Faults:

Engine began to deteriorate as the oil had sludged up from missing a service interval. Second hand reconditioned engine was bought and fitted.

Gearbox began slipping in first and second at approx 150000 k's, then shortly after gave up and wouldn't drive in forward at all. A second hand gearbox from a wrecker was bought and fitted.

Door trim fittings have began to peel off, but are an easy fix.

The universal joints don't like too much torque when pulling away from a stop sign, turning left or right.

Seat lacks support and might not go back far enough, depending on the driver's height.

General Comments:

Overall this is an extremely reliable and capable car given its purpose - to take you from A to B.

Try to get enthusiastic or pretend you're in a Supra, and things might start to break.

The engine is built for torque, and doesn't rev high for a four cylinder - approx 5600 rpm in the auto.

However this means when driven normally around town, and even on the highway, it feels stronger than a car like this should.

It's only when you try to get enthusiastic that the engine feels soft.

The suspension and chassis layout was good in the day, and combined with the "big bore" four banger, it will actually blow off most new runabouts with 1.6's - especially at the lights.

If you want a cheap old car that won't cost heaps, all you need to remember is change the oils and go easy on the gearbox; the rest is bulletproof. Everything from the cigarette lighter to the cruise control should still work in this car.

Faults:

Only a broken CV joint, no other problems.

General Comments:

Very reliable, besides the time I broke a CV joint (which I didn't even notice) I've never had a problem.

This car is a lot faster than my '84 Subaru 1800, the Camry is a RWD, which is different, but no problem.

Quite comfortable for driver and all passengers.

Faults:

Just the usual running costs, overall nothing out of the ordinary.

General Comments:

A great family car that you could depend on, and has good fuel economy. All we did was the basic servicing and drive the car with respect, and it was a very good car to own.

Faults:

Air Conditioning compressor needs replacement.

Wears through tyres quite badly.

General Comments:

Performance wise, the car is a wolf in sheep's clothing. When pushed this car really flies, and cruises nicely on the highway.

However the sheep's clothing is disappointing, as in my opinion it's one of the most dull cars on the road.

Interior is nothing special. Air conditioning works well even with noisy compressor. Leather trim on steering wheel helps comfort although seats are quite hard and aren't supportive. Boot space is impressive.

Faults:

Well a little while after we got the car the exhaust gasket broke and the car sounded like a tractor, got that fixed (for free under the dealers warranty).

Then I noticed a smell everytime you get out of the car after you have been driving it. Some how the transmission fluid is leaking out onto exhaust and that is why it smells.

General Comments:

A pretty good solid car, but the motor struggles to pull the load as the car weighs about 1300kg and only has a 2.2L motor.

A good cruiser on the highway and good for long trips, also gets good mileage.

The car is very bad at overtaking and pulling heavy loads.

Also some reliability problems with the motor and transmission.