USED Toyota Corolla Hatchback (01 - 07)

My car

I have owned the Corolla 1.4 D-4D since Sept 2004 and the car is proving to be excellent, throughout. It handles well is very nippy and very quiet at high speeds, in addition to returning 57mpg.

The Corolla is a match in every sense for any German car and is statistically proven more reliable, the world's top-selling car speaks for itself.

In my opinion, the after-sales package with Toyota is light years above German rivals.

In conclusion, it would be difficult to have anything but praise for the vehicle and it is highly recommended to any future purchaser.

My car

My car is just over a year old, although I have only owned it for just over a month.

I previously owned a Lexus IS 200 and, although I miss a few of the luxuries and to a lesser extent the performance, I find the Corolla to be an extremely competent family hatchback.

There is very little I can find to moan about. The ignition key switch could do with a light round it (like the lexus) though! I find it to be economical, perky for a 1.4 litre (although I would have prefered the 1.6 litre) more comfortable and quieter than the Lexus (surprisingly). The ride is comfortable and the gearbox just slips form one gear to the other seamlessly. I have only used the dealer for an after-sales "health check" but they seem OK.

Put simply, it's a great car and I can see why it is so popular. I have had numerous cars (due to bad luck/poor experiences with other manufacturers - Lexus apart) in recent years and this is by far the best. Highly recommended

My car

I purchased the car new in September 20003.

Both my wife and I drive it. It is a delight to drive and very comfortable over long distances. Around town there are two options, either drive the car fast to which it responds quite well or take advantage of the gear ratios and opt for economy.

Using the second method has resulted in a fuel consumption figure of between 36mpg and 37mpg. (This figure is taken from the on board computer.)

We have carried five adults in relative comfort considering that this is only a small family car. The interior is solid looking and after recently travelling in a Focus, which was our other car on the purchasing list, I feel that the Corolla is more mature in this area.

The brakes with discs all round are first class. The steering and ride are good. The seats are neither hard or soft and I fell that Toyota have these just about spot on.

Visibility is good although the nearside front pillar can be limiting vision when turning right at road junctions.

I have not found the noise levels inside the cab too bad although I do tend to have the radio or CD player on most of the time.

I did expect the servicing costs to be high on the vehicle but the main dealer will carry out the first two years servicing for a total of £229 including VAT.