1991 Toyota Soarer GTT 2.5 twin turbo from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

The perfect car - for two people

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This is the best car ever. Quick, comfortable and never misses a beat. You can drive it gently and cruise on long trips economically, or enjoy the torque and power of over 200kw.

With the added benefit of the Toyota electronically modulated suspension, that stiffens at higher speeds and into corners, you get Maserati type handling with the reliability of Toyota.

These cars are simply the best value for money going around, and I couldn't even give mine up for an Audi S8!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th November, 2009

1991 Toyota Soarer UZZ31 4 litre V8 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Ahead of its time

Faults:

Fuel sender would read the wrong amount of fuel.

Slight crack on the radiator bottle (needs to be changed every 80000km).

Some wiring shorting out, blowing the FM tuner up, causing the radio not to work.

General Comments:

This car is a seriously quick car when driven properly.

Very quick off the line, it's ahead of its time, and has features that some of the brand new Australian delivery cars don't have.

I have had it for a year now, and haven't had one drop of oil leak from it at all.

Very quite inside the cabin; no wind sound or nothing, 180kmph feels like 40kmph! Can't feel the speed at all.

I am missing the factory option traction control, and I have fitted the optional TORSEN LSD differential center, and in the wet if planting the accelerator too hard off the line or around a corner, you will end up facing the other way; the rear end just does the full circle, even when you have brand new tires!

I have added an aftermarket suspension controller that makes the car go much lower and much higher.

Also added a cat back exhaust system, which makes a really nice note when punched.

Love this car. I've got some serious plans for it, including adding a supercharger kit for it soon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th November, 2007

14th Jan 2010, 16:44

To quote 'has features that some of the brand new Australian delivery cars don't have' - how true!

Automatic headlights, digital dash, cruise control, ABS, airbag suspension, 'bulb out' warnings, folding mirrors, climate control etc etc etc... in 1991 for goodness sake!

A pity the latest Soarer (the Lexus SC430) is such an ugly barge.

1991 Toyota Soarer 1JZ GTE 2.5L petrol Twin turbo from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

A LOT of car for the money

Faults:

Car will often misfire on a medium to hard push. Recently had the spark plugs changed and found 2 were completely covered in oil. Compression test showed VERY GOOD compression throughout all 6 pistons (~175psi each) indicating the misfiring is likely related to worn oil rings in the cylinders. Could be related to the turbo seals as well, although I'd say this would be less likely as the car will misfire under a moderate load as well, and the turbos provide solid boost even at a high speed / rpm.

Despite this potentially expensive problem, I am still very pleased with the reliability of this car. The engine still holds its compression very well, the gears change seamlessly, and there are no major oil / liquid leaks. touch wood, very impressive for a car this age.

General Comments:

Aside from its top notch build quality and reliability, I must say the car is exactly what it was intended to be and much more. It's a great example of a luxury sports car.

It's ultra comfortable in the front, the seats wrap around your body and hold you at high speed. Honestly it feels more comfortable than my lounge at home. I haven't had any complaints from anyone sitting in the back either, which shows how well the interior was designed and built.

Power wise the Twin Turbo soarer has more than enough grunt to put it into the upper bracket of street performance vehicles. For a car that sells just under the $9,000 AUD mark in ordinary condition, it easily outperforms sports cars in its price range, and holds its own against far more expensive vehicles.

Its on par or quicker than factory VT-SS, Subaru WRX, R32/33 GTS-T, 180SX, VL Turbo, Silvia, MA70 Supra, AU/BA Falcon XR8, all of which range from being equally priced to being far more expensive.

From a standstill the car will suck you back into your seat and have your passengers screaming at the top of their lungs. Cruising at 100km/h, the car still feels like a slingshot and still has plenty of overtaking power.

As for the way it feels when your behind the wheel? Well you won't feel a thing. With the right set of wheels, it seamlessly glides over the road. To corner it will require some skill, as the car has a tendency to over/under steer if you approach a corner at the wrong speed / angle. Take it easy though, and it will hug the road even around the sharpest corners. On the freeway at 130km/h its exceptional aerodynamics cut through the air and hold the car down, with no steering shaking / vibrations inside. I have never felt as if the car was losing control or lifting up off the road even over 130km/h. This is a lot more than I can say about my previous car, a 1999 AU Falcon, which would violently rattle over 100km/h, and pull left to right as if it had a mind of its own.

Well I hope you enjoyed reading my "little" review of the 1991 JZZ30 Toyota Soarer.

To sum it up it's a hell of a lot of car for the money. If luxury, power and build quality mean anything to you, you simply can't look past the Toyota Soarer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th July, 2007

26th Jan 2008, 16:55

Your misfire is possibly poor fuel, try the highest octane you can get as theyre tuned for 100 RON in japan.

7th Dec 2008, 23:45

The cars will run OK on 95 octane. The misfire is probably the coilpacks. Check for cracks and use high strength epoxy to cover them, then electrical shrink tubing over the top should solve it.

23rd Apr 2010, 03:48

Sounds like your AU Falcon needed a wheel alignment and new suspension. My Falcon at 180+ glides like it's doing 50k's.

19th Jan 2011, 15:11

I've driven a few AU Falcons at speed, and like the previous poster said, it feels like you're going a lot slower than you actually are. They've all been fine.