Toyota Celica

Toyota Celica Models

The Toyota Celica GT-S leads the lineup with distinctive styling, nice handling and an impressive 180-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine developed with assistance from Yamaha.

Most buyers will opt for the more affordable 140-horsepower GT

Naturally, the two models vary in standard features: The GT gets a six-speaker stereo with both cassette and CD, power windows, power mirrors and air conditioning. The GT-S adds two more speakers and amplifier power, fog lamps, drilled aluminum sport pedals, power locks, a leather steering wheel and shift knob, cruise control and alloy wheels with wider tires. The GT-S evaluated here had nearly all the options, including a sunroof, leather seats, a rear spoiler and 16-inch alloy wheels with lower profile speed-rated tires. In place of the GT's five-speed gearbox, the GT-S comes standard with a six-speed gearbox. Either model can be ordered with a four-speed electronically controlled automatic.

Driving the Toyota Celica

My first impression of the Toyota Celica GTS is that it has a high-strung, high-tech engine that loves to run. There's adequate throttle response through about 6000 rpm, then Toyota's VVTL-i kicks in like an on-off switch and the Celica squirts forward with real urgency. The GTS should manage 0-60 mph runs in the upper seven-second range, but the true satisfaction comes with working the shifter and keeping the engine spinning full bore. The red area on the tach starts at 7800 rpm, but there are another 500-600 revs to the limiter and the engine keeps pulling strong, without flattening out, the whole way.

The only problem is that when this engine is turning in the sweet part of its power band it's loud. There's an abundance of intake and valve noise, made more noticeable because the engine feels so smooth.

The GT-S shifter works very well by front-drive standards -- smooth, accurate, direct. The E-shift automatic is equally impressive. E-Shift's shift buttons work intuitively. Pressing one of the buttons on the front of the steering wheel upshifts, while pressing the buttons on the back downshifts. Better still, the electronics do very little thinking for the driver. E-Shift holds its gear, even with the engine bouncing off the rev limiter and shifts sequentially up or down at the driver's discretion. It works as well as similar systems on some of the most expensive cars in the world.

Celica's seats are comfortable and grippy, and the pedals, in both placement and operation, work well. Enthusiast drivers will appreciate the perfectly placed dead pedal because it allows them to brace themselves with their left leg during energetic drives.

One of the best things about the Toyota Celica GT-S is that it corners nicely, and relatively flat, without a harsh, small-coupe ride. The upgrade 16-inch tires are sticky. Steering is quick and accurate, and the feel through the wheel gives a good idea how much grip is left in the front tires. The Celica GT-S tightens its path through a curve when its driver lifts from the gas, and it takes the harshest, most abrupt maneuvers to unsettle its rear end. Overall, it gets high marks for chassis tuning.