1999 Toyota Corolla Reviews, Pricing & Specs

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..Dec 20, 2013

The car is pretty cramped, but it produces decent acceleration and sustainable top speed on the open road, plus you can always depend on the brakes. Because of the age, there are some squeaks from the suspension and some repairs needed every now and then. The styling both inside and outside are decent, nothing spectacular. It has great gas mileage and the maintenance cost is pretty low. It is a car one can get attached to, even if every now and then I dream of a newer model.Oct 03, 2011

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.Mar 12, 2011

This is my 99 corolla, it's a stock car exept the rimms and the air intake filter. The build quality is good, in the 4 years i have had the car there hasn't been any problems, there are some minor squeaks in the interior plastics if i drive on a rough road. The gas mileage is? I do not have a clue, i just go fill up when i start to run out of gas, but whit the 1330cc engine it doesn't drink a lot of gas. The performance isn't good whit 86 bhp, it accelerates poorly, the braking is okay and the handling is allso okay with the wider summer tires.The interior is terrible, well it's a little better now when i have painted the gray plastic parts black, before it looked like an old persons car weeery booring. The exterior i like, it "just" needs a new paint job and i want to lower the suspension a bit. Overall it's a good everyday car but if you wan't to have fun this isn't the car to buy, i can recomend this car to people who only wan't to get from one place to another and don't care about performance or how fun it's to drive. Jul 09, 2009

1999 Corolla VE 1.8L, ~44,500 miles My trim was the lowest trim option available...has manual windows and locks and no ABS. The transmission is a 3-speed auto without overdrive. Performance: The engine seems to have pretty good acceleration for a 1.8L four, handling is pretty good. The brakes do stop the car very well but of course if you mash the brake pedal down the wheels will almost instantly lock due to lack of ABS. Gas mileage is around 20-24MPG all the time, even if you drive it hard. Build Quality: My car seems to have pretty good build quality, and has not needed any major repairs as of yet. Still on the OE brakes, and tire wear isn't bad at all. The engine seems to be in pretty good shape with no oil burning or extraneous gas consumption. However, the engine has been idling at higher RPMs than usual and doesn't seem to back down until a few minutes pass. Transmission is still in good shape, but shifts kind of hard if you are giving the engine a little too much gas. The interior is still in good shape too, but some vinyl door trim has shrank and peeled off from the heat, and the beige cloth driver's seat is turning black from use. Appearance: Pretty basic interior styling because it is a budget compact sedan, but it was expected. Ownership costs: Gas mileage is good at 20-24MPG, and routine maintenance is cheap unless you need a new fuel filter. I say this because the fuel filter and pump are inside the gas tank, so a mechanic will have to remove the tank and change the filter. Fun factor: Going the governor (112.5MPH) as your 1.8L screams at 6000 RPM on your 3 speed transmission (insane how 3rd gear goes from 45-112MPH). Conclusion: A great economical car for a first time driver or money conscious person.Oct 01, 2008

Performance - Not good. Build Quality - Just needed routine maintenance for the 8 years I owned it. Appearance - It's a family sedan...what do you expect?! Cost of ownership - Good gas mileage, low maintenance costs. Fun Factor - It's just a nice sensible car. I didn't buy it for fun. I would recommend the newer model of Corolla. It's better looking, has better performance, does not cost more than the model I owned, is reliable, and still has good gas mileage.Aug 15, 2008

Small ass engine makes 0-60 sometime next year. The manual tranny makes the drive bearable, and even fun sometimes. Great on gas, and I usually average 30+ miles per gallon. Durable as all hell, and have only had to replace the clutch once in its life (130,800 miles so far), and the headlights. Styling is decent, but I don't expect much for an economy car.Jul 26, 2008