My grandmother bought a 1994 Geo Prizm LSi brand new, the first new car she ever owned and she was so proud of it. I learned how to drive in that car. It currently sits in my back garage with 502k all original miles. I just spent $1700 on rockauto last year and bought every part they sold and did as complete a mechanical rebuild as possible without opening up the engine. Just waiting for the snow to go away and she rides once again. An amazing car and a true member of my family. Also, my father and step-mother met each other while working at NUMMI, both spending 25 years there until its closure. Funny how a random lil video like this can stir up so many memories in an instant.
Almost 30 years later and these generation of Corollas and Prizms remain a common sight on American roads. Really shows how well-built and reliable these cars are.
@@Jordi7174 except not because that was a very limited production pilot program and hundreds of thousands of corolla/prizm's were built. Thats an apples to oranges comparison
@@tanyguch_kun1330 Interesting! Nowadays my 1993 Corolla 1.8 automatic is the usually the slowest car around wherever I go, but mainly because it’s competition couldn’t stand the tests of time! 🥲
the mid 90's were the most reliable cars of that era maybe the camry 2.2 with a manual transmission was even better, late 90's were junks, like any japaneese cars since 1997
@@yardman0001 Niiice mine is 03 with 95000 miles. Summer only in Ontario so I'll have it forever!! Also daily 05 Acura EL and just hit 200 000 miles. Still beat on it every single day!
My first Prizm I sent to the shredder after 250,250 miles precisely (that is not a typo, a sheer coincidence it was). It still ran great, but I had an accident that wasn’t worth repairing. My mechanic at the time put the better parts on a second 1994 Prizm, which I drove for another year and a half before it too ended up in some accidents, and it was traded in for $500. I miss those cars….easy to drive, reliable, fun.
I still see these on the roads daily. Can you imagine traveling back in time to 1992 and telling him that these cars would still be on the roads 30 years later? 😄
A friend gave me a free running driving Prism when they moved. It needs a few things but overall drives really nice. I was going to sell but with rising fuel prices I might be better to keep it.
@@fanatic26 There is no oil crisis and never was. It was an engineered panic controlled by the petroleum companies to fluff their bank accounts. They learned that people will pay any price they can get for gas no matter what, so they charged $10 a gallon and people would gladly pay it.
@@syxepop they want all old cars crushed. I'm sorry if that's a surprise to you. But it's a fact, they want cars crushed after a certain time period, that's how we end up with "survivors." And somebody/s should have went to prison for crushing all those GM electric cars there buddi boi! Good luck finding a gas saver ☺️
My grandmother bought a ‘93 Corolla LE to replace her Jetta. She kept it for 10 years and only put 54K miles on it. Then it became mine in ‘03 when I turned 16. I kept it for another five years and put almost as much mileage on before turning it over to my brother when he turned 16. It was a fabulous car, and other than dead batteries (which can happen in any car), never left me stranded.
These were great cars. As a kid I recommended this car to my aunt. I think she bought it new in 1994 and drove it until she crashed it in 2009, and replaced it w a matrix (which was also based on the Corolla). If remember thinking this new Corolla looked really good and contemporary, especially compared to the boxy 1986 Corolla my best friends mom had.
The Matrix wasn't just based on the Corolla, it _WAS_ a Corolla, its full name is Toyota Corolla Matrix and it was the last Corolla hatchback sold in the States until the E170/E180 Corolla iM/Auris and the current E210 Corolla hatchback
Not only the Matrix / Vibe WERE Corollas, but also made at the same NUMMI factory in Fremont, CA. (a copy of each being passed by a Tesla Model Y, built nowadays in that same building)
Had a 94 Corolla LE and even to this day it was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. And still the coldest A/C of any vehicle I’ve ever been in. If it wasn’t for rust (I live in the rust belt unfortunately) I’d still be daily driving it. Literally the only thing I had to replace was the battery and the brakes (other than oil changes and tires) Absolutely loved my little Corolla!
A friend of my mother's owned a 1996 Geo Prism in top-spec. I was a teen at the time, but thought it was a very nice and solid car when I got to drive it. Very composed and smooth.
My first car, we purchased my geo 1 year ago with 13k miles, now we have 18k miles on it. All original, beautiful paint, it was parked in LA for 10 years
Just like the GMT800 suvs. I still see hundreds of these every week. Most look like they've been through a demolition derby. Some are pristine. But these are the some of the most reliable cars on the planet, and will probably outlive most of us.
I see a Geo Prizm or Tracker seldomly - maybe 2 a year based on my past photographs of them (I take photos of cars I see when I'm out). Last time I seen a Prizm was in 2021.
The Geo Prizm is a Toyota Sprinter without much in common with the Sprinter. My Geo Prizm went 265k until a Hummer H2 folded the trunk and buckled the roofline and quarter panels at a stoplight
My brother bought a new mid '90s Corolla. It was one of the dealership's display cars and he actually drove it off the showroom floor. He commuted a LOT of miles back then and wanted something simple, cheap to drive and operate, and good in Midwestern winter weather. Over the next 15 - 20 years he put over 400k miles on it. Sometime in the early 2010's he no longer had that commute and the miles put on the Corolla went down considerably but he never could bring himself to sell it, partly due to loyalty but also because a running spare vehicle was worth more to him than the little bit of money a 400k+ mile vehicle would bring. It's still in his barn as a fourth string back-up. He lives in salty winter road country so it got the body cancer (Toyotas back then were bad for that) but mechanically with basic maintenance it's nearly indestructible.
My wife had a '93 Prism for 15 years with well over 200k on the odometer. The only problems we experienced with it were common and not expensive to repair/replace: a window regulator, a couple of interior door handles and 3 Delco alternators. The Denso alternators were better on the Japanese-manufactured Corollas. I still wish we'd never sold that car!
We purchased a used one year old 1993 Prizm LSi in 1994. Drove it until 2017. Would still be driving it today but we needed a larger vehicle for the grandkids. It was a fantastic little car. Easy to work on and maintain.
The first car I have ever financed was a 1995 Geo Prizm (Dec 1994). It had a 3 year lease. It was black, grey interior, and fast (when I drove it that is). I never had an issue with it. After the lease expired, I traded it in for a 1998 Dodge Stratus on a 5 year lease. That car was faster and definitely much sportier looking, but certainly NOT as reliable as the Prizm. The brakes were crap and the seat sloped down too much (I felt like I was sliding down the seat!). But in 2009 I traded my Malibu for a 2007 Corolla and it was like driving that Prizm again. Then in 2015 I traded that Corolla for a 2010 Corolla, which I will keep for the rest of my life!
We have two NUMMI built vehicles in the family. I can assure everyone that badge engineering is perfectly fine as long as GM engineers the badge and Toyota engineers the car. 😉
@@manthony225 I think a lot of people knew they were actually driving a Corolla, other than different badges and trim, it's the same car and pretty recognizable
@@christopherconard2831 Those 1980's Chevy Nova's were always intriguing to me. I remember they made some kind of sport trim level with red stripes and I believe a twin cam engine too, most were black. Neat little cars.
I had an 1995 Corolla with 7A FE engine and four speed automatic transmission. I bought it in 2012 with 52 k miles on the clock. I used the car till 2018 and sold to my friend. My friend used Corolla to the July 2023, and I bought her back. Car runs the same as in the 2012, despite the 126 k miles on the clock now. I love it. She will stay with me forever, this is the ultimate Corolla, I think ;)
The Prizm was one of the best looking small cars ever. The lines were so flowing and the dashboard looked like that of a Lexus. Probably the most reliable Corolla's of the 90's and beyond.
@@moejr1974 the question is if the amount of options you got is similar to JDM models. Back in the days I could compare the US market, European market and JDM Toyotas with the last ones being better equipped.
I have a 1992 Geo Prizm (TOYOTA SPRINTER AE 90) bought just $500 in 2006 and got a professional paint job spending $2000 after 11 years. The car is nearing 300 K miles and my daily driver. It still has factory AC, freon and blows ice cold! Starter, Engine, alternator, wheel bearings, transmission all are factory too! Oh.. I use premium fuel in it!
Here in Northern and Western Belize Central America it's been use for Taxi and quiet reliable, with a propane system installed it's runs great for less than half the price of gasoline. Mine is a 97 geo prizm and have 389,000 original miles and still runs like a champ, with proper care I should get way over 500,000 miles on it's original engine.
My mom had a 1997 Corolla DX. My younger sister and I learned to drive in that car. My mom gave it to my sister. It was going strong until she spun it into a guard rail on a highway off ramp in the rain. She was 4 hours away from home. She continued her trip, drove it home a few days later, and kept driving it for 2 more months until she found her perfect replacement. The radiator and a/c condenser were twisted, but it never overheated and the a/c still blew cold.
Yeah the base models outsold the upscale LSi by like 7 to 1. I own a 1994 Geo Prizm LSi and almost anytime i see one driving around or up for sale, it's the base model. The LSi's were so much nicer on the interior. The first couple of years, 1993-95 the interiors were far nicer. In the last 2 years, 1996-1997 they started to cost cut and the LSi's interior wasn't as plush as the earlier models.
In my opinion, not only the best generation of Corolla, but one of the best cars made. No, it's not an exciting car, but it does everything well. Had a 1997 a few years ago. I'd love to have a manual wagon version.
Had a 1993 Corolla LE back in the mid-2000's. I was going through a rough time after someone totaled my previous car. That car took me through some great times. To this day, it's one of my favorite cars I've ever owned.
This was my favorite gen of the Corolla/Prism cousins. My Mom had a 95 Corolla DX with the convenience pkg that gave it PW/DL, Cruise, P Mirrors, and Sunroof. It felt more upscale than your average compact car.
I remember growing up watching this show... Always kept me sucked into the car scene. I am a happy subscriber many years later. This series has a lot of influence even into todays content.
I wish they would shake up the format as it gets really dry today. The number of subscribers paints the picture of how poorly receptive they are, less than 400k for a major production house is incredibly bad numbers. And with that I bet a huge chunk are subscribed solely for the old content videos being uploaded.
@@oldtwinsna8347 True true. Show came out in the 80's and 90's... I just respect the old stuff I guess. I like any content that grabs me by the ears and makes me want to watch. 😅
I never knew the Prizm was slightly bigger than the Corolla. An 8.8 second 0-60 in a manual Prizm is QUICK for an early 90's economy car. I still occasionally see this generation of Corolla/Prism on the roads here in Michigan. These are such well designed and built cars. The look of these cars is still contemporary enough to fit in with modern day traffic for being 30 year old designs. Just think, did any 1963 car still look modern in 1993?!
They werent joking about the that low end torque making for a good experience. My 94 with the 1.8 pulls stronger than new cars I have rented with similar power numbers. As long as you have the 4 speed auto or the 5 speed trans its an excellent car. The 3 speed auto in the base model was pretty rough tho
I bought a 94' Camry with 71K miles last year. I specifically went for that year and model because I wanted the most reliable and easy/cheapest car to work on I could find. It's been incredible so far and it's proved to be easy to work on. Thought about selling it for something cooler, but now I'm just going to re-paint and keep it forever.
I got one 112k mile 96 Corolla in 2021. I added a short ram intake, now the high way mileage is over 36 all the time. One pump might even be 40. Just had a round trip from Austin to Omaha. Really impressed it still runs great. Now it's over 125k in 2022.
I wanna give props to the intro guy - it seems like he's losing his voice. Thank you for introducing these videos every time they come out. You do an outstanding job!
I rented one of these in the 90’s for a road trip. I still vividly remember the torture of those seats while I poured sweat thanks to the inadequate A/C while driving across the desert. Not to mention climbing hills at 45 mph with the throttle wide open. Soon after I got a Pontiac Grand Am with a 3100 V6. Comfortable, powerful by those days standards, the A/C would freeze you to death, and it got 30 mpg. All for a couple grand less than they just said the top of the line Corolla cost. Superior Toyota reliability? The thing was bulletproof.
My first brand new car when I was 19 was a bright red 1993 Pontiac Grand Am SE coupe with the 3300 V6, power windows/locks, and a rear spoiler, it turned into a piece of shit pretty quickly but was mechanically reliable... Stupidly traded it in for a new 1999 Grand Am GT when the new bodystyle just started coming to dealers and it was a bigger piece of shit but luckily I only leased that one. I remember looking at the Prizm around the time I got the first Grand Am too but wanted something that looked sportier and yeah it was expensive for the time, I only paid around $11k for it brand new and the Prizm cost alot more if you wanted even basic options. The Prizm damn sure would have lasted longer though.
@@Stressless2023 I would have rather ridden the bus than own that Corolla. It sounds like a jail sentence to have to spend hours in that thing. Especially during 110 degree summer days where I live. The windows weren’t tinted since it was a rental so it made it worse on the highway, you just baked because the AC was too weak to keep up with sunload. Then at stops I had to hold it at 2000 rpm to get any cool air. I actually thought it was broken. I complained when I returned it. Dude told me they are all like that. They had even taken a few to the dealer. But the worst was the seats. I was a fit young man and I climbed out of that thing like I was 80 after a long drive. I was in actual pain on my tail bone. Probably a 6 on 1-10. Plus the gas mileage wasn’t that great on the highway since it required full throttle to climb hills. Listen to me! 25 years later and I’m still traumatized by spending five days in the thing!
Geo Prizm is the Toyoyta Sprinter model. Here in Europe it was sold as the Toyota Corolla liftback, a hatchback/5-door coupe in 92 generation, earlier as liftback and wagon with 4wd. Similar to Mazda 323F/Lantis.
The Prizm had so many advantages over another competitor sold at the same dealerships, the Chevy Cavalier. But both cars attracted different buyers and sales of the Prizm declined when it was redesigned and rebadged as a Chevy for model year 1998, leading to its discontinuation in 2002 and being replaced by the Pontiac Vibe.
The Prizm always cost alot more than the Chevy Cavalier so it naturally always ate its lunch in terms of sales. Plus the Cavalier came in sportier trim levels and several different body styles which gave it a broader appeal. But yeah the Prizm was always the better compact car by comparison.
I love these retro reviews. They remind me of how much cars have evolved over the years. It also makes my 2020 Corolla feel like a spaceship if I compare its standard equipment vs the 93 Corolla’s optional one 😄
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 They did in some important ways. Cars are much safer now than in the 90s, they’re also more fuel efficient. They’re more refined, comfortable,etc. Those are all nice things to have. I remember riding in my uncle’s 98 Golf when it was brand new, it didn’t feel as tightly built or as comfortable as my neighbour’s 2020 Golf (also bought brand new)
@@razor3003 No idea man, mine is a manual. I just refuse to buy a car without 3 pedals. I hear from mechanics and my neighbours that new Toyota CVTs are not going bad yet. Mind you, Toyota did have to recall some of them in 2019. Although, they claim to have fixed the issue on all new ones. Could be worth a shot if you’re interested
@@DD-gz9ut I would trust older Golfs, MK3 2 liter is likely the most simpleand reliable engine. I have an 01 Cabrio 3.5 with 150k. Very solid build. Love the more manual interior like windows and side mirrors, Top.
@@skatersedge3139 You have the same interior as mine but yours has the white exterior. My cloth seats are still holding up strong after all these years. Does yours have the 1.6 or 1.8? 3 or 4 speed auto? Or manual?
@@skatersedge3139 Mine has the 1.6 liter with the 3 speed auto despite being an LSi model. The original owner wanted the LSi interior but didn't opt for very many other things. Mine has the rare tachometer gauge cluster though.
@@texan903 I know lots of people that have gotten in wrecks with Corollas over the years, and 75% of them said they walked away without a scratch. So I don’t see what you’re talking about. Everyone wants a safe car but yet they drive like lunatics.
@@Blakecryderman7244 for many years, the Corolla did not test well in side impact collisions. I find it odd that someone would know "lots of people that have gotten in wrecks with Corollas over the years." I'm not saying it's untrue but if it is, you just have the misfortune of knowing reckless, careless, inattentive drivers. Unless it was a Corolla manufactured in the past dozen years, I wouldn't want it, but that's me personally. We all have our preferences, thankfully that's the freedom of choice.
People will get back to smaller cars and park their SUVs. Manufacturers will stop the remaining sedan lineup from being discontinued. Probably even going as far as developing cars like they currently do for the European market. We could start seeing smaller cars like the Polo, Fiesta, Ibiza, Clio, etc. Just like they have been selling in Europe for decades, because of their expensive fuel prices. Those cars make a lot of sense, I would buy a Polo if it was sold in this market. Driving a 2 tonne car to go places makes no energetic sense whatsoever
It will definitely be a win for the Japanese and Korean manufacturers because they still believe in sedans. The domestics basically have given up on them. Cadillac has only two sedans in their lineup(CT5 & CT4), Chevy still makes the Malibu but the majority of sales goes to fleets, and Chrysler and Dodge still have the 300 and Charger, but they are long in the tooth.
Americans have notoriously short memories. We go through a big gas increase about to every 6-8 years. Why they do not stick with more efficient vehicles? When we are always vulnerable to fuel price increases?
Neat old video, my first new (like from a dealer new, not used) was the 93 corrola. I looked at the prism, the deciding factor for me (not mentioned in this video) was how much roomier a d more comfortable the back seat was. It also "seemed" more sturdy, and that was actually why my parents helped me get the slightly more expensive Corolla. My mother thought it was sturdier and safer looking.
Price/performance (as in quality) wise late 80's - early 90's was the pinnacle of automotive manufacturing, dominated and lead by the Japanese, especialy Toyota and Honda.
had a prism for almost 5 years, bought it was 83k and sold it with 190k. to this day its the least problematic car ive ever owned and would gladly drive one again daily.
The Corolla might have looked kinda like a Camry, but the Sprinter (which shared the Prizm's wrapover doors and rounder greenhouse) bore an uncanny resemblance to the XV10 Camry! In any case these were great cars. It's just a shame neither the 4A-GE powered GSi nor the hatchback body style lived on for the second gen Prizm...
I still see these old Corollas on the road today though I haven't seen a Geo Prizem in a long time. ( last time I saw one was in 2002 and it was in good shape, the owner took good care of it)
I had a 1993 from 1998 until 2012. It was my beat around 2nd, then 3rd vehicle when I lived outside DC and didn't want to drive a nicer car into the district. It was very reliable, but the plastics started to get brittle so I finally sold it after getting tired of having to constantly replace broken handles and switch gear. Even the reservoir for the washer fluid cracked and had to be replaced. I would still have it if it wasn't for that. I thought it was funny that even though the car said Geo the title said Chevrolet and most of the interior bits had Toyota logos. It really was a parts bin model, not that that's a bad thing when it's sharing parts with something as reliable as the Corolla.
Yeah Toyota's plastics were pretty fragile in the 90's, I remember many having broken door handles and climate control knobs. Not as bad as my moms '85 Chevy Chevette when the outside door handle came off in her hand when the car was a year old lol.
@Idgaf my brother was Scoutmaster for many of those years and we would take the rear seat out because it required no tools to do so and would make enough room for most of the Troop's more fragile stuff to fit there instead of the Troop's trailer. On one trip both rear interior door handles broke. The passenger rear door lock only worked manually after that.
I was 11 in '93. A lady in our Church had bought new Prizm around the same time my grandmother bought her new 93 Cadillac Deville which she still has to this day..lol I thought the Prizm was a cool looking little car. She let me sit in the driver's seat. But like all GM stuff they killed off their GEO line up. A few years later she got a new Nissan Altima. She said she liked her Prizm it was good on gas etc.
My grandmother also had a Cadillac Deville, a 1992. She traded it unfortunately for a 1998 Cadillac Catera which has been sitting in her garage since around 2005-2006 when she stopped driving, only has about 7k miles on it if I remember right. She's nearly 100 now.
Chevy should have just kept making the Chevrolet Corsica. Where can you get a subcompact sedan with the column shifter? That was so cool. I found out about that when watching the Naked Gun.
The folding mirrors seals the deal for me. I'll have the Toyota with the 1.8 and the manual, with the alloys from this video's Prizm though. Does the Channing Tatum look-alike come with the car?
I never realized there were that many differences between a Corolla and Prizm. I have lots of time behind the wheel of several Corollas of this generation and can attest that they are excellent machines, taking into account their intended purpose. It seems Motorweek liked the Geo version better. Personal taste really, I like the Toyota version better.
My understanding is that in Japan Toyota had multiple dealer networks and each one got slightly reworked versions of each car Toyota sold. The Geo Prism is a Toyota Sprinter, which itself was a slightly fancier/ more sporting Corolla for the "Toyota Vista" dealer chain to sell.
My grandmother bought a 1994 Geo Prizm LSi brand new, the first new car she ever owned and she was so proud of it. I learned how to drive in that car. It currently sits in my back garage with 502k all original miles. I just spent $1700 on rockauto last year and bought every part they sold and did as complete a mechanical rebuild as possible without opening up the engine. Just waiting for the snow to go away and she rides once again. An amazing car and a true member of my family. Also, my father and step-mother met each other while working at NUMMI, both spending 25 years there until its closure. Funny how a random lil video like this can stir up so many memories in an instant.
This is an amazing story thanks for your comment it was very refreshing
My mom still has her 1994 Corolla in her garage even though she cant drive it. Definetly an amazing reliable machine as all cars should be.
This gives me hope mine will last a long time I have a 1997 Corolla with 290k miles.
Thanks for sharing that story. Good luck!
Now these are the comments I love to read.
Almost 30 years later and these generation of Corollas and Prizms remain a common sight on American roads. Really shows how well-built and reliable these cars are.
Best generation of Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm, nice little cars
The most reliable GM of all time.
Next to the EV1... which they never promoted.
Pontiac Vibe is up there too lol
@@Jordi7174 except not because that was a very limited production pilot program and hundreds of thousands of corolla/prizm's were built. Thats an apples to oranges comparison
Thanks to Toyota.
W body cars with the 3.8 series are as reliable as those without being a plain jane econobox
damn, 8.8 seconds was pretty awesome 0-60 time in '93 for an economy car.
its even faster than the legendary ae86
Episode aired in 1992
@@tanyguch_kun1330 Interesting! Nowadays my 1993 Corolla 1.8 automatic is the usually the slowest car around wherever I go, but mainly because it’s competition couldn’t stand the tests of time! 🥲
This Geo Prism and Corolla are the most reliable cars ever made. I’ve seen more of these with over 200,000 miles on it.
My 2005 Acura Rsx Type S has 240,000 miles and still running like a beast. It sees 9,000 rpm daily.
the mid 90's were the most reliable cars of that era maybe the camry 2.2 with a manual transmission was even better, late 90's were junks, like any japaneese cars since 1997
This is fact. My 94 Prizm is still running strong with 502k miles on the clock lol
@@yardman0001 Niiice mine is 03 with 95000 miles. Summer only in Ontario so I'll have it forever!! Also daily 05 Acura EL and just hit 200 000 miles. Still beat on it every single day!
My first Prizm I sent to the shredder after 250,250 miles precisely (that is not a typo, a sheer coincidence it was). It still ran great, but I had an accident that wasn’t worth repairing. My mechanic at the time put the better parts on a second 1994 Prizm, which I drove for another year and a half before it too ended up in some accidents, and it was traded in for $500. I miss those cars….easy to drive, reliable, fun.
90s Toyota, probably the best (most reliable) car ever made.
These are still on the road today!!! That should tell you everything you need to know about this car. 30 years later and still rolling on the streets.
Agreed
@@noahbossier1131 Great car is Toyota Corolla
That guy was very aggressive with the folding window on the Corolla. lol
i was expecting the guy that usually manhandles the shifter
Almost like he was grabbing a handful of...
Probably got into a fight with one of the producers before filming
I still see these on the roads daily. Can you imagine traveling back in time to 1992 and telling him that these cars would still be on the roads 30 years later? 😄
True. How many cars from 1962 were still reliable transport in 1992?
That guy checking out the interiors is wearing the most 90s shirt ever
A friend gave me a free running driving Prism when they moved. It needs a few things but overall drives really nice. I was going to sell but with rising fuel prices I might be better to keep it.
I can still get better than 35 mpg in mine and the upkeep is damn near free. Id keep it at least until the latest oil crisis is over
That’s why it’s still one of our family cars gas prices are crazy in ca
@@fanatic26 There is no oil crisis and never was. It was an engineered panic controlled by the petroleum companies to fluff their bank accounts. They learned that people will pay any price they can get for gas no matter what, so they charged $10 a gallon and people would gladly pay it.
still driving my 97 prism, base model, 212,xxx miles of my driving, its hard to keep a car for 25 years, but thank god i did
We’re going to need these cars with the high fuel prices.
Why do you think they made sure to crush them all
Those are NOT EV1's, buddy.... (they were the ones to be crushed)
@@syxepop they want all old cars crushed. I'm sorry if that's a surprise to you. But it's a fact, they want cars crushed after a certain time period, that's how we end up with "survivors."
And somebody/s should have went to prison for crushing all those GM electric cars there buddi boi! Good luck finding a gas saver ☺️
My grandmother bought a ‘93 Corolla LE to replace her Jetta. She kept it for 10 years and only put 54K miles on it. Then it became mine in ‘03 when I turned 16. I kept it for another five years and put almost as much mileage on before turning it over to my brother when he turned 16. It was a fabulous car, and other than dead batteries (which can happen in any car), never left me stranded.
These were great cars. As a kid I recommended this car to my aunt. I think she bought it new in 1994 and drove it until she crashed it in 2009, and replaced it w a matrix (which was also based on the Corolla).
If remember thinking this new Corolla looked really good and contemporary, especially compared to the boxy 1986 Corolla my best friends mom had.
The Matrix wasn't just based on the Corolla, it _WAS_ a Corolla, its full name is Toyota Corolla Matrix and it was the last Corolla hatchback sold in the States until the E170/E180 Corolla iM/Auris and the current E210 Corolla hatchback
Not only the Matrix / Vibe WERE Corollas, but also made at the same NUMMI factory in Fremont, CA.
(a copy of each being passed by a Tesla Model Y, built nowadays in that same building)
@@syxepop unlike the E170/E18 and the current E210 Corolla hatchbacks, the Matrix and Vibe were available with optional AWD
Had a 94 Corolla LE and even to this day it was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. And still the coldest A/C of any vehicle I’ve ever been in. If it wasn’t for rust (I live in the rust belt unfortunately) I’d still be daily driving it. Literally the only thing I had to replace was the battery and the brakes (other than oil changes and tires)
Absolutely loved my little Corolla!
Love my 97 Corolla daily it for sure put ablut 20k miles a year and ac is ice cold as I live in SoCal where it gets really hot.
Dude just get it rust proofed
I had a 1997 Toyota Corolla and it had 297,000 when I sold it. It was still in good running conditions!
The good ole days. My first Corolla was the 1995 and sold it with 355,000 miles in 2016
I’ve always loved hat Corolla body style. The 1997 version was my favorite when I was a kid!
Always good to see MotorWeek review something within my budget
A friend of my mother's owned a 1996 Geo Prism in top-spec. I was a teen at the time, but thought it was a very nice and solid car when I got to drive it. Very composed and smooth.
93-97 Corolla are my favorite . I've always liked that body style and reliably.
One of the greatest feats of badge engineering of the automotive industry. I'd buy it again if aI only had the chance.
30 years later and these PROVED to be long lasting - except for the Quarter Panel and Rocker RUST.
My first car, we purchased my geo 1 year ago with 13k miles, now we have 18k miles on it. All original, beautiful paint, it was parked in LA for 10 years
0-60 in 8.8 for an economy car in those days was really good performance.
still using our 1995 toyota corolla its really super reliable even for its age today
Just like the GMT800 suvs. I still see hundreds of these every week. Most look like they've been through a demolition derby. Some are pristine. But these are the some of the most reliable cars on the planet, and will probably outlive most of us.
I have a gmt 800 and hopefully incan buy a geo prizm today!!!!
I see a Geo Prizm or Tracker seldomly - maybe 2 a year based on my past photographs of them (I take photos of cars I see when I'm out). Last time I seen a Prizm was in 2021.
The Geo Prizm is a Toyota Sprinter without much in common with the Sprinter. My Geo Prizm went 265k until a Hummer H2 folded the trunk and buckled the roofline and quarter panels at a stoplight
exactly gm had nothing to do that basicly a sprinter
Always liked the styling of the Geo more.
Yeah it even looks the like next generation corolla
My brother bought a new mid '90s Corolla. It was one of the dealership's display cars and he actually drove it off the showroom floor. He commuted a LOT of miles back then and wanted something simple, cheap to drive and operate, and good in Midwestern winter weather. Over the next 15 - 20 years he put over 400k miles on it. Sometime in the early 2010's he no longer had that commute and the miles put on the Corolla went down considerably but he never could bring himself to sell it, partly due to loyalty but also because a running spare vehicle was worth more to him than the little bit of money a 400k+ mile vehicle would bring. It's still in his barn as a fourth string back-up. He lives in salty winter road country so it got the body cancer (Toyotas back then were bad for that) but mechanically with basic maintenance it's nearly indestructible.
I owned a 94 Geo Prism great car never had any problems with it.
My wife had a '93 Prism for 15 years with well over 200k on the odometer. The only problems we experienced with it were common and not expensive to repair/replace: a window regulator, a couple of interior door handles and 3 Delco alternators. The Denso alternators were better on the Japanese-manufactured Corollas. I still wish we'd never sold that car!
We purchased a used one year old 1993 Prizm LSi in 1994. Drove it until 2017. Would still be driving it today but we needed a larger vehicle for the grandkids. It was a fantastic little car. Easy to work on and maintain.
These cars were very refined and had very good ride comfort. But the Geo looks so much better.
The first car I have ever financed was a 1995 Geo Prizm (Dec 1994). It had a 3 year lease. It was black, grey interior, and fast (when I drove it that is). I never had an issue with it. After the lease expired, I traded it in for a 1998 Dodge Stratus on a 5 year lease. That car was faster and definitely much sportier looking, but certainly NOT as reliable as the Prizm. The brakes were crap and the seat sloped down too much (I felt like I was sliding down the seat!). But in 2009 I traded my Malibu for a 2007 Corolla and it was like driving that Prizm again. Then in 2015 I traded that Corolla for a 2010 Corolla, which I will keep for the rest of my life!
Love these retro reviews. I think the Prizm looked quite a bit nicer than the blockier-looking Corolla.
Ha just replaced the exhaust on my close friends 93 prizm, took the old exhaust off of my 94 corolla. These cars are awesome little nuggets.
Toyota exhausts never seem to fail!
@@djkenny1202 if you rinse road salt off of them religiously in winter they can last forever!
Ah sensible and affordable transportation….
😁
Really attractive designs for both vehicles. And still see them on the road from time to time!
We have two NUMMI built vehicles in the family. I can assure everyone that badge engineering is perfectly fine as long as GM engineers the badge and Toyota engineers the car. 😉
I wonder what percentage of Prizm owners knew they were driving Toyotas.
@@manthony225 Good question, up until 2010, I wonder what percentage of Tacoma buyers knew they were buying a truck made by members of the UAW. 🤔
@@manthony225 I think a lot of people knew they were actually driving a Corolla, other than different badges and trim, it's the same car and pretty recognizable
@@manthony225 My mother bought it's predecessor, a NUMMI built Nova. The salesman wasn't shy about pointing out it's Toyota origins.
@@christopherconard2831 Those 1980's Chevy Nova's were always intriguing to me. I remember they made some kind of sport trim level with red stripes and I believe a twin cam engine too, most were black. Neat little cars.
I had an 1995 Corolla with 7A FE engine and four speed automatic transmission. I bought it in 2012 with 52 k miles on the clock. I used the car till 2018 and sold to my friend. My friend used Corolla to the July 2023, and I bought her back. Car runs the same as in the 2012, despite the 126 k miles on the clock now. I love it. She will stay with me forever, this is the ultimate Corolla, I think ;)
The Prizm was one of the best looking small cars ever. The lines were so flowing and the dashboard looked like that of a Lexus. Probably the most reliable Corolla's of the 90's and beyond.
Bland looks but reliable as hell. The JDM station wagon was especially good.
Damn, I forgot about the wagon version of these!
JDM? They were sold in America.
@@777jones nope but we had'em in Russia as used cars.
@@runoflife87 we had corollas of this generation in wagons in the usa
@@moejr1974 the question is if the amount of options you got is similar to JDM models. Back in the days I could compare the US market, European market and JDM Toyotas with the last ones being better equipped.
I have a 1992 Geo Prizm (TOYOTA SPRINTER AE 90) bought just $500 in 2006 and got a professional paint job spending $2000 after 11 years. The car is nearing 300 K miles and my daily driver. It still has factory AC, freon and blows ice cold! Starter, Engine, alternator, wheel bearings, transmission all are factory too! Oh.. I use premium fuel in it!
I still see them on the road today in 2022. Taken care of they last forever.
Here in Northern and Western Belize Central America it's been use for Taxi and quiet reliable, with a propane system installed it's runs great for less than half the price of gasoline. Mine is a 97 geo prizm and have 389,000 original miles and still runs like a champ, with proper care I should get way over 500,000 miles on it's original engine.
My mom had a 1997 Corolla DX. My younger sister and I learned to drive in that car. My mom gave it to my sister. It was going strong until she spun it into a guard rail on a highway off ramp in the rain. She was 4 hours away from home. She continued her trip, drove it home a few days later, and kept driving it for 2 more months until she found her perfect replacement. The radiator and a/c condenser were twisted, but it never overheated and the a/c still blew cold.
The pricing explains why I saw so many base model steel-wheel Prizms back in the day.
Yeah the base models outsold the upscale LSi by like 7 to 1. I own a 1994 Geo Prizm LSi and almost anytime i see one driving around or up for sale, it's the base model. The LSi's were so much nicer on the interior. The first couple of years, 1993-95 the interiors were far nicer. In the last 2 years, 1996-1997 they started to cost cut and the LSi's interior wasn't as plush as the earlier models.
In my opinion, not only the best generation of Corolla, but one of the best cars made. No, it's not an exciting car, but it does everything well. Had a 1997 a few years ago. I'd love to have a manual wagon version.
Wait until you drive one like mine with a Blacktop my boi
It's so cool watching these videos & even reading the comments of all the stories that people had of these amazing 🚗's
Dude right! I literally just bought a Geo Prizm to learn to drive stick and these little cars can take a beating
@@Vtoq that's fucking cool dude that's good you're learning to drive stick shift a lot of people nowadays don't know how to
Had a 1993 Corolla LE back in the mid-2000's. I was going through a rough time after someone totaled my previous car. That car took me through some great times. To this day, it's one of my favorite cars I've ever owned.
This was my favorite gen of the Corolla/Prism cousins. My Mom had a 95 Corolla DX with the convenience pkg that gave it PW/DL, Cruise, P Mirrors, and Sunroof. It felt more upscale than your average compact car.
I remember growing up watching this show... Always kept me sucked into the car scene. I am a happy subscriber many years later. This series has a lot of influence even into todays content.
I wish they would shake up the format as it gets really dry today. The number of subscribers paints the picture of how poorly receptive they are, less than 400k for a major production house is incredibly bad numbers. And with that I bet a huge chunk are subscribed solely for the old content videos being uploaded.
@@oldtwinsna8347 True true. Show came out in the 80's and 90's... I just respect the old stuff I guess. I like any content that grabs me by the ears and makes me want to watch. 😅
I loved my two 1994 Prizms. Miss them big time!
PLEASE upload the 2001 Toyota Sequoia Video, Motorweek. Love your videos especially the retro reviews.
I never knew the Prizm was slightly bigger than the Corolla. An 8.8 second 0-60 in a manual Prizm is QUICK for an early 90's economy car. I still occasionally see this generation of Corolla/Prism on the roads here in Michigan. These are such well designed and built cars. The look of these cars is still contemporary enough to fit in with modern day traffic for being 30 year old designs. Just think, did any 1963 car still look modern in 1993?!
They werent joking about the that low end torque making for a good experience. My 94 with the 1.8 pulls stronger than new cars I have rented with similar power numbers. As long as you have the 4 speed auto or the 5 speed trans its an excellent car. The 3 speed auto in the base model was pretty rough tho
Maybe a Chevy Corvette partially. That's about it lol.
I've always preferred the look of the Prizm over the Corolla in this generation, especially in LSi trim.
It was just a European market Corolla... Toyota makes different designs for different parts of the globe.
I bought a 94' Camry with 71K miles last year. I specifically went for that year and model because I wanted the most reliable and easy/cheapest car to work on I could find.
It's been incredible so far and it's proved to be easy to work on. Thought about selling it for something cooler, but now I'm just going to re-paint and keep it forever.
We loved our Prizm gsi. Wish we still had it!
I always thought the Geo Prizm LSi look so sophisticated! So much car for the money!
Been waiting for this video to come out for this nostalgic memorable car ☺️
I had a '96 Prizm LSi in Black Sand Pearl... Felt like a luxury car to me at that time. Still one of my favorite cars that I've owned.
I hear you. There's a quiet confidence to these cars that reveals itself in almost every facet. A black LSi is a car anyone could be proud of!
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 it's the most expensive, nicest vehicle I've ever owned. Highly recommend it! Came from a 2017 Road Glide Ultra for context.
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 auto. Totally worth it.
I got one 112k mile 96 Corolla in 2021. I added a short ram intake, now the high way mileage is over 36 all the time. One pump might even be 40. Just had a round trip from Austin to Omaha. Really impressed it still runs great. Now it's over 125k in 2022.
And to think this car looks pretty good to own right now, with how gas prices are right now
I wanna give props to the intro guy - it seems like he's losing his voice. Thank you for introducing these videos every time they come out. You do an outstanding job!
One of my co-workers mother has a 1994 Corolla she bought brand new... same color as the car on this review. It is still going strong.
I rented one of these in the 90’s for a road trip. I still vividly remember the torture of those seats while I poured sweat thanks to the inadequate A/C while driving across the desert. Not to mention climbing hills at 45 mph with the throttle wide open.
Soon after I got a Pontiac Grand Am with a 3100 V6. Comfortable, powerful by those days standards, the A/C would freeze you to death, and it got 30 mpg. All for a couple grand less than they just said the top of the line Corolla cost. Superior Toyota reliability? The thing was bulletproof.
My first brand new car when I was 19 was a bright red 1993 Pontiac Grand Am SE coupe with the 3300 V6, power windows/locks, and a rear spoiler, it turned into a piece of shit pretty quickly but was mechanically reliable... Stupidly traded it in for a new 1999 Grand Am GT when the new bodystyle just started coming to dealers and it was a bigger piece of shit but luckily I only leased that one. I remember looking at the Prizm around the time I got the first Grand Am too but wanted something that looked sportier and yeah it was expensive for the time, I only paid around $11k for it brand new and the Prizm cost alot more if you wanted even basic options. The Prizm damn sure would have lasted longer though.
@@Stressless2023 I would have rather ridden the bus than own that Corolla. It sounds like a jail sentence to have to spend hours in that thing. Especially during 110 degree summer days where I live. The windows weren’t tinted since it was a rental so it made it worse on the highway, you just baked because the AC was too weak to keep up with sunload. Then at stops I had to hold it at 2000 rpm to get any cool air. I actually thought it was broken. I complained when I returned it. Dude told me they are all like that. They had even taken a few to the dealer. But the worst was the seats. I was a fit young man and I climbed out of that thing like I was 80 after a long drive. I was in actual pain on my tail bone. Probably a 6 on 1-10. Plus the gas mileage wasn’t that great on the highway since it required full throttle to climb hills. Listen to me! 25 years later and I’m still traumatized by spending five days in the thing!
Geo Prizm is the Toyoyta Sprinter model. Here in Europe it was sold as the Toyota Corolla liftback, a hatchback/5-door coupe in 92 generation, earlier as liftback and wagon with 4wd. Similar to Mazda 323F/Lantis.
The Prizm had so many advantages over another competitor sold at the same dealerships, the Chevy Cavalier. But both cars attracted different buyers and sales of the Prizm declined when it was redesigned and rebadged as a Chevy for model year 1998, leading to its discontinuation in 2002 and being replaced by the Pontiac Vibe.
The Prizm always cost alot more than the Chevy Cavalier so it naturally always ate its lunch in terms of sales. Plus the Cavalier came in sportier trim levels and several different body styles which gave it a broader appeal. But yeah the Prizm was always the better compact car by comparison.
I love these retro reviews. They remind me of how much cars have evolved over the years. It also makes my 2020 Corolla feel like a spaceship if I compare its standard equipment vs the 93 Corolla’s optional one 😄
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 They did in some important ways. Cars are much safer now than in the 90s, they’re also more fuel efficient. They’re more refined, comfortable,etc. Those are all nice things to have.
I remember riding in my uncle’s 98 Golf when it was brand new, it didn’t feel as tightly built or as comfortable as my neighbour’s 2020 Golf (also bought brand new)
I'm not sure about the CVT's in the new ones...any hiccups?
@@razor3003 No idea man, mine is a manual. I just refuse to buy a car without 3 pedals.
I hear from mechanics and my neighbours that new Toyota CVTs are not going bad yet. Mind you, Toyota did have to recall some of them in 2019. Although, they claim to have fixed the issue on all new ones. Could be worth a shot if you’re interested
@@DD-gz9ut the 6ix spd is the way to go. I have a Nissan w/cvt & I'm just holding my breath until I can unload it. I think they are improving though.
@@DD-gz9ut I would trust older Golfs, MK3 2 liter is likely the most simpleand reliable engine. I have an 01 Cabrio 3.5 with 150k. Very solid build. Love the more manual interior like windows and side mirrors, Top.
I have a 94 prizm LSi
245,000 still going strong
What color? My 94 Geo Lsi is baby blue exterior with two tone blue cloth seats.
@@klwthe3rd
White with blue seats and Interior
@@skatersedge3139 You have the same interior as mine but yours has the white exterior. My cloth seats are still holding up strong after all these years. Does yours have the 1.6 or 1.8? 3 or 4 speed auto? Or manual?
@@klwthe3rd 1.8L 4 speed automatic
@@skatersedge3139 Mine has the 1.6 liter with the 3 speed auto despite being an LSi model. The original owner wanted the LSi interior but didn't opt for very many other things. Mine has the rare tachometer gauge cluster though.
No jokes here,
But these still running economically well.!
i loved the looks of these corollas. hate me as much as you want
they can look good with the jdm treatment lol bumpers,grille,lamps,interior bits, accesories etc
With these gas prices, I would take any of these. Still look great in my opinion. An updated radio and boom. A great commuter.
Both are reliable but unsafe.
@@texan903 I know lots of people that have gotten in wrecks with Corollas over the years, and 75% of them said they walked away without a scratch. So I don’t see what you’re talking about. Everyone wants a safe car but yet they drive like lunatics.
@@Blakecryderman7244 for many years, the Corolla did not test well in side impact collisions. I find it odd that someone would know "lots of people that have gotten in wrecks with Corollas over the years." I'm not saying it's untrue but if it is, you just have the misfortune of knowing reckless, careless, inattentive drivers. Unless it was a Corolla manufactured in the past dozen years, I wouldn't want it, but that's me personally. We all have our preferences, thankfully that's the freedom of choice.
We must all return to cars like this as gas moves toward $10.
People will get back to smaller cars and park their SUVs. Manufacturers will stop the remaining sedan lineup from being discontinued. Probably even going as far as developing cars like they currently do for the European market. We could start seeing smaller cars like the Polo, Fiesta, Ibiza, Clio, etc. Just like they have been selling in Europe for decades, because of their expensive fuel prices. Those cars make a lot of sense, I would buy a Polo if it was sold in this market. Driving a 2 tonne car to go places makes no energetic sense whatsoever
It will definitely be a win for the Japanese and Korean manufacturers because they still believe in sedans. The domestics basically have given up on them. Cadillac has only two sedans in their lineup(CT5 & CT4), Chevy still makes the Malibu but the majority of sales goes to fleets, and Chrysler and Dodge still have the 300 and Charger, but they are long in the tooth.
Americans have notoriously short memories. We go through a big gas increase about to every 6-8 years. Why they do not stick with more efficient vehicles? When we are always vulnerable to fuel price increases?
Neat old video, my first new (like from a dealer new, not used) was the 93 corrola. I looked at the prism, the deciding factor for me (not mentioned in this video) was how much roomier a d more comfortable the back seat was. It also "seemed" more sturdy, and that was actually why my parents helped me get the slightly more expensive Corolla. My mother thought it was sturdier and safer looking.
Price/performance (as in quality) wise late 80's - early 90's was the pinnacle of automotive manufacturing, dominated and lead by the Japanese, especialy Toyota and Honda.
My mom had a’96 Corolla DX in that same green color. Loved that car
YES! I just bought a Prizm yo learn to drive stick shift, such cool cars
These cars are bulletproof
omg he stopped calling it a cam-ray!
had a prism for almost 5 years, bought it was 83k and sold it with 190k. to this day its the least problematic car ive ever owned and would gladly drive one again daily.
The Corolla might have looked kinda like a Camry, but the Sprinter (which shared the Prizm's wrapover doors and rounder greenhouse) bore an uncanny resemblance to the XV10 Camry!
In any case these were great cars. It's just a shame neither the 4A-GE powered GSi nor the hatchback body style lived on for the second gen Prizm...
These cars were both reliable still see most of them every full blue moon.
I still see these old Corollas on the road today though I haven't seen a Geo Prizem in a long time. ( last time I saw one was in 2002 and it was in good shape, the owner took good care of it)
My great-grandparents brought their 1993 Toyota Corolla sedan automatic in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
In my country of origin, those cars still going hard.
Driving one of these bad boys now
I always liked the Gen1 Prizm 4-door Hatchback.
I still see those Corollas on Ontario roads. I can't recall last time I've seen Prizm.
My brother had a 2002 Chevy Prism and it was a great car
I had a 1993 from 1998 until 2012. It was my beat around 2nd, then 3rd vehicle when I lived outside DC and didn't want to drive a nicer car into the district. It was very reliable, but the plastics started to get brittle so I finally sold it after getting tired of having to constantly replace broken handles and switch gear. Even the reservoir for the washer fluid cracked and had to be replaced. I would still have it if it wasn't for that. I thought it was funny that even though the car said Geo the title said Chevrolet and most of the interior bits had Toyota logos. It really was a parts bin model, not that that's a bad thing when it's sharing parts with something as reliable as the Corolla.
Yeah Toyota's plastics were pretty fragile in the 90's, I remember many having broken door handles and climate control knobs. Not as bad as my moms '85 Chevy Chevette when the outside door handle came off in her hand when the car was a year old lol.
@Idgaf my brother was Scoutmaster for many of those years and we would take the rear seat out because it required no tools to do so and would make enough room for most of the Troop's more fragile stuff to fit there instead of the Troop's trailer. On one trip both rear interior door handles broke. The passenger rear door lock only worked manually after that.
@@Stressless2023 maybe the door handle plastics & stuff were crappy, but the engines & transmissions were the COMPLETE OPPOSITE. Bulletproof.
I was 11 in '93. A lady in our Church had bought new Prizm around the same time my grandmother bought her new 93 Cadillac Deville which she still has to this day..lol I thought the Prizm was a cool looking little car. She let me sit in the driver's seat. But like all GM stuff they killed off their GEO line up. A few years later she got a new Nissan Altima. She said she liked her Prizm it was good on gas etc.
My grandmother also had a Cadillac Deville, a 1992. She traded it unfortunately for a 1998 Cadillac Catera which has been sitting in her garage since around 2005-2006 when she stopped driving, only has about 7k miles on it if I remember right. She's nearly 100 now.
@@Stressless2023 That Cadillac Catera was an import from Germany it was made by Opel.
@@Stressless2023 bro that’s impressive. I congratulate your grandmother!
Chevy should have just kept making the Chevrolet Corsica. Where can you get a subcompact sedan with the column shifter? That was so cool. I found out about that when watching the Naked Gun.
This gen prizm looks so good, regular car review thought it was based on the next generation corolla
These were good cars and the 94 sentra was also a solidly built car .
I had that motor in my 94 Celica ST! It was a workhorse!
The folding mirrors seals the deal for me. I'll have the Toyota with the 1.8 and the manual, with the alloys from this video's Prizm though. Does the Channing Tatum look-alike come with the car?
I never realized there were that many differences between a Corolla and Prizm. I have lots of time behind the wheel of several Corollas of this generation and can attest that they are excellent machines, taking into account their intended purpose. It seems Motorweek liked the Geo version better. Personal taste really, I like the Toyota version better.
My understanding is that in Japan Toyota had multiple dealer networks and each one got slightly reworked versions of each car Toyota sold. The Geo Prism is a Toyota Sprinter, which itself was a slightly fancier/ more sporting Corolla for the "Toyota Vista" dealer chain to sell.
geo prizm is just a rebadged sprinter, but the corolla seems to have better build quality as it shows here