
Originally Posted by
jut703
You can get a fairly recent ('96-'97) AE101 Corolla GLi for that money. One of the toughest sedans from the 90s, as evidenced by the fairly large number of Corolla XL taxis still running today. Because it was in the 90s what the Vios is today, spare parts are still abundant in Banawe and your local auto supply shop.
We had one ('96 GLi MT) and it averaged 8.5 km/l in the city and around 12 km/l on the highway.
Second option for me would be a Nissan Sentra B14 Super Saloon or Super Touring. You can get these for about 20k cheaper than a Corolla of equivalent vintage, which you can spend on repairs. My tito had a Sentra B14 back then, and I think it was a lemon unit that had all sorts of engine and clutch problems. Of course, most B14s aren't like that, but I believe that AE101 Corollas are built a bit better.
If you're gonna make it into a project car though, an SR20DE-powered B14 is more flexible when it comes to upgrades and mods than a 4AGE-powered AE101.