1990 Toyota Corolla Review
Price Estimate: $1,672 - $2,786
Toyota Corolla model years
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What’s new
Fuel injection standard on all Corollas. GT-S model gets more horsepower. All other Corollas get 100-horsepower engine.
For sale near Waukegan, IL
Toyota Corolla Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
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Glad I Chose This As My 1st Car
5 out of 5 starsJay, 01/01/2016
1990 Toyota Corolla 4dr Sedan
Bought my 1990 4dr Corolla (base model, no power anything) in 2014 for $865 as my first car. It wasn't in terrible condition but it had been sitting so all four tires were dry-rotted. I replaced the front two to avoid slipping in the winter, serviced transmission, performed an oil change, and performed a tune up. With a couple hundred dollars into it, it was running fine and continues to … do so despite being 26 years old now. There is an exhaust leak, the door handle fell off once, and one night the battery terminal literally broke in half and disconnected itself while driving. Fixed it the next day with a $5 dollar one from Auto Zone and everything was back to normal. I've put ~10K miles on it in a little over a year. Being an 18-year-old boy, it definitely isn't the most exciting thing to drive for me but it gets me where I need to go with around 30 MPG as I drive like a granny in town. Purely based on value, it's a better one than any other first car I could've chosen. There was no other car I could've bought that would have cost this little and still work reliably every day.
253,000 and still going strong!
5 out of 5 starslinda, 10/23/2016
1990 Toyota Corolla 4dr Sedan
I got this car back in 2005 with I believe 80,000, or somewhere in the ballpark. I'm the third owner. I paid $800 for it. I remember the guy I bought it from literally kissed the car goodbye! lol. He said it was a great car, extremely reliable and amazing on gas. It's now 2016 and yes I still own it and it now it has 253,000 miles and still going. It's not as if I haven't put any money … into fixing it. I had an oil leak at one time, the engine fan suddenly stopped working and had to be replaced, several hoses were worn out and it overheated one time and I had to get a new radiator. Other than those problems, everything else has been routine maintenance. This car is so reliable that I've taken it on major road trips across the U.S. However, if I were to get into an accident, I'm pretty sure I would die. It's not very safe! But it's my daily driver to and from work only.
Runs 4ever
3.13 out of 5 starsRatboy, 11/28/2002
1990 Toyota Corolla Deluxe 4dr Wagon
I bought this car about 5 years ago (it
was already 8 years old) just for basic
trans for a year or two until I get
something better. Well, oddly enough, I
can't let it go. It's the best car I've
ever own. Not the prettiest or most
comfortable, but does the job and never
breaks down.
Keep it Simple
4.5 out of 5 starsBeast, 11/01/2010
1990 Toyota Corolla 4dr Sedan
Love this car. Bought it in 2005 with 30,000 miles on it. Did not realize what I was getting into when bought this car. Drove this car to Los Angeles and back a few times. Easy. Filled up twice. For 700 miles. I mean come on. Being a '90 model, with a top speed on 110 mph. This car can actually reach that speed. I find that very impressive. Acceleration is outstanding and really just … very fun to drive. Lots of great memories in the car and I recently crossed 85,000. I expect this bad boy to be with me for a while. Not a scratch. Not a tear. Everything is functioning. And body in pristine condition. Real lucky to drive this car. Will take care of it as much as it takes care of me.
1990 Corolla Highlights
Coupe
GT-S Sport
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 25 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $172/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 11.7 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger2 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original0
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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