Toyota Corolla

vireshsaxena · January 2001

Excellent car.

app1eqf · January 2001

Just little more info about 1998 corolla LE(post #400). The car is fully loaded plus it has mud guards, cargo net and VIPER alarm system with remote start. I was able to obtain copy of the title. It is clean. Ran carfax on the car. No problems there. Form carfax: for the first 13k miles car was registered with major rental company. From 13K to 52k owned by private owner. As far as repairs, the car needs oil change, front and read break pads and air filter.

nick29 · January 2001

Sounds like a pretty good deal there.Being a rental car previously it will be worth less at resale time.However I would go to the dealer with carfax report in hand stating rental and see if you cant get a bigger discount yet.hehe Its worth a shot. Good Luck

wenyue · January 2001

I agree with nick29:

I assume it's an automatic. And just how "loaded" is it? CD player? ABS? Moon roof? At any rate. I checked the Edmund's used car section, it says if you buy a 1998 Corolla LE automatic with cruise control (I didn't want to presume for other extras) from a private owner in relatively good shape, it should cost around $9,600. But it also said there is a value drop of $830 for the high milage. Which means, if you buy from a private person, it should run you about $8,800. Of course, if there are other option beside the automatic transmission and cruise control, it will elevate the price accordingly.

$8600 is a pretty good price already, not counting all the extras. And seem like the owner realized that it was a rental, so he is only giving you $200 discount. But you could try your luck and press for more. Pointing out that the owner has used up all of the manufacturer's warranty. Also point out the history as a rental.

Try you luck, but it's a pretty good deal as it is. The oil change, airfilter, ect are normal maintainance. And the break pad change especially, means that you have just saved $200 to do it yourself for the next couple of years.

Corollas are reliable cars. But still have a trusted mechanic run a good check out before plucking down the $$$. Good luck.

dsgecho · January 2001

Thinking about adding a 2000 Corolla CE {well equipped] and want to verify on this forum that the CE has the 4-speed AT standard with it? Also what is the average MPG that people are getting in the city and highway with good driving technique for 2000's and/or 2001's?
Thanks in advance!

nuke_newbie · January 2001

My television is a 20 inch cube. Will it fit in the truck of a 2001 toyota corolla ce. I'd like to know before I buy a corolla. (I already know that the total cubic trunk volume is 12.1 cubic feet. I just need to know the exact dimensions of the trunk space-including width, length, and height.) Thanks in advance.

vlady · January 2001

nuke_newbie

I don't know those numbers, but I was able to bring a kitchen table(3'square) and a bookshelf(3' width, 6' length) in my 98 corolla's trunk from the store. The TV will fit into the trunk, but you won't be able to close the lid. Use a back seat.

denniswade · January 2001

The 3-speed auto only came on the VE, and is not a good choice -- you're safe with the CE.

"Your mileage may vary," as they say, but I got 35 mpg with my 2000 LE until I put 16" rims on it - it then went down to 32. Now I have a turbo, and the mileage is 24-48 -- but oh, that slap in the back!

liufei · January 2001

dsgecho:
Just adding stuff to denniswade. The CE doesnt come with a 4speed AT, it comes standard with a 5spd manual.
Averaging 26mpg city driving in my 99 CE, 2000 & 2001 should be a bit better.

nukenebie:
Don't know bout the trunk, but it will fit on the back seat if u take it out of the box. Did the same thing with a 19" TV.

wenyue · January 2001

Adding to liufei:

My 99 LE gets 28 all city driving at all time except during the winter. (in the winter it's like 23 mpg all city driving, since I drive short trips 5 miles to work).

2000 has VVt-i engine, 99s didn't (doh!). They get about 2 mpg better. Also, all corollas comes with 5-spd manual transmission standard. 3-spd automatic is an option only for the cheaper VE, 4-spd automatic is CE and LE.

terceltom1 · January 2001

I have a 2001 Corolla LE four speed automatic and I do almost all city driving and I am getting 25 mpg. right now in very cold weather and with 2300 miles on the odometer.

denniswade · January 2001

my earlier post -- I meant to say 24-28 mpg, not 48 !!

I drive 35 miles to work on LA freeways, meaning that I'm alternately going either 80 mph or 10. My car is a 4-speed automatic.

dsgecho · January 2001

Thanks for all of the responses. Has anyone with careful driving gotten 40 MPG or better on long trips with a 2000 or 2001 Corolla?

liufei · January 2001

Corolla is ranked @ no.4 among compact car in sales figures (no.2 if you count the Prizm sales as well). No.7 overall among car sales figures.

Not too bad for a 4 year design, but they did loose sales to the new Civic, Focus,etc (down 7% from 1999 figures). Can't wait for the 2003 model to get here!!

Still don't get it why people buy Cavalier. Its even an older design than a Corolla....

data courtesy: http://www.autosite.com

wenyue · January 2001

I'm not sure the sales loss is to the Civic/Focus/etc. There might be some, but I think the biggest reason for the sales drop is the full year sales of the Toyota Echo.

That car over laps the lower/mid end of the Corolla. And that's probably the main cause.

liufei · January 2001

Perhaps. More likely combination of all those and competition from the Korean brand which is usually cheaper.
Personally, I don't care much for the Echo. The Yaris was a good sub-compact car, but when they add the trunk for the Echo, it just mess it up IMHO.

Did You noticed only around 48K Echo sold for 2000? Quite low isn't it?? Isn't Toyota target like 50-60K unit/year ?

wenyue · January 2001

Toyota's target was 50K a year. So 48K is quite close. You are right though, Echo isn't nearly as a hot product as it is in Japan and Europe, (it's the #1 selling car in Japan). Different market with different requirement, I guess.

dchinn · January 2001

The center of gravity of the Echo looks so high that the Corolla would seem to handle a lot better. The Echo looks more like an econobox than the Corolla hence a better buy???

terceltom1 · January 2001

Has anyone thought about adding fog lights to their 2001 Corolla LE ? I know the S model comes with fog lights already added to the bumper but what about the LE model? Can they be added to the same spot where they are on the S model? Those holes on the LE are covered by some cheap plastic grilling.

denniswade · January 2001

you could do it yourself, but certainly your local dealer will do it for you -- they're in business to make money, after all!

ssangste · February 2001

Hi everyone...

just wanted to quickly update everyone about my ownership experience to date with my corolla. I own a 2000 VE 5 speed, purchased in late October '99. I just turned 56,000 miles. Absolutely no problems other than having the brake rotors and brake pads replaced under warranty because of some warped rotors from the factory. I have kept every receipt and a running Excel spreadsheet of every gas purchase and subsequent mileage figure since the car was new. Overall, I am averaging 36.9 mpg. That includes the initial break in period where the mileage was around 32mpg for the first 10,000 miles and the last 10,000 miles or so where the spark plugs are starting to wear and my mileage has dropped to 34-36mpg. I have gotten in excess of 40mpg on a few tanks of fuel, depending on the mix of city vs. highway driving. For the middle 30,000+ miles, I steadily averaged 37-39+mpg. I run nothing but supreme gasoline (which after testing on my corolla actually gives me 1-2+ mpg difference vs. regular), and very rarely get below 80mph while highway driving on the interstates around here. My foot is always on the floor. So those mileage numbers are pretty good all things considered. i just thought I would share my experiences for anyone considering purchasing a new corolla. It was the best $12,000 I've invested an automobile to this point in my driving career. Money well spent for the cheap, yet peppy transportation it provides....

p.s. in case anyone was interested and they don't have the opportunity to try, the fuel shuts off in my corolla at around 130mph (I am guessing because it is only registered for 110... so based on how far past that mark the speedo was reading when the fuel shut off, I estimated that it was an additional 20+mph)... I personally don't recommend travelling at this speed since the car is definitely not designed for it and it is somewhat of a scary experience in comparison to other, more capable sports cars I have had at this speed.....

yue · February 2001

hello, all--
I am thinking of buying a 1991 camry LE(101k, all power), the guy asked for $3000. i tried it and it ran very well. but my friend found one problem: when i stopped the car on a slope with "Drive" on, it went back slowly itself. my friend told me that there must be sth wrong with the gear in the transmission. My question is: is that a big problem with the transmission? and if it is, how much does it cost to get it fixed?
Thank you very much! I appreciate your advice.

Thanks

Bryan

dchinn · February 2001

If the slope is fairly steep, the car will roll back in drive position due to the weight of the car, gravity & the laws of physics. The idle in drive can not keep the car from rolling backwards if U don't have your brake pedal depressed. If the incline is not steep at all, it should keep the car in place when the brake pedal is not depressed. Best bet is to check w/ a reliable transmission specialist.

hyunm · February 2001

I need your help and opinions.

I have to spend next 5 to 6years in US. And I am not accustomed to the cars in north America.
Reliability and economy will be the priorities.

I had driven a Sonata for 8years in my home without any major problems. But, I want to buy what I can easly re-sell when I left US and want one different from Sonata.

I am considering a Collora or a Cellica.
I love the little curb of Collora.
Does Collora still as reliable as it used to be?

Please let me know your opinion.

wenyue · February 2001

Yup, you bet. Corolla is still one of the most reliable car around. Toyota hasn't done anything to screw that up yet.

Celica is a sports car. It's in a different catagory.

I think if you are consider how easy it is to sell later, I think the Corolla will be, simply because there are probably 5 times more people looking for a everyday car than a sports car. But the new Celica does look sharp, doesn't it?

denniswade · February 2001

And the next Corolla will be little barn burner. You might also want to consider the Matrix, which is a sportwagon based on the Corolla, with an available 180-hp engine (same as the GT-S) and AWD.

hyunm · February 2001

Dear Wenyue and Denniswade,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

I will buy a Collora as soon as I come to your land.

Thanks again.

denniswade · February 2001

of service!

wenyue · February 2001

No problem. When are you coming to the U.S?

hyunm1 · February 2001

Dear Wenyue,

I will return to the US in early August.

I had spent two years in US before, and I still have a used Buick which had given me a lot of problem in a storage.
Late this year, I am going to trade the Buick in for a collora.

wenyue · February 2001

early August. Pretty close to the 2002 Corolla release date. I guess you will have the choice of getting a cheaper 2001 model or the more expensive but get the more recent model year. Good luck. Too bad that the totally redesigned Corolla won't arrive in the U.S until next year...

wabbithunting · February 2001

why does edmunds list the base price of 1998 corolla higher than 1999 model

hyunm1 · February 2001

Thanks Wenyue,

I am sure that you already visited this site. It shows the most recent version of Japanese Corolla.

http://www.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All_toyota_lineup/CorollaSedan/

Briefly,

It uses the same 1794cc, VVT-i engine.

It weighs about 200pound more than current one. -changed from about 2410pound to 1180kg(about 2610pound)-

Wheel base has increase from 97inches to 2600mm(about 102.5inches).

As a result, the new Corolla has bigger cabin and trunk with shorter nose, and the quality of interior might be better.

On the other hand, if they use the same engine for US model, because of the increased weight, the agility and fuel economy can be slightly reduced.

One more negative factor is that the steering diameter has increased from about 32feet to 10.4meters(about 34feet).

But, I am not absolutely sure whether the Toyota will introduce the same model to US.

eneth · February 2001

They need to make the next Corolla larger for North America, to distance it from the Echo.

Now, if they'll bring the 4WD Corollas back to North America as well ...

xyzipp2 · February 2001

HELLLLLP! Hello everyone, I own a 2001 Corolla SE. I have had it for 3 months or something like that. I currently have almost 10,000 miles on it (I am on the road a lot). However, I am about to go nuts. I have been trying to find a cell phone holder that will work in the car. I have found a couple of things that would work, but all involve screwing something into the dash. Not going to do that. I checked at the dealership. They told me Toyota doesn't make anything like that specifically for the car. Geesh...don't the have cell phones in Japan? I have checked where I bought the phone. All they sell is stuff that really wouldn't work. I am getting tired of having to let the phone lay around. Does anybody know of something that might work? Help before I have to trade my Corolla in for a car with cell phone holder

By the way...haven't had a problem with the car. Great car! Backseat could have more room though.

wenyue · February 2001

Don't they have those stick on cell phone holders where you live? I see them in the local stores. They are not designed for any particular brand of cars. You just stick it on the dash somewhere.

Here try this little website.

xyzipp2 · February 2001

I have tried several of those stick on holders. The problem has been that I can not find an adhesive to hold it. The adhesive that they come with (usually a double sided tape) is strong enough to hold the holder itself, but put the phone in it and it falls. I have tried heavy duty double sided tape, velcro, a couple of gel adhesives and nothing has worked. Appreciate the suggestion, but hasn't worked

I'm all ears for more though!

vlady · February 2001

Last Friday it was a big snowfall. On my way to work a lost a wheel cover, so later I stopped by Toyota dealership to get one. My jaw went down and hit a floor. The price for stupid cover was 79.99$ each!!!!!!!!!!! I checked a auto parts store-they have a set of 4 for 30$ for the same design(no Toyota logo on ). This is almost a price for an alloy wheel :-(((((((((

xyzipp2 I saw one holder which mounts into air vents

wenyue · February 2001

There are a version where they clip onto the air vent. Have you tried those? They might work better. I think it's also on that web page.

Looks like vlady beat me to the suggestion.

terceltom1 · February 2001

My 2001 LE has a built in cell phone holder in the center console that works just fine. Its either a cell phone holder or a pack of cigarettes holder but either way I don't smoke and its the perfect fit for a cell phone.

xyzipp2 · February 2001

Thanks for the suggestion. Wenyue, It looks as if the website that you suggested did not post (at least if its there I can't see it

) Can you post that again?

vlady - have you tried a hubcap place that specializes in replacing lost hubcaps? You might be able to get your cover for a much more reasonable price. 80 bucks! That is ridiculous. You will excuse me while I go try to find a way to superglue mine on.

wenyue · February 2001

Ok, here we will give it another shot.

http://www.dpp.com/hold.html

http://www.phonemerchants.com/elsmarhol.html

That's not cheap, but it's motorized... fancy.

Here is a cheap one.

http://www.officeinnovations.com/vek90599.html

http://www.cell-west.com/html/phoneholders.htm

Scroll down for the airvent ones.

Good luck.

toyman3 · February 2001

I am thinking about buying one. What should I look for?

Thanks.

xyzipp2 · February 2001

Thank you very much Wenyue. The last site did it. It actually had almost exactly what I was looking for (the floor mount). I am forever in your debt.

wenyue · February 2001

Glad to be able to help.

This is what the townhall is for.

wenyue · February 2001

Looking for some fun huh?

I think the Corolla GTS was the damned best corolla ever made. 12 years ago, it was already packing 130 hp in it's tiny 1.6L engine, and with 5-spd it's a lot of fun.

But being 12 years old, I wouldn't push it too much.

Get a good mechanic to do an engine check, along with the compression test. Also be aware of the air conditioning, those old ones uses the old freons that they don't make any more.

Wish Toyota still made the GTS corollas today.

tundradude · February 2001

Two generations came out of the Corolla GTS. The first one is 85-87. The second generation is 88-91. All of the details below refer to the second generation. I have owned a 89 GTS since 1992. All were 5 speeds. The 4A-GE 1.6 put out 115 hp in 88-89 and 130 in 90-91. I have read recently that Toyota still uses the engine with it now producing somewhere around the mid-200's. The options on the GTS were air conditioning, cassette, cruise control, power sunroof, power package which included power windows and locks (power mirrors were standard), alloy wheels, and the sport seats which are 6 way (the standard seats were 4-way). The exterior colors were solid white, solid red, solid black, two-tone light/dark blue, and solid gray. The interior colors were burgandy, blue, and grey. The car has plenty of power. Its around 8.0 seconds for 0-60 and I have had mine up in the 130's for a top speed. The car averages around 32 on the low end and 40 on the high end. The biggest thing to watch for is blown cylinder gaskets. You can tell this real easy, it starts to sound like a VW Beetle (old one). The exhaust system was awful on this generation. I would assume that the previous owner has already replaced it. If you have to replace it, make sure you get the dual exhaust, not the single exhaust that was on the reast of the Corolla lineup. Also make sure the timing belt has been changed in its 60000 increments. The car redlines at 7700 rpm and it gets there quick. This what makes the car so much fun. Toyota did it before Acura/Honda ever did it. The shifter is about as good as it gets. However, a bad clutch can be detected quite easily. I had to replace mine when I got mine and it only had 63000 on it. Some people can wear out the clutch. The car supposed to have 14 inch tires on it riding 185/60. You can tell real quick if that has been changed. A nice one should run around 2500 to 6000 depending on the year. These cars were Toyota's secret and it is shame that stop making them in 91. However, the new 2000 Celica and up is really the new Corolla GTS.

In eight and a half years:
fixed clutch
timing belt at 66,000
new brakes (this car has 4 wheel discs)
3 and 1/2 set of tires
new altenator
replaced factory radio and speakers (not very hard - has double din mount 4 inch in front and 5 1/4 in rear)
two batterys
several cylinder gaskets (around $40 to fix), has not happened in the past 4 years
replaced leather shifter knob
added cellular phone (hands-free)

You can tell how much I love this car. I only paid $6300 for it.

toyman3 · February 2001

I was looking at a couple of 90 and 91 models but I didn't pull the trigger. I am more serious now and if I find a nice one I will buy it this time.

$6300? Great price. They still are going for $4-6K.

tundradude · February 2001

I forgot to add a RADAR DETECTOR to the list.

wenyue · February 2001

Great pics. Thanks man! The look is more up scale, and more like a mid-size car.

Toyota Corolla

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