Toyota Tercel Reviews from Australia and New Zealand

Nothing has gone wrong so far, although the battery may need replacing soon; it seems to lose charge if the car is not driven for a few days.

The car is a Japanese import with one New Zealand owner.

The interior and overall condition of the car was almost as new when I bought it.

It is a comfortable car to drive around town. Although the car is not too comfortable for long journeys, as the seats lack under-thigh support.

The 1.3 litre engine and three speed auto limits performance in hills, requiring a manual shift to 2nd. Performance on the flat is good and the car comfortably cruises at 100-115kmh.

Rear seat accommodation is limited, strictly for small children only.

I am somewhat disappointed with the fuel consumption. 37mpg is less than expected from a light weight car with a 1.3 liter engine.

The front under body braces broke at about 150,000kms, causing chassis cracks near the base of the engine firewall. Easily fixed with some lengths of steel and a MIG welder.

The shock absorbers have failed repeatedly, probably due to the car being raced in club level rallies. The front struts are unusually short which means custom made inserts are the best replacement option.

Low quality o-rings are used on the distributor drive shaft and water pump bypass - these needed to be replaced at 100,000kms.

Other parts - steering rack, alternator bushes, 1 set of constant velocity joints.

Fantastic machine. Has never broken down. Capable of extreme 4wd feats. Raced in 2 club level rallies, finishing =4th/25 and =4th/44. Can carry amazing loads. Economical to run, 7lt/100km. All up running costs per kilometer are less than my mountain bike (it breaks often), and about a quarter that of my GSXR600.