i purchased this car new-ish.. it was a leftover that no one wanted because it was a stick. It was also a weirdly optioned stick, as it didn't have the spoiler, the fog lights, alloys, but had leather and a moon-roof. When i purchased this i had leased it with the intention of keeping it. I was working on Long Island and living in NJ, so my commute daily was killer. The miles poured on, and in 3 years i had done 100K miles. i owned the car for an additional 3 years in that time i put on over 300K miles. I had figured that this car would run as long as my 85 camry, however it did not.. There are some issues with this car to which you should keep in mind.. 1. The 1zzFe engine in the 98-99 corolla is not the same as the 1zzfe used in the 2000 - 2014 models. There is no variable valve timing. (VVTI) as a result the parts are different between this one and the new ones, which means they are a little more expensive. 2. The clutch in the manuals sucks.. 3. The DRL have a design flaw, so you will eat through bulbs like water 4. The power window regulators suck, and do not close right. 5. The O2 sensors are expensive, and this model had an issue with eating them. (i pulled the check engine bulb and gave up, drove another 100k miles and didn't care) Aside from that, i am certain you cannot kill these cars.. I know as once i got to 250K miles, i decided to rip it apart and make a tuner. This was a cheaper investment than a Honda, and the outcome was brutal fun.. at 250K miles. Motor was replaced with a 2zzGE(gen1) with forged internals (9200RPM redline) The transmission was replaced with a (gen1) 6speed from a celica gts The clutch was replaced as well as all the linkage.. with a stage 4 clutch and lightened flywheel. (Added LSD) The interior was gutted two racing seats installed Added coil-overs 17in Rota's and street slick summer tires. Sold the car at 304K miles after having some fun. (got 7k) ran a 13.2 on all motor and still got 30mpg..

I like that it's affordable. My initial purchase of the car was fairly cheap and it was and still is in good condition. I bought it to commute to work and school but have driven it on 850 mile trips. It runs very well and is reliable. I've been very happy with it and the gas mileage it gets.

It's a compact car. Don't expect midsize from this. Get a good set of Michellins on it and it'll run smooth and quite for years. It's sharp looking. Handling is great, steering smooth, engine has pep. Love the car. Owned for 10 yrs. Our second Corolla.

This is a great car to drive.... not much in the HP department, but it brakes and handles just fine (and I need to change my brakes, so that's saying something). It's built like a Toyota is supposed to be - cheap and reliable. Couple of vibrations and squeaks coming from the engine department, mainly due to looseness. It has minor cosmetic damage, and looks pretty damn cute for a Corolla lol. The gas mileage is absolutely outstanding - like 30 something mpg hwy, and the gas could last for at least 2 weeks. Cost of ownership is very low. This is a very fun and practical car to drive and I recommend it for anyone looking to save at the pump and drive a reliable piece of machinery.

Of course, the best things about the Corolla are that the gas mileage and reliability are almost unparalleled. It requires only routine maintenance, and keeps going and going and ... Well you get the picture.