2002 Toyota Corolla LE 1.8L 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A Commuter's Special

Faults:

Nothing other than general maintenance!

General Comments:

My previous car was a 1989 Acura Legend which I miss dearly. That was the best used car I ever owned and I finally retired it at 181,000 because it was going to need another timing chain and fuel pump, and tires. I could not justify spending that kind of money on a 12 year old car. The timing chain and water pump were not bad, it's just a preventative measure.

This Toyota I bought for 3 primary reasons: 1. It was fair priced, 3. Great gas mileage and 4. Low operating costs.

My ONLY complaint is that 6 months after I bought the car, I have been hearing various squealing noises from the brakes. The dealer says it is nothing, that they cannot see or hear anything that would cause a major problem. So far, so good. The noises are not that bad, but nonetheless, they are there.

This car is perfect for me being that I drive a total of 70 miles a day to and from work.

A zippy car that does 80 miles an hour on the highway with no problems! Acceleration is better than one would expect from a 1.8L gas engine.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th December, 2004

16th Jul 2005, 15:31

I own a 2002 Corolla CE "Plus" purchased new. (currently has 40,000 miles) Recently serviced and water pump required replacing, but was covered under warranty. Great commuter car.

From the looks angle-it will require a windshield replacement and rock chips on paint occur quite easily. A word of advice here-try and avoid the tan cloth interior if possible.

Overall, based on the last 3 years I feel this was a smart purchase.

15th Oct 2005, 22:38

Highway chips will occur and be more pronounced on a dark color paint. After a year of highway driving, the white dimples on my hood and grille area were becoming unsightly. I purchased a nose mask for $110 and I only wish I bought it when I initially bought the car. It has made a very big difference!

For anyone doing a lot of highway driving, especially in the snow, do yourself a BIG favor. Drop another $100 and get that nose mask! Your car's re-sale value will suffer if you don't!

26th Mar 2007, 15:15

I am the poster of this review. Here is the latest since I last wrote this review:

-Car now has 94,000 miles. I still own it.

-At 92,000 miles I just had all my brakes done! The first time too! However, I must point out that this is a highway driven car.

-At 88,000, I had to have my evaporator cannister replaced. This was odd, because these allegedly should not malfunction. My engine check light came on, and I had to have it replaced because of NYS emissions standards. A car will not pass NYS inspection with an engine check light on. That cost me almost $400 to replace.

This is it, other than oil changes, serpentine belt, tires, tranny flushes and coolant flushes the car has been flawless. I am really happy I got this car!

2002 Toyota Corolla TSport VVTiL 1.8 (190bhp) from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Pocket rocket

Faults:

Unknown thumping noise, diagnosed as ABS pump kicking in.

Clutch totally fried itself causing total power loss, clutch pedal became stuck to the floor in 3 lane traffic.

Because of many problems related to the above, after 2 months of arguing (of which I only actually had the car 2 weeks myself to drive) I got a full refund from the dealer and brought myself a Honda Civic S-Type.

General Comments:

The build quality of this car is a definite A+. Heavy, solid doors and bodywork give a great sense of safety.

Handling is also fantastic and sticks to the road like clue with very little roll. Suspension is not bone jarring.

Performance is brilliant. The "L" in VVTiL stands for Lift and when you hit 6000 revs you really feel it kick you in the back. Knocks the spots off of the new Peugeot 206 GTi 180 but not quite a Honda Civic Type-R.

Cabin is very roomy with decent rear and boot space.

Paintwork is another matter being easily scratched.

Equipment is not fantastic. Standard AC could better be climate control, but interior is smart and tidy.

Exterior looks are fine from the front, but, as with many new cars, the back has been forgotten.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 15th April, 2004