I own a car, but I leave all the technical/mechanical stuff to my guy friends and Toyota mechanics, so this review will be purely from the user (aka "one-who-can-drive-the-car-but-does-not-know-much-more-other-than-how-to-drive-it") perspective.

Why a Toyota?
A lot of my friends own Toyotas (mostly Camrys) and they have nothing but praise about it. "Never had a problem," one friend told me, "10 years! More than 100,000 miles! Still runs as smooth as ever!" Another friend has two Toyota Camrys and is thinking about getting another. I've also heard praises about other Japanese brands, such as Nissan and Honda, but only Toyota received unanimous praise. So I settled on a Toyota, but which Toyota should I get? A larger, more comfortable (and more expensive) Camry? Or the smaller, cheaper, more fuel-efficient Corolla? Or the cute, hip, but fuel-guzzling RAV4?

Why a Corolla?
I don't usually have passengers, so a Camry seems too big for me. I don't go off-road, so that rules out RAV4 (and I don't want to waste fuel. Since however fuel-efficient the new RAV4 is, it's still no match for Corolla). After I defined:
* What I want (a car that's reliable)
* What I need (basic car for one person)
* What I can afford (cheaper the better)

I decided on a Corolla. Now another question arised - to get it new or used?

New or Used?
My vote goes to the used car. I am a student and don't have extra pocket money to spare, and an relatively new (within the past five years) used car with decent miles (15K miles per year) will meet all my requirements (as listed above). A new car, on the other hand, is nice, comfortable, hassle-free and absolutely totally entirely YOURS. But I simply can't stand the thought that the moment you drive it out of the dealer's lot, the value of the car drops.

Tips on shopping for a car
A couple of websites that I found handy when researching cars:
* Kelley Blue Book (kbb): To check estimated price on different models and link to safety reports.
* Carfax: To check used car's car history. It will show you everything from where the original owner bought it, where it's been, etc. Essential for the purchase of an used vehicle.
* Various car sites: such as MSN, Cars.com, etc.

My Toyota Corolla
I got my 2002 Corolla CE (specs below) in 2003 for a grand total of a bit over $10,000 (this includes all fee and tax). I think I got a great deal, and I love my little car.

2002 Toyota Corolla CE
Color: Red (a tad dark)
Engine Transmission: 4-Cyl. 1.8 Liter
Transmission: Automatic
Mileage: 15,000 mi
Drive: Front Wheel Drive
Dealer Area: Around New Haven, CT
* A/C, power steering, AM/FM stereo, cassette, dual front air bags.

I'm not exactly sure what else is in the car, but my car is really basic. It came in a very good condition, only a few scratches (painted over) in the back bumper that looks like it's from moving things in and out of the trunk. There were no mechanical defects and the car was still in its original 18-month warranty period.

What I love about this little car
Fuel, fuel, fuel, and quiet engine. It is so fuel efficient! I can top off my car under 20 dollars (from almost empty)! One topping-off can run up to 300 miles depending on weather and traffic condition. The mileage is worse during the winter months and during months when there are a lot of city driving. The engine is very quiet. Several times I forgot that I have started the engine and since I couldn't hear it, I accidentally restarted it again!

What I don't like...
* The engine is rather weak, but I ain't no race car driver so no complaints about that.
* The car, because of its small compact size, is very light. Driving in strong wind and/or high speed conditions can be a bit of a scare. I could feel a definite sideway drift when I steer (but then so can my friend who drives a Volkswagen Jetta).
* Space inside is limited. When it's packed, it's hard to make everybody comfortable.
* Wiper speed: I can't find one to use in drizzles. At least there is the super-fast speed for use in thunderstorms.
* Wind noise: the insulation is bad bad bad. I can't hear the radio (at a level that I can easily hear when driving in the city) when I'm driving on some highways.

What I wish I've got...
* Power door locks: Unless you want some stretching exercise everytime, get a car with power door locks.
* Power windows: This I can live without, though it would be nice to have.
* Cruise control: For those long-distance highway trips.
* CD: Nice to have, but not an essential.

My repair experience
Three months after I got the car (and after one trip from Connecticut to Maine and back), the "check engine" light came on one day. Since it was still under warranty, I brought it to Toyota mechanics for a checkup. Apparently something in the exhaust system was loose and the gas vapor was not recycled properly and caused the "check engine" light to come on. Before they figured out why, I was standing in the waiting room, worried. One of the mechanics told me that Toyota engines are very reliable, and when the "check engine" light comes on, as long as the engine is still running smoothly, it's probably just the exhaust or something trivial (e.g. the gas door wasn't closed properly, but you need to bring it to the shop to get the light turned off). That's definitely good to know.

They checked my car and ordered the parts. I came back again to get the part installed. Two trips and that's it... FREE of charge because of the warranty. The mechanics didn't mention what caused this issue. There were some signs though. One of them is decreased mileage. I usually monitor what miles I'm getting for each gallon, and the miles per gallon number was going down. Also, we've smelled gasoline on more than one occasion but didn't see any leakage. I don't know if this is a common problem for 2002 Corolla's, but I would suggest that you look out for possible problems.

To sum it up...
I love my car. It's my little sanctuary (in every sense of the word little and sanctuary). I fully recommend a Toyota, and I would suggest that you figure out what you want, what you need, and what your budget is before deciding on a model. Doing a little bit more homework doesn't hurt either. Best of luck in your car hunt!

[Update: 2/11/2005]
In response to pvreditor's inquiry about actual gas mileage, I think I usually get an average of 24-28 miles per gallon (mpg), with a tank size about 10 gallons, I get 240-280 miles per tank on average. That's about half city miles and half highway miles. When I go on road trips (mostly highways), I can stretch it to 30 mpg and up.
Amount Paid (US$): 10000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: CE, automatic transmission, 1.8L, power steering