1990 Toyota Corolla GTi review from UK and Ireland

5 years ago it needed a replacement rear brake caliper, which was unexpected and quite expensive (£250)

Once needed a replacement radiator thermostat.

I have owned my Corolla GTi for 6 years now and it is the definition of reliability. It refuses to break.

Apart from the brake caliper, all I have had to buy is a new exhaust system, a battery, headlight bulbs, and a set of brake discs and pads. No non-service items. Everything else is as factory, quite amazingly in fact – still on original suspension bushes, wheel bearings, clutch, alternator, starter, you name it.

Not the fastest car in the road; you really need to rev it up to get the best out of it. Flies along after 5 to 6000 rpm and really loves it. Revs round to 8000rpm+ :-) unfortunately drinks the fuel with too much right foot; you can almost see the fuel needle move sometimes!! Great fun and a cracking sound from those twin-cams as the revs rise! Nurse it along at 60mph and you can get some serious miles per gallon.

Interior is as new. No signs of age at all; none of this shiny steering wheel or gear knob that you usually get with 100,000 mile cars. Also worth mentioning is the driving position –its nice to have a car that doesn’t insist you have the steering wheel up in the air like you’re driving a Bus.

Body suffers from rust in usual places – sunroof & wheel arches. I guess it can’t rain much in Japan. The only weak point of the car.

So my Corolla is now 12 years old and (from previous owner) has never broken down, not once; 130,000 miles and it purrs like new. I do admit I look after my Toyota, but considering it is driven hard, and also is in stop start traffic every day, the fact that it has taken everything I have thrown at it and basically not cared…. I have to give this car and hence Toyota, top marks for reliability. One day it will have to go, which will be a shame ‘cus whenever that is I know my Toyota will still never have let me down.