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Toyota Celica (Hatchbacks / All Years)

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Comments

  • jk111jk111 Member Posts: 125
    motor trend has the manual GT-S at 6.6 seconds from 0-60. Of course that is with some really high rpm drops, really really bad for the engine and the transmission.. but it did get there at 6.6 tho :D
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    UGH!

    Griffing, where did I go wrong where you think I have an auto, and that my car is slow?

    I have the 6-speed, and don't think I've posted a time. I didn't want to be too agressive, but the posts above seem accurate. I have pushed this car hard. I have no way of timing it, nor do I know the difference in feel between a 7.2 and a 6.8. All I know is that this car hauls, even without a 7k rpm launch. And, even with a load of several people, the car sustains its quick feel.

    I don't think a manual tranny cares what you do to it. And the clutch is expendable. And Toyota makes some of the best engines, so I wouldn't worry about killing its life with a few fast launches. Just my opinion!
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    As a current 2001 GTS owner, I was wondering if anybody had any specs on the updates for the 2002 models and well as future years???
    I'm looking for more concrete data rather than rumors if possible.
    THANKS!
  • silvercelica01silvercelica01 Member Posts: 11
    Has anybody ever installed the TRD exhaust? I would like to add a little more power to my '01 GT 5 speed, but on the other hand I don't want my car to have a horrible/annoying sound, but rather a lower moderate tone.

    I have 14k miles on my car and I am very pleased. I put some 215/40/17s and a K&N air filter, and I would recommend the 17 inch wheels over the factory 15s. However, keep the 15s for the snowy weather. It was a tough decision to choose the GT over the GT-S. Both are nice cars, but in normal driving I couldn't tell any difference in the car's acceleration. However, with premium reaching $2/gallon, the GT got my vote.

    As far as top speed, the car seems to give up around 120-123, but that isn't something I enjoy doing everyday.

    In normal everyday driving, I get really sick of big (Camaros and Mustangs) V-8s getting next to me and revving their engine up. First of all, I wouldn't stand a chance, second of all, their car is going to break down a couple miles past its 36k warranty anyway, so they might want to consider saving their gas to pay for their repairs.

    All in all, I am very happy with the quality and engineering of my car, and I know it will last a VERY long time.
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    I'm looking for a little input from anyone who's changed tires. I'm disappointed with the Yokohamas (205-50x16)which have worn out at 17,500 and gotten noisier with each passing day.

    I have looked at tirerack.com and was interested if anyone has tried the Sumitomo HTR Z-2 or Kumho Supras 713. I would like a little more tire life (like 30K) and I don't want to spend 160 to 200 per tire for less the 30K miles.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    In forums like this, I've seen Dunlop tires recommended over and over again. Check them out! Don't know the models of the performance tires though, and I don't know the stats on their life.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
  • kphokpho Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have read with much interest the posts regarding the celica. AS most of the users are celica owners, I need some help. I am thinking of buying one but am undecided about the GT or GTS. The problem is that the car has to be automatic transmission so that i can "share" the car. Here in Singapore, the difference b/n a GT and GTS is approximately US$11,000. A base GT costs US$55,000. Good acceleration is a important attribute for me but given the auto. tran. I don't know which car is better. Paying a additional US$11k just for 50 HP and full accessories seems a little steep. I had a test drive today in the GT and boy was it sluggish. There is a chip out now to improve performance, will give you more details when i find out more.

    Would like some comments/feedback about which car is more appropriate. Would also like to know how accurate Griffing's "estimates" about the 0-60mph times are. Can anyone else verify what Griffing has said??
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    I went to take the dealer license plate frame off the front of my 2000 GTS. The screws that hold it go INTO the painter bumper behind the plate. While it doesn't show, this is technically inept, wouldn't you say? There are holes or indentations that were created there, apparently for this purpose. However, aside from the fact the screws miss the indents slightly due to poor alignment (by the dealer probably), the screws still take off some paint there. Well, I guess on a plastic bumper, corrosion can't really start there, eh?

    I called Toyota National Customer Service, and they are the providers of the screws (not my dealer) and they only have the one size. If I can find that same bolt, machine thread, in a shorter version, I'll use it.

    I took off both plate frames. The car, especially in back, looks cleaner without them. In back there is some padding on the bottom of the plate area to prevent it from hitting the body of the car. In front, even when the plate bends down a little due to the wind, it doesn't look like it could hit the car and scratch it. On the Camry this doesn't look the same. The plate probably would bend and hit the body of that car.
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    KPHO - I'd suggest you drive both and I think you'll find the GT & GTS auto have about the same acceleration. Sergeis indicates his GT auto gets to 60 in 8.5 sec, that's 1.5 sec faster than my GTS auto (10 sec). That combined with the difference in fuel cost (premium vs. regular)the GT is a clear winner. The only down side is no leather or 4 wheel discs.

    Hell, you might want to check out the new Camry. Someone at work just picked up the 2002 and finally Toyota has a good looking Camry. The V6 will easily take the Celica and the 4 cyl will perform on the same 10 sec 0 to 60 and get about the same mileage (23 to 25 mpg).

    Change to tires - I picked up some new Sumitomo HTR-ZII tires. These things are much better than the Yokohamas (traction wet and dry, noise, cost). If your in the market yet, since my Yokos only lasted 18K miles, I'd suggest you check them out.
  • jk111jk111 Member Posts: 125
    your GTS auto goes from 0-60 in 10 seconds? that is a little slow. I think most people can manager a 8 second 0-60 in the auto GTS. You will need to torque brake and lauch the car at 2.5k rpm or 3k rpm..
  • silvercelica01silvercelica01 Member Posts: 11
    I have 215/40/17 Yokohama Avid H's that are horrible. Whenever it rains I am sliding all over the road. I think the factory 15" Dunlops actually grip better.
  • whiterussian_1whiterussian_1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi,

    I am an owner of 2000 GTS. It has 16K miles on it now. A few weeks ago I started noticing a chirping noise coming from the engine. I took the car to the dealership and they diagnosed the problem as loose drive belt and belt tensioners. After retensing the belt and lubricating it the problem seemed to go away, but then after about 30 mins of hard driving it came back. So the second time they went ahead and replaced the drive belt and belt tensioners and it is been a couple of days and no noise.

    They told me at the dealership that there were two other Celicas with similar problems and similar action to fix it which made the problem go away.

    I was just wondering if anyone else experienced this?

    Have a good day you'all,

    whiterussian_1
  • whiterussian_1whiterussian_1 Member Posts: 2
    I experience the same problem with my 215/50/16 Yokohama. They also seem to be wearing out fast. I only have 16K miles on it and the tires look like 30K.
  • griffinggriffing Member Posts: 21
    Actually, I have had the same problem about 5,000 miles ago on my car. There was an abnormal sound coming from the engine at low rpm's, and they ended up replacing a tension belt and some kind of bolt. The problem is fixed. This was at capitol toyota in San Jose, Ca. But while we are talking about problems, my gts is making a funny sound at start-up only, and goes away after 15-20 seconds of warming up. I doubt it is the same problem.

    By the way, sergeis was the one who said that his auto Gt gets to 60 in 8.5 seconds (sorry guitarzan), which is flat out wrong because I have beaten auto Gt's in my auto GTS. My auto GTS makes it to 60 in 8-8.5 seconds. 8.5 might be an ideal time for the 5 speed, but not the auto, I have driven both myself.
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
    When going to a wider size tire - even one that is designed for rain - the tires will always be more likely to break loose in the rain because the car is so light, and the wider the rubber the easier it will "float" or hydroplain.

    If you want tires to last long simply look at the treadwear rating. the numbers usually dont lie. personally, after 7000 miles in my 5sp GT i replaced the stock tires with 225/50 Nitto NT450's . the brand isnt on tirerack but you can look at it at NittoTire.com im pretty happy with the tires so far. They are great in dry and decent in the wet. i dont have abs on my car so i think my next tires will be a smaller size to give beter braking in the rain.

    I dont know where you live but if you are in a warm climate with no snow i would recomend you get some sticky super wide z rated tires. that's what i would do. probaby some Pirellis, they are a decent price.

    Happy reving!
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
    why does the toysport site still have nothing about the turboed corolla - 1zzfe at all?
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    What kind of PSI is everyone running in their GTS tires?
    I know the inside of the door recommends like 31-33 or something, but by 2000 GTS had highly visible wear marks down the center of each tire with only 8000k miles when I traded it off (hail damage, don't ask).
    So, in my 2001 I immediately started runnning less pressure. I currently have 27 in the front and 25 in the back. I know this is pretty low, but they seem to be wearing at an even rate with about 4500 miles so far. I tend to take curves pretty fast and drive fast (not 100mph everyday or anything, but daily Interstate).
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
    a good way to tell if you are running decent pressure is to drive over some sand and get out and look at where the sand has stuck to the tire. it shouldnt be only in the middle or too much on the edge. also, on the front, the scuff marks from cornering really should not be more than half way down the side of the tread. and dont forget to rotate your tires.

    ---Has anyone replaced their clutch yet? how much did it cost? parts and labor.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I believe GTS should be faster, though marktest seem to have some problem with acceleration which Toyota does not recognize as being out of order. This is something you get in Corolla with 105 horses, I think. It is a pitty that dealer refuses to fix the GTS which obviously needs some extensive tune-up.
    I know that computer simulations are not reality, but they do show expected trends. I am using CarTest program which predicts numbers close to real for many cars. It takes into a account a bunch of parameters - such as starting method (rpm, dump), engine size, power, compression,torque, gear ratios, tire size, drag etc. Here are some numbers:
    auto manual
    GT GTS GT GTS
    0-30 3.0 2.9 2.5 2.5
    0-40 4.2 3.9 4.4 3.9
    0-50 6.6 5.8 5.9 5.2
    0-60 8.7 7.7 8.2 6.5
    0-80 14.7 11.7 13.9 11.0
    100 24.9 20.3 21.9 17.2
    top 123 131 131 137
    Since the cars are pretty similar in everything except engine and gears, the differences you see here must be close to reality. At least I have close numbers for GT, I even did 0-100 which was ~25sec., though I never did top speed test, max I had was 110. I certainly had <9s in 0-60, and that was before I reached current fuel economy (I had 26/35, and now I have 29/39 mpg).
    I found, hovewer, that you have to push your car to the limit for a while (like punching accelerator, brakes, i.e. driving as sporty as you can) before the car starts to perform, like its computer is adjusting fuel mixture or whatever it does depending on your style.
    I don't know about paying $11K for extra second (it is not 50 but 40 extra mph, and only at high rpm). I did not pay $4K for that. But then I really hate leather seats. And I don't punch it at every stop sign.
    It is not a muscle car. Its strength is in handling, and that is pretty much the same for all models.
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    Just wanted to add:
    I've gotten my manual GTS up to 142 mph.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    Was it in 5th going slightly beyond red-line?
    Actually, at those speeds major factor is air friction (~80%). Going against 5 mph wind would take ~4 mph off your top speed and vice versa. I tried GT at 110 mph, but did not feel very comfortable, especially compared to Grand Marquis which seemed to be much more stable at this speed. Though Celica was not bad, I expected worse for such a small light car.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Grand Marquis stable at 110? Is you crazy? Just my opinion, but I don't think that car is safe at over 85. Were you driving a police mod? And the GM felt better than the Celica? Very strange!
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I is not crasy. It is interstate, remember, nothing to do with sharp turns, and no handling package there. It is just the mass (almost twice of Celica) which keeps it well grounded even at those speeds, plus it is much smoother and quiter, as you would expect from full size sedan. As to stopping and avoiding collisions Celica is obviously better, though I am lucky I never had to test it.
    GM unsafe at >85 mph??? You mean on an empty straight road? Are you kidding? It is not Colt which tends to take off at 75 mph. Though I agree that at ~90-100 mph the noise in GM starts to increase, and you may even start hearing engine, though it is far from the noise level in Celica. BTW, they are planning to make "sports" version of GM with ~300hp and handling package and some changes in look. For those who like size, safety, but still want fun and don't care about supplying Cheney with extra cash. On a straight road base GM has acceleration times very close to GT auto, though it feels much better in start times (0-10-20), rear wheel and 8 cyl have some advantage there.
    BTW, recenly I struck a long uncoiled truck tire while in my GM at ~85 mph, I ran over it with my left front wheel (and rear). No way I could avoid it in any car as the traffic was too dense, could not change lane or slow down anyway. The shock was very strong, the car kind of jumped as shock absorbers went all the way to the limit, and my left doors were scratched and dented as a side of the tire coiled up and struck it. But the car stood solidly in its lane. Luckily I just replaced front tires, the doors were fixed for $600, when I had similar level damage in Celica I spent $2400 to fix it.
    Anyway, these are just different cars and I like them both for different reasons.
  • kphokpho Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Guys! I love the celica but the GT is a bit sluggish. I am going to buy the base model and do several mods to get a few more HP. Hopefully i will have a car with more torque and will be able to enjoy my drive more.
    Rgds
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    Yep, that's exactly what it was - in 5th about 8k rpms or so.
    6th seems to dog....
  • mattlee2002mattlee2002 Member Posts: 8
    Can u get a 2001 GT-S engine to fit into a 90 Celica gt-s? and do u know if its possible to go from a 5 speed to a 6 speed transmision? How much would da new gt-s engine cost me?
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    I'm not sure I'd make that kind of investment based on feedback here. I would doubt that a 90 Celica is worth it, I know the 01 GTS engine performance isn't. Hell, for that kind of radical change I'd try a better motor like the Honda S2000 engine.

    If the 90 celica is running - forget it. If not, consider a new car or a rebuilt 90 celica motor.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Mattlee, call or go to a Toyota dealer and ask. New engines are EXPENSIVE, in the thousands of dollars. Does your car run? Thought about adding a turbo charger?
  • mattlee2002mattlee2002 Member Posts: 8
    It works and runs good but i want more power and the fact that there is 189k miles doesnt really please me that well. i was thinkin about gettin either a new car or just doing a complete overhaul on my car right now.
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    Just get a new car. 200k is a lot of miles to be investing in - even if it is Toyota.
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
    "i dont know about paying 11k for an extra second"

    actually i bough my GT 'cause of the cool headlights am i alone? hehe

    also.... there's nothing you can do to make the GT any faster that does not involve some major work and money... the best most people manage to do is to make it alot louder. the Gt is plenty fast (very technical term) as long as you are not carrying over 200 pounds in the passenger seat. the car is so light that 2 medium sized adult males will increase the weight of the car by almost 20% thats a lot considering how light the car is and how small the engine is. lets do the math shall we?

    -the celica weighs about 2430lb and has 140hp for a ratio of 17.36 lb:hp.
    -add 400 lb for yourself and your best buddy and that's a 16.46% increase in weight over the empty weight.
    -for a drop to 20.21 lb:hp (ouch)

    i even feel a difference in speed from when the tank is full or empty. i should add that the GTS is victim to the same problem as the GT in the weight issue because of the peakier power band band and same lack of torque
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    That's right, the best mods one can do for better acceleration is to go on diet. Saves a lot of money on parts and food.
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    I looked a an '88 Celica GT today. Body's not bad, interior's not bad. Only thing cosmetically, and could be a safety issue as well, was it needs a new windshield. The car drove perfectly, good brakes, shifted nicely (5 speed), engine was smooth and quiet. I took the car on the highway, and at 80 MPH, it felt rock solid. I was kind of shocked that this car only has 92,000 miles on it, at least that's what the seller is telling me. A friend of mine told me even if it has 192,000 miles on it, it's still well worth $1,200, which is what the owner is asking. He said that engine is good for at least 300,000 miles. Any other advise on this?
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    I would count on a well taken care of Toyota engine lasting 200,000 miles. Yes, one that is taken care of may last well over that, and many times until the body rusts out, but don't count your chickens.

    Have you checked out Edmund's used car pricing to get a ballpark for the market value of this car?

    Make sure and call Toyota/junkyard and check out the availability and cost of a windshield for this particular car.

    I'd say any well running car is worth that much. I paid $2500 for my first used car, and that was 12 years ago. This car looked very clean, but the owner never maintained it, and subsequently, everything began to break from the 80,000 miles to its trading day.
  • jk111jk111 Member Posts: 125
    best mod you can do, take a racing course. And it will stay with you for the rest of your life. Learn how to drive the car better will be the best mod.
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    I was wondering if anyone had started to dawn the Fast and Furious 'Badging'???? Like the clear taillight and turn signals covers etc?
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
  • desert5desert5 Member Posts: 12
    I love her engine and the way she can make 2 90-degree turns in a row, but whoever designed this car ought to be forced to ride a camel in Afghanistan, for 8 months!I just had to say that :-)
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
    Does anyone else fell like your beating on your GT by cruising at 80mph at 4000rpm on the highway? that is a lot of rpm but the engine is kind of made to live at slightly higher rpm. right? hehe
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    The GTS also runs a bit under 4k at 80. I think 4k is equal to about 84 mph.
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    Has anyone found a performance chip that is available for the GTS yet? I emailed this place: http://www.protechtransmissions.com/chips.html

    They said nothing was available now, but to check back mid-winter.
  • 1994corsica1994corsica Member Posts: 8
    is it just me or does the celica gt-s six speed have a vague shifter. i recently test drove a 2001 and maybe the car i drove was the exception and not the rule but the shifter felt imprecise and disconnected, at times i was unsure if i completed gear changes all the way. compared to the other manual transmission cars i test drove around the same time (02 wrx, 01 eclipse v-6, 97 camaro ss, 01 new beetle turbo) it was by far the worst one. i also hate the position of reverse. compared to the celica i test drove my dad's 5 speed geo metro has a better feeling shifter and the geo's shifter sucks.
  • boomn29boomn29 Member Posts: 189
    I had a mustang before my Celica and found shifting the new Celica very easy and tight. I think every new car takes a bit of getting used to. Especially with respect to the location of Reverse.
  • alex18talex18t Member Posts: 117
    that's pretty interesting info boomN, thanks.

    i tried to put that volkswagen 5 speed in reverse in the showroom for 2 minutes . I just quit because I couldnt get it, that's real frustration.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    Hi everyone! I've been a poster at Edmunds for quite a while but not on this board. I'm considering a 1997 Celica for my first car. (I turn 16 in a month.) Would anyone with experience with this generation Celica recommend this model for me? The only thing I'm worried about is how low it sits. I've never really sat in one recently, just a 99 at the dealer when it was new. I like being able to see around me...does this Celica limit that like the current generation? All comments are appreciated!
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I know that gas/mileage is not actual anymore, but I still checked my GTS 2000 auto again. About a half a year ago I had 39+ mpg on interstate, as compared to ~34 mpg when it was new. This time I drove 466 miles keeping ~73 mph (cruise) and got 39.2 mpg again. And this included 30 minutes per 5 miles traffic jam passing I80 through Chicago. not bad. I wonder what I would have with no jam and driving at specified 65 mph? I don't think I will ever know, especially about 65 mph...
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    I wish I could get Toyota to completly review my GTS2000 Auto. I don't know why my car doesn't perform like many reports here. My mileage is no where near 39 mpg highway and my acceleration isn't close to some stated in this BB. I only seem to get 24.5/29 mpg (city/highway), which is within the stickers 23/30 stats EPA stats. My acceleration for 0 to 60 is 10+ seconds.

    Compared to the figures stated here, I don't know why Toyota dealers say my car is performing within factory parameters. The car seems to run well though and I've had no reliability problems in 20,000 miles.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Take a look, Sergeis is driving 460 miles on cruise control. Makes a big difference.

    I do 80%highway/20%freeway right now, and am getting 30 - 31 mpg on my 6-speed, with 5000 miles on the car. This is a slight improvement.
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