It Just Makes Sense

I bought my 1996 Corolla in 2006. It had 80 thousand miles and was a one owner car. This car had every oil change and factory service done from the original Toyota dealership. ( Heffner Toyota ) I was concerned if it was time for a timing belt replacement or other major maintenance repair.. The dealership said No, at the time they said they knew the older gentleman who owned the car and I could probably wait another 20k or so to do that. Well other Toyota people told me to do it, regardless if it was needed or not. So I did it at 85,000 miles. Since then I have added some very minor mods that were not needed but increased mileage by 5mpg. I added a Vortex cold ram air intake for the summers ( cost about $100, self installed, added about 5-8 m.p.g ) I remove it in the winter, takes 10 minutes. Also I invested in some expensive Bosch plugs and pretty yellow 8mm Accel plug wires and distributor cap..This gives me just a tad better performance and a few extra MPG's. This summer in 2008, it now has 118,000 miles. I slowly converted over 4 oil changes from regular oil to semi synthetic and now onto Mobil 1 full synethic oil. ( DO NOT change from regular oil to synthetic oil in one change, DANGEROUS, but the synthetic oil is WAY better if you switch slowly and properly. DO NOT let your oil change guy tell you different, he makes $6hr and knows nothing about crankshaft bearings and engine wear and making things suddenly super slippery in your engine ) Mine currently gets about 32-38mpg when I drive like an egg is under the gas pedal, and even gets 28-30 if I drive it 'sporty'. This somewhat due to the Oil type change, and the minor cheaps mods I made. ( these 1996's get better mileage than a 2008, I promise. ) This car is so damn reliable and costs so little in upkeep ( and parts everywhere for super cheap ) I am going to keep it and upkeep it just to see how many miles it lives for. If you find a good one, you cannot go wrong, when buying for your teenager or as a spare care , or even a primary car, I can say it is better than a Honda Civic, and the insurance is cheaper, cause Honda's have a higher theft rate, and tend to be modded and 'raced' by kids.

If you want a really reliable car, almost the best on the market and dollar for dollar better than anything out there, buy a Corolla. Find a super clean one, with all service records if you can. Even be willing to pay more for one with lower miles and kept well, it will pay off in the longrun.( under 120,000 miles is even safe if kept well ) Mine is standard (5 spd.) and that attributes to my fuel mileage along with the way I drive. I know Hondas are also claimed to be so reliable as well, but I swear to you a quality Corolla will keep you very happy IF you give it basic care, and do not abuse it.