Toyota Celica (Hatchbacks / All Years)

guitarzan · November 2002

I consider myself a pretty good driver. This transmission took months for me to really get used to. Evidence of this is a few people blowing up their engines by downshifting from 6 to 3, rather than 5. You should take a long test drive with this car before buying, for sure.

01r1 · November 2002

Downshifting from 6th to 3rd shouldn't be a problem unless you're already rev'd way up there in 6th. I downshift from 6th to 3rd all the time when I'm passing on a small two lane highway. In fact, it's just right! I wouldn't have my tranny any other way. This 6-speed was nothing to get used to, what is hard to get used to is jumping in my CR-V and trying to shift from 5th into 6th - doh! I wish more manufactures would offer 6 speeds, and not just in their high performance cars.

pflau · November 2002

Very very nice car. Try to get one with leather and ABS (they come as a package). There is no problem with the top - just make sure bird doos dont dry on it and then get baked in the sun.

Mechanically its proven, if nothing else, as the cars pretty much the same for the while decade. got a face lift around 95.

the convertible version is not fast.. and I got a stick shift. I cant imagine driving this thing with an automatic.

engine noise is subdue under 3000rpm. above 3000rpm in fifth gear engine noise is masked by wind noise (its a convertible after all).

roomy for a convertible. but Im only 5-9. good size trunk.

very nice car. love it so much I bought a used one one after I totalled my first one. wouldve bought a new one if it hadnt gone out of production.

nippononly · November 2002

they talked about possibly having a convertible version of the current gen available in a couple of years. Well here it is, a couple of years have gone by, and no further word! ...

alex18t · November 2002

I think in general you have to be a meat-head to blow up your tranny with a misshift

sergeis · November 2002

Just replaced the remaining two original DUnlops (rears) with Michelin Pilots in 2000 GT. The Dunlops were noisy to begin with, replaced front ones at 25K, but the rear ones became increasingly noisy after 30K, now I have 35K and noise was so loud that I was afraid driving it (Toyota guys said - it's OK, just normal tire noise). Anyway, now with Pilots it is quiet, below wind noise level.

coolguyky7 · November 2002

A convertible Celica would cannibalize Solara convertible sales.

nippononly · November 2002

how would they cannabalize each other?

The celica convertible would not be the porky street cruiser of its past, or the Solara's present, but would be a real sport convertible coupe.

toyotaken · November 2002

Which is exactly why they don't have a convertible version of the celica with having the MR2 Spyder.

mcivor · November 2002

After only four months, my new 2002 GTS 6 speed is in the shop with a burned out clutch. An experienced stick driver, I'm still having a hard time not taking this personally. I've never burned out a clutch -- ever. My previous car was a 99 Integra GSR 5-speed. Never a problem. And yet, I'm wondering if it was a faulty clutch from the get go -- of if all of a sudden I've turned into a bad driver.

Anyone else have a clutch go so quickly on the GTS?

nippononly · November 2002

THERE'S a good point!! :-)

Still, if I had my way, they would offer a celica convertible, then change MR2 back to a hard-top, and put the supercharger back in!

toyotaken · November 2002

Absolutely. The old Mister 2, especially the turbo was the best handling, best balanced, and most tossable car I've driven that costs less than $100,000. It was a blast. I wish that Toyota would come back with a pure driving/handling/performance packaged car for real enthusiasts. The Celica GTS is great, but I like a bit more oooooommmmmppphhh when I step on the gas. Even if they came out with a GTS TRD model that came with an optional TRD supercharger to give a bit more low end torque would be great. Right now, there's just not anything in the Toyota lineup for those who are looking for a CAR with some real seat of the pants excitement.

guitarzan · November 2002

Mcivor, when they inspect the clutch, they should be able to communicate to you why it went bad, no?

alex18t · November 2002

The car was 4 months old with a toasted clutch? That cant be right, maybe someone smoked it up when it was still on the dealer's lot.
Also the flywheel might have a defect that wore the clutch away.
.... hmm, Valet Parking anyone?
good luck with that.

01r1 · November 2002

I've noticed that every time I pull my GT-S up on ramps to do the oil change I end up having to "clutch-it" up on there. It smells pretty bad for awhile. Anybody have a better way to do this? I know I could use my floor jack and jack stands, but I guess I like the convenience of the ramps.

Thanks!

guitarzan · November 2002

Just like learning to drive a stick, you have to optimize this procedure. You shouldn't be gassing it enough, or riding it long enough, where the clutch is smelling profusely. Just a matter of practice.

A word of safety: If you're using ramps, you should put a jack stand in place under the car, in case the ramps crush due to the weight of the car. Although the chances are very small, it HAS happened.

I like the idea of using jack stands better than the ramps. I have a set, but they're the large/tall stands, and I'd never get the car up on them. I should go to Summit Racing and get a small set.

khaug · November 2002

A friend is looking for a Celica All-Trac Turbo to purchase. If you have or know of such a car for sale, please send me details at: khaug@worldnet.att.net.

Ideally, the car should be in the Great Lakes region, but all responses will be considered.

Thanks.

-Karl

revka · November 2002

Our boards are intended for disussing ownership and purchase experiences, not so much for finding a vehicle for sale (directly) here. Also, since unauthorized soliciting is not allowed at Town Hall, we discourage discussion that veers our participants in that direction. Hope you understand. Perhaps let your friend know about Edmunds' Used Vehicle Locator. Good luck, and thanks for your participation.

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

stevation · November 2002

I have a beautiful '95 Celica convertible. I love the way this car looks in every way -- it's just tremendous. BUT, it's a dog for performance. It's a GT 5-spd, but the 2.2 engine is sluggish compared to my old '87 Prelude 2.0. Whereas the Honda really shined at high revs, the Toyota seems to level off at about 4500 or 5000 rpms, and there's just not much umph left. Does anyone know of improvements I can make to boost the horsepower? Is there a supercharger available that can be installed? Does a performance exhaust change much or does it already have a pretty good exhaust? It has 112,000 miles, so I wouldn't want to abuse it if supercharging would be hard on it, but I don't know if that's hard on an engine. Any ideas? I almost got rid of it for a newer Prelude, but the Celica is so much better looking than the 'lude!

nippononly · November 2002

check trdusa.com for possible supercharger applications...they make them for several different engines. They also do exhaust and other performance equipment.

8u6hfd · November 2002

No 5S-FE superchargers.

There are a few turbo kits for the 5S-FE available also.

bpraxis · November 2002

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.

My 2000 Toyota Celica GT with 36,000 miles on it will not shift into overdrive.

Has anyone had a similar problem?

The dealer could not fix it the first time in.

The check engine light has also come on and the dealer said they had to order a knock sensor.

I have the impression they were not to sure about the knock sensor but they dont really know why the check engine light came on.

These are the first problems that I have encountered with the 2000 Celica and would most appreciate any input.

nippononly · November 2002

the computer stores "check engine" codes PRECISELY so the dealer will know what the problem is!

bpraxis · November 2002

The check engine light is on and the dealer said that it is a knock sensor that they have to order. The service manager did not seem confident in his diagnosis.

The transmission will not shift into overdrive. And the dealer was unable to fix it on the first try. I had to sit there for three hours for nothing.

Any input would be much appreciated.

alex18t · December 2002

Dont Leave them alone until you are satisfied that they have answered all the questions that they can. I'm tired of Dealers treating people like they are doing them a favor, you are a patron, even if you are doing warranty service the dealer gets paid big bucks.

rolllin_hard · December 2002

I am planning on buying a Celica GTS this summer in Aug. and was wondering if anyone knows of any common problems found with them?

01r1 · December 2002

Rollin_hard- My 2001 GT-S has been a great car so far. I've driven it hard for the past 32K miles and no real complaints. The only repair I've had done was a squealing noise from the belt/pulley area. There was a TSB out for it so they replaced the tensioner pulley and V-belt. Unfortunetly, it's doing it again, almost a year later. It seems like the cold wet weather brings it out. It's just barely under warranty, so I'm taking it back tomorrow to have it fixed.

rolllin_hard · December 2002

01R1, HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR CAR AND WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPTMENT DID IT COME WITH FOR IT'S PRICE?

01r1 · December 2002

Rollin- I went through costcoauto.com for mine, don't remember the exact final price, but do remember it was dealer invoice + $500. I used an online resource (like Edmund's) to figure out the exact dealer invoice first. Costco gave me a contact name and dealer to go talk to, no negotiations, just $500 over invoice, take it or leave it. They didn't have the color I wanted, so they did a dealer trade and the next day I drove it home.

I got all options, except leather, on my GT-S. That was hard combination to find since most had leather. Every GT-S I drove in the summer with leather seamed too hot for me, even with the A/C cranked up, so I opted for the cloth and have been very happy with it.

Some mods I've done that dramatically increase performance are: AEM cold air intake w/ K&N cone behind left fog light, TRD catback exhaust, and a front strut tower brace. I got a little more low-end torque and lot more high-end HP with the intake and exhaust. The handling response improved (almost too much) with the front tower brace, although I have to keep a firm grip of the wheel over any pavement irregularities.

The best thing I like about this car is not only it's performance characteristics, but the great gas mileage it gets. Around town, stop and go type traffic, I get 28-31 mpg consistently. Out on the open road my best is 39mpg but consistently get 36-38 mpg with CC set to 70-75mph.

Good luck with your acquisition!

lngtonge18 · December 2002

How much louder was engine noise and intake noise after adding the AEM cold air intake? I don't own a Celica but am curious as to the increase in noise these things cause. Is it annoying under normal driving conditions? My filter would be drawing from the front quarterpanel behind the fog light, similar to your set-up. Thanks for any feedback.

01r1 · December 2002

Ingtonge18- Under normal driving, CAI noise is not noticeable. Full throttle below 6K rpm's it growls and you can hear it a little. 6K-8K rpms, look out, everyone on the block will know you're up to something! The intake noise from 6-8K rpm's is actually louder than the TRD exhaust, while below that it's the exhaust you hear.

Not sure what you're putting it in, but I've had varied results. I had a '90 Prelude Si before the GT-S and it sounded good, helped power, and the noise was not annoying. Put one on my '98 CR-V and I lost low-end torque, gained noise all the time, and finally pulled it out and put the stock one back in.

-Pete

marylax · December 2002

I just bought my 2000 Celica from a private seller. It only has about 23,000 miles on it and the tires are barely legal and are horrible in the snow (I live in Buffalo). I checked out prices at a couple of tire stores and they said that I am going to need high performance tires for it. I am planning on getting all-season tires instead of winter tires. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to buy tires and what type of tire should I get? I have been getting a lot of different suggestions and I am now totally confused!

lngtonge18 · December 2002

Hmm..I wonder why your CRV was so different? That kind of problem is what I'm afraid of wasting money on. My application is an 03 Suzuki Aerio SX with 2.0 DOHC 16 valve 145 hp engine. This engine is tuned for low-end torque (the max of 136 lb ft occurs at 3000 rpms), so I'm worried that I would loose some low-end grunt for just a little better pull at 6k. Import Tuner tested an intake modification (not AEM as it wasn't released yet) and gained 3-5 hp. Can I make an assumption from this that modifying the intake will produce good results?

01r1 · December 2002

Did Import Tuner show a graph with the HP & Torque curves? If they did, look at the stock curve down low and compare with their mod curve. Some mods will net 5hp at the HP peak, but may lose 5+ hp somewhere else, yielding less overall power.

It all depends on how you drive it, do you like to rev it up or short-shift down low? My CR-V I kept the RPM's 4K and below under normal driving. The intake's increase was 5500-6500 rpms, so I had to really get on it right to redline to notice the extra power.

I think it's safe to say you will see an increase in HP somewhere in the power band, usually the in top 25% of the RPM range. But without looking at some dyno results, you really don't know how much of the low-end is effected.

Good luck!

nippononly · December 2002

the GTS is designed to run on high performance tires, but I am sure that if you are willing to give up a little dry weather handling, there are plenty of 16" tires you could find that would be all-season and still provide good handling. For instance, Michelin makes XGTV4's and Pilots that are both all-season I believe, and their handling is very good. Toyo makes a really good tire for this type of application too. Go to a tire store that sells lots of brands and ask their advice.

sergeis · December 2002

Replaced all these junky Dunlops (stock on GT) with Michelin Pilots XGT - I like them, especially because noise from Dunlops was annoying to begin with and became unbearable after 25K. In my opinion Pilots also handle somewhat better and give slightly softer ride.

guitarzan · December 2002

The GTS 16" tire is a unique size. Unless one spends a lot of money on tires, they are going to wear quick, "all season" or not.

I suggest tirerack.com, as their prices are ridiculously lower than tire stores. I'd pick a price point, and pick a tire with good reviews.

marylax · December 2002

Thanks everyone for the tire info. I went to tirerack.com to get some prices and ideas on which kind will best suit me. Happy holidays to all!

senel1 · December 2002

My mother has a 2001 Celica GTS. I tried to put a child car seat in her back seat but was unable to get it tight enough because the seat belt comes from the side rather than the crease. The reult was that no matter how tight we pulled the straps, it still moved more than the one inch maximum. We went to the police station to talk to an expert installer but he was unable to do it too. My hope is that there is another brand of car seat (we have a Graco) that works well in a Celica. Do any of you have a car seat that you were able to install properly?

guitarzan · December 2002

Senel1, if you haven't already, check the conferences for a car seat topic. I hope you get the info. you need.

Merry Christmas Celica owners! Anyone out there doing donuts today? Got probably 6 inches of snow in a day, taking Cleveland from pure green & brown to pure white. Well, I hope that makes SOMEBODY happy, 'cause I HATE inclement weather. It's just not safe to drive in!

revka · December 2002

Senel1- To add, here's a car seat discussion from our Aftermarket & Accessories board that you may find helpful: Car Seats That Fit. Use your copy/paste so you don't have to re-write your message. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your Toyota Celica experience.

Guitarzan- Thanks for all your help here. Merry Christmas! ;-)

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

guitarzan · December 2002

I had a long discussion yesterday with a mechanic. He says he reads 200 pages of manufacturer tech literature a week, which is only a fraction of what they put out. He seems very knowledgeable.

I found his recommendation frightening & interesting. He said that my 6000 mile oil change interval is way too long, and that I must change the oil every 2-3000 miles. He pointed to the recent cases of oil gelling in Toyota's engines. I had read the newspaper articles, but they weren't that informative. He's read a lot more. Says Toyota is right, that the oil changes weren't frequent enough, and the particles in the oil cause it to gel. His recommendation was for owners of all types of vehicles to change the oil at 2-3k miles. Says the newer recommendations for oil changes are way too long, and driving conditions in this country are all close to "severe driving" conditions, no matter what others say.

I used to have that opinion, and kept some of my crankcases perfectly clean. But it is hard to justify, without proof, spending double or triple the $ on oil. I guess it just confuses me more.

I use Mobil 1 synthetic, and a Bosch oil filter, both apparently of very good quality. I understand my GTS engine is very complex. Perhaps I'll change it at 3-4k, a little more frequently. The mechanic DID say that synthetic will go longer between changes, that this is it's "only advantage". I don't know, I'm pretty in-tune to my vehicle. In the cold winter, I can feel changes in vibration in the engine during startup. And these 4-cylinders especially, seem to cold idle much smoother with an oil that flows better, either lower viscosity, or synthetic over petroleum. So, I digress a little with this guy's opinion. And he is one of those people that would be proud to put 200k on his engine, and have it still run perfect. I don't think I'll ever own a car for it's usable life, and I don't think it is that important to treat the engine "gingerly". What's the point of a "like new" engine, when the shocks are done for, joints are ready to collapse, and the 2nd clutch is gonna need replacement...ya know? Sorry for the long rant, but I like to share things I'm told with you guys.

01r1 · December 2002

I've been changing my GTS' oil every 3000 and I use Castrol Syntec 5-50w 100% synthetic. I too, feel I'm in tune with my car and notice small characteristics, the synthetic makes it run smoother and little more kick up around redline. I drive it pretty hard, so I figured I better stick to the 3K oil change intervals. Though, when I drain it, you can still see through the oil, it's not still clear but it's not that black either. If this was the lower revving GT, or a different driver, I could see 4000-4500 intervals with synthetic, but regularly hitting ~8200 RPMs at full throttle demands clean high performance oil.
-Pete

nippononly · January 2003

I don't think I will ever have the patience to own a Toyota for its useable life either, which prompts the obvious question: are significant extra pains to maintain it worth the effort?

I think with minimal by-the-book maintenance it will go to 120K+, and that is five years or more, by which time the idea of getting a new car is growing...

vooch · January 2003

I have 2000 GT that gets quite disappointing mpg. Although I drive probably 90% city miles on average, it gets in the low 20's. Should I expect this? My experience with all my previous cars have not been the same. On the highway it gets low 30's or right at 30. I've had 2 '84 Celicas before this one that got 28-29 no matter how I drove them. I've also had a 626 that got 30+ regularly. I do drive the 2000 a lot more city miles probably but I expected it to get at least 25+ mpg. Its a stick too, as all the cars I mentioned were. I just can't imagine such a small 4 cylinder car with a stick getting low 20's in any situation.

I really wish I had never gotten rid of one of my '84s. It was the best car overall I've ever had. Loved it. I drove it like a dog too, although it wasn't too quick, which is probably why I drove it so hard. It was in pristine condition, I can't believe I got rid of it.

I think I'm getting too old for tiny 2 door coupes though

I find this one a tad too crowded and I'm ready to get something with a little more room. I'm really going to miss the handling though when I do trade it in. Its by far the most fun to drive.

Some complaints are the lack of interior space which I can't really complain about because the inside hasn't gotten any smaller than when I first bought it

Its definitely not a road trip car though. Also, it has a rattle in the hatchback that dealership didn't seem to fix and the CD player sucks. It spits out cds after 15 mins or so.

nippononly · January 2003

and my 85 have the same engine, which is the truck powertrain from those years...essentially a largish high-torque, low-power motor which would vary a lot less in its gas mileage depending on style of driving and city/highway use.

The current celica (I had an '02) is a much more efficient engine, so that if you baby it you will have exceptional mileage, and if you drive it like it is supposed to be driven, mileage can drop dramatically. Doing mostly city doesn't help.

I have a light foot and consistently got low-to-mid-30s in mine, which had a manual transmission, in half-and-half city and highway.

walter99 · January 2003

We have a 2002 GT with 12,000 miles on it. We routinely get 33 mpg, with about 80% of our driving highway/ 20% city. The best we ever did was 36 mpg. We bought the car because my wife loved it's looks and for it's handling, and have been very pleasantly surprised by how great the mileage has been.

dq1 · January 2003

I have a '00 GT with about 32k miles on it. Recently, I've started hearing a slight tapping noise coming from the engine that isn't the injectors. I'm wondering if this is anything I should be too concerned about?

I don't drive the car excessively hard but I don't baby it either. I normally will run it up to about 4500 rpm's when accelerating, but I spend a lot of time at 80mph (~4,000 rpm) on the interstate, so I don't think I'm being too hard when accelerating. I have taken it to redline quite a few times but from what I've read in this forum, these engines are designed to take a lot of punishment. My previous auto was a truck with a v6, so maybe I'm just not used to these smaller, higher revving cars.

sergeis · January 2003

2000 GT auto - when bought was doing 34-35 mpg on interstate, after a couple of years and ~20K was getting between 36 and 40 mpg. City miles - anywhere between 20 and 30 mpg, depends on city, engine temp etc.

gambit293 · January 2003

I got this data from www.fueleconomy.gov :

2001-2003 celica GT MPG city/highway
Manual 28/33
Auto 29/36

I remember noticing this difference on the car window stickers back when I was shopping for a celica in 2001. I asked a salesman why the auto had better mileage than the manual and he had no idea either.

Toyota Celica (Hatchbacks / All Years)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles