I've run the reg of the liftback and unfortunately it was killed circa 2008/9, with a perfectly valid MOT with no advisories. Almost certainly traded in on the god-awful government scrappage scheme which killed so many classics. I bet it was traded against some piece of trash that isn't on the road now and the owner likely regrets their decision.
I still remember the day my family picked one of these up brand new back in ‘99. (It’s a 1.8l 7A here is Aus) I was 6 years old, and it was the first brand new car we’d ever bought. 23 years and 305,000kms later, it still runs and drives nicely. She may be a little tired now, but she starts all the time, is low maintenance, easy to work on, and always dependable. I learned how to drive in it, and I learned how to service cars because of it. It took me to school, and it took my mum to work. It was there for me when my own car was down. It’s basically part of the family. Will be a very sad day when we let her go.
Have a 2010 I got for $2000. Cut the muffler off and added an intake, and I’m welding armor to it and getting it lifted ever so slightly onto bigger tires. Running like a champ
we had a 1996 toyota tercel manualtransmition in 1996 .. i was very very young ..i dont remeber any thing of it at that time ..i will nerver forget how smooth and stable it was .. owned it in 2020 made an extream make over on it & runs like a tank in 2022 ❤🎉🎉😂😂😂
Don't know how "tough" the other 3 really were....The Escort was horribly cheap feeling and unrefined, Astra was a bit better but still handled like a plate of slop, and the Golf had pretty much glacial performance in all models except the GTi and VR6 (which were expensive). There were many, many areas the Corolla could improve on them, and it did.
I owned a 1996 (P reg) 1.6 CD. Solid car, never let me down in 8 years. Only had to change the battery and alternator. I had to scrap it after it was written off by an Eddie Stoddart truck in a hit a run outside my house!
'96? That's nothing. My cars are from the 70s. Still take a slap with heavy redlining on daily basis. Pieces of shit they are, sound absolutely horrible but sure get the crap done.
I also have a 92 Corolla Liftback GLi , and still runs perfect every day and even without oil (my bad), I'm the son (born in 92) of the owner and probably goes to my son!
Bought a second hand Corolla 20 years ago. Didn't like its shape but as the years rolled on, one respects the car more n more as it never lets u down. The more expensive, sexier looking competitors just disappeared one by one.
@@TheMrgoodmanners The 90's Toyota Corolla is the zenith of automotive engineering. It was reliable and when it failed, it was easy to repair, and they were a joy to drive as well, they weren't race horses but they weren't slugs either. Unfortunately, the Corollas that are left all have half a million on the odometer and a sketchy service history, and spare parts aren't as easy to come by.
@@TheMrgoodmanners from a consumers standpoint, the pre 07 corollas are the perfect cars, unbreakable, easy to drive, suprisingly snappy so you don't get lost in any kind of traffic, alot of space, CHEAP TO OWN AND DRIVE, if something breaks replacement parts are super cheap and because it's simple even your granny knows how to repair it, it has all the essential prodived you aren't a blind, deaf, mute and braindead moron
Imagine buying the Citreon ZX instead of the Corolla lmao, it'd probably lose its cambelt and blow its engine before the Corolla needed a pair of brake pads
Actually might be true... based on few 90's Toyota I have owned, them brake pads turn to some non-wearing substance after a few years, if always brake carefully... then them stop wearing at all, not that they would be too effective anymore... but they still work well enough for annual checks, but never need to change them again :)
The ZX was a very good car too, aside from the materials of the interior, which tend to fall apart over time. Mechanically though was very solid and much better protected against corrosion than the Toyota.
I just reregistered a 92 Ae95 corolla all wheel drive for my son’s first car , he got his licence in it, a classic. At 377,000 k’s it’s in remarkably good shape, replaced the suspension new windscreen tyres and brake lines, passed no worries. We took it on a 700km run, lovely car to drive. It’s covered most of SE Australia and a fair amount of Tasmania before it became the paddock basher, now it’s again an honest daily drive commuter for a learner! Find me an Astra that’s of the same vintage and age doing the same! Update, September 2024, over 430,000km, he now has a company Ute, still uses the Corolla as a personal car, could easily buy something else, but he’s “getting a house first”.
In Canada, the main reason Corollas are taken off the road is rust or collision - you don't get much of the former in Australia. In Newfoundland I would regularly see 15 year old Corollas going strong with zero outer rocker panel remaining.
My dad had a 96 corolla which he brought brand new. We had it for 20 years and the only issue which we had was one of the power windows jamming up (which was the first issue after 19 years). Broke my heart when my dad decided to sell it. Toyota sure does know how to make reasonably priced cars which are built to last.
Its 2022, i work in a college and there is a K reg 1992 1.6 16v auto in the workshops. No rust, all elec windows and sunroof work. It starts daily. Its very easy to take apart, no rounded off or seized items. This is when cars were A to B transport. Superb in my view
My dad bought one in 1995, a wagon. A quarter of a century later it still runs like a metronome. Yep, Polish winters took a toll on the exhaust, some rubber parts in the suspension perished and had to be replaced. He had three more Toyotas but he says the 95 corolla is his favourite. And yes, the build quality is out of this world. NOTHING rattles inside. Dull, probably but it's nigh on impossible not to win one's favours with this level of reliability. 27 years of this thing standing in a garage like it was yesterday. Incredible. Tons of memories every time I'm back home to visit my parents.
I currently own a 97 1.6L CSi Hatch with 130k km's and it is honestly the most surprising car I've ever driven. New pod filter, performance ignition leads and a little bit of modification done to the exhaust and it also sounds brilliant too. Will probably still be running when Im retired too, which cant be said about 99% of cars...
That’s mad, you’ve got some crazy low mileage on that car. My mum is driving around in a 2008 Civic that has 340,000k on the clock, never serviced, never maintained 😂
Yeah aye, the ks on that car are so low. I had a 1.8 corolla. With over 400,000ks on the clock, untill I crashed it into a ditch in the fog. 🤣🤣. It sat there for a week 2 tractors had to pull it out. And she fired right up. Only damage was a hole in the radiator! Scrapped it, couldn't be arsed to pay stupid new Zealand prices for a 2nd hand radiator! Average little car. I actually didn't like mine at all. The arse end was to heavy for some reason and it always stepped out on corners in the wet. Driving below the speed limits. Infact a actually hated that car!
Funny that Clarkson said these were bland. Now a days they're timeless designs. These cars actually aged well.. of course that also due to the fact that a lot of them are still running without any issue.
very functional.. i didn't know it was called like this. the new generation civic and the previous one call it a hatchback version, but it don't quite look like a hatchback, it looks more like this, a liftback.
When Jeremy was a young reporter for the Rotherham Echo I serviced his black Corolla GT a couple of times when he visited Grimsby. In conversation with him he totally enthused about the little car. How fame and fortune change people.
We had it for 20 years, bought it brand new back in 1995, it was 1.3 litre sedan, sold it in 2015 and was still running Like a butter, never had any issues with it, still remember the day we sold it I was crying like a baby..... Good old memories.
My dad purchased his 82 Corolla back in 1983. He still has it and runs without any issues. Simple to maintain and any mechanic can work on it. Doesn’t require special tools or scanner to diagnose. Over 1.5 million km completed.
I had a 93 Saloon. Imported from Ireland(it was my Dads) Brought it over in 03 & had it till 2015. What a car! Ultra reliable. Went away for 2 months with a buddy of mine in 2014. He had a 2012 Zafira. When we came back and picked up the cars my Corolla started first turn of the key(21 years old) His 2 year old Vauxhall? Have a guess! He was apoliptic with rage. Not a great ad for Vauxhall. He now has a Rav 4! Had to get rid of it for family reasons, but that Corolla will always be my "car" I miss it still!!
@@adamwoodward2003 yep. The guy that bought it said he was exporting to Africa. It had no bells or whistles. Keep fit windows, no central locking. He said they could run it for years out there..
@@Cloud007. sure that's a stupid comment. I had no idea what the fuck battery was in each car! My ancient Toyota started first turn of the key & his new Vauxhall didn't! Make what you want out of that!
@@frankey2356 Todays cars have quite a lot electronics drawing small current, while car is locked. Plain Toyota has only radio and clock and it starts well also. On some cars You cannot even open the doors when battery has failed as there is no keyhole or it's never been used and would not work.
There is a reason Corollas off these era are still running and demanding more money now than Escort, Golf and Astra... Because the Corolla is far better... We love them in Ireland.
No we do not. We hate them. A horrible dull characterless yoke. My Uncle thought about buying a saloon version of this terrible car way back in 97 but thankfully he did not and got a Renault Megane Classic instead a car that was way more modern better equipped and had way more character than the dull Toyota ever would. My mother had a 3 door Corolla for a little bit but I convinced her it was a terrible car and she got a Fiesta that was also terrible lol had a diesel engine in it and sounded like a tractor. Thinking about it I would have preferred the 3 door Corolla even if it was as dull as dishwater to the Fiesta but diesel was cheaper and everyone was switching to it that's why she switched. The Fiesta was no beauty either. The KIA Rio that has come after it is a great car it just keeps going and going but it's not very good to drive this is a Rio from 2008 do. Kia have made huge strides since then and ard making great cars now. Its a pity they dropped the Rio saloon here in Ireland do.
@@sharonec5419 A Renault over a Toyota.. Ohh dear. Tell me.. How much does an AE86 Corolla Twin Cam make in Ireland today?? You will also notice that most classic car enthusiasts would choose a Toyota over a Renault.. My sister had a Megane and it broke her heart with problems. Toyota are also far more RELIABLE than Renault or Ford. You can't beat Japanese... Mazda, Honda, Toyota... Only Nissan fell down lately because off their links to Renault and are after giving them a bad reputation that was once very good. Wake up man and stop talking threw your hole. You obviously don't think reliability and the fact off a car holding its value. The Corolla would also be more powerful than a Megane if it was 1.4 vs 1.4. If the Corolla was so dull and characterless then explain why all the boy racers fucking love them...??
@@265justy the twin cam is a flimsy argument, it’s is the most valuable Toyota corolla and has been exported everywhere since the rise in popularity of initial D. It’s like pegging all old Ford values on the Cosworths.
I have never considered the Astra, the Escort or Focus and the Golf "exciting cars!". None of them turn heads. The Corolla doesn't stand out if there is nothing to stand out from.
The MK1 focus was a design shock when it first came out replacing the escort, but beyond that I agree (barring performance models of course) the Corolla was honest, cheap transport that would last for as long as you changed the oil
The liftback of this generation was a beauty. I owned a 3 door hatchback with the 1.6i engine. It was the first car I bought. It was back in '97. It was great and reliable. And fast too.
Beg to differ, they even sucked compared to all previous Corolla gens. AE92 4AGE screaming with popup headlightz ? Nothing like that. AE86 drift legend? Nope. RWD? And as with KE20, interesting design? Ha-ha.
2 года назад
@@miljororforsprakpartiet290 We are not talking about the same thing here. Those are the reasons why I never had one. Still one of the best cars ever. Just not the one for me or you, I guess. ...and if we want to go down the rabbit hole of JDM models, the E100 (as it should be, rather than E10, I guess) could be had with a 20 valve 4A-GE, the AE101 GT-Apex with it's Super Strut suspension. Guess that screams, too? It was also offered with a supercharged 4A-GZE like the AE92, too.
@@Yimello But even in the rebooted TG, when I'd see early episodes repeated I'd also think 'back when it used to be a car review show' - before the stunts took over.
1994 Corolla 1.8 here, 331,000 miles on the original engine and gearbox. Car asks for nothing and just keeps going. I don't know what he's on about, with that nice 1.8 engine, fully independent front and rear suspension paired with that nice 5-speed, the car's tons of fun to chuck about, then is equally happy to just pootle about in.
I had three Corollas in the 80s and 90s. Utterly reliable, well built, great family cars, great very well equipped for the price. I would concur that the saloons were boring but my first, a twin carb SR Coupe, was not.
All 4 cars seemed to have lived a short life (dvla can’t even remember them). British roads rotted out everything. Disagree with the looks, I think the MK3 golf and Escort look much better then the awkward hatch back(although the escort was an Xr3i or RS2000 so not very fair). The lift back was a handsome vehicle though.
I’d have the 5-door liftback. I can see myself driving to the local drive-in theater, opening the hatch and sitting in the boot on a warm evening when it beats putting the fan on.
Vauxhall Astra failed its MOT on 8 June 2009 with 109,986 miles, VW golf passed it last MOT on 6 August 2009 with 116,491 miles, Ford Escort passed last MOT on 15 November 2005 with 92.550 miles, white Toyota Corolla passed last MOT on 24th March 2010 with 120,804 miles, grey Toyota Corrola passed last MOT on 9 March 2007 with 122.946 miles ;)
I can hear Jeremy's change of speaking here compared to the segements from 1991 and before. Here he's being himself more and starting to be banterful, instead of the pretentious robot before this.
My 94 corolla xli still goes well, after owning it for over 21 years. Clarkson is a brand snob who forgets we don't all earn what he makes for being a loud mouth....
Had a 1994 hatchback 2.0dxl 3 door, back in 2002. Best car I ever had. Didn't service it in 4 years just added diesel and thats it. Abused it till the day I sold it and then it was used in a local Chinese takeaway doing deliveries. Miss the simple reliable motoring
I bought a 2005 Carolla two and a half years ago out of desperation while searching for a cheap car . $1100 Au for a 173 k clean motor . Its never missed a beat in 45 k , regular oil changes and a couple of minutes to warm up in the morning . I genuinely believe it will out live me !
@@paulsz6194 October '19 . Here in Australia cars seldom rust , so they hold their value . Realistically the seller could have got 3X that amount ( I have no clue why it was cheap , though I did knock a couple of hundred off the asking price by tactful polite negotiating . Also manual cars are out of vogue , most young people only want automatic . I would have preferred a wagon but made do with a sedan . Beggars can't be choosers .
@@johnniethepom2905 I’m Aussie too (Polish Aussie), had a 2005 wagon 15 yrs ago as a company car, pretty zippy, even in automatic form. Now I’m the 2nd owner of a 2010 Mazda 3 with 322K on the clock, starts 1st go, with only a slight weep from the power steering rack, with original starter & alternator!
@@paulsz6194 I'm thinking I might need a clutch in the not too distant future . Also the head light bulb on the near side blows every 6 - 8 months , I don't know why , I carry a spare . Planning a drive back to Perth (via Melbourne ) in a month , I'm so sick of Sydney rain !
@@johnniethepom2905 those H7 bulbs were always troublesome , especially with the cheaper brands. Stick to premium brands like Osram, Sylvania or Phillips.The original Toyota ones lasted a while but once you get the cheap no-nane brands, they don't last as long. Clutch will probably cost you as much as the car now. Don't forget to do the rear main seal while its apart . Happy Travels mate!👍
I'm still driving my first car (Corolla E11 1999, one of the last to roll out of the factory with the well known bug eyes). It's a magnificent car, currently 214,000km's on the clock (bought it at 183,000), never had any issues so far. Update 2 years later: still own it, 230xxx on the clock!
Arrr yes 1992 when cars were a third of the price and houses were a 10th of the price and wages were similar and people had pensions and early retirements. Last of the good times.
@japanwatchconnection Yes but it doesnt make up for todays horrific salaries and cost of living. Its much harder now to do well than it was 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago.
According to the DVLA website; the Toyota "Liftback Executive" reg. "K709 UPF" was taxed & MOTed until 2008. At its final MOT in March 2007 - it passed with 122,946 miles on the odometer. So it lasted 16 years (1992 to 2008). Nothing was returned by the DVLA website for the white Corolla's reg.
I learned to drive in a Mazda 323, in 1984. To this day, I have never driven a car with a smoother, lighter and easier to use gearbox. My mate has just bought a used Corolla Hybrid and it’s very impressive- build quality, fully loaded, 70 mpg- fabulous car.
I have a 1991 AE101 Corolla GT four door sedan. It has a 20 valve 1600cc NA engine (158bhp @ 7400rpm), 5 speed gearbox and four wheel disc brakes with ABS. It goes pretty good for stock standard 33 year old Corolla. Albeit one that was only sold new in Japan, apart from a few sold in South Africa towards the end of production. And of course, it's super reliable and drives beautifully.
i have a Toyota Corolla 1993 XLi 16 valve hatch back It is now 31 years old and drives like its brand new. Fabulous economical car and pretty quick too!
In 2000, I drove one of these from Cape Town to Windhoek in Namibia, a distance of 1500km. I fell in love with the car right there. Who cares what it looks like. Between 2009 and 2109 I drove a Diesel Corolla (1AD), that was the best car I ever owned.
As Clarkson himself admits, the good points vastly outweigh the minor niggles. It isn't as if the escort, astra and golf were particularly good looking cars. They were average.
I had a 1994 Corolla 1.8 16v GXI for 7 years. Bought it off a mate dirt cheap because he said the clutch was on its way out. Didn’t change the clutch, or anything else really, in the 7 years of ownership and only traded it in with a baby on the way and so needed 5 doors. Was a great car quick, amazingly reliable and pretty good fun to drive too, despite what Clarkson says 😂
A car like this was never going to appeal to a petrol -head like Clarkson. For an ordinary family man or woman, who needs to watch the pennies, it was absolutely perfect. Which is why it was so successful.
Well despite JC I had a 1992 Vauxhall Astra merit as a company car. (single point injection) But economic in UK/EU with 4 up (70mph/51mpg) Michelin tyres recorded 60000miles 1 set. and 123000 total before being returned. Never let me down.
In Senegal, these are the most desired cars for taxi drivers to own. Even at 20+ years old, they sell for way more than mildly newer Peugeot, Renaults, VWs bc they're so solid and reliable. I was talking with a taxi driver who had a Renault 21 and he said the French and German cars are crap, we all save up for the Toyota Carinas bc once we buy them we never have to worry again.
Űdv én egy 93 as corollaval kőzlekedek és imádom. Magyarországon élek. 2018 vettem az első családtól. Apáról fiúra szállt. Azóta is rójja az útat. Meg jártam azóta Románia, Szerbia, Macedonia, Görögország és hibamentesen. Mái napig
