Overview & Reviews

For the 1997 Toyota Corolla, the Classic Edition (CE) debuts and the slow-selling DX Wagon gets the ax.

• Excellent build quality, reputation for bulletproof reliability

• Poor value

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 67.00

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  Worst Car Ive ever driven! - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By Kevinster - November 12 - 3:07 pm

  I admit this car has its place... and its not with me. Ive driven quite a few cars and I would consider myself a "car guy", so Im going to base my review on that. Apart from the quite ugly exterior theres not much to talk about there. Upon entering the car youll notice it sits VERY low to the ground and for a "family sedan" you would be surprised. A nice amenity it has is that it has power windows, and the amenities stop there. Although the interior has some decent soft touch plastics, youll notice its not very inviting. The look is very bland. One thing Im surprised on is that it has no cupholders. The seats feel like youre sitting on an old sofa and the rear seats seem to be missing headrests. It has a radio with a tape player; so nothing out of place for that year of vehicle. Now for the drive. The suspension feels okay, and I can say thats the best thing about the car. Its not so soft, but it does soak up a bit of the bumps in the road. Steering is quite bad and has very little direct response, but most people could live with it. Now, the acceleration is my main issue here: it feels like it has none. You practically have to floor it to even get moving to speed and there is just no enjoyment in driving this car. The brakes are also quite unresponsive. If you actually enjoy driving this is NOT the car for you. If you could care less about what car you drive, want something cheap and to get to point A to point B I suppose this car is okay. But with how low it rides, how small it is, lack of cupholders and with the slow moving speeds I would say this isnt a good daily driver.

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  Great car to own - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By Rima - August 4 - 10:00 am

  The car is very reliable. I bought it new and in the 7 years I owned it, it only broke once (minor repair - starter cable wore off). It gets great mileage, both in the city and on the highway. It is comfortable to drive, and spacious enough for 5 people. Good investment if you ask me.

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  Love this car - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By kathy Shaver - June 3 - 9:00 am

  I have had this Corolla for two years now. It was going to be a temporary car until I found something fancier. Well, Im still driving it and loving it. I have had expensive cars for 38 years, Mercedes, BMW Jags, and they have all been expensive to maintain. This is the most basic one I have ever owned but its one of the most reliable and least expensive one to run especially with the new gas prices. It has enough get up and go for heavy traffic and I never feel like I will be stranded like I did when I was driving a Jag. There is nothing I dont like about this car.

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  Reliable despite very basic maintenance. - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By Amit M. - March 26 - 8:46 am

  I bought the car new - 5 sp. manual transmission. The car now has over 130K miles on it. Never performed any of the manufacturer-recommended scheduled maintenance. Change oil every 7000 miles (need to add a quart every 2000 miles or so). Havent yet changed the timing belt. Original battery died after 10.5 years. Replaced front brakes and spark plugs at 100K miles (neither was probably necessary). Ive been commuting 120 miles each day for over an year now - get 37-40 mpg on highway during winter (Connecticut), 42-45 mpg on highway during summer! I do keep my speed in check. Used to get lower mpg when they used to add MTBE instead of ethanol in the fuel.

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  AWESOME! - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By Fatina - March 19 - 12:13 pm

  Ive had this car for 11 years and the only major work done is timing belt, water pump and starter. I have a little over 218,000 miles and it just keeps on ticking.

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  Most reliable car ever owned - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By brad - February 28 - 7:50 am

  Purchased used with 40K. While I maintained it, it never gave me one bit of a problem. Was getting 33 mpg. It was a pleasure to own this car. The reliability and fuel economy were unmatched. I could surprisingly lug around my toddlers car seat, stroller, and daughters softball equipment with no problem. Solidly built through and through.

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  Great little car - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By lilnel - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Fantastic mileage, excellent reliability, minimal problems.

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  Long life - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By rothkclark - August 27 - 7:33 am

  Great car. Sold it in June of 2010 in order to buy an SUV. Great MPG and lasted! There was nothing wrong with it when I sold it. Had 194,000 miles and ran almost perfect. Sold it for $1,800 even though KBB listing was $2,200. Overall, it was great.

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  Keep on making them rollas - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By Brandon Wilson - May 31 - 2:36 pm

  My 1997 Corolla has been the only car that I ever owned and no doubt that I will probably let this baby go anytime soon. I had this car for 6 years and its got over 215,000 miles on the original motor and automatic transmission. I purchased this car on 6/2003 with 52,352 miles at a dealership. The only major service work done on my corolla was a valve cover gasket, timing belt, and a water pump. Other than that, this car has never left me stranded on the road.

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  Excellent - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By kshan77 - March 13 - 10:00 am

  Excellent