I used to have a Festiva, and the only thing I liked about it was the great gas mileage and also the compactness (could park it in small spots). I didn't like the road noise and could not hear the radio when driving. I sold it and it is still owned and running with a friend in Georgia.I have gone over to the Corolla side and am very happy with the 7th generation DX .
I ''used to'' have a Festiva, it's still legally mine but driven almost exclusively by my husband because of the gas mileage and compactness (he has a Dakota pick-up and ofter works downtown) The Corolla is definitely better in terms or ride and road noise and grocery shopping, but it's still too bulgy, I would probably like an 7th or 8th gen better. Maybe I should have held on to the Festy one more year and gotten a Yaris 
I may be one of the few people who finds their Corolla too big.
You are not alone. My wife has to put a cushion on the driver seat and pull the seat very close to the steering wheel in order to drive our 2000 corolla. Even that, she still doesn't like Echo. Echo's handling can be horrible in windy areas, like some places in Ontario.
Driving in Ontario with my Corolla, when it's windy I have to hang on for dear life.
I had the same problem with my CE until I upgraded the tires (Bridgestone Turanza LS-T, 195/60/15). Neither wind nor rain nor snow is a problem anymore.
I used to have a Festiva, and the only thing I liked about it was the great gas mileage and also the compactness (could park it in small spots). I didn't like the road noise and could not hear the radio when driving. I sold it and it is still owned and running with a friend in Georgia.
I have gone over to the Corolla side and am very happy with the 7th generation DX .
I ''used to'' have a Festiva, it's still legally mine but driven almost exclusively by my husband because of the gas mileage and compactness (he has a Dakota pick-up and ofter works downtown) The Corolla is definitely better in terms or ride and road noise and grocery shopping, but it's still too bulgy, I would probably like an 7th or 8th gen better. Maybe I should have held on to the Festy one more year and gotten a Yaris
Trade it in for a 7th generation Corolla!!
I am a 17 year old high school junior, and a part time college student. I have an 04 CE, and I love it... it's peppy, good on gas (which is why I got it mostly) Bulletproof reliability, and the fit and finish are great on it. I bought the car with 99,950 miles on it, and I've had it now for 1200 miles, and I'd get another one in a heartbeat! After this one, though I'm looking at upgrading to a Camry SE, I really like them, and a nice big V6...
39 white male here, Vancouver BC Canada...I used to own a 1988 Toyota 3.0L 4x4 pickup ; I guess you could call me a "truck person". I drove it until she died on me a month ago (after 8 years of ownership, and 260,000KM on the odometer), and I was looking to buy another truck until I saw the prices. Example: 1997 Tacoma 4x4 regular cab 160,000 + km, 2.7L engine for $14,500 CAD! 
(That was one of the cheaper ones too...I won't even consider buying a domestic byproduct.)
I decided that a car would be in my price range, and so I bought a 2003 Corolla CE 5 spd with only 55,000KM for $12,500. (A/C, power door locks and power mirrors) From what I have seen, I got a pretty good deal-I have seen them with higher kilometers advertised for $13,000 and up. This one still has the new car smell in it. As I am very meticulous about maintenance, I plan on having this car for a very long time....I do miss my truck, but I don't miss the $50 a week gas bill (down to $25 per week now-incredible!!). Plus, this car is a LOT more comfortable, 100 times more responsive and nimble, and NO RUST!!!!! 
I can also transport my drum kit when I fold down the rear seats-it's actually easier than when I used to stow them in the back of my truck and worry about water leaks, etc.
I'm very happy with my little CE...I get a lot of ribbing about my choice of vehicle, but I will have my "midlife crisis" , and buy an expensive 4Runner later.... 
My god! A Ford Festiva??? I feel sorry for anyone who drives that thing. It's probably worse than the Geo Metro. A 63 HP engine! The 0-60 time on a Festiva must be around 20 seconds. It makes my Corolla look agile.
By the way, as for the original topic about who drives a Corolla, here are my responses:
1) Asians - Not really. Around where I live, I actually see most Asians driving German cars. Maybe where you live is different
2) Women - I suppose I can agree with this. At my college, alot of girls drive Corollas. In my family, my Mom drives an 04' and my sister used to drive an 97'. She now has an 03' Acura TL. My dad has an 06' Camry V6 SE.
3) Poor - This is actually opposite from true. Generally more rich people drive economy or compact cars daily, while owning exotic cars on the side for weekends. Lower class people don't usually drive, or if they do it's older American cars. I've noticed this at my job. I think it has to do with the fact that Corollas maintain their value so if someone only has $500-1000 to buy a car, they can't really afford a Corolla, even an old one. I would say the upper-middle class are the least likely to drive a Corolla/economy car. In my neighborhood, everyone drives high-end German cars, or Asian luxury cars like Lexus or Acura. The BMW 3-series seems to be the most popular on my street. My guess would be that its because near-rich people like to portray their success to the world.
So who do I think is the most common Corolla driver? I would say young women (age 17-25). At my college, 2 girls in my Statistics class drive a Corolla, one an 8th gen and the other a 9th. At my job, 2 high school girls drive 7th gen Corollas. I was once parked at college next to 3 Corollas, all 8th generation. Mine of course was the best looking with its rear spoiler and gold emblem 
. One unfortunate thing I noticed is that a lot of Corolla drivers are sluggish! They accelerate so slow and drive 50 mph in the left lane of my local state highway. The 8th gen Corolla is so light and nimble. It has so much potential to be a little race car, and I use it that way. Now all I need is a slightly more powerful engine. My Corolla accelerates so slow, but once I get some speed going, I can really zip around the oversized SUVs.
Well im 17 and i inherited a 1995 corolla. i cant complain, sure its nothing flash (just yet ) but it sure does the job for me, getting me from A to B efficiently, comfortably, and fat enough. Hopefully after i graduate I might get a 2 door sports coupe or perhaps spend some more money 'pimping' up the corolla (if they can be pimped that is 
)
Looking around my town I know a few other people who drive corollas who are around my age... one is a 28 y.o. male engineer, the other a 23 y.o. female secretary (both MY05 base model hatches). I also have a cousin his late 20s and has a 9th gen hatch. However, I notice that mazda3 is more popular with younger people...
any car can be 'pimped'. Visually there is much that can be done, bodykit, stereo, lowered suspension, bigger wheels etc. however I have noticed that there is not much in the way of go-faster bits. All I have found on ebay in australia to date is cold air intake, extractors, and k&N filter. I have seen a couple of extreme corollas in car mags here.
