A Little Rusty, But Still Trusty: 2000 Toyota Corolla vs 2008 Chevy Malibu

Welcome to day two of our week-long search for some actually reasonable used cars! Today we’re dropping even further down the price range, and looking at a couple of cars for sale in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. They’re a little crispy around the edges, but they’re cheap and they run fine.

I was a little bit surprised by yesterday‘s results, not because I didn’t expect the Accord to win, but because I didn’t guess that the Buick would still carry such an old-man stigma. Yeah, it was probably someone’s grandpa’s car ten years ago, but who cares? Now it’s a reliable, comfy car that’s dirt-cheap to insure and is maybe halfway through its service life.

Don’t get me wrong; I really like that Accord too. And in fact, this is one of those comparisons where I think it would come down to a test drive and an inspection. Whichever one felt more honest in person would get the nod. That’s a difficult proposition, because they’re on opposite coasts, however.

Today’s cars are easier to cross-shop, because they’re both in the Twin Cities, a place that measures annual snowfall in feet, often drops below zero for days at a time, and uses a ton of salt to keep road ice at bay. It’s hard on cars. Any cheap cars you find there – and many expensive cars, come to that – are going to have some rust on them. Mechanical reliability is more important; I can tell you from experience how much it sucks to have some old clunker refuse to start when it’s nine below out and you’re already late for work. These two are both nice and solid mechanically, and it sounds like they’ve been well cared for. Let’s check them out.

2000 Toyota Corolla CE – $2,000

Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Odometer reading: 143,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

If ever there was a “default reliable car for non-car-people,” it’s the Toyota Corolla. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve recommended a Corolla to someone, and no one who has taken that advice has regretted it. I’ve even owned a couple of Corollas myself over the years. You can’t call them exciting, but they do the job of being a car better than just about anything. And even better, unlike its big brother the Camry, a used Corolla can usually be had for cheap; the “Toyota tax” doesn’t seem to hit them as hard.

This generation of Corolla is powered by a 1ZZ-FE four-cylinder engine. This engine has a very un-Toyota-like tendency to burn oil, but it is still plenty reliable. This one is coupled to a four-speed automatic, but I can tell you from experience that a manual transmission doesn’t really make this car any more interesting; it just gives you more to do. It’s still young at 143,000 miles, and it’s been owned by the same family its whole life.

The word “sturdy” comes to mind when discussing the interior of a Corolla. “Dreary” as well. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s not going to inspire anyone to do anything more than go from one place to another. This one is in good condition, except for the air conditioning. It conked out not long ago, and the seller elected not to have it repaired.

It’s not all that rusty, really; the passenger’s side looks all right, and the driver’s side doesn’t have any gaping holes. It’s not uncommon for cars to rust more on the driver’s side. That side gets crud from oncoming traffic as well as passing cars when it’s parked. Obviously it’s not worth fixing, but it will be years before it becomes a problem.

2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT – $2,000

Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed (?) automatic, FWD

Location: Farmington, MN

Odometer reading: 162,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The Malibu nameplate has a long history, stretching all the way back to 1964 when it was introduced as a trim level on the new mid-sized Chevelle. In 1978, the Chevelle name was dropped, and the Malibu became its own model. As famous as the name was, it was replaced after 1983, ironically by a car called the Celebrity. Celebrity became Lumina, or Corsica depending on which one you considered the middle of the range, and then in 1997 Chevy came to its senses and brought back the Malibu name. Last year, the Malibu fell victim to the crossover takeover and went out of production again – this time without a replacement.

The base engine in this era of Malibu is a 2.4-liter Ecotec four, putting out 169 horsepower to the front wheels. It’s an automatic, of course – no car with a Malibu badge has had a manual transmission since 1983 – but I can’t tell you for sure how many gears it has. Both a four- and a six-speed automatic were available. Whichever it is, it’s in good condition, and the seller says it runs and drives well.

Inside, it’s got more plastic parts than an AMT model kit, but it’s serviceable. It looks like it could use a good cleaning, but it’s not torn up or anything. The traction control and airbag warning lights are on, which may or may not be a big deal depending on your feelings about those particular systems. But everything else works, the seller says.

It’s pretty rusty outside, and it’s probably worth looking underneath to make sure there’s nothing more serious than what you can see. If it’s still structurally sound, then it should serve someone well until it isn’t.

Keep in mind, we’re talking about cars that cost two grand here. You might not have any need for such basic transportation, but try to put yourself in the mind of someone who does. These should both last someone a couple of years, for the same price as a handful of payments on something newer. They’d also make good first cars for someone’s kid, especially if that kid is paying their own way. So, in short, be a good sport and pick one.

(Image credits: sellers)