1989 Toyota Corolla 1.6L AE92 from North America

Summary:

Good first car, low maintenance, NOT for off road driving

Faults:

When I bought the car, it didn't work. I replaced the battery and cleaned the fuel system to get it starting again.

The only real problem that I have had with the car is that now that it is almost 13 years old, the plastic pieces are starting to snap. I have replaced each interior door handle at least once, and most window cranks. I have invested about $20 in junk yard pieces.

The ignition wiring went at 108500 it cost me $2 o fix it.

I have had a couple of minor problems with the car though. The speakers were cheap and could not handle the power of my CD player, and the exhaust system has rotted away... twice.

The car is starting to rust and needs a paint job badly.

General Comments:

The Corolla is a little bit small and very ugly, but it is great with gas and speed. The speedometer only goes to 110 but mine has gone at least 120. The car needs very little maintenance, just change the oil and the filters and it should be all set.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th December, 2002

26th May 2003, 13:32

I have read your review, I too have a 1989 toyota corolla, mine is a 5 Speed manual. It will never reach 120 mph!!! I get to about 90, and the car is revving about 7,000 rpm, it doesn't have a rev limiter, and the engine would blow something if you went anything close to that fast. Do you have an automatic?

12th Jan 2004, 20:24

I have owned 5 Toyotas and have loved every one of them. I recently traded my l985 Tercel 4WD Wagon with 241,000 miles on it for a '91 Corolla sedan, only because parts were getting scarce and it would not pass Maryland Emissions any more. Other than the inconvenient 2-piece seat belts, the Corolla is quiet, comfortable, and gets as high as 46 mpg on the highway with a 5-speed manual. I traded my '93 Corolla LE in for a '98, same model, only because I wanted another 5-speed car. incredible gas mileage on that, too...44 on the highway. It has an outdoor thermometer readout which is very convenient and a great factory audio system. I'm 57 years old, so both cars will outlive me.

1989 Toyota Corolla GTi-16 1.6 16v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

If you're after a cheap and quick car, you can't go wrong here

Faults:

Economy lights on the dashboard no longer work properly - That's it!!

General Comments:

Reliability - Unbelievable!! I have done nearly 100,000 miles in this car and it has never let me down. Obviously I have had to replace brake pads, tires & exhaust, but that's all. Every MOT test it has gone straight through without failing. For a car that's 13 years old I find this quite incredible.

Performance - Very good. It's the same engine as the mk1 MR2 with the Toyota Variable Induction System fitted. Basically this acts a bit like a mini turbo and kicks in at just under 5,000rpm. In first & second gears it gives you a nice kick. 0-60 time is just over 8 seconds and it will easily do 120Mph.

Handling - OK. The suspension setup is probably a bit soft for my liking, but in turn this makes for a very comfortable ride. Also the power steering is a tad to light.

Interior - Excellent. Dashboard is well set out with lots of informative dials e. g oil pressure, battery charge etc. The seats still look like new and are showing no signs of wear & tear. I love the width adjuster on the drivers seat. Electrics all still work fine i.e. windows, sunroof & mirrors, although the economy lights on the dashboard no longer work properly (as mentioned above).

Overall - This car has truly amazed me. I drive it hard and it justs keeps going & going. Fuel economy is also outstanding.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th November, 2002