1991 Toyota Corolla DX review from North America

The starter and distributor cap went at 125,000 miles.

Brake job at 138,000: new pads, resurfaced rotor.

Other than that, my Corolla chugs along merrily as if it were brand new. It's never left me stranded and probably never will. Even when the starter was dying, I managed to get it started every time by turning the key repeatedly.

Acceleration's a little slow, but once it gets going it easily zips past all the overgrown SUVs that clog America's suburban streets.

I'm 6'3" and a little cramped in this car. As much as I'd like more room, the Corolla's been so good to me I plan to stick with it to the bitter end. The only disadvantage to owning a reliable car is that it keeps going long after you're sick of it.

Looks and speed are all well and good, but ultimately it's all about reliability. It'll take years for American car makers to recover the trust and credibility they lost several decades ago when they continued to churn out lemon after lemon even when faced with competition from reliable imports like the VW Beetle and Japanese compacts. GM and Ford are catching up, but they still have a long way to go.