Sporty, reliable, and FUN!

After doing a lot of research, I bought my 1994 Celica GT new in the summer of 1994. It stood head and shoulders above the other vehicles I was considering. The price was a little higher than its competitors, but I knew it would hold its value much longer and would be well worth the price.

I have owned this car for six years now, and I still get compliments from people asking if I have a new car! I have put nearly 100,000 miles on it and have no intentions of trading it in for a very long time. I have had no major mechanical problems other than a bum CD player that was replaced under warranty.

What a technically sound vehicle! I got all the "bells and whistles" on my vehicle, and it has run smoothly without a hitch. I've yet to need a tune-up or clutch work done. Of course, regular maintenance helps, but it runs like a champ and has since the day I drove it home. The paint has held up remarkably well and shines like new after a good waxing. The ride is a little loud, but that's part of driving a sporty car! It gets good gas mileage (it's a 5-speed). It has a very roomy trunk for its size.

I had a hard time getting the car originally because of misrepresentations by the Toyota sales staff. I specified all the options I wanted on my dream car. The sales staff told me they would "place an order", and that it would arrive in a matter of weeks. After several weeks, I was told that it was on a barge due to arrive in Jacksonville within the week with my car. Again, I waited for several more weeks. After many phone calls, I finally reached someone at Toyota's national level. I was told by him that Toyota doesn't place orders; they just try to match your wishes with what comes off the assembly line in Japan. When I took this information to the local dealer, they apologized for misleading me and gave me my deposit back. I purchased a car from another dealership under AAA's buying plan and had no problem. The only difference between my dream car and the one I purchased was the exterior color.

I had some problems with the service department, too. The service department took a long time to finally replace my CD player that didn't work correctly. They removed the original one and kept replacing it with rebuilt ones that didn't work either! Once they finally gave me a brand new one, it worked perfectly and is still working great today. The other service problems I had dealt with the warranty work. Sometimes, while doing my routine warranty work, they would change my oil or wash the car and then try to charge me, even though I had not requested it to be done.

But the car itself is stylish, reliable, and will last me at least another 100,000 miles, I'm sure. I guarantee you, my next car will be another Toyota Celica.