2000 - 2005 Toyota Celica Pre-Owned

Toyota doesnt normally lure in auto enthusiasts, other than those enthusiastic about reliability and safety issues. With such thrilling models as the Yaris and Camry dominating the auto giants lineup, the company has built a reputation on constructing safe, dependable, and soullessly sensible automobiles. However, historically speaking Toyotas focus on building top-tier A to B transportation has wandered from time to time, and the result has produced such awesome vehicles as the Supra, MR2, and of course, going way back, the classic 2000GT. These momentary lapses in lucidity and judgment have given many enthusiasts pause, for it is obvious that while Toyota prefers to air on the side of families and/or economy, they have the capability to produce amazing performance cars.

But is the Celica, the subject of this review, amazing? Well, as one of Toyotas longest running models, it was certainly amazing when it debuted in 1970. Rumored to be based on the 2000GT supercar that was the brainchild of Yamaha, Toyota, and Carroll Shelby (of all people!), the little Celica looked like a baby muscle car yet performed like a real sports car. Of course, being a Toyota it was slightly more reliable than the competing imported sports cars of the day (cough*English*cough), and was also somewhat cheaper, making it a popular choice for the youth of the day. Revised in 76, with the addition of a hatchback that gave it a Mustang-like profile, and then going to a more rounded shape in 78 before getting another overhaul that sharpened its edges in 82, the rear-wheel drive platform soldiered on, getting heavier and slower, with Toyota trying to stem the outflow of buyers finally in 1983, with the introduction of the now-venerable GT-S nameplate. With such wondrous upgrades as independent rear suspension and (are you sitting down?) fender flares! Of course, no matter what, it hasnt weathered well and now seems pretty ungainly compared to its peers of the day.

Then in 86 Toyota redesigned the Celica again, this time reversing the classic sports car layout with the engine now powering the front wheels. Horror-stricken, the sports car masses were furious, and besieged Toyota (in the figurative sense, of course) who, with the heavy right foot-wielding masses at the gate, attempted to regain some of the Celicas honor with the All-Trac Turbo in 1988. With all-wheel drive and a 182-horsepower turbocharged motor under the hood, the All-Trac became an instant hit, and its tenacious grip and exploitable powerband caused the same stir amongst performance enthusiasts as todays Evos and STIs.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Toyota again redesigned the Celica in 1990, this time retaining and even improving on their top-dog, the All-Trac Turbo, now with 200-horsepower, plus introducing a very cool active-suspension-endowed model that sadly never saw American soil. Finally, 1994 saw the last, and perhaps least sporting revision of the Celica before Toyota arrived at the last generation in model year 2000. If youve lost count, that makes this, the last version, the seventh generation of Toyota Celica.

After the simply adequate performance (for the time) turned in by the 135-horsepower fourth generation Celica, Toyota knew they needed to do something to return the Celicas name to the realm of automobiles populated by such words as exciting and fun, because the sixth gen was anything but. So when they rolled out the new Celica looking like this, the world was gob smacked. Where were the boring curves and the homely front end design? Where was the stupid looking back end that belonged on a Corolla? Where was the economy car silhouette?

The answer was nowhere. Completely revised from stem to stern, the seventh generation boasted edgy styling and aggressive good looks the Celica had not know since the BeeGees were cool. The effeminized and miniaturized Supra styling cues were gone, replaced by sharp creases and aggressive bulges, and the ridiculous quad-headlight look was thankfully banished in favor of a pair of tall, slender, fast-looking headlight assemblies. Short overhangs front and rear removed some of the blandness from the design, and the front ends gaping, wide and low air dam already looked like some form of aftermarket body kit. The hood even had a scoop, the edges of which flowed distinctively forward, forming the outline of the tiny, minimalist front grille that was hardly large enough to house the Toyota emblem. The windshield was steeply raked, and the classic liftback lines that made the first generation so pretty returned in 2000, albeit lightened and modernized by thin, graceful looking C-pillars.

The shoulder line that began at the front mirrors stretched back to the trunk, forming the tops of the brake lights, while the rear quarter sheetmetal accentuated that line by tucking in underneath it before bulging out around the rear tire. At the back, the taillights framed the inset rear valance, an effect that simply looked really cool. A faux diffuser in the rear bumper added to the sporty nature of the car, while the designs only weak point, the obligatory wing (reminiscent of the 80s models obligatory fender flares), was easily removed for a much sleeker appearance. And the passing of time only helped the design, with the Celica receiving a few minor updates throughout the years, the most surprising being the availability of the Panasonic Celica GT-S in 2002. Built to commemorate the pairing of Toyotas racing effort with Panasonic, the car boasted a wild-for-Toyota paint scheme, and a vastly more aggressive body kit, with an even more aftermarket-looking front and, a bigger grille opening (which worked wonders for the front ends street cred), plus a wild rear wing thats big by anyones standards.

The final-generation Celica possessed an equally striking interior, with a sporty dash and centre stack layout. Of course, being a Toyota its also incredibly practical, with a decent driving position (so long as you were under six feet tall; legroom and headroom was at a premium otherwise) and logically position controls. However, given that the overall quality of the seventh generation Celica is considered otherwise top-notch, Toyotas choice of plastics for the various controls is surprisingly poor, feeling like itd be more at home on something with an American badge on the front. Additionally, the placement of the cupholders behind the shifter is simply ridiculous; any aggressive shifting is sure to result in everything taller than a soda can ending up in your back seat; and such surprises are simply not welcome during spirited driving. But beyond these foibles the design is good, with the high-backed, racing-style front buckets earning good marks for their combination of derriere security as well as comfort; a rare mix.

As with any sports coupe though, access can be a pain, with the low roof and long side bolsters conspiring against front seat occupants. As such, look for an exceedingly worn drivers side seat bolster, since they tend to see a lot of abuse. Rear seat passengers are punished in the typical sports coupe way with the necessary, and very ungraceful entry technique that doesnt reward with a comfortable seat at the end of the process; the Celicas rear seat is tiny. Behind the rear seat, cargo space is equally limited. Model year 2003 saw a substantial revision of the interior that, while supplying more color choices, new gauges, and an optional (standard on the upscale GT-S model) JBL audio system, did nothing to relieve the relative claustrophobia any tall person felt while inside.

Under the hood, the new Celica improved on the outgoing model with more power courtesy of an engine donated by the Corolla. Retuned and run through shorter gearing on its way to the ground, the 1.8L DOHC four-cylinder pumped out 140 horsepower (10 more than the Corolla version) in GT trim and a more respectable 180 in the GT-S. With only five more horsepower than the anemic fourth generation, the GT made little more than a good, sporty-styled runabout, but lacked the power to do anything beyond talk the talk, especially when fitted with the four-speed automatic. The GT-S on the other hand, produced the power to walk the walk, but it only did so courtesy of Toyotas VVT-i system, which relegated the small motor to the land of high-rpm horsepower only.

With peak horsepower occurring at an S2000-like 7,600 rpm, you had to really be pushing hard to get the most out of this motor, and with almost no low-end torque (133 foot-pounds at 6,800 rpm), the Celica GT-S was sedate around town, to say the least. However, on a closed course and equipped with the standard six-speed (the automatic had a manual shifting provision, but simply wasnt as good at keeping the engine in the narrow powerband as the manual) the Celica was a lively ride, and while many complained of excessive engine, tire, and wind noise, as well as an especially firm ride, the last Celica marked the most sincere return to its sporting roots. After all, what sports car is quiet, soft, and spacious?

Unfortunately though, as a result of the cars dashing good looks and well-known reliability, theres nary a bargain to be had on second-hand Celicas, with most used car prices above those of the more sporty and arguably more practical SVT Focus, not to mention that the more common Acura Integra or RSX can offer similar performance at what is usually a slightly cheaper price. Hyundais Tiburon offers far less performance at a far lower price as well, whereas Fords venerable Mustang can give buyers double the Celicas horsepower for thousands less. But as a balance of sporty, timeless (for now) looks, and utterly amazing reliability, its hard to fault the last Celica ever made.