My Silver Beauty (2000 Toyota Corolla)

MY SILVER BEAUTY (2000 TOYOTA COROLLA)

INTRODUCTION

On July 28, 2003, I bought my silver beauty, my used silver 2000 Toyota Corolla CE. It had only 36,000 miles on it and was in excellent condition. I test drove it and fell in love with the ride, the features, and the PRICE. I only paid $8,000 for the car, which was $2650 less than what the dealer wanted for it. Now that is January 12, 2004, I have now 49,000 miles on the car. I will describe my thoughts of the car and my experiences with it.

WALKAROUND/EXTERIOR

What drove me over to the car right away were the looks. The sleek, silver body with the perfectly matching black molding and door handles. The black and silver combination is the best configuration I have noticed on 2000 Corollas. The wheel covers were the typical factory "blah", but I replaced them with chrome aftermarket covers, and this car looks SHARP. The antenna either kept in a little housing, or could retracted outward completely. I left it out for reception. The rear I loved also with its vertical reverse lights. Not to mention, the body itself was in mint condition except for one small scratch on the back. The rear bumper looks like it would be strong, as it sticks out a good bit. Overall, the exterior impressed me.

SEATING/STORAGE

As I entered into the driver's seat, I noticed that I had to make little effort to get inside of the car. I am 6'0" and had no problems getting inside. Once my butt made contact with the seat, the first thing I noticed was "aha, comfort." These seats are so comfortable. I will go into more detail:

Material: The seats are a plain gray texture with little color patterns. The VE (base model) had vinyl-ish inserts and the LE had more smooth-looking seats.

Comfort: WOW - these seats are comfortable. Whether they are short trips or the three-hour trips I've taken, I experience ZERO discomfort. I feel great!

Positioning: At 6'0", I have to move the seat clear back, however, at more forward positions, it feels like the seat doesn't "lock", and when I brake hard, the seat jolts.

Controls: On the CE, controls are manual. A full hand lever on the bottom front of the seat moves it back/forward, while a rotary reclines the seatback.

Space: Space is decent in the front, but in the back, a person that is 5'9" or taller will be uncomfortable because the legroom will be insufficient.

STORAGE: This car has it!

Trunk: The trunk opens with a key or by a lever to the left of the driver's seat. Very ample space, my 10" sub looks small in comparison. Opening height is a little low.

Rear-Folding Seats: Very simple by simply pulling two levers in the trunk simultaneously, then folding the seat down. I hauled an entertainment center through this!

Glove Box: WOW - another immense space. Not only do I hold paperwork, but I hold some books, air freshener spray, pens, CD's, everything! It is not lockable.

Center Console: The center console is narrow, but I do use it to hold napkins and other small stuff. A top compartment can hold a cell phone.

Change Holder: There are actually two. One is to the left of the steering wheel (COIN HOLDER), and the other is a small crevice to the left of the emergency brake.

Center Stack Drawer: This compartment underneath the A/C controls is made to hold CD's, but I don’t use it. Besides, the cupholders block it if they are in use.

FEATURES

This car has all the features I wanted. Here they are in detail:

Air Conditioning: The A/C blows quite warm/hot or quite cold when needed. If left in the mode where the arrow comes inward, there is a draft of air when turned off. In the winter, the heat takes about 10 minutes to fully warm up if the car has not been used after a few hours or more (outside temperature also is a factor).

Power Windows: The driver's window goes DOWN automatically. The speed is average (not real slow, but not extremely quick). Never froze on me thus far.

Power Locks: From outside, turn the key once to unlock driver door or twice for all four. They do not automatically lock when the car starts. There is also VALET LOCKOUT, which means that once you open the door from the inside, the doors will NOT lock up if the key is still in the ignition. You must pull out the key to lock the doors from the inside. This prevents accidental lockouts when leaving the car on.

Cruise Control: Push in to turn on, push down to set, push up once to resume, hold up to accelerate, push forward to cancel. On hours worth of drives, it holds speed.

Automatic Lights: Day lights come on unless started w/e-brake up. Sensor on dashboard top senses dark and all lights come on. When car shuts off, lights shut off.

Gauges: My car only has speedometer (max. 110MPH), fuel, and temperature. A tachometer was part of an optional package for the CE in 2000. I don’t have it.

Stereo: Car came with AM/FM Cassette. I replaced with aftermarket CD player. The stock four-speaker system (front 6.5", rear 6.75") has decent mids and highs. My 10" Pioneer Sub covers the bass.

Cupholders: The front has two at the base of the center stack. They hold 32 oz. Cups well. The rear has one, but the left tab has broken.

Cigarette Lighter: This car only has one, and is underneath the cupholders. When I have my phone charger in, it creates a hump, which lessens right cupholder space.

Three-Point Rear Safety Belts: This car has all three full vertical length seatbelts in the back. This is great for any passenger to have that full-body protection.

Seat-Belt Pretensioners: When the car senses an intense or emergency situation (i.e. slam on brakes, hard maneuvering), the seatbelts tighten up automatically.

Dual-Front Airbags: I know it is a standard for every car, but worth mentioning for safety. These have force limiters on them as well. I don’t have side airbags.

DASHBOARD LAYOUT: To the left and right are A/C vents. In the center area, the clock is in the middle with the flasher button to the left and the rear defroster control to the right. Underneath are two more A/C vents about chin level for me (at default position) - I am 6'0". Underneath these vents is the radio (my aftermarket CD player) then comes the slider bar for the A/C (an arrow circulating inside the car or an arrow pointing into the car), then the initial temperature and mode controls. For defrosting, the slider bar must be on the arrow pointing inward. The A/C by default turns on w/o option to turn off A/C in defrost mode. However, in regular heating/cooling mode, you can turn the A/C button off. Underneath the controls is the center stack drawer, which either holds items or hold the Toyota factory CD player. Underneath that are the two cupholders that are pushed into the dash to hide them. This makes for a non-cluttered flush appearance for the center stack. Last, but not least, is the cigarette lighter at the bottom with a little nook at the base for whatever. Then the whole center stack continues backward to the shifter, etc. I have always admired Toyota/Lexus for making their center stacks with such a streamlined appearance.

UNDER THE HOOD

For 2000, the Toyota Corolla came outfitted with a new smooth 1.8L engine w/Variable Valve Timing & Intelligence (VVT-I). This increased not only the output from 120HP ('98-'99) to 125HP, respectively, but increased the torque to 130 lb./ft. and allowed for a wider range of power. In comparison, the 2003-2004 has 130HP. Driving it feels a touch of refinement, no not Lexus refinement, but just that subtle driving feeling. The engine is not rough, everything the car does is at a smoother level.

Power: For a small car, it is peppy. Whether off-the-line city driving or 0-60 in 10 seconds, it gets to speed. Flooring it makes engine louder, but still smooth.

Transmission: Mine has the four-speed automatic. It shifts rather smoothly and doesn't hesitate. I love having it shift right at 60-65MPH. Allows good gas mileage.

Fuel-Efficiency: Mixed driving, I get 32-34MPG. On my 298-mile highway Kentucky trip, I get 41MPG. It takes not even 11 gallons to fill it up. (Winter Driving in the cold and warming up for 10-15 minutes gets me about 27-30MPG mixed.)

Handling: Although not sporty, the 14" tires squeal only when really pushed, but it takes curves at higher than normal speeds. Our recent big snowstorm/icestorm proved that the car handles FANTASTICALLY in these conditions. I got right out and have yet to not be able to go anywhere this winter!

WINTER DRIVING TIPS: Drive in a non-overdrive gear (2nd is preferable, but uses more gas), make smooth lane changes and turns, use both hands on the wheel, start off slowly, let off the gas after you begin to feel a loss of traction (don't brake hard), do a brake test from low speed (like 30MPH or less) to see what the car will do when braking. Make sure tires are newer and have plenty of tread. Don't always assume if you have FWD, then you can drive in the snow. A car's weight, tires, and the driver make all the difference!

Brakes: Braking is smooth and stops sufficiently. At high speeds, however, be prepare for a little bit of sway if you hit them hard. I don't have the optional ABS. NO brake dust visible at all. Toyota brakes last. My mom's Camry with 96,000 miles have NO noise or dust coming from the brakes. They are the original, too! In comparison to the new Ford Expedition, Focus, Chrysler Sebring, new Dodge Neon, Jeep Grand Cherokee, or just about any BMW or Mercedes I have seen, those cars do have brake dust. A LOT of brake dust. It makes the wheels look dirty and gray from a distance. Not only is this a pain to clean and an eyesore on a new car, but those brakes tend to not last as long. (Remember: Excess dust means excess wear!)

Steering: The steering wheel is about the perfect size for me and it hardly ever torque steers. Mine also tilts up and down with a lever. The material can be a little too slippery at times. Also, I notice at around 60+ MPH that the wheel tends to vibrate a little bit.

Ride: The ride is smooth on smooth pavements, but on bumps, especially with cheap tires, they are felt. Moves just a little with crosswinds.

BUILD QUALITY/RELIABILITY

It is now February 2, 2004, and I have driven my car more than 14,000 miles. To date I only had one thing happen: the front engine cover needed resealed at 40,200 miles, but it did not affect the car. I found this out when my oil change station told me it was leaking oil. My local Toyota dealer fixed it under powertrain warranty (5-year/60K). Otherwise, the car has been VERY reliable. In comparison, my mom's 1998 Camry has 96,000 miles on it and only needed a water pump at 89K. My dad's 2001 Corolla has 41,000 miles with no problems to date. My cousin's 1993 Geo Prizm (same as the Corolla) just quit at 270,000 miles with the car being hit by a deer, a snowplow, rare (if ever) oil changes and above average wear and tear. BOTTOM LINE: Toyotas are reliable. Other notes:

Dashboard: Plastic material has a slightly padded feel to the touch, unlike GM cars. There is one creak at times, but it didn't happen until I got my CD player in.

Door Panels: Door panels are very solid and use the same material as the dashboard. There are carpeted inserts. Not vinyl like GM cars or loose panels like Ford.

Door Hinges: They do not make any noise AT ALL. I open them and shut them w/o a squeak or creak - simple as that. No need for the WD-40 can!

Shifter Area: Shifter is soft material. The plastic around the shifter doesn't move around. Even the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix had plastic parts moving around that area!

Center Console: The console is hard plastic, but it opens and closes without drama. However, my mom's Camry had the latch break at less than 10,000 miles. (same design)

Body Structure: Very sturdy. No additional scratches since car purchase. There is a very small chip in the paint which has rusted (can't see unless close up).

Crash Worthiness: The NHTSA rated the 1998-2002 Toyota Corolla an "Acceptable" (2nd place, behind "Good"). The 2003-2004 is "Good".

CONCLUSION

Anyone looking for a reliable compact car MUST check out the Toyota Corolla. I love mine. It offers reliability, comfort, efficiency, features, storage, and decent power at an affordable price tag. Those looking for rear passenger space should look elsewhere. The 2003-2004 Corolla has much improved in that department. Or for used and need of space, get a Toyota Camry (1998-2001 runs around $8-$12K right now).