Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Toyota Celica (Hatchbacks / All Years)

2456732

Comments

  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    taken off the stickers on the sun visors, they are about child seats, they seem to be stuck on for good. I got my car two nights ago, love, was rear ended this morning, not a great start but I would love to take the stickers off. thanks
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    I believe the stickers are required by Federal law. They are also required to be placed on the visible side so that the interior looks like crap. I don't know if it is a violation of Federal law to remove them.
  • mt_kilimanjaromt_kilimanjaro Member Posts: 3
    I'm interested in hearing stories about accidents with a Celica. Please tell me about personal safety and also structural damage to the car.

    coupe2001 - I've also noticed a block of posts which disappeared after message #50.
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    Try using a hair dryer to heat them up, this should loosen up the adhesive enough to remove them. I use this technique to remove dealership advertising stickers. Melts'em like butta!
  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    I was rear-ended last week (two days after buying my 2001 gt). The bumper is on order, structural damage has yet to be determined. I am driving the car and haven't noticed any problems, but would i necessarily ?? My neck is a bit sore/tight but I can't tell if that is from being rear-ended or stress from work. Thanx for the suggestion on how to remove the ugly stickers from my visors.
  • KicKMan1KicKMan1 Member Posts: 45
    Hey Toydriver

    Where did you get your Celica and did you get a good deal? I live in Sherburne County but work in downtown Mpls., so distance is no problem. Thanks for any leads. Lovely winter we're having.
  • celicaownercelicaowner Member Posts: 3
    mt_kilimanjaro,

    a couple of years ago i got into an accident with my '86 celica. the car was turning and slipping, hitting this VW golf that was next to me. the passenger side of the golf was in pretty bad shape, while my celica has some of his paint on the bumper and a slight turn of the hood. there was very slight frame damage, it wasn't noticeable unless you looked carefully.

    i just bought a '94 recently, don't know how it handles accidents though, and i'd rather not find out.

    hope that helps.
  • celicaownercelicaowner Member Posts: 3
    hi,

    i just recently bought a '94 celica GT hatchback... upgraded from an '86. i have a question... the dash has a light for ABS which doesn't ever come on. according to the owner's manual, it should be checked if the light never comes on. but, i have no way of knowing if the car actually has ABS, or even if it has 4-wheel disc. i guess i could take off the wheel to see if it has disc (i am alloy-less, unfortunately) in the back, but i still wouldn't know how to check to see if it has ABS.

    any ideas? thanks...
  • toydrivertoydriver Member Posts: 227
    Kick Man 1
    I bought my GTS from Rudy Luther on 394. Jack was my salesman.
    I was happy with the deal. The car is great on dry pavement, but I've garaged it until Spring.
  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    I am wondering what i should clean the dash of my 2001 gt with , I am not thingking that it is supposed to be glossy like with armor-all. Any suggestions ?? Incidently, I got my car 400 over invoice in So. Cal.
  • cosimocosimo Member Posts: 3
  • cosimocosimo Member Posts: 3
    I purchased my GT back in September and love the way it handles. I decided on the Celica because I liked the way it looked, knew that it handled well and gave great gas mileage,which is great for me since I commute about ninety miles a day. I decided on the GT rather than GTS because all the GTS' that were available in eastern Mass. had sunroofs, and I being long of torso, needed it sans sunroof. I got it with the spoiler, mats and foglight package which was enuff gingerbread for me, especially since it would have cost me several grand more for the GTS, even if one was available without the sunroof. Anyhoo, the alloy wheel package wasn't available on this one, so I figure when spring rolls around, I'll buy some aftermarket wheels and tires to replace the 15 inch numbers. I'm toying with buying either sixteen inch (as offered in the GT-S)or go really crazy and buy the seventeen-inchers. Have any of you had any experience with this type of thing?
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    dash cleaning

    actually armor all is a great choice since the dash is rigid and scuffs easily. you can buy the low gloss armor all if you don't like the shine.

    ABS help
    If the light never comes on then you probably don't have ABS, but I think the dealer could easily check it out for you at no charge.

    aftermarket wheels
    I got the hubcaps too cause I didn't like factory alloy package. I found that the price difference between 16" and 17" wheels/tires was very small, so I went with 17" Focal F5's. I got 4 new rims from ebay for $600. I haven't gotten tires yet so I can't tell you about the ride, but 17" wheels provide a much more dramatic look than 16" wheels. I'm going with 215/45/17 size tires which start around $100 each. Make sure you pay attention to wheels weight when selecting a rim. Getting those heavy looking designs can kill performance. Focal's are made for racing and my 17"'s weigh 22lb. They feel incredibly light.
    You can check'em out at www.focalwheels.com
  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    thanx :)coupe2001, for the info. re: armour all and my dash.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Hi guys, just leased a 2000 GAS 6-speed.

    I'm sure I read in the manual specifically NOT to use products like Armor All on the interior plastics.

    The steering on this car is really excellent! Brakes are wonderful also. And, I have found the inclement weather handling is very, very good! I had 2 Aura's before this, and they were terrible in the snow.

    I'm going to ask my sales lady about the shocks for the hatch. The hatch is dropping during this cold weather. Unacceptable for such a price tag. Also, the DC skips a great deal.

    Man, this car is a cooker. Everyone is looking at it. I'm not used to that. You know what, the front does have a Ferrari kind of style to it, don't you think?

    The 6-speed didn't take as long as I thought to get to know. I've been driving for 1 week, and have gotten comfortable. Of course, I'm still in the breaking period. I cannot wait for that 1,000 mile mark, so that I can try my best at some rapid downshifts. It can be easy to go to 2nd rather than 4th. I am already comfortable with this shift doing a normal shift. I don't think it will take too long to get comfortable with a fast shift. We'll see.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Bad mods Edmund's made in my post: GTS, 2 "Acuras", "CD", "looker", "break-in or breakin"

    Sorry.
  • cosimocosimo Member Posts: 3
    Thanx, coupe2001. I agree the 17 inch wheels are a lot more dramatic. I'm curious if it affects handling much. When you cite the weight, I would think you mean to go for a more "open" syle with spokes that are widely spaced rather than close together, yes? I'll definitely keep that in mind as I browse for what's available.
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    The owners manual does say, "Don't allow dash protectants like armor all to seep behind your dash". I have always applied armor all on a towel and then applied it to the surface. Personally, I would not want anything to seep behind my dash.
    Lots of Celica owners use Armor All. In fact, it is recommended to avoid scuffing the somewhat hard interior. Armor all doesn't have corosive ingredients. It is water based and will not harm any plastic.
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    yep, open spoke designs are the lightest, but they can be deceiving. check the wheel weight before you purchase. e-mailing the manufacturer is the easiest way to find out.

    As far as handling, I did test drive the Lexus IS300 during one of the Edmunds LIVE events. That car comes equipped with 17" wheels with 215/45 series tires. That car was very agile, you could really feel the road, but it wasn't harse. The ride just instilled confidence. Of course, the Lexus is a different car, but they are both Toyota designs and have sport tuned suspensions.
  • 00gts00gts Member Posts: 42
    Here's an extensive list of aftermarket wheels that lists manufacturing method, size, and weight: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cvlocas/wheels.html

    You can check out http://www.tirerack.com to see which wheels will fit your car. The best part is that it lets you see what the wheels will actually look like on your car!
  • brooklynkidbrooklynkid Member Posts: 1
    hey celica owners--whats up? i kniw u guys are partial to the celica, and hey its an awesome vehicle so i cant blame u. im finally in the market for some mean set of wheels after years of savings. Having trouble deciding.

    Im looking at the Celica GTS vs. Mustang GT--

    I love the Celica's looks but i love the Mustang GT's muscle--

    I was wondering how you guys and gals thought the two compared-- i would really appreciate anyones input--
    thanks all---enjoy ur ride
  • digichaosdigichaos Member Posts: 1
    Is it possible at all to get a Celica GT-S in Yellow?

    On the japanese celica website they show a yellow one, but I have never seen any possiblility of getting them in the states.

    Any clue?
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    nope, it's not an option. i wanted yellow too. weird they will make the mr2 spyder in yellow, but no celica. i guess they would have to eliminate one of the other color choices, which would probably be carbon blue, but that color is very popular. maybe in 2002, but that's a hella long wait.

    re: brooklyn kid
    Drive both: If you like the Mustang GT, make sure you get the 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Yellow sells really poorly, that's at least one reason for not currently offering it. My sister had a yellow Celica, not sure, around a '98. Everyone loves to look at them, but few will buy it.

    I'm trying to recall...I think she said the yellow didn't hold up well. I think it was like black, you have to pay it lots of attention, and I'm sure she didn't.
  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    Okay, so i am not really convinced that i should be using armor all to clean my dash. I used some on the passenger side door and where i used it seems to be a bit darker now. Does this makes sense ? and do i really want to do the whole dash, making it a shade darker ???? Help !!
  • khenriksenkhenriksen Member Posts: 4
    I am now serious about selling my wifes 2000 GT-S

    and thought I'd give the group a shot at it b4 I

    try eBay. It is a 6-speed that has just had a new

    transmission dealer installed. I also had a flat

    tire last week, so it also has a new pair of front

    tires. It has the alarm, sunroof, CD changer,

    floor mats, spoiler, 16" wheels, and wireless en-

    try. It just turned 16K miles, 7500 were on a trip

    out West. Oil change every 1500 miles. $19000 and

    will deliver within 200 miles of Kankakee, Il. The

    color is white w/ black cloth interior. Send me e-

    mail at kurt@oddjob.uchicago.edu..
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Forgive me if you said earlier, but I am new to my GTS and to this discussion: Did your car have a bad tranny, or possibly, did you guys miss a downshift and blow her up?
  • roadroachroadroach Member Posts: 131
    He's trying to sell a car. Do you think he's gonna admit a missed shift resulted in a blown tranny (and the associated possiblity of some bent valves)? All he HAS to admit to is the tranny's been replaced.

    I'd be more interested in why he's selling.

    BTW, I heard the news......bummer.....
  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    My celica is a 2001 St, automatic. Is it okay to drive in over drive at all times, or should I take it out of over drive when I am not on the freeway but on surface streets with lots of traffic signals ?? Just wondering...
  • hbarkhbark Member Posts: 26
    Remember me, I had ordered a Celica from Japan back in August? Well it's on a truck somewhere between the Port of New York and the dealer in Cherry Hill NJ, hopefully I'll get it this weekend, woo-hoo!
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    yeah, you should be driving it this weekend.

    I've had mine 3 weeks, and I love it. I've put TRD exhaust on, Tinted windows, added security system w/Keyless entry, and power antenna. The exhaust,tint and Absolutely red draw attention like I crime had just been committed. Too cool.
  • bcloughbclough Member Posts: 97
    Wow, hbark, that's a long wait!

    Brenda
  • gorkojogorkojo Member Posts: 10
    It's perfectly OK to use your overdrive all the time. Most people do it that way. However, you will get better performance from the car if you do not use overdrive except on highways when your travelling at consistently high speeds. When you use overdrive around town the car will sometimes auto shift into overdrive at comparitively low speeds like 40 or 45. You will not get max power because the trans will always be hunting for the right gear. The purpose of overdive is too lower your engine speed, increase engine life, and improve gas mileage when travelling at highway speeds of 55 and up.
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    Overdrive is just the tallest gear (4th) with a ratio of better than 1:1. It's fine to drive with O/D on all the time. It's no different than using 6th gear on the manual.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    Celica GT auto switches to overdrive when going at ~35 mph, flat road and warm engine. If you like to jump back and forth all the time you may want to keep OD off, or even switch to second, but that would burn extra gas and wear the engine faster. On the other hand if you drive jumpy then celica is not going to switch to OD anyway, the computer will keep the engine "hot" and change the shifting points. I never turn the OD off, the transmission pretty quick, it downshifts almost immediately as I punch the accelerator, unlike accord, for example, which takes almost a second.
  • liquidsilverliquidsilver Member Posts: 8
    I appreciate all the responses to my question about driving the car in over drive 24-7 !!
  • hbarkhbark Member Posts: 26
    Yeah, it's been over 4 months now. I thought I might have gotten it last weekend, but apparently it got to the Port of New York, then proceeded to be buried in the snow, which I guess plays havoc with loading them onto trucks and delivering them.

    Oh well... in this weather, I'd just as soon wait anyway, if I got it today, I'd park it in my driveway until the ice and snow melt a bit.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    http://www.vtec.net/pics/02/rsx/rsx-02.jpg

    http://a332.g.akamai.net/7/332/936/0001/www.edmunds.com/pictures/42326.jpg

    Notice the new Integra is essential a 2001 Civic hood with a Celica grill. The side is 90% identical.

    http://www.vtec.net/pics/02/rsx/rsx-04.jpg

    http://a332.g.akamai.net/7/332/936/0001/www.edmunds.com/pictures/42328.jpg

    Steering wheel, aluminum peddels, instrument cluster, even the air vents and the little rectangular buttons on the dash left of the steering wheels didn't get away. Geez!
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    If this is the final Integra, it makes me glad I went to the Celica! I thought I'd be disappointed, because perhaps Acura was going to convert the Integra to rear wheel drive, or do something else major to it. I didn't look for any specs yet, but it sure looks like a great big cosmetic makeover. And how disappointing on the styling! Sheesh! They copied Toyota with the round headlights in '94. And that style looked terrible on the Integra! AND, they kept that style from '94 through now; jeese, what a long model year. Acura, I might come back to you, but your marketing is el putrido. :P
  • coupe2001coupe2001 Member Posts: 100
    looks like a old mitsubishi eclipsed neon to me, with the exception of the toyota solara grill. sharp interior, but definitely not original. won't be worth the high price tag.

    hbark
    i though you ordered your car in September. I ordered mine September 22nd, and I though yours was a week after me.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    Honda spokesman at the show said it will have "almost" 200 hp.

    If it's as heavy has the current Integra GS-R (which is 250 lbs heavier than the Celica), it won't be much faster than the Celica GT-S in racing terms, and probably won't be as nimble in handling.
  • hbarkhbark Member Posts: 26
    I ordered mine August 30th, to be exact.

    Have no clue why mine took like a month longer than yours...

    Today she told me "it's on the truck" from the Port of New York going to southern NJ... gave me the VIN #, etc.

    Hopefully in a day or 2???
  • khenriksenkhenriksen Member Posts: 4
    The service mgr said that there are a bunch of 6

    speeds out there that are starting to fall apart,

    no fault of the driver. The trans started getting

    hard to downshift into 4th, then it started grind-

    ing, so instead of trying to repair it, they said

    it would be easier to just replace it.My wife wants

    an MR2 ( they weren't around when she bought the

    GT-S). The dealer allowed 18K as a trade-in, I just

    hate to see them make even more money off of this

    car !
  • hbarkhbark Member Posts: 26
    Picked up my '01 Spectra Blue Mica GT. 5-spd.

    Waited over 4 months, since I ordered it special from the factory, with ABS and no spoiler (which was impossible to find on the lots).

    Looks great, love the color! (Can't wait to see it in the daytime...)
  • jk111jk111 Member Posts: 125
    oh man, now I have to decide between the new integra (RSX) and GT-S. This is going to be tough...
    How about the new WRX? It is a little more expensive but hella better in terms of performance..
  • kfricemankfriceman Member Posts: 17
    Hey I'm looking for anybody still driving one Toyota's best kept secrets!! I'll put my 88 AllTrac up against any GTS out there! And if any of you happen to be driving a 93 AllTrac, I buy it from you!
  • dq1dq1 Member Posts: 44
    I'm shopping for a 2001 Celica CT in Orlando. I have been to three dealerships and they all have a dealer add on for a Toyota Protection Package (paint protect ant, fabric protect ant and undercoating) for $619. This seems like dealer fluff since the paint is clear coat, Scotch guard cost $5 for a can and why would I want undercoating in Florida. I haven't started negotiating yet and I'm wondering if this is something I can tell the dealer I don't want or is it something I have to accept. Any suggestions appreciated.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    I went and leased a GTS. Unfortunately, they only had 2 stick shifts, gray and red. Of course, I took the red one. But I had to take the leather and spoiler. What a waste of money for both options. But, I had to take what was there.

    You wouldn't want undercoating. We have harsh winters up here in Cleveland, and my car is currently caked in pure road salt. Guess what? Toyota did a good enough job that your wheel wells will last 10 years or more without any problems.

    Have you checked other dealers? If it boils down to having to take a car with these extras, the same rules apply as without them: Figure out a fair cost for the car, and offer it to them. My deal on a GTS was based on $500 over invoice. Granted, our sales may be worse up here due to the weather. But you should be able to get within the ballpark. And simply figure in $0 for the protection package. You're right, it probably cost the dealer $15 total.
  • aim9aim9 Member Posts: 9
    Go to Mike Erdman Toyota on Merritt Island Fl, and ask for salesman Dan Macleod, and sales mgr, Hugh. There are some things that SE Toyota just will not negotiate, but this dealership/salesman has treated me extremely well, in addition to providing great service to both my 98 4-Runner and 2000 GTS 6spd. I leased the GTS from Erdman when I moved to Fl last year. I love the car and you will too. It is my 4th Celica since 1978, and truly the most fun. Tell Dan that George the
    "Phantom Phlyer" recommended you to them, Good luck.
  • bstone2bstone2 Member Posts: 5
    We own a 2000 Celica CT - automatic - Red. 25,000 miles

    What we like

    Color - lots of looks and comments
    Build quality - Typical Toyota - I,I an engineer - this car is well thought out and put together
    Handling - corners like a go-cart
    Ergonomics - everything is where it belongs inside the car - switches have a good touch - solid feel
    Radio/DC - Good sound - large buttons
    Dash lights - easy on eyes - easy to read
    Minimal road noise - good solid feel
    Cargo room plenty - unreal how much stuff you can put in this thing - even with the rear seat
    up
    Head lights - unbelievable illumination from the projector beam lights - on high beam you can see from LA to New York - every car should have these things
    Gas mileage - great - combined around 30 mpg

    Not so hot stuff

    Visibility - up front O.K. but back and aft side is horrible - almost would consider it unsafe - you do not change lanes without doing the owl thing - scared to death making emergency lane changes when those times have occurred to move quickly. Have creased the rear bumper twice on both corners from not being able to see when slowly backing up - and I mean slowly! - spoiler makes it even worse.

    Engine - good sound and power at speed but weak at the low end - especially with the automatic - have been times when pulled out into traffic and prayed for the thing to get up and go - way too sluggish considering the vehicles image. Has a long spool up time before the power torque comes in.

    Seats - comfortable but low to the floor - as you get alder long rides make your back stiff because your legs stick straight out - but hats an age thing - good support - and durability.

    Reliability is great - only issue has been that on very rare occasions the automatic misses a shift - when kicking down for needed fast acceleration - and acts like it goes into neutral - lots of rpm but no poop - dealer can,t pick it up on the computer diagnostic thing - but it has happened three or four times - read about this happening in another Toyota product being tested by a magazine - avalon I think.

    Kick to drive but our biggest complaint is the rear and side visibility issue. Edmusnds long term test report of a GTS says the same thing.

    Hopes this gives some user friendly insight
Sign In or Register to comment.