Hello Toyota people!

Hello,

I have been driving a 2000 Celica GTS 6-speed since new. I lost my job a week after that purchase as Chinese goods were devastating the company I worked for. After that experience I put off a vehicle purchase for as long as possible. Today I need a utility vehicle, and the pickup truck (my very first!) seems better than the SUV, as I can throw a scoop of dirt in it. And the choice is Toyota or Honda. I have not decided for sure if I should wait for the new Ridgeline, however, I think that will exceed my budget and the Tacoma also seems fantastic.

I was going to buy used, then leaned towards certified. However, prices are sky-high. For used vehicles, the mid-2000's were terrible in many ways due to cost cutting and growth for growth's sake (and not just Toyota.) So why pay the current premium for used vehicles from that era? So I think I will bite the bullet and buy a new SR with minimal options instead. This vehicle will be a good value for us. My Celica needed very little attention for the first eight to ten years, and that is the type of thing I need now. The Celica has taken many repairs after 100,000 miles, and I need a period of relief.

For the first time in a long time I am going to get an automatic transmission. That will put less strain on my neck and back. Also the wife can use the vehicle. She just does not want to learn to shift, which is okay. I have my VFR800 for shifting.

Well, no pics until my purchase. I came here to get advice on pricing and options. I have already learned that the aftermarket remote starters are better options, so this site has already been valuable. I still do need to pick a purchase time. I am in no hurry. A salesman said that Memorial Day weekend is good, or the fall. Although in the fall I may not get the color or exact truck I want despite any "prior model year" incentives. So I will probably pull the trigger sooner rather than later.

Thank you for reading.

 

Welcome to the club and good luck on your purchase!

 

Welcome! Do some research on some of the issues people are having with their auto trannys, u joints, etc. That way you make sure they dealer checks those for you before receipt of the vehicle

 

Welcome to TW.

 

Hi everyone. I had lost track of this for a while, but not permanently. I must be diligent and update you. I am sorry to report that I did not go with the Tacoma but instead I purchased an Outback.

First off I had several major changes and decided to put off the vehicle purchase for a while longer.

I have two extremely good, high volume, independent mechanics. When I got back to shopping I decided for the first time in my life to not go so much with emotion but to ask people I trust about the various vehicles. With the exception of my first car I have only owned Hondas and Toyotas and thus I asked the mechanics about these brands. Can you believe it? They both shook their heads "no". They told me these are not the same vehicles that they used to be and they would not recommend them. I am trying to recall but I think that one liked Hyundai a lot. The other liked Subaru and Hyundai was their #2. The wife of one of the mechanics bought a Hyundai because they could not afford the Subaru. Okay, no need to pressure me. I needed something with low lift-over that is easy to load and can take good size cargo. I was always on the fence between the pickup and SUV or crossover. Given the right circumstances I could have ordered either one. But given the advice and that our family has had a couple of Outbacks that they seem to love, it became the choice. So in 2019 I purchased a new red Outback Limited with the Harmon Kardon sound system.

The end of the Celica was traumatic. In hindsight I kept it too long thinking that vigilant maintenance would keep it up to date. Each year I had several repairs, which was far better than a car payment, but eventually problems cascaded. In 2018 I had the emergency brakes replaced. One hub had to be smashed apart. That was a big bill. The mechanic was in a rural area and only had OEM parts. Leading up to that time the AC had been a constant problem. For that item I went astray from my regular mechanic and took it to a specialist. He identified a tube with a sight glass as having a leak. He said that most shops cannot detect due to lacking the specialized equipment. BOOM! I had freezing cold AC that would not require a recharge in a year! I was flying high.

A problem crept up. I started the car and it would not rev immediately. After 10 seconds or so it would finally rev up. I thought perhaps there was a problem with the variable valve mechanism gaining oil pressure. A mechanic said he cannot know until he gets inside but suspects that the chain jumped a tooth. DANG. The wife had been telling me to ditch the car for a very long time, but this would be the convincing event for me. I purchased the Outback and the day that I put up a Craigslist ad for the Celica the gas tank began pouring out gas on the driveway. Now why did not my mechanics spot this? They saw the car every 6 months. So the car would have been perfect for someone handy. You would not believe, the interior was super clean, like a car just a couple years old. Everything got fixed so it drove tight like new.

The first junkyard would not take it. "We do not take vehicles that old." So repairs do not matter at all. This entire market is driven by age. The second junkyard gave me $200.

"What is wrong with it?" the tow driver asked.

"It leaks gas."

He looked at me funny.

The Celica had about 105k miles on it. After 18.5 years in the northeast every part underneath it corroded apart. Cars do not really have the chance to "wear out" here, they merely bust apart. In any case there is a story for you on one who tested the age limits of the modern vehicle. I was in financial pain when I bought it and I never forgot that lesson, and applied it well with that car.

 

Welcome to TW!