1999 Toyota Celica

UPDATE
Since owning the car for a full year, it's time to comment on some of the history.

Wear and tear has been minimal. I drive my car extremely hard and I also use the engine to help me slow down sometimes (5-speed manual), so I expected more.

However, the 4-cylinder engine began to knock six months ago at low RPMs, during shifting. I tried to compensate by changing my shift points but that has not helped. The weight of the car combined with my hard driving habits means more frequent tune-ups and checking things like the fuel line, air filter, carburetor and the cylinders is necessary.

In short, the car is about 500 pounds fatter and two cylinders weaker than it could be. I still get the 180 hp on the freeway at 5,000-6,000 RPM.

I've replaced the tires which ran about $450. Not bad, they grip the road once more.

As for comfort and usability, I wish Toyota had thought to really offer a performance package for this vehicle. It is very comfortable and relatively quiet for a ragtop at 75mph and handling is still tight at 40,000 miles. However, a sixth gear and a turbo boost both would have made this a little more fun for both short and long distances. Toyota could have learned from the Honda S2000.

I have to retract some of my comments about the Solara, as you can get six cylinders and it can beat this lead sled from a dead stop. It's still not my style, though.

Surprisingly, the miles per gallon hovers around the 22-25 mpg range, even though my driving style varies from pure highway to all city. This is not distressing, except that newer models really do get a lot better mileage.

The convertible motor doesn't work anymore. I'm going to consider replacing it, but I'm disappointed that it didn't last a full year!

I commute only 7 miles to work. You might think having a manual transmission is hell in traffic, but it's actually a more engaging way to drive and takes your mind off the stop-and-go madness.

My daughter loves the convertible aspect and always wants me to put the top down. However, I'm running up against the limit of leg space for her. I'm going to sell this car as soon as the hybrid Lexus hits the showrooms.

If you are in the market for a used vehicle for your kid, I think this car is still a good option and you'll know your 16-year-old daughter will not be a) drag-racing and b) hosting a lot of unruly guests in the back seat.


ORIGINAL REVIEW
I've owned my car for a brief period, so I'll be back to update this. So far, this car has been extremely fun and performs beyond my expectations. Buying a 99 in 2003 is kind of an experiment - how long can I make this vehicle last and still enjoy it this much?

As a Toyota owner for the past several years, I was hooked on the company's dedication to initial quality and durability. However, my 97 Avalon portrays a very staid, conservative, quiet image that doesn't really represent me. I'm a single father with one child.

So a while ago, I put out my radar for a fun car that I could reconcile to my conservative side. It had to be dependable, yet a little zippy. To avoid the "mid-life crisis" stigma, I would not run out and buy the first hot body or big horsepower item I saw and saddle myself with a $600 payment. At the same time, I had decided that I wanted something I could thoroughly enjoy in sunny southern California.

The 99 Celica convertible was just the right balance between dependable & sensible and having a little bit of attitude. I would never have looked twice at a Celica hardtop because I didn't want the confinement of a small sports car with a 1.8-liter, wimpy engine. The convertible GT has a standard 2.2-liter 4 cylinder has something like 160-180 hp at high revs, yet still gets 25-30 mpg. Accelerating on thoroughfares and the on-ramp is no problem, even with the 5-speed manual transmission. I wanted to rediscover the experience of FEELING the car after having a granny car like the Avalon for so long.

Leather interior was a bonus for me, and while the seats are not power adjustable, they adjust manually with ease. The right side bucket seat has the spring-forward mechanism so my under-12 kid can get herself in and out of the back seat without needing my help. The rear seats are large enough for five-footers, but you're not buying this to move the Clampetts, you're buying it for yourself, a date and maybe your little nephew in the back.

The front is just large enough to seat me at 6'2" tall and still fit well, though it is quite a contrast to the cavernous Avalon. It's too bad this didn't come with a tan interior option, because the black leather is like a griddle on a sunny day. Standard options include a CD/cassette/AM/FM stereo system, and my sound system has woofers, mid-level and tweeters that are all controlled with one knob. Controls are super-intuitive.

The ragtop is clean, not stretched-out or faded and the seals are still perfect. Electric windows and the roof open/close mechanism are perfect. Unlike higher-end convertibles, there's really nothing to help reduce wind noise. Before I hit the freeway, I roll the windows up and the top down to get the open air but still have a conversation.

Trunk space is comparable to that of a mid-sized car. It's plenty deep for a $150 grocery trip, your notebook computer and a couple of folding beach chairs. But on bumpier freeways, this is not the ideal choice. You're in a lighter vehicle and it's lower to the ground. Despite the good suspension, you feel the road much more than in a standard passenger car. Tight, responsive steering adds to the sensation of connection to the car and the road which wears me out on longer drives.

As I said, fuel efficiency is great for this being a low-end sports car with some actual thrust. I drive hard and the speed limit is the envelope I must push at all times. I priced the tires - which I expected to be double what I was used to, and was pleasantly surprised that tires and brake maintenance will not be much more than for the big car.

The market is tight for this year and style because once you own one, you don't want to give it up. 98/99 Celica convertibles are hard to find and they will only get more scarce. The previous owner handed this one over with less than 30,000 miles, with no flaws inside or out save for a small bump on the hood.

Moreover, this car appeals to my sense of understated mischief. The spoiler (an option) it came with is low-profile and there are no dramatic sweeping curves or slashes in the body. The aluminum alloy 5-spoke wheels are classy but not flashy. The engine is audible when accelerating or nearing the shift point, but it's not annoying or Harley-Davidson juvenile. The important thing is that you feel the life in the engine just enough to sense the shifting point or when you use the engine to decelerate.

The 99 Celica was the last year of the rounded body style and also the last year Toyota produced the Celica with a ragtop.

If you dream of the classic rounded lines of a roadster versus the choppy slash of a Lotus, and you're on a Camry budget, find one of these used. I'm not a fan of the more angular new styles of 2000 and following, or of the 80's-Pontiac-type gills on a Mitsubishi Eclipse. *puke*

As of now, the car satisfies my needs to a T and I got more than I expected. My friends enjoy hitting PCH and just driving till we feel like dinner or breakfast. While the car is hard to find, the current seller's market is a plus, enabling me to buy at "wholesale".

I recommend referencing Consummerreports.org for recommendations of used cars and check out edmunds.com, kellybluebook.com and nada.com to get a variety of opinions on the average sale price. I would have felt comfortable buying this car with 60,000 miles as long as it had had one owner and a clear title. In my experience, you have to be a real moron to screw up a Toyoya engine and other systems and even then, the car can be rehabilitated.