Toyota COROLLA (1987 - 1997)
MODELS COVERED: Sixth Generation 1987-1991 saloon, hatchback, liftback, estate: 1.6 [Executive, GTI-16, 4WD Estate] Seventh Generation 1992-1997 saloon, hatchback, liftback, estate: 1.3, 1.6, 1.8, 2.
0 diesel [Sportif, XL, GS, GL, CD, Si, CDX, Executive, GXi, SRD]
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BY JONATHAN CROUCH
Depending on who you believe, the
Toyota Corolla is the world's best selling car. British buyers regularly vote it the most reliable car in the independent annual Top Gear/JD Power survey. In short, Toyota's family hatch has one impressive pedigree. No, it isn't very exciting but that won't bother those in search of trouble-free, cost-effective long-term service.
Corollas tend to have high specifications, mainly because in Britain, Toyota GB had little option but to market the range as a refined and essentially up-market line-up of small cars. Restrictive import quotas (now dropped) made this a necessity, thereby avoiding the normal confrontation with mass market sellers like
Fiat's Bravo and
Ford's Escort that takes place in other countries. It says much for the company's design skills that the Corolla was quite capable of taking on this role; yet a glance at the prices asked reveals that it did so without costing appreciably more than the mass-market competition.
Sixth generation first. The earliest 1987 1.3-litre models start very cheap indeed. Youre looking at just a few hundred Pounds but these are reliable cars so dont let that in itself put you off.
Just check each the vehicle over carefully. Prices for seventh generation cars tend to start at around £1,000 for three-door XL hatchbacks, though a more typical M-registered car would set you back around £1,600. The spacious five-door Liftback is well worth considering, not much smaller than the larger Carina E. Prices start at around £1,800 for 1.
3-litre GL models (with a 1.6 around £100 more); if you can find one with a diesel engine, prices start at about £1,900. Finally, estates range between £1,300 for a K reg and £2,000 for an M reg; curiously, the 1.3-litre GL variant was the only one ever offered in that era.
Check for any signs of rust - a tell tale sign of badly repaired accident damage. If the cars is more than two years old, check the shock absorbers for leaks or crashiness over bumps; replacements are expensive. The same goes for exhaust catalysts.
(approx based on a 1992-1995 1.6 Liftback) Good quality but slightly pricier than the mainstream competition. An exhaust system is about £275. A clutch assembly will be around £90 while front and rear pads are about £20 a set.
A new catalyst will be around £350. A starter motor is around £135 and a front wing around £100. A new headlamp is close to £140. A windscreen (non-tinted) should be in the region of £140.
Major, intermediate and minor services cost around £90, £150 and £250 respectively.
The older-model Corollas wont excite you if you're a driving enthusiast. Put simply, if you can operate a payphone, you should have no trouble behind the wheel of Toyotas family favourite.
You can see why so many private motorists buy them. As a reliable family runabout, this is peace of mind on four wheels.
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