2003 Toyota Celica T-Sport from UK and Ireland - Comments

No faults so far...

This is a superb car. I had considered a few motors and chose it over an Impreza WRX in the end. Why? - well the Celica may be beaten on performance, but it is much better looking, uses much less fuel and feels much more special.

The subaru was very fast, but at the end of the day you can only tell the difference in performance when you have a very long, very straight road with no speed limits, cameras or other cars - it just doesn't happen.

In the Celica you can have your fun (with a 0-60 of under 7 seconds), slow yourself down (60-0 in 3 seconds) and then cruise around town in what looks like a baby Ferrari.

Theres the difference. While the Subaru will get you respect with rally fans and performance heads, the Celica turns the heads of everybody, young and old.

The engine is sweet with peak power arriving at 6,000 rpm. It is superb when you time it just right so that when you pull out to overtake you are just hitting 6,000 - watch it fly. Then leave it in until just over 8,000, change up to third and you will just be at 6,000 to start the whole process again - sweet!

T-Sport leather seats are excellent an look cool as well.

Gear change on 6 speed box is slick and quick - although geting into reverse can be a pain. (it's next to 1st and the car beeps like lorry to let you know it's in).

CD player is OK, but a tad disappointing.

17" T-sport wheels look cool and the 205 tyres keep the car glued to the road.

Steering is well weighted and gives goo feedback through corners.

Bit disappointed with motorway refinement (though not bad for a sports coupe). Cruise control not even an option, but would be nice for long journeys.

Back seats aren't as bad as many people think - I am 5' 10" and I can fit in comfortably. Some 6 footers mates of mine have managed to shoehorn themselves in before now as well.

My car is Storm Blue - it looks black, but has a blue flip to it, depending on the angle.

My advice - buy one, its the complete sports coupe.

I am interested to read your review of the T sport. I am awaiting delivery of mine on 6th March - counting the days!!

I have bought one in Chilli Red. I believe that it is in keeping with your comments regarding the mini Ferrari.

You are correct about being looked at by old and young. My test drive was great - bright sunshine, shades on, part of me wanting to take her up 8,000 rpm, but another wanting to make sure I was seen!

I have yet to arrange my insurance. Toyota appear very competitive, however, I would be interested if you have any better ideas.

Regards.

Malcolm Keys - malcolm@keys.eclipse.co.uk.

Guys,

AAarrrgh!!

I am trying to decide what to buy and I am split between the mad cool of the Celica and the luxury of the IS200. I want a fast car and I need space to carry around a suitcase and 2 LARGE bags every few months between accomodations. After reading the reviews on the new Celica tho' OH MAN!!! I had a '92 Celica before and it was GORGEOUS. I miss it which is why I'm looking at the Celica again.

Thanx for your comments and happy driving. Any updates would be good.

I have just bought a t-sport in storm blue, and asked the question about cruise control, apparently certain toyota garages can install it afterwards. I bought mine fromm rrg.

I will be receiving my T-Sport in the next few days, it is also chili red and looks gorgeous. I must confess to being a little concerned at the 2 out of 5 mark awarded to the car by What Car magazine, especially when it appeared to give ratings of 3 and 4 out of 5 for most of the categories and then 2 out of 5 for the overall mark. Can anyone shed any light on this apparent anomaly.

I have just bought a storm blue t sport. What a gorgeous car inside and out, you can't fail to be seen when out and about.

I could have bought a silver one cheaper, but fell in love with the colour.

Still looking for a good insurance though, any ideas?

Hi Celica fans! I'm in the process of shopping around for one and the reviews I've read about the T-Sport haven't been that good. People are saying to go for the Premium Pack one instead... I'd love to hear you thoughts.

I'm quite concerned about the insurance costs so I did a quote on insuresupermarket.com. For a 2005 T sport it came back as £363!!! I'm only 28 too (albeit married and female) but they're well worth checking out. They compare loads of prices for you and display all the quotes in a table instantly.

Lou :o)

I have spent forever deciding which car to get next - spending obsessive amounts of time researching dozens and dozens of cars. Well, I've narrowed it down to just a handful - one being the Celica 190. I found the original review and subsequent comments really helpful. I love the ambiguous nature of the rev-happy engine: unassuming purring pussy-cat one moment, screaming bloody murder banshee the next! It's apparently fashionable for people to moan about 'lack of low/mid-range torque' all the time. So what. They can go and buy a smelly old diesel lump attached to a shiny (dull) new executive German mile-muncher and over-take all day and feel smug when they get a return of 45mpg. I want a car which makes me smile every time I look at it, let-alone drive it and that's where the Celica comes in. The ctr appeals to me as well (another 'launch at 6000+ revs' car!) but there is something about the love/hate-it looks of the last Celica which might swing it. Personally, I love its looks.

I'm a relatively young driver(23) for a car like this, and so was looking for something sporty but refined, so as to be taken seriously by my new employers! The crunch came down to a Celica, Audi A3 or an Audi TT 220.

Having decided that the total lack of boot space on the TT was a no go and its hideous MPG and insurance group, I test drove the A3 and the Celica and enjoyed them both.

The Celica had something else; it's a totally different car from the moment you climb into the cockpit. You kind of fall into the leather seats as gracefully as possible. Once there, the driving position is totally flexible; you can sit up for the long motorway driving (which unlike some comments I found excellent for comfort compared to my Mondeo) or alternatively lower the seat back and steering wheel for the pedal down country lane sprints.

The noise the engine produces is frankly amazing; if you want to do a long quiet drive you will be slightly disappointed, but 6th gear will sit around 3-4000 revs at 80mph comfortably bubbling nicely. If you drop the gears and push that past 4k, a growl begins to fill your ears. Take the car to 5,6,7K and you will notice that the purr of the engine has mutated into a powerful roar. It still sends shivers down my spine!

The handling is superb, feedback through the steering rack is perfect, and you can tell exactly when the back is starting to twitch and the brakes are starting to lock, even in the wet.

The only downside to this car is that it doesn't have the low rev "ooomph" of a turbo, so people in everyday family cars will match you for speed in the lower revs. The trick is to keep that needle all the way up, and you will soon be cruising to license-losing speeds before you realise.

If you want a car for 0-60 power go for a Cupra, Subaru or TT if you want a good all round car that can deliver if the mood suits you go for the Celica, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I owned a Celica 190 2002 model, and now have a T-Sport after a flirtation with other cars. Other people have mentioned the Impreza, I found the turbo lag a real pain in urban traffic and other situations. Then the thing red lines at just 6600 rpm. There's no doubt the Impreza is quicker, but it uses more fuel, looks ugly, and is far more costly to run. I'm happy with my Celica!

I have the Corolla. I love the looks of the Celica (especially this blue), but still, I'd rather pass by less noticed.

My review (2003, Belgium) is on this site. It is slightly less quick than the Celica (adds 90 kilo of weight), but it is more comfortable. I glided the badge off.

A lot of people complain about their car, just because they don't drive properly (not all of them of course). This particular engine is using a specifically sorted out driving style. Don't forget you got already 160 nm torque as from 2000 rpm all the way to about 5800, and then slightly lifting to 181 nm at 6800, and the valvelifting starts at 6200 rpm. Mr Hyde drives you comfortably and well along (and mostly beyond) ongoing traffic, Dr Jekyll, well, be sure you've got some free space ahead of you,...

I own a Celica T-Sport, Civic Type R GT and Lexus LS430, and my experience is that from a standstill to 100mph the Celica is the quickest of the three, which is worth pointing out as the official figures for the three cars place the Celica a distant third.

I have also noted that on the motorway, when cruising at around 80mph and then tailgated by BMW 330i or Seat Leon Cupra's or Audi TT's for very recent examples, if dropped into third gear and then 'floored', cars such as those mentioned seem to struggle to keep up, even though they clearly are trying!!

The point is, in the lift zone, that is over 6k revs, the Celica is phenomenally quick, and if you learn to shift well and therefore keep it over 6k revs, very few cars will match it for speed. Ignore the stats in magazines, believe me, driven well, it is much much quicker.

It actually makes the Civic Type R seem tame to drive, which is saying something as the CTR is a brilliant car as well.

However, if you are not bothered about awesome speed, the great thing about the Celica is you can drive it like an Avensis, it Will be pretty quiet, very smooth and capable of doing 35mph in 6th gear if you are in a lazy mood.

Try that in the CTR and you will be hopping like a kangaroo. For me that the biggest beauty of the Celica. Capable of outrageous speed, but a perfectly practical easy to live with day to day commuting car.

I actually own a Celica 190 and my brother used to have an EP3 type R. The Celica is quick in lift, but it won't out do a CTR as they weigh similar, but the Civic has another 10bhp or so on top. You would probably struggle to pull them apart on the road, but I very much doubt the Celica is quicker.

Also, both my car and the Civic would do 30mph in 6th, neither have amazing pull, but the engines weren't struggling either. I think that lift is too narrow of a powerband after driving v-tec and would rather another couple of hundred rpm lower to kick in or higher for the limiter as in the low gears particularly it is hard work.

I do prefer the ride in the Celica though, it is softer and handles well, plus the seats are very comfy and it feels more like a sports car being low.

Major factor for me deciding between the two is that the early 190's are low insurance, much less than a Civic or most other things of similar performance.

The Civics are more reliable though, as you get lift bolt problems on the VVTL-I engines in the Celica!

That is true, although lift bolts are not an issue to change so long as they don't snap. Plus the bolts themselves only cost 50p each and so you can just change them every 20,000miles or so and not have to worry for a couple of quid as long as you aren't completely useless mechanically. If you use the revised Toyota part, they shouldn't be an issue anyway.