General Comments:
Well this is my very first car, it is a hand me down car from my dad. At first glance it doesn't look impressive, the boxy shape is not attractive. Yet underneath this skin is a masterpiece of automotive engineering.
As listed, only 1 thing was wrong a defective relay early on its life. One dealership decided not to honour the warranty and a written letter to Toyota Canada pretty much cleaned up their act.
The car is 20 years old and it still handles like a brand new car. Everything inside is intact in excellent condition. It has exceeded 235,000 km I lost count on the odometer again.
Handling, at the first try it isn't the easiest car to steer, after getting used to it, this car is one of the best at handling. This car responds exactly to how you react, it doesn't do more than you want it to nor does it do less. Be careful driving this car on ice, there is no traction control and it will skid.
Performance, the car shows its age. The 5M-GE engine is very reliable, there is no doubt about it. This car still has most parts it came with from Japan meaning they are 20 years old and still in excellent condition. For a 1986 car it still can still has more hp than the small cars. It is a rear wheel drive which is rare for this type of car and one should note it shares some Supra stuff including the engine. However don't expect to challenge a 2005/2006 Camry and expect to win, unless you mod this car it won't win many races today. Competing with stock cars around its age is another story.
Brakes...they saved my life a few times where other cars couldn't.
The Interior is probably one of the greatest parts of this car. Like I said, outside its not very pretty. Anyone who gets inside a Cressida with a well kept interior will retract all the bad things they say about its exterior. Provided you don't do anything to the interior other than use it normally it will last perhaps forever. The sofa seats are still soft and comfortable and haven't shown any signs of wear. This car came with a completely digital dashboard, perhaps the only advanced thing this car still has compared to the majority of 2006's lineup. Amazing electronics work.
For the exterior its well designed. This is a formal car and therefore has its boxy shape. The cons are the side guards which can rust. With poor care this car could rust more than mine has. If you live in an area that doesn't see snow you can ignore this rust business. The paint job... what can I say. Wash this car and it shines like factory new.
Toyota says this car has the possibility of going another 10 years as a main car. Due to its age I don't want to take that chance, I rather keep this engineering marvel alive. You can't find cars built like a problem-free Cressida these days even among Toyotas. I'm currently on the look for a newer Cressida to go with this one, that is how much this car won me over.
