We have had a few problems in our 28 months of ownership (ABS sensor, passenger seat rattle, lower rocker arms replaced), but overall we like the car. Our tolerance is probably due to the fact that we expected a few bugs from an early model (Sep '98) in a redesign year. It's a nice smooth ride on the highway, usually gets 27-28mpg (only 18-20 city)...
Photos shows how looks a car produced that year. Note that any specimen of this model may have little differences in exterior and interior pics (restyling, face lifting, additional accessories).