Used 2003 Toyota Corolla for Sale near Chicago, IL

22 years old with only 102k and well cared for, I find it fun to drive! Maybe its nostalgia, but to get over 30 mpg on a naturally aspirated non-hybrid is awesome.

If you are looking for a cheap car with few frills and no refinement, the E120 Toyota Corolla may be your cup of tea. It isn't mine. This compact sedan seems to have the pretensions of being an upscale car: Sleek modern styling, faux wood trim, and an interior that coddles you in a cocoon of comfort. But the illusion dissipates the moment you turn the key in the ignition. The engine starts with an quiet clatter. As the car accelerates, the quiet clatter becomes a much louder clatter. Acceleration is underwhelming until about 4000 rpm where the torque finally kicks in. Which is slightly unfortunate because by 3500 rpm your eardrums will have already shattered. The accelerator pedal is another problem. It takes a noticeable amount of effort to start it moving along its unusually short travel, but offers little resistance once "unstuck" (physicists: there is a clear difference between its static and dynamic friction). Because of this, speed regulation is a bit of a chore. In fact, so is steering. Control is direct and precise, but this comes at the expense of weight. There is a bit of power assist, but not as much as most people are accustomed to in modern cars. When it comes time to slow down, your foot will go halfway to the floor before you feel anything at all After that the brakes respond quite smoothly, but there is no excuse for such a massive control dead-zone. Despite the problems, there are some compelling reasons you might want this car. First, it is incredibly cheap. When you purchase an E120 Corolla, you are getting a car that looks decent inside and out for very little money. Secondly, the car handles competently, and has acceptable acceleration and braking for a car in its class. The build quality is excellent, and I can guarantee it will rarely need repairs if you treat it right. On my example the only thing that ever went wrong is a hubcap that fell off. Thirdly, the gas mileage is amazing at 32 city, 38 highway (my own figures). On the other hand, this is not an exciting car, and doesn't feel unique in any way. You may also be turned off by the ride, which is noisy and bumpy at any speed. I would recommend this car to anyone who doesn’t mind the lack of refinement and wants a small practical car that will probably last forever.

This is the kind of car my brother has. He doesn't care about cars and doesn't really take care of it and it's never had even one mechanical problem. Ever. The Corolla is everything you'd expect, and nothing you wouldn't. Its exterior styling, performance, and interior are as bland and sensible as any church-going suburbanite could hope for. And, it gets great gas mileage. If you never think about your car when you're not driving, the Corolla is perfect for you.

This is my car. I've had it about six months, and put around 4,500 miles on it; considering it had about 143,000 when I bought it, it still runs beautifully. And it should be good for another 100K+ so long as it's maintained. It's a 4-cylinder manual transmission, but you wouldn't know that from the way it handles, even uphill and from a stop, and as a result it gets great mileage. Plenty of trunk space too, which is going to be handy once I'm finished school.

A great family car, flexible and solid as a rock.