The new edge styling of the seventh (and final) generation of Toyota celica brought several changes both good and bad. The body was sleeker, sharpened, more aggressive in appearance, but the days of the gt-four were gone. All new Celica’s (GT and GTS) would be front wheel drive, with the choice of 1zz or 2zz engines. Both engines utilize variable valve timing, but the 2zz in the GTS offers valve lift as well, boosting power from 140 to 180 (or 190 depending on the market).
While the GTS offered much improvement in performance, many people preferred the less powerful, less peaky engine due to ease of driving. Both cars offer superb handling, I threw mine into a few turns that should have been disastrous, but was saved by the cars performance. At the limit the celica offers a delightful throttle lift oversteer that few other front wheel drive cars can be proud of. After watching many videos I came to realize that these cars were certainly not afraid to cock a rear wheel in the air under hard cornering, proof of the astounding grip they offer for the price.
While the engine is lackluster for straight line performance, in the right situation these cars absolutely fly. The interiors are pretty typical budget coupe quality. While a moderate sound system will have you tracking rattles for days on end, it is extraordinarily functional. Reliability is typical of Toyota, a few early model cars had a slight oil consumption issue, but towards the end of the run the cars were well dialed in for reliability, performance, and fuel economy. A few weeks after I sold my beloved Celica to my sister I got a phone call worrying that the gas gauge was broken because she hadn’t seen it move since she started driving.
These cars will serve anyone looking into an entry level sporty car with plenty of room on the inside, so if that’s where you’re looking, give one a try!
A few pictures of my personal celica:
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