Although much newer and rust-free, it's got nearly as many miles as the old Corolla
I agree. The mileage is disappointing for a 15 year newer car than mine. I bought my Corolla used in 2003 and it had only 76k miles at the time…that’s really more what I would prefer, but I know that means much more money.
As far as maintenance goes, was the automatic transmission fluid and filter serviced every 30K?
Toyota claims the fluid is “lifetime fill” . . . this is pure marketing BS
Was the valve lash ever checked? . . . you have to check it, even it it’s not noisey
No idea, and not sure I can find out. Her mechanic’s records only go back to 2011. I have to ask her what she did prior to then.
If it's a V6, you may be way overdue for a timing belt
I was concerned about that, too, and asked her mechanic about it, and he said those cars have a timing chain, and don’t have any scheduled maintenance for it. I very briefly checked 2004 Corollas online and that seemed to be right, but I am not sure.
Airbag systems, traction control systems, antilock braking systems. Plus, a more modern car is better able to absorb damage from a collision than one from 1989, and still protect the occupants. Somewhere else in another thread here, someone posted a video that showed that a “Built like a tank!” older Volvo actually did worse in a collision with a modern (I believe) Toyota. It was rather eye opening. The “occupants” (Crash dummies) in the modern Toyota largely escaped injury from the same crash that left the Volvo occupants seriously damaged. And trust me, your Corolla is not even close to a “built like a tank” Volvo in terms of structural integrity.
EDIT:Found it. It was a Renault, not a Toyota.
It explains nicely what I’m talking about damage survivability. Now, swap out that Volvo for your Corolla…
As Texases notes, your Corolla is a unit body car. It has no separate frame. The body panels are what keep the car stiff and strong. If they are rusted through they will be very weak in an accident. Sometimes you can cut awaya bit parts of the body and weld in new steel, but for a car of that age and mileage it doesn’t make much sense. Rustproofing has improved quite a bit since 1989. Older Japanese cars were especially poor back then, and much better now.
The Camry is unlikely to need any greater cost in repairs per year over the next few years than the Corolla but is both a far safer vehicle in both design and size/weight. And, from what you say, the Camry appears to be in far better structural and likely also mechanical condition overall (to be verified by your mechanic in a pre-purchase inspection.) So in those respects it makes sense to retire the Corolla and get the Camry.
You state that you’ve never paid anything near $4,000 for a car. Understandable, given you chose to be frugal with buying used cars. But you also need to allow for the considerable inflation in car prices over the past years you have been driving the Corolla, including that the Cash for Clunkers program mostly achieved only driving up the prices of used cars. To own and drive any vehicle that is remotely safe and reliable, you simply will never again be able to buy any vehicle for the sort of relative bargain prices of yesteryear. And given what repairs you know the Corolla needs just to pass safety inspection and keep running for another couple years, it is likely the Camry will cost you less total outlay over the next 5+ years than keeping the Corolla for now and having to find a replacement in just a couple years with no idea if you will have access to as good a deal as you are now being offered.
Your wife’s and your preference for driving manual shift does add complexity to your decision as manual transmission models have become rather scarce, as has been lamented by others. Whether you choose to find another manual shift car or get the offered used Camry, I have to think you would do well to retire the Corolla. They are surprisingly durable workhorses for the money (I drove a 1973 Corolla from 1975 to 1987 then gave it back to my folks and my dad got another 2 years use out of it before he sold it due to the body being more Bondo filler and spray paint than original body by then due to all the rust.) But 25 years is a good long life for any car, especially a bare bones econobox. Sometimes a daily driver is best retired due as much to age as mileage, especially when much safer choices are widely available. Yes, it is familiar and the “devil you know” regarding any looming maintenance issues and known maintenance history but it sounds like it is pretty worn out and due replacement now.
Regarding the rust issue, in addition to the fact that this unit-body car has no frame in a traditional sense, the OP needs to realize that for every bit of rust that is visible, there is probably 2-3 times more rust that is not visible.
Or, in other words, a 25 year old car with visible rust on the exterior body panels will collapse like a house of cards in the event of a collision. When you couple that situation with the relative lack of modern passenger protection on a car this old, you have a vehicle that is…NOT safe.
the OP needs to realize that for every bit of rust that is visible, there is probably 2-3 times more rust that is not visible.
But wouldn’t the two mechanics have told me that? I asked the first mechanic if the frame was OK (yes, I now see I asked an incorrect question because this car has no frame) and he said yes, and then two days ago my normal mechanic said it was fine in this regard.
I could post some photos of the visible rust if it might help?
@Chelonian–Rust that is not visible to you is also not visible (in many cases) to your mechanic.
Critical areas where body/chassis panels are welded together can have rust deterioration that could only be seen if the car was torn apart.
OK, I am attaching photos of the visible rust. Really it is just significant around the wheels and trunk, with some on the bottom corner of three of four doors. I had some of this body work repaired (not the ugly “bondo” job on the one wheel area, but decent body work) in about Mar 2010 and it has only this year started to bubble through again.
Thanks to everyone for all this help! Learning a lot!
These photos confirm my advice, there’s lots of rust in lots of places, so it’ll also be in spots you (and the mechanics) can’t see. I’d get a newer car.
It looks like there are areas on the trunk floor and the cabin floor that are rusted through. I think the undercarriage is shot. See if the mechanics will buy it and soon. The Camry seems like a big upgrade, or you might look for another car. But lose the Corolla fast.
The frame is is good ? It has no frame. The body has welded in reinforcement members to provide structural integrity. I guarantee ; that if there is significant rust around the wheels and in the trunk, which alone makes it unsafe due to carbon monoxide infiltration, and anyone can find it elsewhere where the structure of the car has been compromised. JUNK THE CAR AS IT IS UNSAFE…
Given the rust you have experienced, a new car means loss of business for him. I have never heard of a a Corolla with rusted out trunk and fenders that did not have severe rust elsewhere THAT COMPROMISES IT’s integrity…NEVER, IT DOESN’t HAPPEN. The rocker panels which are very important support structures in these cars will be rusted on the inside too, guarantee it.
As far as the. Camry is concerned, it could be a possibility but I would take it to another mechanic and not “hers” for verification. Btw, That you have had older cars, it doesn’t take much work to crawl underneath your self with a screw driver and “prod for rust” .
You appear to have the carburetor version of the engine rather than the fuel injected version, so that’s another negative. Given the rust problems shown in the photos, and the problems you’ll likely encounter with keeping the carb system tuned and working correctly, yes, I agree w/the others, it’s time to start shopping for a newer car.
Those photos just confirm my opinion. It’s time to move on. For instance, your trunk photos show that the trunk floor is no longer solidly attached to the sides of the body. If you are rear ended, the back of the car will pretty much just fold up. To be blunt, I don’t think the mechanics are giving you good advice.
That carburetor with all the small hoses and lines going in and out did a number on me. I guess you have been lucky, or maybe the CT winters took its toll on my Corolla. I remember even back in 2006, i was having trouble finding the air filter in the shops too.
I would add that my wife gets really attached to our cars and every time I offload one, she cries. In all cases though, after a few weeks with a newer and more reliable car, she is all happy and moves on.