A woman is going viral on TikTok after sharing how much she spent on her mid-90s Toyota Corolla. But some people think she overpaid.
Rissa (@222rissa), who is 22, says she owns a 1997 Toyota Corolla, which she says she paid $6,000 for. It’s suggested that she paid the full cost of the car upfront, as Rissa says she doesn’t make a monthly car payment.
“How life feels with my $6k 1997 Toyota Corolla with 78k miles and no car note,” she says in the text overlay of her video.
In the accompanying video caption, Rissa says her car has “cranky windows and no automatic locks.” Still, she says she still “loves” her car. As of Wednesday, Rissa’s video showcasing her car amassed more than 232,500 views.
Did the woman pay too much for her Toyota?
It’s unclear from the TikTok which specific Corolla model Rissa purchased. But a simple Google search of used Toyotas suggests that you can buy these cars for as little as $600.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a used 1995 Toyota Corolla DX costs $600, while a used 1998 Corolla costs $642. Another 1999 Toyota Corolla VE was on the market for a slightly higher price of $1,150. The mileage for each car was unclear.
That could be why the cars were so inexpensive, though. According to another online car retailer, Edmunds, some other ’90s Corolla models cost between $6,000 and $8,000, but they had roughly the same number of miles as Rissa’s car.
One car, a 1997 Toyota Corolla DX Sedan, sold for $7,795 and had 60,593 miles. Meanwhile, a second 1997 Toyota Corolla CE Sedan cost $5,999 and had 65,429 miles on it.
Are Toyota Corollas good cars?
According to one car expert, you should never get rid of a Toyota Corolla, no matter its condition. In another video posted to TikTok, car expert Scotty Kilmer showed viewers a Corolla that he says another customer bought for just $2.
While that Corolla had its fair share of problems, it was still equipped with a 1.8L engine, which Kilmer says can last a lifetime.
Like other Toyota models, Corollas are considered quality cars due to their reliability, fuel efficiency, and affordability. They’re also known to last a long time.
Two years ago, in the r/COROLLA subreddit, one Redditor shared they were still driving their 2014 model, which he says had more than 100,000 miles on it. Others in the Reddit thread say they, too, were owners of Corollas that have lasted them years and years.
“I bought my 2019 Corolla last fall with 79k [miles] and it’s the best car I’ve owned,” a second Redditor wrote.
A third Corolla driver added, “I bought my 2007 Corolla brand new. I have 279k miles on it now. It has been the best car I have ever owned.”
@222rissa Yes i have the cranky windows and no automatic locks but we love her 💚 #corolla #oldtoyota #toyota #1997corolla #corollace ♬ another life – ﮲
Viewers express love for Corollas, but say the content creator overpaid
In the comments section of Rissa’s video, several users couldn’t shake the fact that she paid $6,000 for a nearly 30-year-old car.
“I got my 2018 for $5k, girl you were robbed,” one user says.
“The miles are good but 6k was too much,” another added.
“$6K? Damn, I got my 2001 for $800 lol,” a third viewer wrote.
To the people concerned about her car’s price, Rissa responded, “This is a really good car fr. I’ve never broken down or had any serious problems, the only minor issue I had was the ignition because my distributor was dying.”
Some others, meanwhile, assured her that her Toyota would last a lifetime.
“Only 78k is great!! You got another 100 years,” one woman commented.
“78k is low mileage, good as long as it runs,” another added.
“That thing is gonna last you another 150k miles if you take care of it,” a third commenter says.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Rissa via TikTok comment and to Toyota through email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
