Toyota Corolla - 2003 Review

Thinking about buying a Corolla?
If you're looking at a new Corolla, it might help you to know how my 2003 has been great for the past 4 years.  I still love it!  Yes, it has its little issues now, but 40 mpg + 'fun to drive' trumps little issues any day of the week.  

Stick it to Me
I had never owned a stick before buying this one, but now I am SHIFTY and happy about it!  It's a fun car to drive in anything but total gridlock, and really has some get up and go for a low-priced vehicle.  We can hardly believe we paid 11K for our bare bones model and it has been totally painless at the gas pumps all these years.  

Room for Improvement
Things I'd like to see improvement on (and there possibly has been, since our '03 model came out):

1.  Road noise - it is harder to hear the stereo (which we never upgraded) at high speeds

2.  Driver's right arm rest - we bought a little pillow to put between the bucket seats, so my arm would be high enough to rest comfortably while I'm sitting upright.  Car was designed for a tall person.

3.  My driver's door has started to make a clunking noise when it's opened or shut, and the only way to access the problem is to take the door panel off.  So, I am still clunking.

4. A few of the little drawers and doors, to storage compartments, have lost their ability to stay closed.  We rigged ours with double-sided tape. 

You will be happy with a Corolla.
This is a great car.  I would definitely get another Corolla.  I have driven the Camry and loved it, but the Corolla is more in line with my budget.  The savings on gas have really helped make a new commute tolerable.   When gas prices go up and everyone else panics, I just smile.    I am now at about 80K miles and car is running great.  We did make a decision to only put synthetic oil in it when we purchased it new, and that's been a good decision.  

The Bottom Line:  Libby Loves It!