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My own favorite Toyota, '02 Corolla 5sp manual transmission. 347,000 miles

Original transmission tanked around 180,000 miles because some Einstein in an oil change place put automatic transmission fluid in, unasked. Replaced with a salvage unit for $600.

My Son and DIL finished off the original motor around 320,000 miles by never checking the oil. Replaced with a 120,000 mile salvage unit for $1,200 installed. Salvage units are always a gamble but 30,000 miles later this one is still not burning oil.

Been through two sets of universal joints, prob'ly three clutches, replaced the original struts with the motor change. Front bearing replaced about 4,000 miles back.

Only thing that breaks regularly are the inside door handles, $8ea. at O'Reilly's Auto Parts.

My DIL rear-ended someone and that same hood was bent across the middle to a 90 degree angle, with the radiator and mounts bent back accordingly. A Spanish-speaking genius with a hammer knocked everything back to usable as it sits in one afternoon for just $160 cash.

This is my little granddaughter's favorite car because with the car seat in the middle in back, she can see out all the windows easily. Here it is in action at the park.



I like this car because it appears to be one of the last model years where the driver is actually connected to the motor by cables rather than electronics and computers.

Lightweight, real narrow turning circle, parks where other vehicles wont fit, averages 32mpg overall the way I drive it (like it was a motorcycle), it will pull 90 - 100 mph on the Interstate all day amid fast traffic no problem.

Surprisingly nimble and quick in traffic; 125hp with a curb weight of just 2,400, most of the torque made in the mid range right where you need it.

By way of contrast my bigger '09 Corolla (250,000 miles) weighs at least 300 lbs more with just 7 more horsepower plus a computer-modulated electric gas pedal. Carefully tweaked by a he factory to maximize mileage it feels dog-slow compared to the '02 and it is real anemic in traffic unless you wind it out to near redline before shifting. Worse, the computer on the other side of the gas pedal decides the throttle setting, its not hard to actually stall it out with a manual transmission from a standing start.

A new Toyota is in my future and I would like a Tacoma, but I'll keep that '02 Corolla on the road 'long as I can get parts. Old, scarred and beat up as it is, it has a sort of Mad Max feel to it