that it has a very long fourth and started downshifting a lot, uphill power was still very poor. Oddly, its performance under cruise control was decent.

The dashboard illumination in the "sport" trim is reddish and not very good on the eyes. The external thermometer was a nice little toy but just about the only thing apart from the tach that set it apart from the standard trims.

The interior is quite adequate for a small car and I never had complaints about room from my passengers, though a baby seat was a tight fit. The seats were about what you'd expect for a cheap car and scored extra poorly on lumbar support.

I'm thankful that I kept my old Corolla and eventually went back to it. This model year was enough to put me off Toyotas for the future.