1988 Toyota Celica GT review from North America

I was starting to get a bit overwhelmed by the structural work required, put it up for sale when the muffler exploded, and then someone hit it (for the second time, in a year, while she was parked and minding her own business!)

I gave into an impulse and paid too much for car which turned out to have 9 previous owners. I still cried when I said goodbye to it (insurance wanted to fix it, I am unemployed and didn't have anyone lined up to at least buy it for the multitude of new mechanical parts I put on it in three years).

She was great in the snow, and even underwater (*cough*)

Even though the seats were worn out, I still found that I wanted a drive when my back was hurting.

Overall, considering age and condition, an amazingly tolerant and pretty reliable car. Many of the parts were put on because I wanted to replace them before they became a problem, very few actual 'fixings' required.

Gas economy was unbelievable in a car this age, I'm still not over the shock of putting gas in the late model American cars I'm borrowing from family.

I'm not so sure about the reliability ratings on the last generation of Celicas, but I definitely want another one - not a Supra, as I want another daily driver which scoffs at snow, starts on the first key turn @-20 C without an engine heater, carries a s$#%load of stuff, and has too-fun pop-up headlights. Oh yeah, and the sunroof, A/C and heat all worked fine to the bitter, bitter end.

Mine was not an AWD or GTS, but I had a lot of fun in a car that, like the MAC/PC thing, just generally did whatever I asked without fuss.