The 2002 Toyota Corolla remains firmly in the tradition of the durable, economical and above average performance vehicles that I think most people have come to expect out of the Corolla. After all, resale value is absolutely tremendous, and although I generally recommend buying a car a year old because you get a better deal, here's a good case for the exception. First a disclaimer. I still own a 2000 Corolla (although I'm now looking to sell it) and I'm happy with it so of course, my review might be slightly "biased". Next a warning. You will hear the word, "average" mentioned more times than you can bear.

When I first got a look at the 2002 Corolla, I was more than impressed. While the Corolla was designed as a family car, first the 2001 version and now the 2002 is incorporating some of the sleekness of the Lexus into it. The front end is equipped with a grille theme, not quite like the Sebring or 60s Ferrari type, but nonetheless the effect is very pleasing. This may sound corny but what I like most about the Corolla is that when someone mentions the word "car", I immediately think of the design of the Corolla, nothing too flashy but certainly not plain either. That saying, "a house with a white picket fence" could just as easily have the addition "and a 2002 Corolla in the driveway" simply because it is synonymous with the average, ideal car that the average person would be looking for. Multi-reflector halogen headlamps with Daytime Running Lights are present, and for the LE and I believe the S model as well, full wheel covers are also a standard feature.

Consumer Reports has the Corolla on its "recommended" list for its much better-than-average reliability and overall swellness. The Insurance Institute for Highway (www.carsafety.org) deems it "acceptable" safetywise. (The Honda Civic, a competitor, gets the same rating from the institute and so do the Hyundai Elantra, Mazda Protege, Nissan Sentra and Saturn SL but the Volkswagen Golf / Jetta are rated a notch higher: "good"). Side-impact airbags I think are a useful addition to the Corolla. Corollas are basically the same as Chevrolet Prizms in terms of structure and many are produced for sale in the joint GM-Toyota assembly plant in Fremont, Calif. Others, including my tester which was the LE version, are produced in Cambridge, Ontario.

All models of the 2002 Toyota Corolla are equipped with the 1.8-liter 125 Horsepower engine with dual overhead camshafts and four valves that first was introduced in 1998. Having owned a 2000 Corolla in the past, I wasn't expecting much in terms of acceleration and this was about as expected. However, the car feels a lot smoother on the road although it still doesn't come close to the Honda Civic in that area. The real tests though will come a couple years down the road when any problems become magnified. For a $13,000-$15,000 car I really feel like the engine needs to be upgraded to a 150 Horsepower one, but for budgetary reasons I'm sure, Toyota continues to stick with the 125. Of course, this helps with fuel economy and at 36 MPG, the Corolla certainly does the environment a favor while being lighter on your wallet. Braking (still no standard ABS brakes) is slightly slow but nowhere as bad as the Pontiac GrandAm. On the sharp turns, once again average is an apt description since the Corolla and its tires do not hug the road tightly but doesn't give the impression that its going to topple over either.

The interior is not plush but doesn't appear bare either. All necessary panels are just where you would expect them to be, and luckily there are no "surprises" (such as the one-eyed speedometer present in the Echo). Again the modern definition of the "average" car applies and Corolla manufacturer's appear to have done a masterful job of creating a car that fits the word average in every sense except for reliability which of course is of a very high standard as the numerous older models still running on the streets can attest. One note of caution regarding pricing though. The Corolla without those options might appear enticingly cheap but once you add on all of them, the price appears within striking distance of the Camry and this is certainly something to consider.

Overall, what sets the Corolla apart in the compact car category is its reliability and resale value. For this reason, if you are ever considering buying a car over leasing it, this might be a point of consideration. My cousin still has his 1989 Corolla with almost 300,000 miles on it now and he says the only real problems have been with the timing belts. Good luck with your decision.
Amount Paid (US$): 20/day
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: LE