1991 Toyota Corolla LX 1.6 FUEL INJET

Summary:

Reliable and money worth

Faults:

CV boot worn and replaced at around 100000km

There were noises from the front wheel around 120000km, fixed. Was told the noise was from the CV joints.

General Comments:

So far I have replaced a couple of brake pads, and one set of tyres.

I did a precaution camp bell replacement at 120000km

But I have had it for over 8 years, and it never fail me once even though I did not do the regular maintenance on the car on time.

The car still looks great inside and outside, no rust on body, and the car seats are still good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th September, 2005

19th Mar 2006, 22:37

We just bought a Holden Nova, which is nothing, but a re-badged Toyota Corolla and so far we're pretty happy with it.

It's got 150,000 km on the clock, but in a pretty good shape, inside and out. The car came from Darwin, so the paint on the exposed parts (bonnet, roof, hatch) is pretty faded, but I'm in the process of fixing it. There was a bit of rust at the back under the rear window, but I could easily get rid of that as well.

The 1.6l 16V engine is just right for a little dak-dak that size, even as an automatic and gives it a pretty decent acceleration, unless there's four people in the car. That's when it struggles a bit. Since the car is used by my wife to go to work, that's not really an issue anyway and the Missus isn't really that hard on the accelerator anyway.

The only thing the car is missing is power steering. Even though it is a fairly small and light car, and it isn't really hard to steer, it takes some getting used to, especially if you haven't had a car without power steering in almost two decades :)

All in all, it's a pretty neat car.

1991 Toyota Corolla XL 1.3

Summary:

Cheap to run, fun to drive

Faults:

I had a reasonably major accident in 1997. The car was hit on a perpendicular angle in the front left (passenger side) by a larger car (Holden Commodore) at 50 km. My car was extensively damaged - engine shunted, panels crushed whilst the other car was reasonably OK. This demonstrated the liability of this car in major accidents - these are not the sturdiest cars in the world.

General Comments:

This was a great little car. I had no mechanical problems in the years that I owned it and all that needed replacing (apart from tyres etc) was a water pump, after 200 000 km. This was also cheap due to the predominance of Toyota's. The engine was very economical, and even reasonably quick when pushed. The acceleration was particularly good for a normally aspirated 1.3 L engine.

I found the interior to be well designed and roomy for such a small car. The hatchback boot could also hold a surprising amount of gear. The electrics in this car were infallible and small interior lights were well placed.

I thought that the front of this car looked good; a little timeless and reasonably sporty for a 1.3 L runaround. The rear of the car is bulbous and ugly though.

This car would suit anyone looking for a economic, reliable car with a little speed for a reasonable price.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th August, 2004

1991 Toyota Corolla Seca 1.6L

Summary:

A reliable, powerful, efficient bargain

Faults:

General wear and tear:

Clutch went at 130,000kms.

General Comments:

This car is my first car, and it is brilliant for this purpose. This car is solid, reliable and fuel-efficient. The performance is incredible for a car with such a small engine and that uses so little petrol. The car has a very solid feel on the road and the storage space is massive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th May, 2004

1991 Toyota Corolla XL 1.3 petrol

Summary:

A great cheap reliable runner. Would definitely recommend Toyota to anyone based on my experience

Faults:

The ventilation system is poor.

The steering is quite heavy as my model doesn't have power steering fitted.

Motor is burning a bit of oil now.

Drivers seat is starting to split, but I would expect that after the hard life my car has had.

Paintwork had faded quite badly (red cars always seem to don't they?) but this responded well to some Color Magic wax!

General Comments:

The interior layout is excellent and it is easy to find a comfortable driving position.

Parking is easy as visibility is so good on the 5 door model.

The car starts on the button and cruises smoothly and quietly. No-one would believe how far it has traveled.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th October, 2003