Toyota Corolla (2000 - 2005) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I love this car. It is everything a car should be; smooth, nimble, roomy, has amazing speakers, reliable, easy to drive, unmatched viability, quick, fun, safe, looks great, and a fantastic daily driver. Needless to say, this is a great car to learn to drive in, and great to have a first car, or a regular car. It has very nice acceleration for a V4, and looks good on the outside. It never requires maintenance and will run forever. Brakes are above average and are tight with great stopping power. The only slight complaint I have with this vehicle is the noise for the engine that you can hear on the interior. It is kind of noisy, but still, not enough to make me annoyed or upset whatsoever.Oct 27, 2013

Likes: Economy (40+ highway / 30+ city mpg), handling, minimal maintenance, low TCO, power/weight ratio, low turning radius, super-reliable, comfortable, decent moderate looks Dislikes: Bad weather handling, big people may suffer, limited cargo space, may feel light during high winds, non-luxury Overall, high build-quality. Fuel economy is a massive plus. I have driven Priuses - but believe me, if you are driving on highways, you would rather drive the Corolla than the Prius. I have driven this car on really long drives - upto 10-12 hours at one go (with only gas fill up in between) and nothing seems to bother the car. This car has been so reliable for me that I would hate losing this car to a newer (probably better) car even if I can afford the latter. I have had to spend little maintaining the car - changed a battery, AC fluid and belt once each - thats about it and then the oil changes every 5k miles. I feel that any new consumer who is looking for a car has a great choice in the biggest selling car in history. Jul 12, 2011

Got this car from dealer after it's been in a crash (they did very good job, not a trace outside), it had 141,000 miles. Right after that I drove it from Chicago to Connecticut and back without a single issue (though dealer recommended to change rear brakes, and front tires were bald - I took care of it later). I already have it for a year, no issues provided regular oil change. I drive about 20,000 per year; I tend to believe those who say you can put 400,000 miles on Corolla (if you drive that long:), unlike in American cars. Yes, it is a bit slow on acceleration, but then I leave everybody behind. Stylish look in teal color, put nice chrome looking wheel covers from Walmart, looks great.Aug 11, 2010

This is the kind of car my brother has. He doesn't care about cars and doesn't really take care of it and it's never had even one mechanical problem. Ever. The Corolla is everything you'd expect, and nothing you wouldn't. Its exterior styling, performance, and interior are as bland and sensible as any church-going suburbanite could hope for. And, it gets great gas mileage. If you never think about your car when you're not driving, the Corolla is perfect for you.Apr 12, 2009

White 2001 Toyota Corolla S with black interior and 5- speed manual transmission. Bought new, and it now has about 99K miles. Surprisingly fun to drive with good ride quality. Steering becomes loose at the limits of adhesion, but feels natural and progressive up to 8/10ths, brakes feel great, shifter isn't quite Honda snick-snick but still very easy to operate. Seats are comfortable. Ergonomics are great, with one notable exception--the three cupholders are mediocre. The one cupholder in the rear is mounted on the center console, and is useless--so shallow, drinks will fly out over moderate cornering or bumps, and in the front, larger drinks (e.g. medium sized fountain drinks) will block access to the console and get in the way of the shifter. Audio system is so-so. Fit is great for the class and year, finish is about better than midpack, reliability is stellar--I have not had a single issue that needed a trip to the dealership, only performed routine maintenance and accident repairs. And being an economy car, any maintenance and repairs are cheap. I average about 32 mpg in the city and 38-40 on the highway. Road and wind noise are moderate. Engine isn't quite BMW I6 creamy, but it's relatively smooth. Overall, highly recommended. Fun to drive, cheap and hassle-free to operate. What more could one ask for?Jan 18, 2009

THis is a fun little car. Not to mention kinda rare it was a limited production model. It's handling is very predictable, the 6-speed Manual shifts smoothly. Thanks to the 2ZZ-GE it has under the hood, which by the way is the same engine as the Celica. This car can get up and go pretty darn quick. And it can slow down just as quick with the 4-wheel Anti-lock Discs Brakes. Of course it has the bullet-proof reliability of any Toyota. It is a little sportier looking then just any Corolla. The only down side I have found is the need for Premium Fuel. Jul 09, 2008

If you are looking for a cheap car with few frills and no refinement, the E120 Toyota Corolla may be your cup of tea. It isn't mine. This compact sedan seems to have the pretensions of being an upscale car: Sleek modern styling, faux wood trim, and an interior that coddles you in a cocoon of comfort. But the illusion dissipates the moment you turn the key in the ignition. The engine starts with an quiet clatter. As the car accelerates, the quiet clatter becomes a much louder clatter. Acceleration is underwhelming until about 4000 rpm where the torque finally kicks in. Which is slightly unfortunate because by 3500 rpm your eardrums will have already shattered. The accelerator pedal is another problem. It takes a noticeable amount of effort to start it moving along its unusually short travel, but offers little resistance once "unstuck" (physicists: there is a clear difference between its static and dynamic friction). Because of this, speed regulation is a bit of a chore. In fact, so is steering. Control is direct and precise, but this comes at the expense of weight. There is a bit of power assist, but not as much as most people are accustomed to in modern cars. When it comes time to slow down, your foot will go halfway to the floor before you feel anything at all After that the brakes respond quite smoothly, but there is no excuse for such a massive control dead-zone. Despite the problems, there are some compelling reasons you might want this car. First, it is incredibly cheap. When you purchase an E120 Corolla, you are getting a car that looks decent inside and out for very little money. Secondly, the car handles competently, and has acceptable acceleration and braking for a car in its class. The build quality is excellent, and I can guarantee it will rarely need repairs if you treat it right. On my example the only thing that ever went wrong is a hubcap that fell off. Thirdly, the gas mileage is amazing at 32 city, 38 highway (my own figures). On the other hand, this is not an exciting car, and doesn't feel unique in any way. You may also be turned off by the ride, which is noisy and bumpy at any speed. I would recommend this car to anyone who doesn’t mind the lack of refinement and wants a small practical car that will probably last forever.Jul 09, 2008

The 2001 TOyota Corolla was built in a California plant by American workers. A reliable car with a small, but fairly peppy 1.8L VVTI engine, getting as high (from personal experience) as 41 mpg. The paint is in excellent shape, and it's fairly easy to repair. Most components are easily accesible under the hood, or underneath the car. Maintenance and upkeep are typical of any Toyota (tires, oil changes, brakes, etc), with minor need for major repairs. I've driven this car for about two years, purchased with 80,000 miles, it now has over 132,000 and has only had a Mass Airflow Sensor go bad, but still ran even then (just hard, and idle was rough). Body style was only out for two years, giving it a more unique look. Would make an excellent ricer car, or sleeper.Apr 10, 2008

This is my car. I've had it about six months, and put around 4,500 miles on it; considering it had about 143,000 when I bought it, it still runs beautifully. And it should be good for another 100K+ so long as it's maintained. It's a 4-cylinder manual transmission, but you wouldn't know that from the way it handles, even uphill and from a stop, and as a result it gets great mileage. Plenty of trunk space too, which is going to be handy once I'm finished school.Mar 28, 2008