Faults:

One rubber seal popped out, replaced under warranty.

Nothing else apart from normal wear and tear.

General Comments:

Not a real sports car, but a seriously fun car.

Looks (in my opinion) much nicer than the new model, and is actually slightly bigger with more room in the back.

Low driving position, good road feel (especially with the 16" wheels on the SR model).

Accelerates nicely, decent top speed.

SR model comes with various extras such as CD player, spoiler, body kit etc.

I'm only changing mine because we have a baby now! (and I'm sticking with Toyota).

Faults:

Warped brake discs

6th Gear wearing out?

General Comments:

Have done over 30,000 miles motorway miles (mainly) in 12 months and it has performed utterly reliably.

Superb handling, very comfortable over long distances, nice gear change, big boot for class, good economy, reasonable insurance, OK servicing costs.

However, performance isn't great below 4000rpm and the engine does sound strained at higher revs.

Also high pitch whistle in 6th gear at high motorway speeds. Suspect wear, but will be covered by warranty if it goes totally.

Cabin nice & snug with a great low-down reclined driving position though a bit drab in colour.

Faults:

Still no problems at present, other than dealer lost my alloy wheel locking wheel nut key... I only realised after 6 months (yeah, I know...) so had to buy a new one. Still, only a tenner!

General Comments:

I bought this car as a replacement to my '91 Astra SXi as I fancied something with a little more 'cool' about it. The Celica mk6 certainly still is a great looking car, I and personally prefer it to the more angular mk7.

The first thing that hit me was that it was actually not as quick as my Astra... bit of a shame. It is a fantastic cruiser however, and to be fair will beat the bog standard boy-racer fiesta's etc... thank goodness!

0-60 time is about 9.5 seconds which IS respectable, I just wish I had been able to afford the insurance on a 2.0GT when I bought. Still, group 12 insurance is very good considering what similar car premiums would fetch with your insurer! Having said this, after fitting 17" League Tantrum alloys my premium has increased by £100 per year... still, not the cars fault.

Inside is very Japanese - plasticy and not too exciting, but it is functional and comfortable - I love the low seating position.

On the whole I would recommend one of these cars to anyone on an average budget, who'd like a great looking, refined, and very reliable car. Would certainly buy again when I find a good looking GT... or maybe GT4 :-D.

Faults:

Clutch wore out after owning the car 2 months, this cost about $200 for the part and $600 in labor to replace.

General Comments:

For the brief time I owned my '88 Celica, I very much enjoyed driving it everywhere & anywhere. The gearbox was smooth and tight and did exactly what you told it to. The handling was superb and it took corners as if the car was on metaphorical rails. It also accelerated as if it had a motor bigger than the 2.0 it had in it.

The stock stereo was what i would class as "average" which was soon replaced.

I'd still own this car if it was not for the fact I wrote it off in an accident by running it up the back of a Camry after owning it for 3 months!

Faults:

I bought the car as-is, and it had (and still has) some serious problems with it. The CV joints were about torn up, and had found out the person which had previously owned the car had driven 10,000 miles over the past seven years with the bad joint. It was not a very expensive fix, but required a good deal of tools and an entire weekend of spare time.

The transmission is missing fourth gear; I am assuming it is the shift fork, which means I must get that rebuilt. That is not at all cheap.

The turbocharger was going out when I bought it, and had finally started making noise recently. Surprisingly, the turbo isn't hard to get to, and there are places which will sell you a new stock turbo for as little as $275, when you turn your old one in. I recommend spending a few hundred extra and grabbing a performance turbocharger rebuild, since the stock turbo isn't that robust and will wear out relatively quickly.

General Comments:

This car's main plus is its performance. Once the turbocharger spools, you are off like a rocket, and the car handles flawlessly. With its all-time, AWD system, the Celica is surprisingly easy to handle in low-traction situations (gravel, snow, etc) once you learn its driving mechanics.

The interior is thoughtfully laid-out, and while not as ergonomically pleasing as most newer cars, is definitely not a slouch in the comfort compartment. However, this is a drivers' car; the driver's seat is extremely comfortable with multiple adjustment and adjustable electric lumbar support. The passenger seat doesn't have that, and feels a lot less cushy. Rear seating is a joke; it's more than a bit cramped and uncomfortable back there.

The Celica GT-Four (or Turbo All-Trac) is an extremely rare car, and as such, some parts are hard to find. Since it's just a rare trim level, a lot of common parts are used, and in this aspect... it's great. It's also very cramped under the engine bay. Coupled with the fact that the engine runs very hot, with insufficient airflow through the bay, on older GT-Fours you will find hoses badly in need of replacing.

All in all, the Celica GT-Four is an extremely rare car which isn't all that expensive right off, but if not looked after, can become a maintenance nightmare. But, it's an extremely fun car, and being one of a scant few on the road with one appeals to me... better than driving a hopped-up car which everyone has.

Faults:

The covertible top leaks in a "high "pressure car wash, but no problems with rain, etc.

General Comments:

This has been a great car.

The 2.2L engine is really quick and it handles amazingly.

Personally, I think the leather seats are a "tad" uncomfortable.