1992 Toyota Cressida Grande review from Australia and New Zealand

133,000km

Blown head gasket as a result of a cracked heater core. Luckily this was just after buying the car from a dealership offering a 12 month warranty, so no extra cost was incurred :)

Dunno when.

Blew top radiator hose from the tank when I downshifted really hard. Nothing serious, just needed to replace the clamp with a better one and top up the coolant. I'd recommend replacing all the spring type clamps for screw clamps if you do a bit of spirited driving.

If you're thinking about buying one of these cars, the most important thing to look out for is the notorious blown head gasket.

If you fix a blown head gasket correctly the first time with these engines, you can be assured it won't be blowing for another 200,000km. To fix it properly, make sure that the head and block surfaces are re-surfaced to the best possible finish. Use a Toyota genuine head gasket and re-torque higher than the recommended specifications ~75-80lb/ft.

The last Australian models of the Cressida (1989-1992, MX83) are fantastic cars.

This has to be one of the best used cars to buy these days. Costing new $43,000 AUD and available from $2500-$10000 used, depending on condition, they are amazing value for money. I picked mine up for $7000AUD and they are the best dollars I have spent in a long time.

When Toyota produced these babies, they were the flagship model alongside the Supra, and share many aspects. Mainly the driveline: the wonderful engine - the 3.0L inline 6 DOHC 7M-GE powerhouse pumping 142KW through an A340 3 speed plus overdrive automatic transmission through to an 8" limited slip differential. This engine and gearbox combo made for one of THE smoothest drive-train available at the time, that puts some new cars to shame.

Reliability wise these cars are great. The only problem that is well recorded to occur is the blown head gasket. Other than this, anything that goes wrong is a result of poor service and maintenance. Keep it out of the red zone (temp.) and the engine will last a lifetime. When something does go wrong though, it isn’t always cheap to fix.

Fuel economy isn't the greatest, but what can you expect from a car of this size? I drive it like I stole it, and I still get about 350-450km from 50L city driving.

My car came with a huge assortment of extras: leather interior, cruise control, electric drivers seat, electric windows and mirrors, CD player, 6 speaker sound, climate control, LSD - all standard on the Grande, and an optional moonroof.

With a forum like www.toyotacressida.net to find information, and help sort out and solve technical problems, this car has been very easy to maintain. Not really the cheapest car to keep on the road, being classed as luxury vehicle, but well worth every dollar I've spent.

I don’t think I'll ever sell this car, and I have plans to do an engine conversion to the 2.5L Twin Turbo 1JZ-GTE that comes standard in the same chassis in Japan (JZX81). These motors put out a hefty 170rwkw when put into an Australian delivered Cressida, and have a huge potential for further modification to push well over 400rwkw.

The other plus of the 1JZ-GTE is they are probably the second most reliable engine Toyota makes. 1JZ-GTE's big brother 2JZ-GTE being the best. NO MORE BLOWN HEADGASKETS when you go 1JZ-GTE.

When new from the factory, body roll came as standard. Weighing in at 1450kg, the Grande isn’t the easiest car to maneuver around, but it will still out handle a Commodore or Falcon of the same era. Putting in a set of lowering springs and sports shocks (Bilstein :) drastically improved the handling and appearance of my Cressida. The rear no longer sits higher than the front, and body roll is down to a very useable level.

Overall, I'd have to say that I love my Cressida and it's the best built car I have ever driven.