In the market, what to buy?

Hi all,

I am in the market to purchase a Corolla for a new teen driver as a get to school and work vehicle. I have never owned one, but always thought they were solid and reliable cars.

Can you recommend the 2001-2004 range (due to cost) to be somewhat reliable? I am willing to rehab it with tires, brakes, etc. if necessary to make it safe. Are there any particular years of the car or issues I should look at while Craigslist shopping.

Thanks in advance for any advice, Dave.

I would look at the recommendations and reliability ratings in Consumer Reports. I am pretty sure that Corollas have excellent ratings during all those years, but it is worth seeing if there was a known weak spot.