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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.
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What you get
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.
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What to look for
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.
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Replacement parts
(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.
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On the road
The older-model Corollas won't 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 Toyota's family favourite.
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Overall
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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