2002 Toyota Corolla S Review - Why Aren't These More Popular?

[@GanDtech]

Really goes to show how bad the chip shortage is when 02 Corolla’s are ending up in dealership lots.

[@celsovera91]

And sell them at huge markup

[@highthoughts1]

I miss my old Toyota Corolla. These cars will never let you down.

[@paulnadratowski3942]

I just bought one. Runs great. Cannot kill it

[@highthoughts1]

@@paulnadratowski3942 I know.

[@batdez85]

I currently own and drive a 2001 Toyota Corolla S.. only 85,000 miles.. I absolutely love it!

[@benevolent4341]

lucky! i drive a 2001 toyota corolla ce 5 speed love the s interior

[@jxhern22]

I daily a 2000 Corolla LE 5 speed manual and being an LE it has every amenity I would ever need, super simple to work on, and is a blast to drive.

[@Nestle245]

I had a 2001 LE and it was like a little go cart, I had fun with it I'm looking to get another one.

[@rushnerd]

I love my 94 Camry LE , Everything is pretty decent but the steering is SO heavy compared to my 88 Supra. Not sure if that's just a FWD thing or that gen of Camry.

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

I wonder if that compartment labelled "Storage Only" was because they didn't want people to use it as an ashtray, being all plastic, it could melt or start a fire. Although there was an actual built in ashtray in the center.

[@the_realJP_]

I just purchased a 2002 Corolla S, 5 speed manual, and I love it already! I found it for sale in Marengo, IL.

[@josueguillermorosasgomez962]

A qué precio te salío?

[@tomkato6400]

The reason why this generation (E110) Corolla S trim wasn’t so popular was because it was only produced 2 model years (2001-2002)and the run for 2002 was really short. The S-trim did prove to be a hit, as it came back the next generation (E120) and was very popular. That sporty 3-spoke steering wheel is one of my favorite features of that car.

[@gsamgale5185]

I just sold my 1998 corolla two weeks ago after owning it for 16 years great car

[@deafcardude5292]

I used to own a Corolla S, and I regretted selling it every day. But it was a fun beater car. I hope to get another one someday.

[@PimpKilla789]

I have one of these rn as a daily and I love it

[@CytroGhost]

2000 brought in the vvti but not the face lift. that was brought in 01-02. The reason why less aftermarket as the civic was double wishbone, had a tunable platform as the 1zz was just known for burning oil lol. But 1zz was offered with a super charger so thats cool

[@VictorSchofield]

I had one for a winter beater. Can't beat it with the reliability and gas mileage.

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

I always thought the Corolla S was a step up from the base model CE, and not too far off the better equipped LE. I think it looks a bit cheap with the steel wheels and plastic wheel covers, it should have had aluminum wheels, which would show off the subtle rocker panel flares. But, I'm more familiar with the next (9th) generation E120 2003-2008 Corollas since I inherited a 2003 Corolla CE from my mother. They were quite a step up from the 8th gen and the oil burning problems had been resolved. But, the real sleeper was the 2005-2006 Corolla XRS with 5 spoke 16" Matrix wheels, the nice body kit the S had, but best of all, a high revving 2ZZ-GE and a six speed manual.

[@Memesfromthestreets]

The XRS is like the Vibe GT but sedan

[@Mark-ye8ro]

The S model normally comes with mag wheels. The wheels in the video came from another vehicle.

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

@@Mark-ye8ro Yes, maybe those were steel wheels with aftermarket wheel covers for the winter tires. I have the 16" 5 spoke wheels on my 2003 Corolla CE, same kind the Corolla XRS and some Matrix models had.

[@galant310]

It is a step up this guy is misinformed

[@galant310]

It is a step up this guy is misinformed

[@CorollaChronicles]

5:05. Interesting fact: That little "coin-holder" blanking plate to the front of the 12 Volt output is where the status indicator for an optional remote keyless security system would go, the Toyota VIP RS3000.

[@kwasia4882]

I remember looking for one of those 20 years ago. It’s actually a pretty good difference from the base than you think.

[@bwofficial1776]

When you want "a car". It'll get you from point A to point B as long as you want to keep driving it. What more do you really need, it asks? I don't know why, but the sport steering wheel and gauges impress me. Even if Corollas aren't sporty, Toyota wants you to feel like they are every time you look down. I'd love for you to review that 3rd gen Prius, I don't think you've reviewed one yet. As I've said before, my family has one and we'll never sell it. It's dorky and slow but just so good at what it's designed for. Tons of space for a compact, surprisingly good handling and comfort, has never broken down. It's a higher-tech version of this Corolla. The only complaint is that it's cheap inside. Solid but hard plastics and there are some odd omissions. Ours has manual heated leather seats (single-stage heating, you get on or off) and it's the second-highest trim. Also the radio sucks. Very poor FM reception, poor sound quality on the "upgraded" speakers, and the GPS was unusable when it was new.

[@freakinrican2919]

I've got both an '02 Corolla and a '99 Civic. Both are turbo projects (2ZZGE AND D16Y8 respectively) with auto to manual conversions. I will definitely agree that the Corolla is a bit more of a challenge because of the lack of aftermarket support. The trick here is blogging. Networking is key to avoiding major stumbling blocks. One thing for sure though...after all is said and done, the Corolla is the one I will not part with...the Civic (very easily replaceable) will be on the market.

[@ShootingCars]

Would love to see the build some day!

[@Yakanhikoerotikkushiti]

Get a 2003 Corolla Sport. The Corolla S was never popular to begin with.

[@theoldman947]

The 1ZZ engine has a problem with oil consumption. If you buy a 2001-2002 make sure it not an oil-burner.

[@learnwtea]

I've been subscribed forever it feels like! So happy to see you hit 50k subs, you deserve it!

[@ChrisBlagdonIsABoss]

i love the steering wheel and gauge clusters on the sport models. so sexy.

[@sammyt3514]

I have the LE of that generation and it would be interesting if you could test that as well (if it's still available) to see how it stacks up! Thanks for the enjoyable review.

[@libertymartin5167]

I have an LE too! I ❤️ mine!

[@fuosdi64]

Damn dude your work ethic is crazy, keep it up 💯

[@FCT8306onTwoWheels]

those intake runners are nice, wow really nice looking. I like the red/black gauges

[@CytroGhost]

the later 1zz had the plastic ones which was way better for the engine and a bigger throttle body. looked nice but chocked the engine

[@FCT8306onTwoWheels]

@@CytroGhost oh so this one is a winner. It almost looks like a speedshop custom manifold

[@hduncan2587]

@@CytroGhost the metal manifold is surprisingly lighter than the plastic. I think the flow and cooler intake temperatures were the main reasons they went for the update. Even then, I think the following gen still put out a smidge more power somehow (not to mention shorter gearing to help fight through the weight).

[@miguelquazar883]

The less gadgets and dick whistles in a vehicle, the less $ to maintain. Why I love old Corolla's.

[@MrUGA2010]

let me tell you; I owned 02 Corolla LE model from the get go; I bought it in September, 2 of 2001; if I waited to the post NYC attack I could score a better deal; anyways, the car turn out to be a oil burner machine; it would needed to be toped off all the time in higher years; I drove it to 230K miles; i've changed the catalic converter 3 times and it was never fixed; I got rid off it in April of 2010; it cost me lost of it to maintain it but i think I got the money worth it; I sold it in April 2010 for $1500.00 and it still looked good at the time; I could see it later on too on the road till 2014 I'd say that burning oil problem is why you don't see these that often around

[@LouisSubearth]

The B series engines lent themselves more for high performance applications than the ZZ engines, although if Toyota had offered the 20V 4AGE in this Corolla it would've been a performance icon of their own. However this generation of Corolla is very popular in Puerto Rico, but modified for sound competitions and an aesthetic that combines stance, hellaflush and 2000s bling culture instead of racing.

[@Cloutezza]

Not sure if you’ve reviewed a 7th gen accord yet but if you haven’t definitely consider the v6 6 speed one highly slept on car with the right suspension and setup its on par with e46 m3’s and other cars in that range

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

M3 Nope , not even close. FWD will never be on par.

[@Cloutezza]

@@BigEightiesNewWave lol ok then my auto gaps stis e36’s you name it on backroads

[@pope9349]

Just a straight rock solid daily driver.I owned 2 corollas back in the days and loved them.I gave my last one wich was a 2011 5 speed to my gf but she sold it to buy another car lol I was pissed.

[@Jtkapsar]

i got a 2000 5 speed and i love it so much , not super slow but very fun , id love to see these start selling more

[@miguelquazar883]

To drive one of these with MT would be great. WTF is up with companies only offering AT all the time? That would make it even more reliable.

[@Blakecryderman7244]

@@miguelquazar883 because unfortunately 96% of Americans drive automatics. But that survey was like 4 years ago, it might be more now. Manual really bumps up the power of smaller cars with less horsepower. Because you don’t have to deal with an automatic accelerating and staying in 2nd gear droning and not shifting into 3rd until 60 mph, bogging it down, vs a manual you can control exactly how your shifting. I’m no 0-60 nerd though, I like a manual car that you can wring it out but not be dangerously over the speed limit, but still get out of someone’s way. And that’s where lower horsepower manual cars really come into play. I really like manual transmission Camrys, rare to see. I own a 1986 and it’s exactly how I described with the manual how it drives above. It feels a fair bit more than 92 horsepower with that stick shift, and it’s 2500 Ibs

[@WalterKnox]

Honestly, I am glad these have not caught on as much as the civics. I can still go out almost any given day and see at least one of these on the road (probably not the S trim, but an 8th gen corolla) and besides being old, and the paint faded, they are normally in pretty good shape and not all hacked up.

[@KiLDELTA]

for this 8th gen, our version here in the Philippines has mostly no rubber stopper on the cup holder thus it will be able to hold the BFB

[@stevegiddens7713]

If you buy one look for rust. The rear brake lines/ fuel line will rust out. Also check rear pinch welds for rust. Really easy and cheap to repair.

[@Speedysnail9999]

Great review! Have an interesting car or more-so category to suggest, have you done any of the rarer Japanese wagons? I’m thinking Lexus IS300 SportCross, or TSX wagon, but also some of the common ones we think of like the Camry and Accord Wagons of the 90s. Keep up great work!

[@kjohns1413]

Still have my 98 prizm for 23 years. Same body style. Still runs and drives. Abs, ac, rear struts long gone. But I still drive it all over! Biggest complaint is the rear seats can’t fit an adult. Literally their head hits the ceiling. Car is terrible in winter too, even with blizzaks. But it’s a great summer car.

[@Nestle245]

Dam I want this sport version. Had a 2001 LE and loved it for what it was. A tiny car, felt like a go cart, nice and comfortable. I used a tape aux converter to plug in my phone for aux music with the stock sound system, and the sound was pretty good.

[@stolaola6313]

I might be selling mine!

[@travmusickable]

@@stolaola6313 I got my 2002 from my brother back in 2017. Just needed a fuel pump and cat-convertor & she's been Rollin taught ever since. I refuse to sell this because it's so reliable if you keep up the maintenance. I'm planning to re-do my headliner & back dashboard with a custom design print fabric to give it a bit of a face-lift. . ☺ 😂 this car is great for getting around town & it's good on gas

[@damilolaakanni]

In the EU and UK, this generation of Corolla came out for the 1995 model year and ended in 2000. It has a different body (and the option of a smaller 1.6 4 cylinder engine) but the platform is the same. BTW, this generation was one of the last cars to offer a three speed automatic transmission in the 90's, notable among the others were the Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Neon and the related Geo (later Chevy) Prizm.

[@BruckerHouse]

This was a very good video thank you for posting it!!!

[@jaydev.y587]

Hey man! Can you do the review on 3rd generation? Would like to see it! And your bottle test on it 😂

[@stardust-reverie]

it's weird how many people around me in the drove the other models of these growing up--my grandparents, my dad's girlfriend (yeah yeah), a family friend... and now me, since said family friend handed it down as my first car lol. absolutely wild to see such a similar model to this car i know so well with features i wouldn't see on cars my family had until well after these were made

[@maduodinaka3813]

I lost my Toyota Corolla 2002 model on the 9th of February 2024 to car jackers in Nigeria , i was a very bad experience fo me, am still recovering from the ugly experience i hope i will get money to buy another one someday😢😢😢, what a lovely car😊

[@damilolaakanni]

I wish I got this instead of my MK4 Volkswagen golf. It's pretty reliable, but electrical issues and exhaust leaks have not made ownership enjoyable. And that's not counting the cleanup of the entire fuel system because the engine would just stall without notice (for an automatic transmission, that's not good).

[@maginext]

I believe the Lotus had a 2ZZ which is way different in HP

[@hduncan2587]

Not just horsepower, but internals in general. Not even the same bore and stroke.

[@AvenueD417]

These should have been the first gen XRS with the 2zz. I’m seeing these now with the blacktop 4age 20v swap, that’s the perfect combo.

[@scrapgamingx1942]

These are widely available due to cheapness and slowly are getting thrashed but their certainly is a growing community tbh this is my dream car believe it or not

[@benevolent4341]

a tip for the cup holder you can put down the brackets i guess you can call them under the pull out part and it can fit bigger cups i personally just have a problem with it leaning left & right on turns

[@g-mang-man7924]

I always liked the 2011-2012 Corolla S in orange. Had a great look!

[@jefferysmith3930]

I drove one of these back in the day. It was new and one of our dealership rentals. On the hwy. That car was like a chihuahua hyped up on espresso . It constantly darted all over the place

[@kumingo]

Love this car.

[@sumgooood]

i got one i’ve had it for about a year but idk if i wanna keep. it’s a small car for me but i love the reliability of the car, only has 77k miles

[@dabigboom8140]

im working on rebuilding my 2002 corolla CE, its got the 5 speed manual and is a lot of fun but the oil burning issue has gotten out of hand. So im taking the time to fully rebuild and maybe a few upgrades to prepare the internals for a turbo later on

[@SanchoNacho]

Honestly it's oil like crazy. I'm going to fix the valve cover leak and the timing chain tensioner leak as well hopefully it helps

[@dabigboom8140]

@@SanchoNacho I changed the valve cover gasket a long time ago and it seemed to help a little. I'm almost done with tearing down the engine and it seems like all the RTV around the timing chain cover is old and brittle which would explain why it leaked so much in the area. And there's sludge buildup everywhere in the engine, including in the piston rings which is probably why they didn't seal well. And there was oil all in the intake from the pcv valve. I'd recommend trying to change out the PCV valve and running some seafoam in your engine before your next oil change to help clear out some gunk and maybe that'll help it too Edit: also there was a ton of carbon buildup on the piston heads, valves, and the exhaust ports. If yours I'd the same then using seafoam in your fuel might help with that too

[@tinhinnh]

The Elise had 190hp, 10 more than the Celica gts/Matrix/Corolla XRS

[@mikeyveloster7615]

What a gem!

[@Toyota4Life]

They’re very popular among Toyota and Lexus enthusiast

[@weatherwatchmore381]

My 01 is an LE and is in incredible condition. And it has a Cassette Tape .😅

[@ioiwut4874]

"STORAGE ONLY" now that you point it out, that's kinda funny. and i think that steering wheel is used in the MR-S and Celica, too. wish it had a flat bottom but its a no fuss, clean and ergonomic wheel.

[@gamingwithredwan5013]

Can you do an updated review on the 2007-2014 Tahoe any trim no problem?

[@AlexGarcia-ke3qq]

kinda rare wish i could find one with a 5spd

[@damilolaakanni]

The RAV4 never got the 1ZZ-FE engine. That RAV4 you reviewed has either a 2.0 or 2.4 engine. Also, there was a 2ZZ-FE engine (also a 1.8) that was used in sporty Toyotas as well as the Lotus Elise and Exige.

[@hduncan2587]

I came on to say that, but apparently base FWD Rav4's were indeed 1ZZ-FE... but not in America. I'll add the MR2 Spyder and Celica GT aren't plain 1ZZ-FE's, they're FED's. Different compression, cams, among other things (also why they rev to 6,800rpm). Intake manifolds look to be the same, though.

[@damilolaakanni]

​@hduncan2587 2001-2003 used the 1AZ-FE engine, 2004 & 2005 used the 2AZ-FE engine which was carried over to the third generation and used until 2008 when it was replaced by the 2AR-FE engine in 2009.

[@tientrinh943]

Great review

[@garrettraakman6465]

Happy new year!

[@zachg9065]

Id take it if it was cheap, but man these are going for like $5-$6k now too much

[@ahzislost3030]

Building mine now ! Can’t wait to show it off 5 speed manual stay tuned same color as well

[@travmusickable]

Keep us posted if you can come back to this comment bro or drop a Facebook/ Instagram/TikTok link and we can swap because I'm about to re-do my headliner and back dashboard on my 2002 Corolla/AKA the CoRollzRoyce 😂 I'm going with a custom print design fabric instead of a solid colored fabric just to jazz it up with a custom/ personalized look. I've had this car since 2017 & refuse to let it go. She's in great shape . Just a few imperfections here & there but she's 97% all solid toyota royalty. 💪🏾 ✌🏾 cheers from the 225-BR-Louisiana

[@Mesakezuit]

@@travmusickablehow da car holding up

[@celsovera91]

My first car. It was a 2000 corolla LE

[@davinp]

2002 was the last model year, Toyota made the Corolla (Geo Prizm) for GM

[@Align700nitro]

The 8th gen corolla is nothing but a good car. If they make a brand new one today, I'm willing to pay double the today's corolla price for it.

[@hduncan2587]

I was never big on how these Corolla's (or similar vintage Paseo/Tercel) felt turning into and through a corner. Something about the geometry made the front end feel that much more like the tires are "tucking under." Just a horrible scrubbing feeling. The Echo, Scion xA, next generation of Corolla, and last gen Celica didn't exhibit that the same way. These did have nicer interior materials that was lost on those newer Toyota's, though... but they also don't age well, either. Door handles both inside and out tend to snap, headliners sad, the soft touch vinyl's peel off... stuff like that.

[@Dankcatvacs]

have a happy new year!

[@dave11686]

I know a few people that had those generations of Corollas when new

[@bradleymeyer9775]

I’d like a black one to match with the black interior.

[@auntbarbara5576]

Aunt Barbara would daily the living shit outta this car 😄

[@ΓιώργοςΧαραλαμπίδης-ξ7ι]

If you ever visit Greece, you will see a lot of these cars in the “G6” version!! Too bad that the us-spec doesn’t have the 4a engine😔

[@zcomputermanz4177]

it says storage only because if you use it as a ash trey it will melt.

[@losangelesrampartaudits9066]

I have on one sale 2002 Toyota Corolla clean title in California with only 74,000 low miles 😮

[@bubbadoright9271]

I have a 2002 Corolla S manual with that oil burning problem. What is the best approach to fixing this engine. Is it dropping in a new engine? It's different from the Corolla '99 which didn't have coil on plug. I'd like to save the manual from the recyclers.

[@Theweouthereforrealclub-]

You can hone and re-ring the motor without pulling it out of the car. Check out the forums, there are in depth how to instructions on it. While you have the pistons out you clean them up and drill out the oil drain holes in the piston and make them bigger. Problem solved. I think I got everything minus tools and consumables for about $400. I haven’t done it yet because my oil consumption isn’t too bad but when I get sick of it I’ll have the stuff ready to go.

[@gregoryrodriguez9219]

I have heard that changing the piston ring also improves if someone can corroborate if it is true.

[@Theweouthereforrealclub-]

@@gregoryrodriguez9219 it does, the problem is the pistons were designed with drain holes that are too small so the problem will eventually come back. Later model 1ZZ engines fixed this by making the holes larger. While you have the pistons out it’s a good time to drill the oil drain holes bigger so the problem doesn’t come back.

[@gregoryrodriguez9219]

@@Theweouthereforrealclub- Can you leave me a link to a video that shows how to enlarge the piston holes in the way you explain?

[@Theweouthereforrealclub-]

@@gregoryrodriguez9219 kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2acZn-IabiEpqssi=deb-iLVRoF0PLH_0 skip to 39:10. The existing holes get a pass with a drill bit and you add a couple more.

[@theadvocate4698]

You should have drove the LE, then you would understand why the civic get all the love...i guess this one (the S)has a better spring rate....i vividly remember test driving a 2000 corolla, the engine was fun but the chassis gave me a feeling of an old buick, everything was bouncy and marshmallowy, the steering felt disconneted and dead....it already feeled old and used and was brand new...driving that car brought me no fun at all, the manual echo was way more fun! Even in 2013, almost bought a new manual corolla but then felt sad driving it, again no fun...the newer version is close to a buy but still something keep me looking elsewhere...

[@sammyt3514]

I had a 2000 which I sold and got the 2002 model; the latter does handle much better and the ride quality is only slightly less comfortable than the 1998-2000 model. So, if you want better handling, the 2001-2002 model is the one to get!

[@samueldokowe]

We call this, 'Toyota Crystal Light' in my country.

[@notyourbusiness1352]

The US version is miserable until '09 when it become the same as JDM version. The early 2000s JDM corolla design was better. In '03 the interior become the same for both versions.

[@potatogirlcultist19]

YUKARIMOBILE IN REAL LIFE!!!

[@robertcroft2352]

Nice car. I Love Corolla's.

[@westcoast6860]

Are used to have a 98 Toyota Corolla LE I was looking for the S model couldn’t find one but they are for sale or I was looking for a Corolla XRS. Good on gas ⛽️ Japanese cars live up to their name

[@sweetcraft557]

Those cars are hard to find

[@42luke93]

The floor is so close to the seat. Definitely not a car for tall people. It’s like if you were sitting in the back of a station wagon with the floor not being low enough for your legs. But it is manageable and not as uncomfortable.

[@GanDtech]

I’m 6’3 and have no issues with the 2006 Corolla

[@42luke93]

@@GanDtech I haven’t been in those. The body style is different so probably it was improved. Visited a Toyota Dealer a few months ago and found the new one is way more comfortable and similar to camry now.

[@Nestle245]

I'm 6 3 and have a 2001 LE. Never had an issue with being comfortable. Backseats are a different story though.

[@202motors6]

What was the price? I didn’t see it on their site.

[@ShootingCars]

I believe this one sold, but the other LE is still for sale. I believe it was listed for $6k

[@theadvocate4698]

@@ShootingCars 🙆‍♂The market is insane, that costed 20 000$ 20 years ago!

[@alos7941]

Still drive mine 165k going strong

[@dizk5283]

Burn any oil?

[@alos7941]

@@dizk5283 surprisingly no brother, I got it for $500 at 120k miles. I've since religiously change the oil every 4k miles with full synthetic from costco. It had front end damage but that wasn't severe. Solid investment so far

[@dizk5283]

@@alos7941 lucky as hell. 500 is an absolute steal.

[@dizk5283]

@@alos7941 Mate check it out my channel if you have time. I do car DIY vidoes.

[@theanimeotaku2794]

It's because there bester cars for people who can't afford most cars today

[@fahhad17]

vigorous oil burning machine

[@SanchoNacho]

It eats oil like ifs it's water

[@fahhad17]

@@SanchoNacho my 2002 I fix with new piston and ring , now no more oil burning runs like new

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

$4901 LOL dollars w/taxes and fees. My 2002 Focus ZX3 HB Manual-5-SPEED shits all over this , has no dents everything works like new , incl. air and has brand new V-rated directional 205/50/16 tires. NOT FOR SALE !

[@mvc2177]

Is this vehicle for sale 😅?

[@penvon]

Had one & it got written off by my insurance for a small dent.

[@emmanuelakorful983]

Pls I need the 2002 corolla s ..am in Ghana

[@MAV44444]

I can see the rust

[@Hobotraveler82]

❤

[@anotherhuman8211]

The engines specifically used in 8th gen corollas are mediocre at best as they burn tons of oil, and the car has issues: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGeUY4KtaM19d9Usi=55SN7gimeAMx-M6E&t=679. I drive one that was neglected [one time of 30k no oil change] and now the engine at 220k miles is choking. It sometimes fumbles so bad -- even once fully warmed up-- that it wont go above ~500 rpm for up to 10 minutes. It burns oil pretty bad.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

S=S*** Comes w/free dents too.

[@jlr194]

An automatic? Boring lol

[@applepoop10]

The “S” stands for slow.