1991 Toyota Celica GT Liftback review from North America
"Great looking, fun car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Power steering system was leaking when I first purchased the vehicle.
Clutch had to be replaced right away.
A couple minor oil leaks were also fixed after buying the car. Even with these repairs the cost of purchasing was under Blue Book pricing.
Engine developed misfires in 2 cylinders because of worn valve cover gasket and tube seals. Also replaced spark plug wires because they had been damaged by the valve leaking. Total cost under $200.
General comments?
Being an older car, I feel it's been very reliable. With the exception of the clutch and power steering leak, none of the above problems actually needed to be fixed to keep the car in working order. It drove perfectly reliably with the engine misfires, just notably down on power.
I really love the styling of the '91 model, there are no Toyota logos, and the rear lights are one solid piece instead of separated like newer Celicas. To me, it looks far more aggressive than models even 2 years newer when parked next to each other.
With the engine in fully working order, it accelerates very nicely above 3000 rpm, and sounds fantastic with stock exhaust.
The handling is very good as well, even though I'd prefer less body roll. There is no under-steer what-so-ever unless you're trying to accelerate while cornering. In fact, if you're going fast enough the car will over-steer.
I replaced the stock rims with 17" ones, fitted with Yokohama Avid H4s tires, and that change added a LOT of grip and improved the handling.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1991 |
| Year of manufacture | 1991 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 127000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 140000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Grand Prix |
| Date of Entry | 15th May, 2005 |