I've tried a 98 Corolla GLi A/T (practically the same as your prospect except bumpers and lights) and I felt it was a little sluggish. For one thing, it has the same 4A-FE motor as the previous AE101, yet the body is heavier. Owners also complain about the tight passenger space at the back.

Try sending a message to carlocaraddict. He owns an M/T version of the 2000 Corolla. You might want to get other info from him.

The Civic VTi is more spacious, looks more attractive, and with VTEC, performs better and may even yield more fuel economy. The only downsides to this car, compared to the Corolla, are that it doesn't have airbags, ABS, and will have more costly suspension repairs later on. The manual version is a pretty fun car next to the SiR.