I bought my beaten up 1989 Corolla, a 5spd LE model sedan with a carbeurated 4-AF engine, for $300. The previous owner seemed to think it was on its last legs, and gave it until maybe the end of the summer. It had cooked front brakes, an exhaust leak, and would surge unexpectedly. I figured for $300, it would be the perfect summer car. I took it home and started throwing parts at it. I got new brake pads for $35, changed the oil, and changed the fuel filter. I then realized that the surging was due to poor contact on the plug wires, so I installed new plugs ($20) and a new distributor cap & wire assembly ($110). A couple months later, I had the exhaust leak patched up at an exhaust shop for $80. My total cost at this point, including purchasing the vehicle, is about $550, which I figured would be acceptable for a car that was only to last the summer. That was in May. It is now December, and that Corolla simply won't die. I have taken it with me up to northern BC, and when the weather started turning I installed a cheap battery heater and coolant heater. If it's been plugged in, it starts first crank in 30 below (although I left it unplugged for a week once and the battery froze - oops). After throwing a set of snow tires under it, it handles like a dream even in the rough unplowed roads here. Thursday, I'll be driving it back down to Vancouver. This thing is a testament to the indestructability Toyota is known for.

this car had the best air conditioning in the entire world! probably because it used the dangerous freon :)

I have owned this Car for 8 years...bought it from a trader for €350. It has not cost be a cent apart from oil changes (Synthetic) and general service items..brakes...discs etc. I also own a 3 yr old 523i BMW which is more work based..but my trusty old Corolla Diesel Estate 1989 will never be sold..in actual fact I am going to give it a face lift in 2008...total respray..new wheels..and a few more little mods..you cant beat 55mpg with fuel prices hitting €1.25/ltr on the pumps...

This Toyota Corolla XL 1,3 from 1989 is a small, reliable and cheap-to-run car. When owning it, you have the possibility of arriving from pos. A to pos. B with wearing out your legs, getting your hair weat and being late. And nothing more than that. No fancy interiordesign, no fancy engine-prefomance or sound and certainly no fancy luxury.

exterior is kept simple, nothing special about that, and the interior also.. of course its a 80's low-budget car so what can you expect. (btw my car was an SE but there was no SE in the list so i put LX) it didnt have no ABS or power steering but i dont like that fancy stuff anyways so i was happy with it. and it had 1.6 engine in it so it was just fine.