1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 Wagon review from North America
"Drop what you're doing and buy one now!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
New CV joints every 3 years or so.
Patched windshield at 131,000.
Partial gear box failure at 162,000 which was prohibitively expensive to repair.
General comments?
This was my first car, and we did truly obscene things to it, like not changing the oil for 8 months, and driving it with no oil at all for nearly 400 miles total. Any other car would have become scrap, but the Toyota didn't seem to mind the punishment at all!
Like most Toyota wagons in my experience, it handled very well for a wagon due to the responsive steering, but was underpowered for steep hills and high altitude work.
The 4 wheel drive was a dream come true. Between backwoods Montana and Flagstaff Arizona I put it through snow, ice, slush, hail, and light offroading. At times, my Tercel became the cold weather taxi for drivers afraid to take their fully decked offroading Jeeps on the icy roads.
I can't imagine a more reliable car. Perfect for a high school kid or college student.
Recommended reviews
| 1987 - Tercel 4WD Wagon SR5 3AC Cheap, versatile, quirky and ugly as hell |
|
| 1986 - Tercel SR5 4WD Wagon-6 speed 3A-C It thinks it can, and then does it! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 1992 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 4 cylinder Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 60000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 162000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 6th June, 2001 |