2001 Chevy Prizm Decent?

[Sniper82]

I heard the earlier(96ish) versions was a Corolla knock off. Is the same true for 2001? Am looking at one with 90,000 miles for $2500OBO.

 

[MBrown]

I think all prizms were corollas, which means that they are good cars.

 

[MDE]

Prizm = Corolla. It'll move you around pretty reliably.

 

[jagec]

Technically I believe Chevy builds the body and Toyota builds the engine, but it's a Corolla for all intents and purposes. Enjoy!

/edit: Checked the wikipedia...sure enough, the body design is based on the Toyota Sprinter (JDM car similar to the Toyota), built at the NUMMI joint venture plant in California, and saddled with a Toyota engine.

The 90-92 Prizms got an optional 4A-GE...that's a great engine.

 

[nakedfrog]

I had a 2000, it was a good little car. Never had any problems.

 

[Vetterin]

They are/were both made at the same plant.

 

[woodie1]

They make good used cars - if the price is right go for it.

 

[Sniper82]

test drove it today. Its a rebuilt but looks good and drives good. Only had some finder and panel damage(fixed though). What kinda price do you all think its worth with 90k miles? I don't think its worth $2500 but it is OBO.

 

[nakedfrog]

Rebuilt/salvage title? $1000-1500, tops.

 

[sniperruff]

yeah i wouldn't pay over $2k for a rebuilt.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
I heard the earlier(96ish) versions was a Corolla knock off. Is the same true for 2001? Am looking at one with 90,000 miles for $2500OBO.

No, it's not a Corolla knock off. It is a Corolla.

 

[PingSpike]

We had a 94 prizm until last year. It was an old car so don't think I'm knocking it much here, just saying what I remember. It burned oil. Had to replace the starter + battery + alternator, before that an O2 sensor. Brake lines (rust) replaced. Fuel lines were replaced twice because they rusted. I guess that was over the course of about 5 years. It still runs fine though (my BIL bought it for his first beater car...already bounced it off a guard rail), I forgot how many miles. It has a hole in the gas tank as well.

It wasn't to bad of a car...the starter, battery, alternator was expected because of its age. O2 sensor was kind of expensive I thought. The brake and fuel lines rusting was really fucking annoying though, especially since the replacement fuel lines only lasted like 2-3 years. But VT uses a ton of salt on the roads and rots all the cars around here. Foreign cars of that age seem to do particularly poorly with the salt.

 

[woodie1]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Sniper82
I heard the earlier(96ish) versions was a Corolla knock off. Is the same true for 2001? Am looking at one with 90,000 miles for $2500OBO.

No, it's not a Corolla knock off. It is a Corolla.

Not entirely. I remember reading a article on this and they listed some of the Toyota Corolla parts that GM changed to something else on the Prizm to lower the cost. The biggest one I can remember right now was the A/C compressor.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Sniper82
I heard the earlier(96ish) versions was a Corolla knock off. Is the same true for 2001? Am looking at one with 90,000 miles for $2500OBO.

No, it's not a Corolla knock off. It is a Corolla.

Very, very close, but not entirely. Read the wiki on the Prizm. There is no real reason other than resale value to choose the Toyota over the Chevy, but there are a couple details of manufacturing that don't make it identical to its Japanese brother.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Sniper82
I heard the earlier(96ish) versions was a Corolla knock off. Is the same true for 2001? Am looking at one with 90,000 miles for $2500OBO.

No, it's not a Corolla knock off. It is a Corolla.

Very, very close, but not entirely. Read the wiki on the Prizm. There is no real reason other than resale value to choose the Toyota over the Chevy, but there are a couple details of manufacturing that don't make it identical to its Japanese brother.

I know it's not identical but it is still basically a Toyota Corolla. I thought the differences were largely in the grill and the badging...kind of like the Ford Ranger and the Mazda B2300 which is basically a rebadged Ranger.