Power. Stock the car has 200 hp. Add a few modifications, and you can really put the pressure on those V8 muscle cars. This car is a proven Honda killer.
Style. The All Trac has a world class look that few other cars have. It has the ability to turn heads and draw stares.
Toyota Reliability. Take care of it, and it will last a lifetime.
Gas Mileage. Not as good as a normally aspirated I4, but a heck of a lot better than a V6 or V8.
All Wheel Drive. You can't ask for more. The car takes corners like a dream, with no tail slip or shaking. Forget snow, mud or potholes. This car has the traction that other cars can only dream of.
Bragging Rights. This is the rarest Toyota around. I believe there are only around 200 in the US. If you can find one of these, TRD enthusiasts will be green with envy.

Maintenance. Fixing this car will cost you an arm and a leg. Expect to pay 2-3 times as much to fix ANYTHING on this car. A new flex pipe cost me upwards of $900. In addition, I wouldn't allow anyone but a Toyota certified mechanic to touch this car.
Parts. This could go along with maintenance. Some parts on this car are hard to find, due to it's rarity.

I must start off by saying the All Trac is the first car to ever scare me (I don't really want to call the car a Celica. It has nothing in common with any other Celica except for the basic body style). I'll get to that in a bit.
The 2.0 I 4 has to be one of the best 4 cylinder engines ever built (the only one topping that would be the Honda S2000 240hp I4). The styling of the 5th Generation All Trac (ST185) is awe inspiring. It has a wide stance, an aggressive hood scoop and massive 235/60R16 tires. Couple that with a 7 psi ct24 turbo, twin entry air intercooler, all wheel drive and a smooth 5 speed transmission, and you have a dream come true. Turn up the Toyota "System 10" stereo, and you have a treat for your senses.
Now, back to the scary part. I have driven Celicas before. I own a 1990 GT coupe and a 1992 GT Convertible. They have fair pick up. Not terrible for a sporty coupe, but not the best. The All Trac, on the other hand, is a race bred rally car. With a drop pipe and 3 inch exhaust connected to a HKS turbo muffler, a HKS boost controller, cold air intake and high performance spark plugs, the car is a rocket. Cranking the boost up to 2 bars (14 psi, but only for very short bursts), the car pushes more than 250 hp. I have reached speeds over 60 mph in under 6 seconds. The all wheel drive puts the full force of all that hp to the ground. You don't realize the power until you reach 3rd, 4th, and yes, even 5th gear. I don't advise watching the speedometer or the boost gauge while accelerating hard. That's the part that will scare you.

Similar Products Used:

1988 Honda Accord SEi - My first Car - Don't make me laugh
1990 Celica GT - My third car (still own this one)- Nice, but no All Trac
1991 Taurus LX - My second car - No comment
1991 Supra Turbo - All Trac is lighter and faster
1992 Celica GT Convertible - My fourth car (I still own it) a fun summer car for cruising. No All Trac here either
Eclipse GSX - close, but no cigar
Honda Prelude - Again, no competition

-smooth, VERY comfortable ride
-gas mileage
-looks
-reliability over 100000+ miles

-electrical system has some flaws
-power is not as strong as I thought ( I don't own a turbo)

Overall, the Celica has been a pleasant, very reliable car. Purchased with over 100000+ miles, it was a gamble, but has proved to be efficient. Performs well under normal driving. Gas mileage is above average (5 speed) and handles very well. Minor maintainence costing roughly $500 to $1000 total since purchase in Summer 1999.

Similar Products Used:

None

Good performance for the price. Resonable cornering. Nice sound after 5000 rpms. Everything driver need is right where he need it. Cool gages. Wonderful seats, very supportive on turns. Nice small leather wheel (I've seen really bad leather on BMWs). BIG trunk and folding back seats. No problem to put two bikes or two ski sets. Comfortable for long trips.
AND THAT JAPANESE QUALITY (car build in Japan). Before I wouldn't believe it possible to have car for two years and NEVER had NO ONE problem. Only oil changes and wheel balancing.

Headlight getting foggy in winter. Though still good view at night. It looks like I'll need new tires after 25000 (and it's impossible to speen wheels). No right arm support. Gear control on steering wheel is cool and handy, but if you need to drop 2 or 3 gears down, it'll take you couple of seconds. Probably I ought to buy manual. Low torques at low rpms. Engine is kinda dead until until 3000. But will kick in fast after that.

I love that car, and after two years, I still enjoy every ride to the office. Car is quick for the money, but engine is lazy before 3000 rpms. Still allow you to beat most cars from the traffic light. Cokpit is really functional and comfortable even for long rides. Steering is precise, and it's like only two rotations of wheel from far left to far right. Trunk is big and can fit anything active person (even two) need, with rear seats folded. Rear seats not very roomy, but nobody expected it, right? Still you can carry crew of 4 if necessary. Car looks cool. Astonishing quality (really built in Japan). Never had a problems since new (for 2 years now). No one problem. Just oil changes.
Overall, it's a good very good car to have. Enogh sporty, enough useful for everyday rides. In a year I'll probably change it for something more powerful/expensive, but for the time being it's what I can afford, and don't regret a bit - it's a best choise for the money.

Similar Products Used:

-

looks and sounds system

everything except for what i mentioned in strength section

this is not that good car than i thought.
i got impressed by its looking but it aint everything
Toyota in my feet

Similar Products Used:

tiburon 2001 is hella better than this crap
my brother has tiburon
they both have same horse power
and everytime we raced i get my ass kick by a lot.
i thought toyota is all good but then im regretting that i bought this and pay 400bukcs everymonth
my bro pays 280 bucks a month

looks, looks everyones eyes are on it especially cops. Everything is in reach of the driver. Leather seats. Very good pick-up.

Blind spots Lot's of little things going wrong with it. Service dept.

When I first say the car I thought it was my dream come true. Six weeks after getting it the engine light went on. The sunroofs drian clogged and soaked the drivers floor. Condensation inside car. Alarm arms itself. engine light on again five days to wait for service. dealership always has answers like yea condensation normal inside. Lights don't always come day or night. Very dissapointed. you never know how good a co. is untill you need service. Please contact me if you have simular problems.

Similar Products Used:

I've own a Toyota Tercel DX 91' I really can't compare looks or speed,but dependably I can I never had a days trouble with the Tercel till it was 10

Looks awesome!
Nice handling
Fun to drive
Nice dashboard
Fast after hitting higher speeds

Won't "go" upon cold start
Blind spots in rear view
Need way to release hatchback from inside (instead of getting out with key)

My overall impression is initial pleasure. I loved the car when I first got it: looks awesome, feels comfortable and fun, drives well. Then that impression started to deteriorate. Radio was replaced twice (CD Player stuck and then all radio controls failed except volume knob). Then I noticed something funny - it seemed like the car would not respond immediately to the gas pedal after initial start-up. I kind of blew it off. But now it happens all the time (only from a cold start)! Unless I sit in the car for 2-5 minutes after starting it, I can be sure that it will not respond when I hit the gas pedal for the first couple of stop lights (engine and all sounds fine but no rpm's)! Took it to 2 different Toyota dealerships 3 times. No one can find a technical problem but they see the failure. Plus they say that all the other Celica's on the lot seem to do the same thing. This is unacceptable - no other car I've owned has done this!

Similar Products Used:

1st car - Mitsubishi Mirage (no comparison except the mirage always started fine)
97 Honda Accord - although it didn't look as well, I never had any problems with it although it wasn't as fast

None

None

Lisa,

Read the manual before you b*tch about no power at initial start up. The VVTL-i won't kick in until engine reaches normal operating temperature. The high end BMW does the same thing too.

Similar Products Used:

None

Looks cool/fast
Nice interior
Fast for the price

Blind spot

I had my car for two weeks (250 miles) and it stalled at a light and never started again!!! The dealership had to replace the transmission. Now it runs well but when I come up to a light on occasion the RPM's are so low it almost stalls out(its an automatic). I have taken it in 3 times to get looked at and they can not find the problem.

Similar Products Used:

None

Handling
Braking
Really BIG trunk for its class
nicely gated 6 Spd shifter
Impressive Top end performance after 60mph and 6000 rpm.
Nice steering wheel
great gas mileage if driven conservatively

Toyota Dealer Service
Squeeky roof (fixed)
lack of headroom with sunroof
thin cheap paint
interior material
weak A/C and heat (takes long time to cool and heat)
A/C odor
too tall 1-2-3 gearing ratios ( because they want 0-60 in two gears)
Squeeky belt in cold start up
Weak bumper corners (same for all other Toyotas)
Too many options

2000 GTS. I was deciding between the Integra Type R and this car. The Type R attracts too many thieves, and it only came with yellow and black. The Celica offers a bit more luxury and styling. I am not into modifying a car in NYC so the lack of aftermarket parts doesn't bother me.

Similar Products Used:

Delsol S--A/C and heat were much stronger, better build quality, lower performance. 92 Prelude SI--too heavy but a solid car that lasts.