@@Icebearlikesengines definitely, i would not buy a merc let alone that one as a first car. 2.7 5 cylinder is cool but they are getting to the point where things fuck up with them.
Great review! I use my mark 7 Celica as a daily driver and it hasn't let me down once in 5 years of ownership. I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon!
Absolutely the same. Had a one or two break downs, one was a driveline bolts failure and the other was a clutch, but literally every other tiny part of the car has been running fantastically. Love it!
Shares many interior parts with the MR2 of the time. The big buttons are handy with or without gloves. Makes using the stereo so easy and safe when driving. I love the window switches in the middle, I also drive an e39 and always go for them in the centre only to be annoyed by having to shuffle my right arm to get them on the door.
I've owned one for 7 years, it's brilliant and very reliable, repairs when need are super cheap and easy to work on. Mine is in dark blue with the 140 bhp engine.
I've always really liked these!! I hate the way all manufacturers just make SUVs for sheer profit rather than add a little fun. Great review as always Matt
@@FenderUsa It depends which SUV. Some share the same platform as cars. They just look bigger because they're taller. Some on the other hand are ridiculously large.
@@rain-bender4712 oh i meant the huge audis, bmw, mercedes, porsche etc SUVs. they are pointless. they take up too much space, dont actually have that much room inside, handle worse than a non SUV equivalent due to higher centre of gravity, are much heavier which means worse fuel economy and co2, they wear out their tyres and components quicker. i could go on and on the smaller weird hybrid crossover SUV things are equally pointless but they dont bug me as much because they don't take up both lanes down a small B road
I've had my 7th gen Celica 2zz-ge nearing three years now and she's never let me down absolutely love the thing, can't stop smiling every time I drive it XD
For my daily driver I have an exact match for the one being reviewed in this video. Silver, post-facelift, 140hp 1zzfe , no spoiler, but mine has 265,000 miles and still drives like it did 100,000 miles ago. I’ve owned over 40 cars through the years (Volvo242gt, Triumph TR8, Honda CRX, and many others), but this one is my favourite. I love everything about it and will likely never sell. Thanks for making this simple, clear, and detailed video of such an amazing vehicle! (Liked and subscribed-cool channel!)
Blame the SUV craze. People complain about losing Saloons, Hot hatches and Coupés, but end of the day every person who bought an unnecessary Chelsea tractor, is to blame.
Had my 2zz T-Sport ('GTS' in the US) for about 5 years, driven it every day and it has never missed a beat. 110k miles now and no sign of failing soon. Makes me smile every time, all the way up to 8200rpm. And on top of all of that, it's super cheap to buy AND super reliable. Not many sports car around like that in 2022. Ideal for younger buyers looking for their first sports car. (like I was). The only problem with this car is that I've become so attached to it!
the temp control seems a bit off compared to mine. I still have the radial dials for air positioning. mine is a craiglist car with minor modifications completed like a rear wiper delete. very nice
What a treat for lunchtime, another car I want to add to my dream garage, my next door neighbour at my old house his daughter bought one to replace a Clio, then a few months later his his son sold his Clio and bought a celicia as well in the same colour but his had the lovely red leather interior.
I've got a 2002 Celica 190 the fastest one you can get in factory spec. I bought the car seven years ago and TBH, it was not in a great state. Over the years I replaced some major items (rear subframe), all wheel bearings and springs and a lot of welding underneath, though it does'nt help living in Scotland on the coast. The main issue with these cars is their second hand value does not justify owners spending money on them, however I'm glad to say they seem now to be attaining collectable status and the value is going up for the well looked after cars especially the 190 and T-sport versions. I would advise anybody thinking about buying, to spend the money on one with loads of service history, buy a cheap one and you'll end up spending 5 times as much as you paid for it getting it up to a good standard, as I did. Great Review by furiousdriving.
It's a car I have always admired (but at 57 with a bad back and a wife who struggles to get out a car, not a car I could consider) Love the simple body lines, a double din satnav radio to jazz up the interior and a carefully chosen set of slightly larger alloys would be my mods.👍
Toyota never managed to match the styling of the Mark 1 Mustang style celica with their future versions in my opinion. All great cars though and what you do have is a reliable, easy to live with coupe. Good informative review.
@@cliffthelightning Agree, it was nice all right particularly the liftback version. Toyota dropped the boot type versions of these celicas after that I think.
I do really like these. Mum had the predecessor to this when I was younger so whilst I do remember it, I was too young to drive it. They are often a car that I seem to forget about until I see one, they're not worth a lot these days and are probably a good bangernomics car, being a Toyota I imagine mechanically they're bombproof, just I suppose they probably rust...
Daily driver for past 3 years. All I have done is get it serviced and Mot'd each year & had a couple of new tyres. Never broken down once - not bad for a 17-year-old car.
A nice modern looking coupe with a great engine and gearbox, lovely cabin and fine seats. The question is how did these poor souls in the 90s cope everyday without Satnav, Parking Sensors, Adaptive Cruise and electric tailgates? You're forgiven for not demonstrating rear headroom this time.
Owned a 2002 140 version for a couple of years. Absolutely loved it. Great handling, low sports car feel. Only reason I had to let it go was because I suffered an injury which meant I needed something higher. Wish I still had it.
This Celica is my dream car (no joke!) and if I buy it then upgrade a little bit add better subwoofers, some dope widebody, replace interior and add neons inside (and maybe install PS2 but im not sure)
Cars have gone downhill hill since the turn of the millennium is the most accurate remark. It's a combination of regulation and the triumph of technology over engineering. The late 1990s was definitely peak car. I couldn't agree more now I've gone back to one from that era
Yep, just replaced my 52 plate t-sports sunroof to glass as the perspex one does not look too great after 21 years of UV exposure, I can now see clearly though it rather than a blurry mess like it's covered in vaseline!
Love mine had it nearly 7 years, new BBS style 18" rims and a few other mods. Got to do a waxoyl treatment asap though. Great review, don't see many about now, give a wave or a flash if you see one of us, proper modern classic.
6:58 that little pop-up storage thing was available as a built in sat-nav unit in Japanese models. I don't think it was even an option in US or EU models.
These are so cool! My Nephew has a blue one, no leather interior though. Has a rear spoiler and sunroof. The feel of speed is amazing, car feels so much faster than it is. B road muncher! Great review as always Matt, keep it up.
I think two door coups are the best-looking cars. I don't like SUV's; awful things, they just look to boxy. I've always had hatch backs and estates but would love a two-door coupe.
I love mine and I think I'm probably the only person in the world who actually likes the interior. I consider the cloth seats to be an upgrade over the leather to be honest, they're just nicer to sit on especially in the colder months. In my opinion these cars look VERY odd without a rear spoiler as in this example.
Fantastic cars! A friend gave me a lift in his 190bhp version. That was the first car, once the VVT kicked in that made my stomach drop! A rapid car indeed!
I actually heard that when Toyota launched the Corolla T-Sport with the 190bhp 2ZZ-GE engine - which is what the 190bhp version of the Celica also used, they intentionally underrated its 0-60 time so it wouldn't cannibalise sales from the Celica 190 with the same engine. Although speaking of the Corolla T-Sport - and I may be going off-topic here, I will never understand why Toyota didn't offer the facelifted T-Sport as a 5-door in the UK like they did with the pre-facelift car, especially as the facelift was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in other markets where it was sold. And what makes it even more baffling for me is that even after they made the Corolla T-Sport 3-door only in the UK for the facelift towards the end of 2004, the smaller Yaris T-Sport was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in the UK, so I see no reason why Toyota couldn't do the same for the Corolla T-Sport here and keep the 5-door version on sale in the UK after the facelift, which begs the question - *why didn't they?*
@@joshbacon8241 Good points! 🙂 I'm not sure about the answers to your questions. I'm not that clued up on Toyota really. I'm sure somebody else will contribute on here! I have driven a couple of their older models recently including a 2006 Corolla. I've been seriously impressed. That Corolla still felt factory fresh. It was only a 1.4 but you could tell it would run forever with little fault. My Mum had an 1997 Celica when new for a short time. That car was a hell of a lot of fun and the new smell was amazing. You don't get that new smell anymore. I miss that in modern cars. Our 1999 A4 and Peugeot 306 D Turbo in my category for best smelling new car. 👌
@@James28R they go really good for what they are, can pretty easily do 0-60 in 6 seconds. for a car that was first made in 99 and only has 190hp that is not bad at all, not far off alot of turbo cars from the same era
Wifey (ex) had a 2.8 Capri, her fuel spending on my card was horrendous as the car was used for work, she was a supermarket area manager for the only UK discount supermarket group at that time. Needless to say her meagre mileage allowance was not passed on. Suggesting she got a Mini or similar Japanese was speaking to a brick wall.
Who says the Japanese only design dull & boring cars are taking utter nonsense. I would have a mk7 Celica on looks alone, plus you have the durability & reliability thrown in as well.👍 I am currently into Japanese cars past & present at the moment, as my next car purchase will probably be from a car company in Japan. But I'll still watch other makes of cars on your TH-cam channel.
Very cool cars :) My dad still owns one, I've recently driven it and they're completely under rated, he even managed to get a full size keyboard on its side in the back with the seats down 😂
I own the second generation 7 Celica. This one I have now I brought it back to new. New engine, fully painted, tein shock absorbers, Vogtland progressive springs, front and rear spacers, 17 inch rims with 8 channel, drilled brake discs. The car weighs around 1000 kg and is glued to the asphalt when cornering, it feels like driving a go-kart. The valuations of this car are starting to rise, if you are planning to get one, don't wait long, in a few years it could be very difficult..
We had the last ones they made, the Celica GT in red with the body kit and lowered from factory, for 11 years until 2019, when the heater matrix packed up and winter was approaching. No one wanted the work but wanted it to go to a good owner and sold it quickly through the owners club forum. It had around 130k on the clock and needed very little repairs apart from a new clutch at 80k, and the usual disks, pads, bulbs etc etc
The GT86/BRZ is the replacement. Try to get a drive of the T Sport/GT with the VVT-Li. Getting very rare these days. I've had a MK6 GT which was a great car, then a MK7 140, now a T-Sport. The 2ZZ's extra 50HP, and how it comes on brings a smile every time. The engine is built by Yamaha. It also has traction control. I'd lend you mine but cosmetically it is a bit crap.
I think you may have forgotten that the Celica has been replaced by the GT86, the spiritual successor. The MK7 had some styling by CALTY, but most of the car was designed by 2 Toyota designers in Japan, project Genesis was more a US marketing exercise than a design one AFAIK. I really loved the MK7 and came close to buying one on several occasions, but I still haven't owned one. I think values will start to rise shortly as they have been criminally undervalued for quite some time now.l, but like the SW20 MR2, I suspect they will rocket as there are fewer decent examples on the road.
I guess it could be argued the Gt86 is kind of a successor; in many metrics they are close, if not in all of them. Similar in specs, if not in intent. Perhaps "replacement" is a more accurate term. Drove a Corolla with the 190 lump, surely they drive quite similarly? Anyway, that engine was/is perhaps one of the most hysterical in its power band ever made for a car. Vtec got nothing on it. Drive it like a madman and you will have a good time.
I've got a 2005 Celica T-Sport and a 2012 GT86, and they are very different and drive very different It's a FWD 1,8 strait 4 Liftback vs RWD 2,0 4 cyl. Boxer Sedan
@@auser6426 I was thinking mostly about size, weight, and power in which I am sure you will agree they are very similar. Those were primarily the metrics I meant above. Cheers.
@@Crusader-dk6zj They are? In what way are the target markets different, if I may ask? I would think the typical customer is almost the same demographics?
Bought my Baby June 2001 Brand New for just under £17,000 GBP and 155k later, she has never ever let me down and is still used every day. The Greatest Car I have ever owned by a long way. She’s a Beautiful Ferrari Red Beast.
My sister had one of these. The dash was very plastic not notice at all and the seats far too low not good at all but at least the boot was a decent size and very surprising for a coupe. Xhe liked it. She got it hard to sell it on do and did eventually do but it did not hold its value well.
I have one myself... a very simple, yet, highly enjoyable car. Every time I have to drive somewhere I smile! :) I try to maintain it the best I can and hopefully it can provide me joy for years to come.
Nice recovery on the American Chubby Fingers comment Matt 😂, sure it’s because of the gloves 😉. Great looking car but I still prefer the older T Bar type and was a much wanted car as an 18 year old, still is good to recall the Celica name 👌🏻.
I nearly bought one of these around 10 years ago, great looking car and really good to drive. I felt the plasticky interior let it down somewhat though.
I may be going off-topic here, but I actually heard that when Toyota launched the Corolla T-Sport with the 190hp 2ZZ-GE engine, they intentionally underrated its 0-60 time so it wouldn't cannibalise sales from the Celica 190 with the same engine. Although speaking of the Corolla T-Sport, I will never understand why Toyota didn't offer the facelifted T-Sport as a 5-door in the UK like they did with the pre-facelift car, especially as the facelift was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in other markets where it was sold. And what makes it even more baffling for me is that even after they made the Corolla T-Sport 3-door only in the UK for the facelift towards the end of 2004, the smaller Yaris T-Sport was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in the UK, so I see no reason why Toyota couldn't do the same for the Corolla T-Sport here and keep the 5-door version on sale in the UK after the facelift, which begs the question - *why didn't they?*
I LOVED these when they came out, and I could easily have afforded one in proper spec. But, like certain clothing that looks great on someone else, I knew in my heart (and date on the birth certificate) that the time for me had passed. Really, needed to be 25, 30 max / I was a couple years beyond, already in the suburbs, and wouldn't a bike rack look better on a long roof Volvo anyway? [Hmm, GTS perhaps a guilty pleasure now for the weekends as an affordable, more practical alternative to the MR2 Spyder?]
I'm 40. I got my celica in Feb. In red... Trading in my red mr2 mk3 lowered for this as its more practical. I work at a secondary school and the kids think it's amazing lol
If remember these so well running three as company car in the early 2000s. I only had the 140ps I think, but the gearbox was excellent and the engine very revvy. Around the bends it would leave more powerful cars, but sadly on the straights it ran out of breath, as I found our when challenging an E46M3…
Great video. The Celica's really were such fantastic cars - I've never driven the 7th gen, but I daily drive a 93 5th gen, such a great coupe. Love it!
Funnily enough, the height difference is rarely more than 5-6 inches between something like this and a "normal" car, meaning the aero difference is just a little bit more than 10 percent. Not earth shattering, sadly.
@@marklittler784 Well, thats the conundrum, they may look sleek, sharp and so on, but that has little real world effect on aerodynamic drag. Its almost as simple as "aerodynamic drag of car front in itself is decided by size of cooling inlets" and nothing else, well at least in the modern age since everything has considerable wind tunnel time. So mid 80s and forward. Rear shape of the car and tire size are something like 80+% of the total aerodynamic importance of a modern car. Cheers.
I love FWD performance cars but I'm not really a fan of FWD coupes (Xsara VTS being a possible exception). The GT86 which has already been around for a decade now appeals but the relative lack of power let's it down a little in my eyes.
been looking at one of these recently, only thing that puts me off is the road tax is high for a car that does not really have high performance, 140 bhp isnt exactly alot, or do they actually feel quite fast?
I've had my '00 Celica chilling in my backyard since March when it suffered a blown head gasket and I'm trying to fix it up, but just haven't. You're making me miss it so much more.
Was so close to buying this 140hp model last year, when I had the cash. Sort of regretting it now, but a chance could come again with a couple of investments due to pay (the long awaited Xrp is one)....and a hefty pay rise coming!
I would suggest the mainstream coupe never went away, it is now the saloon. Back in the 90's we had this, the 406 and 407 Coupes, later we had the Laguna Coupe, the Alfa Coupe amongst others that were more attractive versions of quite plain looking saloons like the Laguna, the awkward 407 and the anonymous Avensis. But look at the equivalent saloons today, the 508, the Talisman, Giulia, Corolla, all elegant, coupe-ish machines that look pretty dang good even if it is at the expense of some practicality. And there's always the estates, which look way better and can carry a washing machine AND your dog at the same time. .
Bought mine new in June 2001 (22 years ago). No problems at all. Serviced once a year. Truly a great car
How high mileage?
Is a 04 Celica better than Mercedes e270cdi 06 for a first car both prices are fairly same
@@Icebearlikesengines definitely, i would not buy a merc let alone that one as a first car. 2.7 5 cylinder is cool but they are getting to the point where things fuck up with them.
Great review! I use my mark 7 Celica as a daily driver and it hasn't let me down once in 5 years of ownership. I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon!
just out of interest, how was the condition when you bought it? planning on buying one myself
@@kabal6331 Very good condition, 70k miles on the clock and two previous owners who kept it garaged.
Same here, great cars had mine since 2016. Easy to spot in the supermarket car park amongst all the bland suv's !!
@@kabal6331 Did you end up buying a Celica? 🙂
Absolutely the same. Had a one or two break downs, one was a driveline bolts failure and the other was a clutch, but literally every other tiny part of the car has been running fantastically. Love it!
Great review.I have owned my Celica for 18 years and it has NEVER broken down and everything you say is so accurate.I will never sell her.
I am still driving mine after 22 years.
Last generation Celica and Prelude are underrated.
Yeah that's what I thought, not many car people really talk about those cars, yet they look cool.
I prefer the previous versions although all are good cars
I feel the same
Totally. The upcoming next gen Prelude looks sick too.
That generation of Celica is quite a good looking car to be honest. It was a shame they never made a GT4 version of it really.
they made a AWD rally convertible - rare - supercharged - GT same eng as the straight 6 92supra - agedly in the 81Celica supra
Perhaps, the gt4 mechanism was modified in this Mk7 technology
Check out the Fensport Celica, it's a AWD turbo 7th gen Celica!!
As someone who identifies as an American, I can confirm the buttons are large to cater for chipolata-fingers, as a result of excess burger-retention
Shares many interior parts with the MR2 of the time. The big buttons are handy with or without gloves. Makes using the stereo so easy and safe when driving. I love the window switches in the middle, I also drive an e39 and always go for them in the centre only to be annoyed by having to shuffle my right arm to get them on the door.
I've owned one for 7 years, it's brilliant and very reliable, repairs when need are super cheap and easy to work on. Mine is in dark blue with the 140 bhp engine.
Your conclusions on the car are the same as mine, enough comfort, fun and economy to be rewarding plus its possible to put a fridge in the back.
I've always really liked these!! I hate the way all manufacturers just make SUVs for sheer profit rather than add a little fun. Great review as always Matt
They have to survive in a rather nasty environment ….. but I guess that you knew that.
I love the Celica but it comes down to market forces. People want SUVs. It's as simple as that.
@@rain-bender4712 i wonder why though, because they dont make sense for small british roads
@@FenderUsa It depends which SUV. Some share the same platform as cars. They just look bigger because they're taller. Some on the other hand are ridiculously large.
@@rain-bender4712 oh i meant the huge audis, bmw, mercedes, porsche etc SUVs. they are pointless. they take up too much space, dont actually have that much room inside, handle worse than a non SUV equivalent due to higher centre of gravity, are much heavier which means worse fuel economy and co2, they wear out their tyres and components quicker. i could go on and on
the smaller weird hybrid crossover SUV things are equally pointless but they dont bug me as much because they don't take up both lanes down a small B road
I've had my 7th gen Celica 2zz-ge nearing three years now and she's never let me down absolutely love the thing, can't stop smiling every time I drive it XD
For my daily driver I have an exact match for the one being reviewed in this video. Silver, post-facelift, 140hp 1zzfe , no spoiler, but mine has 265,000 miles and still drives like it did 100,000 miles ago. I’ve owned over 40 cars through the years (Volvo242gt, Triumph TR8, Honda CRX, and many others), but this one is my favourite. I love everything about it and will likely never sell. Thanks for making this simple, clear, and detailed video of such an amazing vehicle! (Liked and subscribed-cool channel!)
I have owned two of these in the past. My first one made the exact same noise when opening the boot as this one.
Blame the SUV craze. People complain about losing Saloons, Hot hatches and Coupés, but end of the day every person who bought an unnecessary Chelsea tractor, is to blame.
Had my 2zz T-Sport ('GTS' in the US) for about 5 years, driven it every day and it has never missed a beat. 110k miles now and no sign of failing soon. Makes me smile every time, all the way up to 8200rpm. And on top of all of that, it's super cheap to buy AND super reliable. Not many sports car around like that in 2022. Ideal for younger buyers looking for their first sports car. (like I was). The only problem with this car is that I've become so attached to it!
I remember when these were new and over in America William Shatner was doing a racing series with them.
the temp control seems a bit off compared to mine. I still have the radial dials for air positioning. mine is a craiglist car with minor modifications completed like a rear wiper delete. very nice
Had a mk6 and a mk7 I miss them both so much!!!
What a treat for lunchtime, another car I want to add to my dream garage, my next door neighbour at my old house his daughter bought one to replace a Clio, then a few months later his his son sold his Clio and bought a celicia as well in the same colour but his had the lovely red leather interior.
It’s very nice and has aged well, only thing is this one needs a wing, feels naked without on
I've got a 2002 Celica 190 the fastest one you can get in factory spec. I bought the car seven years ago and TBH, it was not in a great state. Over the years I replaced some major items (rear subframe), all wheel bearings and springs and a lot of welding underneath, though it does'nt help living in Scotland on the coast. The main issue with these cars is their second hand value does not justify owners spending money on them, however I'm glad to say they seem now to be attaining collectable status and the value is going up for the well looked after cars especially the 190 and T-sport versions. I would advise anybody thinking about buying, to spend the money on one with loads of service history, buy a cheap one and you'll end up spending 5 times as much as you paid for it getting it up to a good standard, as I did. Great Review by furiousdriving.
trd sports m is the fastest factory spec one, and even then the jdm spec 1999 model is fastest other than the sports m
It's a car I have always admired (but at 57 with a bad back and a wife who struggles to get out a car, not a car I could consider)
Love the simple body lines, a double din satnav radio to jazz up the interior and a carefully chosen set of slightly larger alloys would be my mods.👍
My mum is in her late 70s and needs a new hip. She manages to get in and out.. With my help lol.
I have always liked this version of the Celica, may be one day I will buy one before they get too expensive.
The vvti engine with the 6speed box in an st182 body is the perfect combination
Toyota never managed to match the styling of the Mark 1 Mustang style celica with their future versions in my opinion. All great cars though and what you do have is a reliable, easy to live with coupe. Good informative review.
The 81-85 Gen is my favorite personally. Love the straight edges on it. Also the last rwd Celica
@@cliffthelightning Agree, it was nice all right particularly the liftback version. Toyota dropped the boot type versions of these celicas after that I think.
I LOVED my mk7 Celica. Loved it. Sadly a growing family meant I had to say goodbye 😢
Where is your familie now? You made a good decission....
@@sandraconrad-luckas9572 thanks. Still being ferried around in my 4x4. Dad taxi is life 😂
@@griff5476 😇👍
Really sad, lol
Still got mine same Colour with Premium pack, 120k bullet proof! and with Spoiler made that mistake before, Never selling lol
I do really like these. Mum had the predecessor to this when I was younger so whilst I do remember it, I was too young to drive it. They are often a car that I seem to forget about until I see one, they're not worth a lot these days and are probably a good bangernomics car, being a Toyota I imagine mechanically they're bombproof, just I suppose they probably rust...
Daily driver for past 3 years.
All I have done is get it serviced and Mot'd each year & had a couple of new tyres.
Never broken down once - not bad for a 17-year-old car.
I have got at sports never an trouble. Done 220000 still passing mot 2004 still looks good. I will never get rid of it
6:14 Yeah! Such a priority when buying a sports GT car - where you can put a cup of tea.
Now you're really talking Matt... An under exposed model.. Brilliant 👏 👏
A nice modern looking coupe with a great engine and gearbox, lovely cabin and fine seats. The question is how did these poor souls in the 90s cope everyday without Satnav, Parking Sensors, Adaptive Cruise and electric tailgates?
You're forgiven for not demonstrating rear headroom this time.
Owned a 2002 140 version for a couple of years. Absolutely loved it. Great handling, low sports car feel. Only reason I had to let it go was because I suffered an injury which meant I needed something higher. Wish I still had it.
This Celica is my dream car (no joke!) and if I buy it then upgrade a little bit add better subwoofers, some dope widebody, replace interior and add neons inside (and maybe install PS2 but im not sure)
Cars have gone downhill hill since the turn of the millennium is the most accurate remark. It's a combination of regulation and the triumph of technology over engineering. The late 1990s was definitely peak car. I couldn't agree more now I've gone back to one from that era
Fun fact for the sunroof, pre-facelift models had a plexiglass sunroof. Face lifts post 2002 had a glass sunroof
Yep, just replaced my 52 plate t-sports sunroof to glass as the perspex one does not look too great after 21 years of UV exposure, I can now see clearly though it rather than a blurry mess like it's covered in vaseline!
Always wanted one of these.
Love mine had it nearly 7 years, new BBS style 18" rims and a few other mods. Got to do a waxoyl treatment asap though. Great review, don't see many about now, give a wave or a flash if you see one of us, proper modern classic.
if you dont need to fit bigger brakes go with 16" rims, much better for performance especially if you get some under 7kgs a wheel
I have a 5th gen GTI. Best handling front wheel drive car I have ever owned. Then again the 5 gen celica did produce 3 World Rally champs.
need to drive more fwds then, 5th gen isnt bad but the suspension setup is leagues behind the 7th gen and hondas from the same era
Sporty looking car, Toyota Build QUALITY, Rod Millen raced ( Pikes Peak, among other places ) Celica,s with pretty fair success!! 6m.12s Crown Vic sitting nearby????
Drove a few of these off the ships (no not into the water) at Avonmouth in '04. Sweet, sweet car albeit a backbreaker
Nunca pasara de moda
6:58 that little pop-up storage thing was available as a built in sat-nav unit in Japanese models. I don't think it was even an option in US or EU models.
These are so cool! My Nephew has a blue one, no leather interior though. Has a rear spoiler and sunroof. The feel of speed is amazing, car feels so much faster than it is. B road muncher! Great review as always Matt, keep it up.
Great video but they were front wheel drive since 1985, several generations before those. Except for the 4WD rally specials of course.
Hi! Can you remember what it was like on faster roads . Cruising at 70 in 6th what are the revs? trying to find out mph per 1000rpm in sixth
70mph in 6th gear would be about 3250rpm
What are you collecting the data for? I have a 2zz Celica so could let you know.
I think two door coups are the best-looking cars. I don't like SUV's; awful things, they just look to boxy. I've always had hatch backs and estates but would love a two-door coupe.
I love mine and I think I'm probably the only person in the world who actually likes the interior. I consider the cloth seats to be an upgrade over the leather to be honest, they're just nicer to sit on especially in the colder months. In my opinion these cars look VERY odd without a rear spoiler as in this example.
i test drove a leather ALfa 166 yesterday and i also prefer the cloth 166 that i did a 1200 kl round trip in last month
I refused to buy my latest car until I found one with cloth/alcantara.
Agreed in regards to spoiler. A must.
Always fancied one of these ❤
Fantastic review, I'm hoping to buy a storm blue GT tomorrow, these cars are timeless 😎
Fantastic cars! A friend gave me a lift in his 190bhp version. That was the first car, once the VVT kicked in that made my stomach drop! A rapid car indeed!
I actually heard that when Toyota launched the Corolla T-Sport with the 190bhp 2ZZ-GE engine - which is what the 190bhp version of the Celica also used, they intentionally underrated its 0-60 time so it wouldn't cannibalise sales from the Celica 190 with the same engine.
Although speaking of the Corolla T-Sport - and I may be going off-topic here, I will never understand why Toyota didn't offer the facelifted T-Sport as a 5-door in the UK like they did with the pre-facelift car, especially as the facelift was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in other markets where it was sold.
And what makes it even more baffling for me is that even after they made the Corolla T-Sport 3-door only in the UK for the facelift towards the end of 2004, the smaller Yaris T-Sport was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in the UK, so I see no reason why Toyota couldn't do the same for the Corolla T-Sport here and keep the 5-door version on sale in the UK after the facelift, which begs the question - *why didn't they?*
@@joshbacon8241 Good points! 🙂 I'm not sure about the answers to your questions. I'm not that clued up on Toyota really. I'm sure somebody else will contribute on here! I have driven a couple of their older models recently including a 2006 Corolla. I've been seriously impressed. That Corolla still felt factory fresh. It was only a 1.4 but you could tell it would run forever with little fault. My Mum had an 1997 Celica when new for a short time. That car was a hell of a lot of fun and the new smell was amazing. You don't get that new smell anymore. I miss that in modern cars. Our 1999 A4 and Peugeot 306 D Turbo in my category for best smelling new car. 👌
never been in an actual fast car then?
@@James28R they go really good for what they are, can pretty easily do 0-60 in 6 seconds. for a car that was first made in 99 and only has 190hp that is not bad at all, not far off alot of turbo cars from the same era
Wifey (ex) had a 2.8 Capri, her fuel spending on my card was horrendous as the car was used for work, she was a supermarket area manager for the only UK discount supermarket group at that time. Needless to say her meagre mileage allowance was not passed on. Suggesting she got a Mini or similar Japanese was speaking to a brick wall.
Who says the Japanese only design dull & boring cars are taking utter nonsense. I would have a mk7 Celica on looks alone, plus you have the durability & reliability thrown in as well.👍 I am currently into Japanese cars past & present at the moment, as my next car purchase will probably be from a car company in Japan. But I'll still watch other makes of cars on your TH-cam channel.
Hmm interesting to see a car with the Triangle of Doom on the dashboard, wonder what HubNut would make of it!
Very cool cars :)
My dad still owns one, I've recently driven it and they're completely under rated, he even managed to get a full size keyboard on its side in the back with the seats down 😂
I got two guitars and mic stand and amp in mine
They do look a bit odd without the boot spoiler.
I own the second generation 7 Celica. This one I have now I brought it back to new. New engine, fully painted, tein shock absorbers, Vogtland progressive springs, front and rear spacers, 17 inch rims with 8 channel, drilled brake discs. The car weighs around 1000 kg and is glued to the asphalt when cornering, it feels like driving a go-kart. The valuations of this car are starting to rise, if you are planning to get one, don't wait long, in a few years it could be very difficult..
We had the last ones they made, the Celica GT in red with the body kit and lowered from factory, for 11 years until 2019, when the heater matrix packed up and winter was approaching. No one wanted the work but wanted it to go to a good owner and sold it quickly through the owners club forum. It had around 130k on the clock and needed very little repairs apart from a new clutch at 80k, and the usual disks, pads, bulbs etc etc
The GT86/BRZ is the replacement. Try to get a drive of the T Sport/GT with the VVT-Li. Getting very rare these days. I've had a MK6 GT which was a great car, then a MK7 140, now a T-Sport. The 2ZZ's extra 50HP, and how it comes on brings a smile every time. The engine is built by Yamaha. It also has traction control. I'd lend you mine but cosmetically it is a bit crap.
I have a 7th gen celica (2004) with only 27,000 miles!
I see the Slovenian vignette on the windshield. Nice to know this car has been in my country. 👍
Yes we did, I'm the owner, l did a 6600km European Roadtrip with my son, we loved the scenery in your beautiful country
@@markotango54 You're always wellcome here !
@@histriamagna1014 l plan to return one day Bratko 🤝
@@markotango54 😁😁😁 Bratko ! You mean PRIJATELJ ( FRIEND ) Bratko is used Bulgaria.
Nevermind, happy to have you here.
@@histriamagna1014 sorry l was actually in Bulgaria for the past 5 days, l got mixed up 🙈
I bought one a month ago Great review and adore mine 😊
Great videos. Watched your ford puma review too. I've gotta puma now but would like to get a celica one day
I think you may have forgotten that the Celica has been replaced by the GT86, the spiritual successor. The MK7 had some styling by CALTY, but most of the car was designed by 2 Toyota designers in Japan, project Genesis was more a US marketing exercise than a design one AFAIK. I really loved the MK7 and came close to buying one on several occasions, but I still haven't owned one. I think values will start to rise shortly as they have been criminally undervalued for quite some time now.l, but like the SW20 MR2, I suspect they will rocket as there are fewer decent examples on the road.
I guess it could be argued the Gt86 is kind of a successor; in many metrics they are close, if not in all of them. Similar in specs, if not in intent. Perhaps "replacement" is a more accurate term.
Drove a Corolla with the 190 lump, surely they drive quite similarly? Anyway, that engine was/is perhaps one of the most hysterical in its power band ever made for a car. Vtec got nothing on it. Drive it like a madman and you will have a good time.
I've got a 2005 Celica T-Sport and a 2012 GT86, and they are very different and drive very different
It's a FWD 1,8 strait 4 Liftback
vs RWD 2,0 4 cyl. Boxer Sedan
@@auser6426 I was thinking mostly about size, weight, and power in which I am sure you will agree they are very similar. Those were primarily the metrics I meant above. Cheers.
@@GoldenCrocTrue power to weight is the same.
But the Celica is larger than the GT
GT is Auris size and the Celica is Avensis size
No, they're not similar. Absolutely different cars
@@Crusader-dk6zj They are? In what way are the target markets different, if I may ask? I would think the typical customer is almost the same demographics?
Great looking and interesting car👍 far too many SUVs nowadays😬😬😬
Did I see Pilgrim's Way? Haven't been down there for a road test for a while.
Bought my Baby June 2001 Brand New for just under £17,000 GBP and 155k later, she has never ever let me down and is still used every day. The Greatest Car I have ever owned by a long way. She’s a Beautiful Ferrari Red Beast.
Nothing like this car available new now. A real future classic if not already so.
One of my targets to own as an affordable sports car.
Great review! I have a 190 T Sport as my daily and it’s a brilliant car 👍
The 2zzge is awesome engine mate
My sister had one of these. The dash was very plastic not notice at all and the seats far too low not good at all but at least the boot was a decent size and very surprising for a coupe. Xhe liked it. She got it hard to sell it on do and did eventually do but it did not hold its value well.
seats too low? thats how its supposed to be, lower is better for a sports car
@@arcanevoid9199 I know. I was being sarcastic.
I have one myself... a very simple, yet, highly enjoyable car. Every time I have to drive somewhere I smile! :)
I try to maintain it the best I can and hopefully it can provide me joy for years to come.
Nice recovery on the American Chubby Fingers comment Matt 😂, sure it’s because of the gloves 😉. Great looking car but I still prefer the older T Bar type and was a much wanted car as an 18 year old, still is good to recall the Celica name 👌🏻.
I nearly bought one of these around 10 years ago, great looking car and really good to drive. I felt the plasticky interior let it down somewhat though.
the 2zz version cars are great fun!
I may be going off-topic here, but I actually heard that when Toyota launched the Corolla T-Sport with the 190hp 2ZZ-GE engine, they intentionally underrated its 0-60 time so it wouldn't cannibalise sales from the Celica 190 with the same engine.
Although speaking of the Corolla T-Sport, I will never understand why Toyota didn't offer the facelifted T-Sport as a 5-door in the UK like they did with the pre-facelift car, especially as the facelift was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in other markets where it was sold.
And what makes it even more baffling for me is that even after they made the Corolla T-Sport 3-door only in the UK for the facelift towards the end of 2004, the smaller Yaris T-Sport was still being offered as a 3 or 5-door in the UK, so I see no reason why Toyota couldn't do the same for the Corolla T-Sport here and keep the 5-door version on sale in the UK after the facelift, which begs the question - *why didn't they?*
I LOVED these when they came out, and I could easily have afforded one in proper spec. But, like certain clothing that looks great on someone else, I knew in my heart (and date on the birth certificate) that the time for me had passed. Really, needed to be 25, 30 max / I was a couple years beyond, already in the suburbs, and wouldn't a bike rack look better on a long roof Volvo anyway? [Hmm, GTS perhaps a guilty pleasure now for the weekends as an affordable, more practical alternative to the MR2 Spyder?]
I'm 40. I got my celica in Feb. In red... Trading in my red mr2 mk3 lowered for this as its more practical. I work at a secondary school and the kids think it's amazing lol
If remember these so well running three as company car in the early 2000s. I only had the 140ps I think, but the gearbox was excellent and the engine very revvy. Around the bends it would leave more powerful cars, but sadly on the straights it ran out of breath, as I found our when challenging an E46M3…
You took on a M3 with a 140BHP celica ? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
about 6:12 .. don't want to worry you , but looks like someone's trying to steal your Crown Vic .. lol
That's Matt's driver body guard 😁
@@Grimwriggler Well hard Northerner 💪🏼 👊
Nice car, now please look for a 70s or early eighties Supra😄👍
I always fancied one of these but without automatic option it’s a frustrating no.
idk why you would buy an automatic one, they do exist though
You can get them in auto but they will be imports only, didn’t do a auto box for the UK market.
Great video. The Celica's really were such fantastic cars - I've never driven the 7th gen, but I daily drive a 93 5th gen, such a great coupe. Love it!
What I love about sports cars is they tend to be lower in height far more aerodynamic and if you drop an economical engine in one your laughing.
Funnily enough, the height difference is rarely more than 5-6 inches between something like this and a "normal" car, meaning the aero difference is just a little bit more than 10 percent. Not earth shattering, sadly.
@@GoldenCroc Usually have much more aerodynamic front ends too though as well, Rovers tended to be low probably Jags too.
@@marklittler784 Well, thats the conundrum, they may look sleek, sharp and so on, but that has little real world effect on aerodynamic drag. Its almost as simple as "aerodynamic drag of car front in itself is decided by size of cooling inlets" and nothing else, well at least in the modern age since everything has considerable wind tunnel time. So mid 80s and forward.
Rear shape of the car and tire size are something like 80+% of the total aerodynamic importance of a modern car. Cheers.
Hi and yes deffo bring back the coupe but all That manufacturers are building is 2 to 3 variations of SUVs which ain’t my cup of tea
Love this channel! Great content. Subbed! Cheers from Kaua'i Hawa'ii 🤙🏼
I love FWD performance cars but I'm not really a fan of FWD coupes (Xsara VTS being a possible exception). The GT86 which has already been around for a decade now appeals but the relative lack of power let's it down a little in my eyes.
What’s better Celica or Mitsu GTO?
tough one...GTO?
been looking at one of these recently, only thing that puts me off is the road tax is high for a car that does not really have high performance, 140 bhp isnt exactly alot, or do they actually feel quite fast?
I've had my '00 Celica chilling in my backyard since March when it suffered a blown head gasket and I'm trying to fix it up, but just haven't. You're making me miss it so much more.
3:13 ZZZ-GE sounds like a sleepy engine xD ! It should be 2ZZ-GE. Nice review as always!
Great test! Please test drive a fist gen SMART Forfour Brabus 🤩
Was so close to buying this 140hp model last year, when I had the cash. Sort of regretting it now, but a chance could come again with a couple of investments due to pay (the long awaited Xrp is one)....and a hefty pay rise coming!
get a 190 if you can
Thanks
Thank you!
I would suggest the mainstream coupe never went away, it is now the saloon. Back in the 90's we had this, the 406 and 407 Coupes, later we had the Laguna Coupe, the Alfa Coupe amongst others that were more attractive versions of quite plain looking saloons like the Laguna, the awkward 407 and the anonymous Avensis. But look at the equivalent saloons today, the 508, the Talisman, Giulia, Corolla, all elegant, coupe-ish machines that look pretty dang good even if it is at the expense of some practicality. And there's always the estates, which look way better and can carry a washing machine AND your dog at the same time. .
Toyota may not have directly replaced the Celica but they did offer the GT86 which is a true coupe.
Your right about down hill after the millennium.Overly complicated boring ugly junk
And not built to last.
@@rain-bender4712 As well as over sized
A Corolla in a party frock. This is not a bad thing. The large buttons mean large contacts so they don't fail.
Sorry for the death of the Queen may her soul rest in peace.Richard.
such a great review.. find a great shape celica these are getting harder to find.. you sir found a gem!