[twistedfocus]

So i'm thinking of getitng a 03 toyota celica GT.
Either that or a 03' focus with the 2.3L

Anyone here has any positive/negative views on the celica? or should i get 2.3L focus

[ 05-14-2003, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: twistedfocus ]

 

[Rally Man]

I always here that you have to rev the piss out of the engine to get the power.

 

[AnythingButAFocus]

I troll around a celica site. Alot of the people want out of them for some reason or another. Must've gotten bored of it or something, b/c toyota is typically very reliable..

Why not a Matrix? Same engines...

Andrew

Edit: as Rally Man said, you DO have to rev the piss out of them. I've driven a couple GT-S's, they surge in power just like any VTEC-Equipped Honda.

[ 05-14-2003, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: AnythingButAFocus ]

 

[Akina Speed Stars]

Stay away from the Matrix....It does have the same engine but not the same gear ratios.That is EXTREMELY important on any car with variable Valve Timing. From whats been reviewed as soon as the big cam get on, your needing to shift. The Matrix cant take full advantage of the engine thats inside it.So not only do you have that against you but the added weight from the design.

Im not a huge celica fan (except 90-93 All-Trac) but stay away from the Matrix if youd liek decent performance out of the box.

 

[Guest]

Werd. All Trac Celica is the way to go. But, if you really want the new one, get the GTS.

=dRe=

 

[Maxximtl]

If you've got the money for a GT-S, you might aswell buy a WRX.

The Celica is perhaps the WORST bang for the buck value out there. The fit and finish is nice, but the powertrain is weak.

I would also agree with current Celica owners wanting to get out of their cars. A guy in our local car club went into arbitration with Toyota trying to get them to buy his GT-S back under the lemon law. He was on his 3rd motor.

There are far better values in the compact car segment than the Celica. With the other choices that are available now, it's amazing to think that anyone would overpay for a Celica.

 

[TXFO]

whats the difference in the GT and GT-S?

 

[twistedfocus]

I wouldn;t be able to afford the GT-S just the GT..

so GT or 2.3L ZX3?

 

[Halo]

Originally posted by TXFO:
whats the difference in the GT and GT-S?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Bout 6 grand I think.

~Steve

 

[AnythingButAFocus]

Matrix XR. Celica's are tiny.

TXFO, the GTS has a variable lift program similar to VTEC and a 6-speed. The GT has variable valve timing and a 5-speed.

Andrew

 

[mdaj]

Also the GT-S is rated 180hp 130tq
GT 140hp 125tq

 

[svtfocuspower]

get the 2.3l focus. Much more useful powerband in a much more useful car

. Besides, you get more torque and the from 2.3 dyno's i've seen it looks underated (130 h.p. at the wheels stock).

 

[proxemac]

Originally posted by twistedfocus:
So i'm thinking of getitng a 03 toyota celica.
Either that or a 03' focus with the 2.3L

Anyone here has any positive/negative views on the celica?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I hang around a lot on newcelica.org because I've been considering one, although at this point I think I'll wait for a RWD car (maybe MR-S, Elise, or the next Celica or Supra?). If you want a great handling, lightweight 2 seater FWD car with 2 rear seats for short people or short trips with a good sized, albeit flat, 16.9 cubic feet of trunk, get it. Here are some of the advantages I see with the Celica over the Focus:

- lighter weight
- lower center of gravity
- better wheel selection (e.g., Volks)
- stock camber adjustment
- better handling
- CARB legal turbo kits. Dave Draper has made one for the GT and I believe others are on the way. Neither you or I are in CA but not having to worry about emissions testing for your turbo is nice.
- Much, much, much lower rate of depreciation.

The main advantages I see with the Focus 2.3L

- Lower initial cost.
- Passenger and cargo room.
- Better engine potential. This is dependent a bit on speculation. Out of the box power is probably about equal and the Celica aftermarket has had much more time with the 1zz than we've had with this version of the 2.3L.

The Celica is supposed to be redesigned for model year 2005 so if you can wait, it should be worth it. If I were in the market for a good daily driver with more trunk space than a MR-S, I'd go with the Celica. It is nowhere near the worst bang for the buck unless all you care about is out of the box horsepower.
[Edit: tailored to GT-only.]

[ 05-14-2003, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: proxemac ]

 

[Virtual_Insanity]

I would recommend test driving both cars and see which one will serve you best plus what you expect out of the car or what you plan on doing to it like mods/upgrades down the road.Personally I would say go with the '03 ZX3 2.3 but it is your money so you have to be happy with whatever you do choose.

 

[tsunami racer]

Originally posted by TXFO:
whats the difference in the GT and GT-S?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">the GT-S has the Variable Valve Timing and Lift with Intelligence VVT-Li engine that puts 180 hp vs 140 on the GT with the non-intelligent (stupid?) engine. And with the 6-speed transmission, it beeps like a trash truck when you back up

if you ain't doin the GT-S, i'd look elsewhere. save your money (purchase cost and insurance) and do the Foci. or how bout that 04 Mitsu Lancer RalliArt? 160-hp

, a great chassis

with lots of room and financing incentives

. Yeah, its a poor man's Evo, but what's a poor man ta do?

 

[emulous]

I just drove a 2.3L focus sedan (automatic) today it was my boss' rental and I have to say I was mighty impressed by the engine response even with the auto. I drive an SVTF and this thing feels like it has more torque. The only reason I could tell you to take the Celica over the Focus is that if you love the styling of the Celica then you'll be happy with it. It's probably more reliable too, but the focus is much more practically and the new engine is great.

 

[LemonGT]

If you can fit in a Celica and don't want a useful car, get the Celica. If you want to use the car for anything other than racing get the Focus. It's not a big dif between the Focus 2.3 and the Celica GT.

 

[MattZTS]

What about an Eclipse GTS? Its alittle cheaper than the Celica GTS and has more hp.

 

[twistedfocus]

hey thanks for all the comments.
proxemac thanks for the breakdown. It's hard to choose. I love the focus and this new 2.3L sounds very tempting but the more i look at the celica the more I like the style. I'm really looking to mod and dont really need lots of cargo space or anything.

I'm not really into the eclipse or the lancer, but thanks for the suggestions.

I'll be looking around in the Celica's message boards.

 

[BlueByYou]

the celica is just a weak car. eliminate that choice.
go for a srt-4 or a mazdaspeed protege.
if cargo space isnt a big deal, test drive a MR-S. Now thats a fun car to drive.

[ 05-15-2003, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: BlueByYou ]