1985 Toyota Tercel Hatchback 2 door 1.5 from North America
Summary:
Economical, reliable and easy to maintain
Faults:
I rebuilt the engine at 250k when I got it, and haven't had any engine problems since.
Known problems are CV joints go bad when boots wear out, and ball joints wear out from rubber boots failing.
Excellent mileage, and very reliable. I had an 81 Tercel before, and was up to 180k without any engine work, and got the same performance and mileage, well, a little less because of the old engine. My rebuilt motor, ~30 city, and 31-35 highway. Old 81, ~25 city and highway.
Oh, also a rats nest of vaccuum lines. Must check these on an old one, as it really affects performance.
General Comments:
A great car. The inline engine, oriented front to back is very easy to maintain, which is important on old cars, and parts are usually cheap. A great vehicle for the money.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th November, 2000
15th Mar 2001, 14:55
Good college car... my Tercel has a lot of vibration for some reason. Engine started sputtering around 110,000 miles. No money for a new carburator means I have to carry a can of carburator cleaner and sit and rev the engine A LOT to get it going. Clutch is in good shape at 114,000. Overall, my Tercel holds up well.
18th Apr 2001, 06:31
I had an 82 Tercel that was a workhorse. Frame rusted out and I drove it to the junk-yard. Engine ran like it was new at 237000 miles, tried everything to kill it on the way to the junk-yard but it would not die! I put over 150000 miles on the car and bought nothing but tires, brake pads, gas, and oil. What more can I say?
10th Jan 2001, 10:42
Good car, doesn't have many problems and is good on gas, but has good power for its age. The only problem is the heater doesn't work because it broke.
I'm very happy with this car and would like to have a '95 model of this car.
Mine is golden brown with a few dents and dings, but the car still leaves black marks at 180,000 miles and that's not too bad.