My mom has a 2000 Corolla, which I've only driven a few times. Compared to my Mystique, it takes about a billion turns of the steering wheel to go around a corner; heaven forbid I should have to do a U-turn in it. The ride is very nice thanks to the very soft suspension.
The interior is alright, materials don't feel tacky and cheap. The armrest in the driver's door is too low for me to rest my arm and hold the steering wheel at the same time. The ATX gear changer is a bit too easy to pop past reverse, but it's a minor annoyance. I wouldn't think that a tall person would be very comfortable in it, but I'm not tall so I can't verify that.
I dunno about mileage, since I don't drive it regularly, but I'm sure it's good. The weight of the 19" wheels would probably kill off good mileage though.
All in all, it's a very numb car, which is good if that's what you want. If you want driver involvement, look elsewhere. Do you really need a brand new car? I'm 19 myself and I'd look for a used car. You can get a pretty good one for 13-15k.
