1987 Toyota Tercel 4WD Wagon review from North America

Replaced radiator & water pump at 320,000 km.

Replaced starter motor at 300,000 km.

Numerous CV boots and shafts in the last 100,000 km.

Starting to get quite rusted.

We bought this car new in December 1986 and have just sold it (May 2003) thus driving it for sixteen and a half years (we've had it longer than we've had our youngest child) for just over 357,000 km.

We live in the prairie provinces of Canada and have taken the car fully loaded with camping gear and four people to Newfoundland in 1996 (with 230,000 km on it) and to California in 1994 with a similar load. During the California trip we drove one day with five people in the car and a full load of camping gear in the back and on top of the car from San Francisco to Eugene, Oregon at 65 to 70 mph with no problems. We've also made numerous trips to the west coast of British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

With good driving techniques the 4WD makes the car virtually unstoppable. When the car was new I used to play tag with and pass all the snow plows when driving through the mountains of British Columbia in winter.

The car is very reliable and it NEVER abandoned us on the highway.

While it is small and economical I've also found the car comfortable for short and long distance driving (I'm 6 feet 3 inches tall).

It's unfortunate that Toyota stopped making this car.