When is came to helping my mom purchase a new automobile I suggested only 2 cars; a 2004 Toyota Corolla or a 2004 Honda Civic. My mom literally has to drive or be driven approximately 600 miles every week to San Francisco and back so I wanted her to have the most reliable car possible, especially after she got stranded the middle of Timbuktu due to a fatal transmission problem with her aging Mercury Villager.
The Toyota Corolla has never been a standout when it comes to appearance. Although I feel the 2003-2004 models are much better looking than any of the Corolla's predecessors, the Toyota Corolla still lacks the personality that comes with many economy sedans an coupes. Personality issues aside, the Corolla has one attribute that most small cars just can't boast about; an impeccable reliability rating. The Corolla's amazing reliability rating is what edged out cars like the Ford Focus or Dodge Neon and is what eventually lead to the purchase of this 2004 Toyota Corolla CE.
For the 2004 model year the Corolla comes in 3 trim leaves; the CE, the LE, and the sporty looking S. For now all trim levels come standard with Toyota's bullet proof DOHC 1.8 liter VVT-I engine. It is rumored that a more powerful engine will be available for the S model soon. The Corolla's 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine provides an adequate 130 horsepower and can be teamed with either a standard 5-speed manual or a 4-speed fully automatic transmission (equipped for $800).
Driving Impressions:
Last year I was very impressed with the acceleration offered from the manual equipped Corolla. I found acceleration to be better than most economy cars on the market. While the automatic equipped Corolla still does a good job scooting from a stoplight, there is a huge difference in the character and performance between the automatic and 5-speed equipped models. To explain, the automatic equipped Corolla feels much weaker than the 5-speed manual; I would never guess that the two models shared the same power plant. Though not inadequate by any means, the auto equipped Corolla feels as though it could due with about 20 more lb-ft of torque to accommodate the automatic transmission. On the plus side, this 4-speed automatic transmission is extremely smooth; shifts are hardly felt. The only qualm I have with this transmission is that it will up-shift under full throttle from 1st-2nd-3rd gears before the engine even comes close to reaching peak power.
To elaborate a little more on the character of the 5-speed equipped Corolla versus the automatic, the automatic models also seems much more calm when accelerating. Although the two cars share the same exhaust system, my automatic CE sounds much more tame under full throttle than the 5-speed that I tested last year. This is most likely due to the fact that the auto transmission will up-shift before its engine comes anywhere near redline.
Although just about everything in the 9th generation Corolla has improved, its handling manners have not. The 2004 Corolla tends to lean hard in sharp turns and its steering is less than precise. Don't get me wrong, the Corolla is no boat on wheels, it's just that it doesn't come close to the fun factor offered from the new Honda Civics or even the base Mitsubishi Lancer. The Corolla's front wheel drive manners are entirely predictable, though unlike many front wheel drive cars torque steer is almost non existent. Braking is also very good. Unlike most cars without ABS (an option for the CE at $300) or 4-wheel disc brakes, the Corolla's base braking setup seems to do just as good of a job stopping this vehicle as many 4-wheel disc braking systems.
On the freeway the Corolla cruises effortlessly. Despite having a tiny 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine, the '04 Corolla is extremely quiet when cruising at high speeds. Wind and engine noise are kept almost totally devoid from the cabin; this is something that could not be said about the pre 2003 model Corolla's. The Corolla also demonstrates a remarkably smooth ride, bumps and road imperfections are taken with stride. Unfortunately the automatic transmission also shows its downfalls on hilly terrain. This automatic transmission will up-shift and downshift constantly if it is not manually selected to a lower gear.
Fuel economy has been excellent. In the 10,000 miles that this car has been driven, this vehicle has got about 40 MPG per tank with the automatic! With a fuel tank about 13 gallons we only have to fill up about every 500 miles or so on long trips.
Interior:
The interior of the Corolla CE was also a big selling point for us. Like the Honda civic, all of the materials used in the Corolla feel solid and well put together; no exposed screws or loose plastic which was noted with a few other competing economy cars. The Corolla also offers a very handsome interior so long as the fake wood option is not ordered. While many econo vehicles are going with the titanium accent theme, there is no titanium painted plastic in our CE; I like that! Though not for everyone, I really like driving position of the Corolla. The front seating might feel a bit low for some drivers, however I have found that it enables me to have perfect all around vision and easy access to all the switchgear in the cabin.
Even in base CE trim the Corolla comes with a generous amount of standard equipment. Standard for the CE comes air conditioning, power/tilt steering, 2 12 volt power outlets, a center console, dual low impact air bags, outside temperature display, 4 cup holders, and much more. The only optional equipment that came with this car was the audio upgrade ($100) which includes an AM/FM CD/cassette player with 4 speakers. For those who are looking to upgrade their sound system, I highly suggest avoiding the optional Toyota sound system upgrade and go with a high quality after-market sound system. The upgraded sound system provides a good sound, but for a few bucks more you can get an excellent sounding system.
The only major downfalls with the '04 Corolla CE's interior is its front bucket seats. Although these seats come with excellent upper body supports, the thigh bolsters are too weak, especially for small drivers who desperately need that support. Creature room is more than adequate in both the front and rear for average sided adults, however my father who is about 6'5" refuses to drive this car due to the apparently cramped drivers seat. At 5'6" I found room to be more than plentiful. Stowage is also good. The trunk of the Corolla will not win any cargo volume contests, however there is enough room to haul around most anything you could expect to haul around with a 4-door sedan i.e., a few weeks worth of groceries.
Reliability:
At 10,000 miles there is not much yet to talk about when it comes to reliability. Other than the car being a quart low on oil just after 1,000 miles after we purchased this car and some premature tire wear, we have not had to take the Corolla to the dealership other than for regular preventative maintenance. I will update as more miles rack up.
Price/Warranty:
The Corolla CE starts out at just over $13,500 (about $500 more than the base Civic DX) and can top at just over $16,000. LE and S models can range anywhere between $14,500-$19,000. If anything happens to go haywire with your new Toyota Corolla, Toyota offers a 3 year/36,000 mile bumper-bumper warranty and a 6 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Final Verdict:
Though a bit uninvolving to drive and not exactly eye candy, the automatic equipped 2004 Toyota Corolla CE still provides an excellent value. With a base price just slightly north of $13,500 and an EPA rating of 40 MPG the Corolla holds true to its economical nature, yet doesn't give the driver the feeling that he or she is in a car that they need to be ashamed of. I recommend the 2004 Toyota Corolla CE to anyone who is in the market for a new economy car. I also highly suggest checking out the Corolla with the manual transmission before making any final decisions.
Check out
My review on the 2006 Honda Civic
-Thanks for reading!
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