Class: Small Family Car/ Compact
Rivals: Peugeot 205, Nissan Sunny, Honda Civic, Vauxhall/Opel Astra, Mazda 323
Variants: Saloon, 3&5 Door Hatchback, Van, Estate, Coupe,
Engines: Petrol - 1.3i, 1.5i, 1.6i, 1.8i
Diesel - 2.0L
Gearbox: 3 Speed Auto, 4 Speed Auto, 5 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Manual
Since its launch in 1966, there has been nearly 40million Toyota Corollas sold the world over. We will skip a few decades and start talking about the E100 Corolla.
First Launched in 1991, the E100 was the seventh generation Corolla.
It catered for all tastes. From the 1.3i for economical driving to the 1.6l with up to 168bhp unmodified. It has been known for some Japanese Imported 20v machines to has over 200bhp!!
The Corolla made its name with its shear reliability and economy. In 1995 the Corolla topped the small family car class for reliability of cars aged 4 to 5 years old in a survey taken by the AA. There were only 5.3 breakdowns per 1000 5 year old cars, compared to 12 per 1000 for the VW Golf and 38.3 per 1000 for the Fiat Tipo. It says a lot about them when they are still so many clean examples on our roads.
The 1.8i are still making a lot of money as it is very hard to find a clean version. It was even possible to get a 4wd estate version with 168bhp.
They were never a bad car to drive, personally I preferred them to the E110 (1998-2002). They were nicer to drive and seemed better on fuel but well come to the E110 later in the series.
They were a very light car compare to their German rivals, but never the less, even the 1.3i was good to go. The handling, as with most Japanese front wheel drive cars is neutral touching on under steer with a soft suspension set up.
The Corolla was one of the 1st mass production cars to come with drivers side Airbag as standard and anti-lock brakes as an option. They score an Average rating on safety from the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
They are a lot of very clean examples out there for sale. You have to be careful because it is now an old car, and although reliable, try to find one with as recent as possible NCT.
Depending on spec, you will pay anything from a few hundred euros, to a few thousand for a rare example. The Corolla Levin and the Twin-Cams are a completely different kettle of fish and well also talk about them later in the series.
Parts are easy to source and for the most part inexpensive. The Corolla E100 is still a regular sight on our roads, just a testimony to what Toyota could once build!
gary
No comments:
Post a Comment