Toyota Corolla

[cowchaser]

Anyone drive one of these? I am looking for a car for my daughter who is 17 and getting ready to enter her senior year in high school. She will sadly be leaving my nest in about a year for college and starting a life of her own. I want to buy her a car that is reliable and efficient. I have looked at everything else out there including Honda and read all the reviews I could. We were going to buy a Focus, but after researching it have decided it just don't seem like it will make it long term. Any other suggestions would be appreciated although with anything price dictates what I look at.

 

[Nolan]

Heh I'm doing that right now too. Mine graduates next Weds so I am going to take her a car for graduation (Arizona). Sadly Honda and Toyota are the best cars if you can afford the price increase[}]

 

[monkeynutz]

I have a friend who drives an '08 model Corolla and absolutely loves it. She drove Saturns for many years, but now wishes she had gone to the Corolla long ago. The '09s are restyled to look similar to what the Camry has been the last few years, and are very sharp for a "budget" car.

 

[gerryr]

If you're buying new, look at the Honda Civic Hybrid. Very nice car. I drive a 1995 Honda Civic every day, stick shift, no AC, 40mpg.

 

[smitty]

I got my daughter a Toyota Yaris last year. The 2 door with no power windows or locks, it has A/C and is a automatic. She loves it. She drives 5 miles one way to school it is getting between 32 and 34 miles per gallon. On a long trip it will get 40. All for around 13 thousand.

 

[rwayne]

We got a Corolla which my wife drives approx 40 miles one way to work each day.Had it for about 3 years now,we bought it new. Milage we get is in the upper 30's ( 37-39 range) We have had no problem with it. The reason we looked at that model was that a Doctor my wife works with had one and had over 200,000 miles on it. Another friend has one with over 250,ooo miles . We are taking it on a upcoming road trip vacation to S.D. ( Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse sculpture) It has been a good car with no problems.
If you have a mechanic friend take any car your looking at to him and ask him to check it over for you. If the dealer or dealership will not allow you too-and if its a used car I would just walk away.
Hope you find a good one
RH

 

[winpooh498]

We have one it is OLD! 1990 with 170k on it. The only thing that has been done to it is O2 sensor, and regular maintenance. We average about 30-34 mpg. In my opinion you can't go wrong with a Toyota.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I don't know about the Corolla, but I have a '96 Avalon that has about 220,000 +/- miles on it and still runs like new. My son drives a '02 Tundra that is a real work horse...

 

[altaciii]

Wow, nice to see so many good things to say about Toyota. Had a friend today just bought a 2000 avalon for her son from me priced resonably with 130000 miles for only 6500.00. I've sold them for many years and have never really had a p...ed off customer. They are realiable and if you maintain them will last for many many years and miles.

 

[sparhawk]

When i met my wife abuot 25 years agoshe had a new 1982 Nissan sentra. we bought her a new nissan Sentra in 2000 and let the old one go to a friend who gave it to his son.They have been the greatest cars and the first one got around 49 miles to the gallon.(1982 Nissan/Datsun mpg model.)The new one has a 2.0 liter 156 horse 4 cylinder fully loaded and gets 33 miles to the gallon. My last truck was my first foreign vehicle for me and was a 1992 Nissan kingcab pickup. At 389,000 miles i gave it to my daughter and bought a new nissan frontier(2005). The old truck was still running when she plowed into the back of a new escalade. Didnt hurt the escalade but messed upm the radiator and fan on the truck.Pulled it home and just crank it and move it from one place to another in the yard. In other words the Nissans have been berry,berry goood to meee.

 

[Buzz]

My wife has a Corolla that has not missed a beat in the 9 years we've had it. They seem to have a reputation for reliability that is second to none. Nothing particularly fancy, but just don't stop.

 

[cowchaser]

Looks like it's a popular car with lots of positive reports. Thanks everyone.

 

[gmcnut]

Hi all,

Our family has had many Toyotas and there will be more. Not a lemon in the bunch. Regular oil changes and it will run almost forever.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Just remembered that in 1976 I bought the bottom of the line Toyota.. it may have been a Corolla, but thinking it was something else that's discontinued now.. I got it as a commute care since the area I was working in in SF was not a nice neighborhood and decided a Mercedes was not going to be safe, plus it was costing too much.. I drove it for about 2-1/2 years before I sold it to a friend at work... her husband NEVER changed the oil and after about 3 years I had an occasion to borrow it when my car was in the shop(I replaced the Toyota with a sports car after my divorce)... it still ran just like it did the day I sold it to her... a little more beat up and shop worn, but the engine ran like a champ.

 

[martyb]

My wife drives a 1996 Corolla (Which I lovingly refer to as the Crapolla).
170k miles on it, we still get 32-38 mpg out of it depending on where we're going.

 

[Chasper]

I have a 17 year old son, just finishing up his junior year of HS. Sadly he will be leaving thenest next year and heading off to college as well. I think I'm down to about 60 more weekends with him and trying my best to make the most of every one. I just bought him a car, a 2008 Toyota Matrix. As you probably know a Matrix is a Corolla that is hyped a little to make it look younger. I call it a Corolla station wagon and he corrects me every time.
We did the research as well, spend some time wrangling prices, finally decided on the Matrix and he loves it, milage is in the low 30s and that is much appreciated. I don't think you can go wrong with a Corolla or Matrix.

 

[wudnhed]

Originally posted by n4631x

Heh I'm doing that right now too. Mine graduates next Weds so I am going to take her a car for graduation (Arizona). Sadly Honda and Toyota are the best cars if you can afford the price increase[}]

Nolan, I have had both T and H and known people who have owned both. Honda and Toyotas are excellent cars but the Toyota has a much better cooling system. Hondas just don't get as cool in our desert weather. Just thought you might want to know since you mentioned AZ.