1981 Toyota Corolla SR-5 review from North America
"Sleeper that you won't forget losing to"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My Corolla has been very reliable to me.
I let it sit for about 8 months and the timing was drastically off.
The Carburetor needed to be rebuilt at 145K miles.
Not enough stock horsepower to make it a performer.
General comments?
Rear wheel drive... need I say more?
After replacing the cat. converter (my choice to do so) and the stock muffler with a 3 inch Glass Pack with a resonator tip the car took on a much meaner tone, gained 4 horsepower on the dino, and dropped a half second on 0-60 time.
I am 6' tall and the seats, dash and interior wrap around me and fit me like a glove.
Great fuel economy even when laying into the gas and occasionally smoking the 204 Dunlop's.
It's a great car for putting around and when it's time to get serious it is very easily tricked out. The car is light and quick on her feet, easily able to squash honda's with those big coffee can mufflers and even new small cars (Neon R/T, Civic, Escort, Cavalier).
Recommended reviews
| This car loves to eat Hondas |
|
| Probably the best car money can buy |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1981 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8L Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 109000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 146850 miles |
| Previous car | Ford F250 |
| Date of Entry | 29th February, 2004 |