1990 Toyota Cressida Straight 6 from North America
Summary:
Masterpiece of engineering
Faults:
The windshield has developed a rather large crack in it, but this was fixed recently and was covered under my insurance. The replacement was perfectly done.
The leather seats have started to crack very badly. Of course this car is over 15 years old and has had a lot of use in it's life. Doesn't bother me at all, they are still very comfortable and there are no major rips...yet.
General Comments:
I never thought I would own a car with this many miles on it. I bought this Cressida "slightly used" from my local Toyota dealer as a demo car with 21k miles. I always wanted one and couldn't pass up the offer when a friend said he could get me a good deal on it. I have has this car since Christmas 1992, what an excellent Christmas present to myself!!
This vehicle redefines Toyota completely. I had a 1986 Mercedes before the Cressida, and the Cressida was actually more luxurious!! The Cressida is a true statement of Toyota reliability and luxury.
Everything you would expect from an expensive (for the time) luxury automobile can be found in a Cressida. Heated mirrors, dual power seats, cd-changer, large-powerful engine, plenty of interior room, automatic headlights, many bells and whistles... The car is ultra quiet, powerful, and is very easy to control even at the highest speeds.
The car has been in several very bad accidents and has always pulled through, I couldn't bring myself to let it go, so I always got it fixed. Same original engine and transmission from day one. The exterior still looks brand new despite all that it's been through.
I have not encountered one mechanical problem since owning it, I don't think I ever will.
I recently gave the car to my son who is in college and he loves it. He grew up in the car and now it is his. He threw on some new snowtires and the car is a tank in the snow. When his friends cars are buried or stuck in the snow, he is out driving around. It performs incredibly well in every area.
Cressida: A tank, bullet-proof, and truly a masterpiece of engineering!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th December, 2005
5th Dec 2005, 12:19
I totally agree. I drove a friend's Cressida in college in the mid 1980's and was shocked how refined and luxurious it was. To some extent, I think it set the stage for Lexus as far as Toyota's ability to compete in the luxury market. Everytime I used to see a Cressida owner I would smile as I knew that person had made a smart buy on a variety of levels (price, luxury, quality, etc.).
My only question is how, if you bought your Cressida in 1992, your previous car was a Mercedes M-Class that wasn't even built until 1997?