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2000 Eclipse vs. 2000 Celica
deb1956
Member Posts: 1
Hello!
Am getting ready to buy a NEW car for the first
time. I am a 43 year old female who is mainly
interested in a sporty car that looks good on the
inside and out. I don't care about powerful cars,
just one that is dependable and not too pricy. So
far my husband and I and really the 2000 Eclipse
and the 2000 Celica. We test drove the Eclipse
today and it was great! The Celicas have not
arrived here in Alabama yet. Probably will be here
in a week or so. If anyone has any opinions on
these cars or something similar I would love to
hear from you.
Thanks in advance,
Debbie
Am getting ready to buy a NEW car for the first
time. I am a 43 year old female who is mainly
interested in a sporty car that looks good on the
inside and out. I don't care about powerful cars,
just one that is dependable and not too pricy. So
far my husband and I and really the 2000 Eclipse
and the 2000 Celica. We test drove the Eclipse
today and it was great! The Celicas have not
arrived here in Alabama yet. Probably will be here
in a week or so. If anyone has any opinions on
these cars or something similar I would love to
hear from you.
Thanks in advance,
Debbie
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I would only consider the top in models of either of these vehicles, so assume I'm talking about the GT and GT-S, respectively.
It's hard to get a fair comparison between these two cars. The Celica is being praised because the previous model sucked, in almost every category (I happened to like the Jag-ish lights on the old one though). So the new one is a vast improvement.
The 2000 Eclipse is taking heat because the previous Eclipse models that were much beloved, have been axed. No more turbos, no more all-wheel drive. Most of the frustration about the loss of these models (not to mention the demise of the bloated but salvagable 3000GT) is being targeted on their replacement.
The 2000 Eclipse is trying to fill the role of the 3000GT (a large, refined sports coupe) and that of it's predecessor (a small, spunky sports coupe) and I think it's missing both targets. The car seems cheap to me, especially the interior. The plastic gas cap is hideous (although a proper, alunimum one is available for $100).
The styling is very subjective. Although I don't like it, I have a habit of disliking new designs, but allowing them to grow on me later (e.g. 5th gen Prelude). I kind of think it looks like it got the worst features of a Grand Am a Sunfire and an Audi TT. I miss the old curvateous, albeit wide-assed, body of the last model. But to each their own.
I like most of the styling on the Celica, except for the side profile and the back end -- both of which remind me WAY too much of my old POS Saturn coupe. But that's probably just my personal problem. The interior is attractive (I've been looking at Prelude interiors -- ANYTHING exciting after that).
Performance wise, I think that the 'spunk' of the Eclipse will leave with it's turbo. Haven driven various anemic V6 and V8 cars, I place no stock in cylinder counts or displacement. I've yet to test drive the new Eclipse, but it's numbers aren't as good, and I know it won't have that turbo kick.
The Celica's numbers look good, although the magazine reviews on the pre-production tester all reported problems. Being a variable-valve timing type of engine, it has that VTEC (I call all of these type engines VTEC, Honda or not) kick. The problem that concerns me most is that many reviews complain of a unreasonably narrow power band (even for a "VTEC"-type car) and gear ratios that are spaced far too wide to keep it in the band -- even with a six-shifter!
I'm leaning towards the Toyota in this case. I think that the new Celica is going to be a big success for Toyota, who has (finally!) re-entered the sports car arena. Mitsubishi, on the other hand, seems to have made a grave error. It's always best to buy a car that is "successful". Better resale, and a larger aftermarket.
And it might not matter to you, but the fact that the Celica seems likely to become a hot tuner car and with an accompanying large performance parts aftermarket is a plus for me.
Unless you have a strong personal preference about the looks (and it sounds like you don't), I say that it comes down to a decision between engine types: On one hand, you have a V-6 with a nice wide power band -- a well behaved daily driver. On the other hand, you have a typical VTEC/VVTL-i type of engine with no lower or mid-range torque that has to be revved into rude decibel levels to provide any go-power. Personally, I like the impractical but entertaining VVTL-i engine. You may find the the smooth V-6 more dependable.
Guess it boils down to the same thing that every car decision does (or should!) boil down to:
Test drive them both, pick the one you like the most!
asaunders put things nicely - the Eclipse has more torque in both its 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder engines than the Celica does, so it will serve as a more powerful-feeling daily driver. You don't sound like you're looking for a car that's super-powerful, though; you'd rather have one that's fun and zippy and handles like a dream, and that's the Celica.
For 2000, the Eclipse was softened up quite a bit... They like to call it "more refined", but that basically means that it's looser on the road but feels smoother. I say that it's too soft, and that it's now just a Galant with a sporty interior. What grabbed me during my closed-course test of the Celica was how agile it feels taking sharp turns and going through the slalom. It's a much tighter package, but manages to remain very comfortable.
Basically, the Celica is just more fun. You'll get more looks in it, it's lighter and easier to drive, and it's a (Japanese built) Toyota, which means it'll run without problems for much longer than the (made in Illinois) Eclipse. Go for the carbon blue - it's a real head turner.
My only problem with the Eclipse is that EVERYONE AND THERE MOTHER OWNS ONE. Now that's a pretty stupid reason not to buy a car, but heh..everywhere you look you see them. But my problem is solved there because they changed the body type. Personally I really don't like it at all. Asaunders hit the nail on the head here, it looks like a bad combination of a grand am and an eclipse. The old eclipse body rocked, but like I said before, everyone has it. My problem now is, I think the new design for the celica is great! And I have test drove the 6 speed and it's very responsive and has great kick. The only prob here is it's very pricey, for the type of car anyway. I am looking at my dealers' invoice here for 25k. Now, with that kind of money, I could really get somthing else.
Does anyone have suggestions? I really, really like the new celica though..and NO ONE HAS IT! ;>
Should I try to get a new price elsewhere or is that the going rate everyone is seeing? This celica was loaded..leather, moonroof, etc.
Thanks,
Jim
But not right now, of course. Everyone is trying to grab the car because it's new. If your circumstances permit, I'd definitely consider waiting. (also I want to see what the major car mags have to say about the production model)
At low rpms, it's mildly impressive, but get it above 6500 rpm, and you get a good hp kick. It's quite a different sensation from my '93 MR2 (non-turbo). I'd have to say, however, that my MR2 handles a little better than the GT-S (RWD vs. FWD?). I also need to check out the dash at night since it looks like it has red backlighting (I'm red-green color blind). The sticker said $24,875 w/ 16" rims, rear spoiler, and power moonroof, but the sales woman said she'd knock off another couple of grand. Hmm...
I'm primarily after a bump in hp. That's why I'm also considering the Integra Type-R, Mustang Cobra, and the F150 Lightning (trucks for folks who hate trucks). I know it's a rather strange list, but each has it's appeal.
And I don't blame 'em.. :0
-kc-
Toyota Celica 00'
VW Jetta GTI GLX 00'
BMW 323ci Coupe 00'(this one is a stretch $$$)
Mustang Cobra 00'
Anyone have anything expierience related or other wise to help me??
Thanks alot!
you can get there by clicking on this link
http://www.7thvision.com/celica/
the page so far has reviews, forums, classifieds,
and specs.. Im working on an owners database.. I figure Ill give it a trial run and see how it works our though before I switch over the domain..
If you have any comments please send me email to
larrydougherty@yahoo.com
Larry Dougherty
Go and meet the old & junven there.
Aftermarket links, reviews, specs etc.. working on an owners database etc. Ever seen one of the pages for a car like dsm.com or newcougarowners.com etc.. well thats what its all about.. Please come support this page.. I need everyones help to make it big.
CLICK ME -> http://www.7thvision.com/celica
Larry D
00 GT-S
Mitsubishi Eclipse is a very nice car, a real head
turner, inside and outside. It has a lot of power, it’s a little noisy though. I was disappointed, however, to find out that if I want ABS I have to go for the highest model that is available. ABS is an important safety feature that drivers appreciate more and more every season. It is not a wise marketing policy not to make ABS available as an option with every model, or at least with most models, in the hope that those who want ABS will buy the highest model, where the manufacturer can make more money. One hundred years ago Henry Ford realized that to make more money he had to care more about the volume of products sold than about the money made on each unit. How can Mitsubishi Motors not know that in order to be successful in America means to give consumers all the choices they can possibly think of. Educated consumers in the USA have so many choices that if they want something and they can not get it with one manufacturer they will turn to another manufacturer. If they can get ABS on a Chevrolet Cavalier, which can hardly be compared with, otherwise, a much finer Mitsubishi Eclipse, than it should be possible to have ABS on any Eclipse.
There were too many people on the Toyota lot, all eager to test drive the Celicas so the only car I could drive was the 4 cylinder version. The Celica is very attractive outside and the 4 cylinder version that I drove was much less noisy as the 6 cylinder Eclipse, surprisingly, and provided a much smoother and more responsive ride. However, the cheap plastic dashboard is inexcusable in this otherwise very fine automobile. The quite shocking disappointment with the Celica was the manual antenna. It is an invitation for vandals every time you park the ca,r and one has to unscrew and store it every time when going to a car wash. It is a disgrace to a Toyota. How could anything like this be approved is beyond my imagination. Because of the above I am putting my car hunting on a back burner. Let’s see what Acura comes up with, I hope Acura realizes it’s just about time to release the redesigned Integra.
Also, the dealer told us that Mitsubishi and Toyota are the same as far as reliability. I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants! No car (except Honda) is as good as Toyota when it comes to reliability.
Also check out... www.geocities.com/newcelica2000
(Under construction now, but up soon)
Happy driving with the BEST sports coupe out there... The New Celica. Live, Drive, and Love!
I am the proud owner of a Black 98 Eclipse GS.
Just letting you all know that if your are looking
for information on all Eclipse models and
generations, check out http://www.eclipseworld.com
This website has tons of movies, specs, pictures
and much more. Check it out!
Cheers!
I know from experience, I used to own a fox body GT. Sure it was fine when I kept the rev's low and drove real easy. I got about 20-25mpg. But, when I got on it though, I averaged about 12-15mpg.
I get about 25mpg going easy on my eclipse. About 18-20 driving hard.
Gas ain't cheap anymore...
I have a hard time believing toyota could simply add another 50-60ci without having to do any other modifications to the engine bay. If it was that easy, they would of made the V6 an option in the first place.
The V6 would improve daily drivability of the car, but I think the handling would suffer. The cars purpose was to be light weight with nimble handling.
How much hp did you gain with the upgrade?
Lexus GS400 uses a 4.0l V8, not a V6
Lexus GS300 uses a 3.0l I6, not a V6
Lexus ES300 does use a 3.0l V6 (essentially the same motor as the v6 Camry). Personally, I find it VERY hard to believe that the 3.0l V6 and tranny from either the ES300 or Camry would even come close to fitting the engine bay of the new Celica, 'minor' modification or not.
Don't suppose you could give us the name of the dealership where this motor swap took place, could you? Personally, I wouldn't mind it if this were available as an upgrade, I'm just REAL skeptical......
Hey, wake up, it's not 80's out there, check for example Edmunds ratings for used 1998 Hondas, you will be surprised that same year Escort/CrownVic/Lesabre etc. do same or better than Civic/Accord or even Camry. The only car which really sticks out from the crowd is Corolla and old Celica (no info about the 2000 model yet).
Even the mustangs still rate good after 2yrs. Check out some of the stangs from the early 90's.
Reality checks back in.
The new Celica GT-S might be fun to drive with it's 6speed transmission, high revving VVTL-i engine, but it's use is only for two adults.
If anyone is looking for more room for 4, then check out the new Lexus IS300. Now that is a car to contend with. Yes, I understand this is a hatchback conference, this is just my 2 cents worth.
As far as the Eclipse is concerned, the jury is out on that one. I'm a current owner of the 98 Eclipse GS model and love my car. I test drove the 2000 GS and GT models and found them very different from mine. Well, of course it's different, as it was totally redesigned. The v6 omph is superb.
My only gripe with the new Eclipse is a comment that bordsource had mentioned about the new Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus Coupe models.
All of these vehicles share the same engines and interiors for the most part. Some minor differences, but it sets apart the Eclipse as a non-individualistic car.
Check this out for more information.
2001 Dodge Stratus
Am deciding between buying the eclipse GT and teh celica GTS . Though I have fallen head over heels for teh eclipse, there is practically no rear view available & almost scared teh hell outta me when I was test driving it . Is this just a mistaken observation on my part ?
That's basically it...if you're a good driver..then you won't even worry about it once you get used to the car...
I drive a Celica GT-S...so
So many people are just LAZY drivers that do not know how to properly adjust their mirrors, and are to lazy to turn around and gaze out their side windows...I enjoy turning around..hehhe..my side windows look so cool..heh. If you adjust your windows properly..you won't even notice any difference after awhile...I've been driving my Celica since May and I haven't had one problem. Just don't be lazy.
Here's a quote from 00gts:
"If you have them adjusted correctly, you don't
even need to look over your shoulder. For the
driver side mirror, line up the line on the road to
your left with the lower right of the mirror. For
the passenger side, line up the line on the right
side of the car with the lower left side of the
mirror. You shouldn't see any of your car in these
mirrors. They should look like this:
left right
------------------- -------------------
| | | |
| | | |
|-----------------| |-----------------|
|***/ left lane | |right lane \***|
|**/ | | \**|
|*/ line-> /| |\ <-line \*|
------------------- -------------------
(I hope these pics come out!)
With the mirrors like this, you'll be able to see
the car on your side go from the rear view mirror
to the side view, looking something like this:
rear view
---------------------------
|\ <- car to your |
|-- rear left |
|O|-----------------------|
|-- / your \ right|
| U/ lane \ lane|
| / \ |
driver's side view ---------------------------
-------------------
| ______ |
| / \ | (As you can see, I have
| ----------| way too much time on my
|-------|O car O|| hands!
|***/ ----------|
|**/ U U|
|*/ left lane /|
-------------------
It virtually eliminates the blind spot. This is
why it is called a "side view" mirror: it lets you
see what's on the side of your car! You don't need
to see what's behind you in these mirrors, that's
what the "rear view" mirror is for! Having the
mirrors in this position also shortens the amount
of time needed to look to your side, just in case
you feel it's necessary to turn your head around to
check if the lane is clear. You'll already know
who's next to you and at your rear bumper.
You should also regularly check to see who's
around you. You'll never know when you'll need to
dodge something in your lane by moving to another."
Anyone know whats the best deal on a 2001 eclipse GTS with the premium package.
The best I got was 24000. Am planning to buy next weekend