Buying advice for used Corolla

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Soltero

New Member
#1
#1
Hello all,

I am in the market for a used compact sedan for my daily driver to help me save on gas. I drive 410 miles between Monday and Friday, and am in need of good fuel economy. I am budgeting $3000 for the vehicle and would like for it to have 150k or less miles, 5-speed tranny (auto is OK for the right price) and no major issues. I am thinking about something between 2002 and 2006, mostly because I don't want its age to make it very costly for major repairs, but if it has low miles and received regular maintenance, I am OK with an older model year. I don't really care about perks so-to-speak (except for A/C and cruise), as long as it has decent acceleration and can get me from point A to point B.

I am also considering buying a used Civic but have heard a lot about problems with excessive road noise. Are there any major problems that Corollas are notorious for, or were they just engineered better than Civics? I understand that most Corollas have slightly less powerful engines than Civics, but that is not a major consideration for me as I am looking to save gas, not burn it as quick as possible.

Thanks for the feedback,

-Soltero
 
Luis0522

Luis0522

New Member
#2
#2
Corolla would be a great vechile, if you look at 8th gen corollas (98-02) you'll find they probably have everything your looking for. They are reliable and fuel effiecent.
Very cheap parts or to do maintance work. May burn a little oil but that may be the biggest problem you'll find as they don't tend to have any other severe issues. 9th gen Corolla (03-08) would most likely be found within your preferred mileage and because they are slightly newer, less wear and tear.
Civic are also great vehicles but personally I would prefer a corolla over a civic and not just because I work on them for a living, but because I genuinely think Corollas are great cars. Either way you can't go wrong with either one. Good luck
 
Jperreault

Jperreault

New Member
#4
#4
I had a Geo Metro 1.3 L . Noisy little tin box. Hit the Accelerator and the Engine would rev.... but there wasn't a lot of pickup there. The fuel economy wasn't great when compared to my Corolla nor was the ride. With my Corolla I get round 650 KM / tank from F to E not completely drained. Its about 400 Miles on a 2001 Corolla CE with 186,000 KM on it. Could probably do better if I wasn't so lead footed. The ride is comfortable and is reasonably quiet and unless abused they are very reliable cars. As previously mentioned the parts are cheap and the reliability is legendary. If you decide to go for it remember to get good tires. The only issue I have is a little body cancer in the rear wheel wells and its hard to find a body shop here that does rust repairs.
 
H

Harry Schultze

New Member
#5
#5
I hate to contradict one of the other posts but I have a 98 Toyota Corolla and I have done a great deal of research into the 98 to 2002 Corollas. I cannot recommend buying this car in these years due to engine sludge issues from poorly designed rings. However the mid-90s Corollas we're excellent cars in every respect. If my car craps out I will look for one from 94 to 97 and maybe even a stick even though Toyota makes good automatic transmissions. As with any automatic transmission you must change out the fluid at regular intervals and many people do not so when buying a used car that old I prefer a stick if possible replacing a clutch is cheap I've even done it myself but an automatic transmission is worth more than the price of the vehicle. I hope this helps you and good luck in your endeavors!
 
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Christian_pulisic

New Member
#6
#6
If you want a reliable car that doesn't cost much to maintain this is the car for you. this car is the best. I love it!

let's try n enjoy. it's fully recommended from my end as i am felling comfort.
 
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