I owned a Toyota Corolla for 5 1/2 years before trading it in for a Mazda 3 SP23. The Toyota Corolla I purchased back in 1999 was the top model GLX hatchback. The GLX hatchback looked quite sporty with the front and rear spoiler and fog lights. Also the quality control of the Corolla was superb. Everything worked well and the car wasn't manufactured with any cheap parts. Back in 1999, the car was overall the best car in its class. So I purchased the Corolla even though it cost a little more than a Mazda 323, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer and Holden Astra.
I have categorised the Corolla into Exterior, Interior, Engine Performance, Suspension and Handling

Exterior.
I liked the car’s looks although my car being the top model had a body kit (Front and Rear spoiler, Fog lights, alloy wheels etc) and was a super red colour. So the car looked quite sporty. The front of the car had round headlights before they did a facelift and changed to rectangular headlights. Some people didn’t like the round headlights but I found them ok. The only thing the Corolla lacked on the outside was tinted windows but they were added to later models. I kept the car in good condition and after 5 years it still looked good and with along with Toyota’s reputation, I had no trouble trading it in.

Interior
The car’s seats were reasonably comfortable in short to middle distance driving (less then 60 miles), but in longer distances the seats lack lower back support.
The cabin space was ok for an average size adult in the front, but was lacking in leg room in the back. The back seats were fine for kids and small adults, but the leg room was cramped for average to tall adults. The front cabin space was also quite cramped for tall adults (6ft plus). I am 5ft 9 but I had the front driver’s seat back on the last notch. The dashboard and controls were typically Toyota, functional, easy to use and had a good quality feel about them. The thing that stood out in the Corolla was the air conditioning and ventilation was the best of any car I have owned. The hatchback space was very good for it class. It could hold two large suitcases without folding the rear seats down.

Engine Performance
The engine is quiet and reliable. The engine never missed a beat from the day I drove it out of the showroom until I traded it in. The engine revs just under 2500 rpm at 100 kph in top gear which is not bad for a 1.8 litre 4 cylinder so the car cruised quietly along the motorway.
The 1.8 litre engine produced 85kw (about 115bhp) which was adequate power for city and urban driving, but I found the car a bit under powered in long distance trips especially with the air conditioning and steep hills.
I had automatic transmission and top gear was for cruising only and I had to put my foot down quite hard on the accelerator to get it to change down to 3rd gear to pass slower vehicles. The transmission was very smooth and never jerky when changing gear. The Corolla was never a performance engine; it was a quiet cruising engine that never did anything very exciting.
The gas mileage was about 12.2km per litre (about 30mpg) in city and urban driving. The gas mileage was about 5-10% less if the air conditioning was operating.

Handling and Suspension
The car’s handling was like the rest of the car quiet and unobtrusive, but a little boring. The car tended to under steer into corners but it was predictable under steer and you never wanted to push the car harder than it could cope with. The suspension was very good over small to medium bumps in that the suspension absorbed these bumps very well. Over big bumps and rough surfaces the car could become unsettled. For most city and urban driving, the suspension was fine and did the job.

Overall the car was very reliable, well built, safe and predictable but a little boring
I would recommend the Corolla as a good second family car or for a first car buyer. The car requires little maintenance and is easy to drive

Amount Paid (US$): 20000
Condition: New
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: Toyota Corolla GLX Hatchback auto