Maybe there was a "This vehicle should not be driven in the rain" warning sticker on the car, but I sure couldn't find it. I found that out by accident while driving this thing. And let me tell you, it was a scary experience...

Perhaps if you're over 65 and the maximum speed you've ever driven in the past year is 40mph, this could be a good car for you. But for everyone else, I give you my story of... "Hanging on to Dear Life in a Corolla in the Rain: Chapter 1."

The Scary Drive
I would never buy a car like this. It was a loaner that I had while my car was being serviced at the dealer. I was hoping to get a BMW rental, willing to settle for a 3-series sedan with automatic, but instead was given the keys to a beautiful white Toyota Corolla. With automatic transmission and no intermittent wipers. Yes, this was the bottom of the line CE model, the only "affordable" Corolla, since if you go up on the trim level and tack on options (for which the dealer nickels and dimes you to death), the price doesn't seem that "affordable" anymore and I'd rather be looking at Hyundais, Kias, and Daewoos at that point.

I'm not expecting this thing to perform and handle like a sports sedan. I know that it's not supposed to. But is it supposed to spin the front wheels every time I put my foot on the accelerator pedal from a stop light? I'm not even flooring it, since it was raining, and I drive slower and take corners very cautiously when it's wet. I looked like some immature teenager in his mom's Japanese econobox trying to drag race others at a stop light! I was so embarrassed that at every stop light people next to me were giving me dirty looks, watching me spin my front wheels.

Oh but that's not all. There are red lights and stop signs in this world. Stopping? Even scarier. I would slide a good 5 feet at every stop, with all four wheels fully locked (obviously, no ABS on this car). I had to give myself a lot of space behind the car in front for fear that I'd rear-end him at every stop!

I was convinced something was terribly wrong with the tires, so I stopped by a service station to check the treadwear and tire pressure. Yes, in the pouring rain, and this isn't even my car! The pressures were fine and there was still a lot of tread left. So what's going on here? Maybe the tires were the "4 for $40" specials that I would never trust. I am pretty sure that with high quality rubber, this car will handle fine. But then, how many people buying these kinds of cars actually think about the tires on their cars? They usually keep the same tires for 5 years or more and never think about them. At least Hyundais come with decent Michelin tires. That alone will make me choose an Elantra over a Corolla.

But the story doesn't stop there. Near my house, there is this wide 90 degree left turn where I normally don't even brake and go about 35-40mph in my car. I braked as I approached this turn at around 15mph with the Corolla and turned the steering wheel and whoah! I was doing a 4-wheel drift through the turn, going sideways and ended up being perpendicular to the road! I tried to countersteer, but the tires had no traction so it was of no use. Good thing there were no cars around me, otherwise it would have been in a nasty crash. After that experience, I was driving like 10mph back home, with angry tailgating drivers behind me cursing me out.

I am never driving that car in the rain again, even if you paid me.

Cons
I have to say that this car's build quality and performance is right on par with my mom's Kia Sephia. And no, that's not a compliment. The interior plastic is hard and cheap, the seats are hard and uncomfortable. There is a lot of road noise and squeaks and rattle coming from the dash. The automatic transmission is very slushy and its downshifts are very jerky. The engine feels very very underpowered, whining and complaining through every gear. I'm not expecting much from a 4-cylinder engine built for fuel economy, but I would still like to be able to pass other cars without feeling like the engine can't handle the task.

Pros
Visibility, however, is very good out of this car. The cowl is low and the rear windows are low enough that it's easy to see out of while backing up, and blind spots are very easy to check while changing lanes. The interior dash layout is nothing to write home about, but it makes sense and everything is located where they should be. The exterior styling of the car is like almost every other Japanese car: unoffensive, blends in with traffic, forgettable, and bland. (That doesn't have to be a bad thing.) The trunk is actually quite large for a small car, so there will be no problems hauling around groceries. The folding rear seat is an option, along with every other little feature you need (but I warn you, the price of your car will shoot through the roof once you start adding options!).

Recommendation
I am amazed that Toyota has the audacity to sell these cars at the prices they demand. I am even more amazed that Americans buy so many of them and happily drive them on the roads. And to think that this is the same company that made my fun little MR2 (I love my MR2)! Wow.

Maybe I'm missing some here, but if I were looking for a 4-cylinder commuter car, I'd pick the Hyundai Elantra over the Corolla any day: Lots of comfort/convenience features are standard, much better value, and most importantly: Michelin tires.


Condition: Used
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: CE Automatic