1993 Toyota Tercel DX review from North America
"This car is great for the person who is looking for nothing but the most practical car ever"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The largest problem my car had was the corrosion the fuel tank suffered from. The dealer replaced this for me at 108,000 miles free of charge, I had bought the car eight thousand miles before that.
The seat seam on the drivers side is starting to peel off, nothing major and hard to notice.
The engine burns a good amount of oil
due to how fast I drive the little 1.5 liter, I have found it seems the car will run forever as long as I keep the oil level up to its capacity.
The car does not like to go into reverse all of the time, most likely due to clutch wear from the previous owner.
The winshield washer pump has been out of opperation ever since I purchased the vehicle.
General comments?
If I could describe this car as an item I would probably say a rock. It seems to be unbreakable, the little engine runs at 85 miles per hour for about 2 and a half hours straight on the New York state thruway, and I burn only about 5 gallons of fuel. As well I have hit a very high curb, (swerving from an on coming car driven by a drunk driver) at a speed fast enough to break the tie rod, bend the rim, un allign the front end, blow out the strut and deflate the tire. Come to find out after I drove the car on to the road not one thing was wrong with it.
This can go down a very snowy road as well as my fathers subaru forester, with four snow tires, (which are very inexpensive for this car), it handles unbeleivably in the snow. I love this car and if Toyota still made The tercel model I would absolutely buy a new one, the car gives the driver a feel of security and control of the vehicle. I have already gotten my moneys worth, for a 1993 subcompact I paid $1900, I was a bit skeptical about the price, but now I understand why.
Handles great and has a little bit of pep, much faster than my 86 ranger, that's for sure.
Great gas mileage and only an 11.9 gallon fuel tank, easy on the wallet!
I deliver pizza and the car stays running for 12 hours straight, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights each. Never shows any signs of fading.
The car gets beaten pretty good, full exceleration, fast stops, curbs, huge bumps, and it still treats me good, all I have to do is wash it to make it happy.
The paint coat is outstanding and only rust underneath the body of the car and it has been through 11 central New York winters.
Truly a great car!
Recommended reviews
| Basic, dependable transportation, nothing more |
| This car has been great and I'm scared to trade it in |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 100000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 120000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Ranger |
| Date of Entry | 30th December, 2003 |