1993 Toyota Tercel review from North America

$600 brake job.

Literally nothing else in almost 70K miles.

I love this car. It has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. I live in Chicago, and in the time I have owned the car, the temperature here has varied from -20F to 105F. This car has ALWAYS started within two seconds of turning the key.

This car has consistently gotten 34 miles per gallon. This is exactly what Toyota claimed it would do.

I paid less than $5000 for the car when it was two years old. Since that time, with the exception of the $600 brake job, I haven't spent a penny on anything other than normal maintenance (oil, filters, plugs, tires). According to Carfax, my car (looked up the VIN), was in a wreck and has "lots" of problems. What a joke. This has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned.

Many people will complain about the performance of this car. Performance, I'll grant, is weak, but I don't care. It gets me where I'm going. With the stick shift, this car still "performs" better than my old 2L Mustang.

Comfort is not the best, but it is not the worst either. I am 6' 0" and I do feel a little cramped sometimes. Again, though I have been in worse cars.

Bottom line: If money is a concern, this has got to be one of the best cars possible. Cheap price, high reliability, and great gas mileage add up to an unbeatable bargain. However, if you are taller than 6' 2", or are a speed freak, you should probably pay more money for something else.