1992 Toyota Tercel DX review from North America

The clutch seems to be slipping somewhat... it's not a problem unless I floor it.

The release lever for the gas door doesn't pop the door open, so I have to either have a friend pull the lever while I pry the door open, or use a string to pull the lever while I pry open the door, which is a minor annoyance.

At high speeds (85+ MPH) the steering wheel rattles like crazy, and the car seems generally unstable as well.

The paint (factory original) seems to be not very well done, and is chipping in quite a few spots.

The driver's side wiper blade leaves a big smear just above eye level. This has persisted even after I replaced the blades with high-quality replacements.

The car is extremely reliable. The problems I have encountered with it are minor annoyances.

Gas mileage is very satisfactory, even when under hard acceleration and intense driving.

The car's performance is definitely not sporty, and at times it's just too sluggish to feel safe. However, once it's travelling at a decent speed, acceleration and overall performance improves.

The Tercel is a fairly fun-to-drive car, especially for what it is designed for. Steering is responsive, the engine pulls to the redline without complaint (although the lack of a tach makes judging when to shift a pain), and the transmission provides good, solid shifting.