My car is a 2002 Toyota Celica GT. I bought it brand new back in the summer of 2002; a long time ago, but only if you measure it in terms of years. It had just come off the assembly line, and it cost just under $20,000. It is a 1.8-liter, automatic transmission, power
windows/locks/everything car. It gets about 35 or more miles to the gallon depending on where I drive it. For all sporty/compact cars released in 2002, it ranked second, in overall safety, only behind the Subaru WRX. In addition to all these technical specs, the car just plain looks cool.
Flashback to 2002. I needed a new car. I wanted something that offered everything from value to safety to power to the always desired coolness factor. My first, and only, choice was to search for a Celica. I went to a few Pittsburgh area Toyota dealerships but couldn't find a Celica in the color I wanted (black). Most Toyota dealerships will have a few dozen of each model (Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Corolla and Land Cruisers), but only about two Celicas on the lot. (They can be tough to find in your specific color and/or transmission type but don't give up.) I didn't want to settle for a silver one and didn't want to wait a few weeks for a black one to come in. I also didn't want to spend an extra $6000 to get a GTS model. The salesman said the only difference between the GT and the GTS was some horsepower, engine size, and the $6000. It is not worth it. My GT will top nearly 140 MPH, the GTS will hit about 150. That is not worth $6000. So on I searched.
Eventually I found what I wanted, but with a twist. It wasn't black, it just looked black. The official name of the car's color is Cobalt Blue. At first glance it looks black, but under certain lighting or conditions, the car has a dark blue tint to it. It is so cool. Plus it is incredibly rare. It is the toughest color to get on the Celica. I had to have it.
I brought my brother/former car salesman from L.A. with me to negotiate. The dealer got incredibly mad at us after we kept rejecting his offer and said "do better" about five times. NOTE - -They will do better, just stay confident and persistent. I
eventually got it for a few hundred dollars over invoice. They usually get a few thousand over invoice for Celicas.
I had it for only four weeks when I took it on a cross-country road trip. I put over 7000 miles on the car in the first 30 days. While driving through such wonderful and beautiful states as South Dakota (best drivers in the country), Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, I had the cruise control set at about 95 MPH and was shocked at the gas mileage I was getting. I was averaging over 40 miles per gallon on the Interstate. That is a great feature of this car. Going over 500 miles in between fill-ups is great, considering that some areas had 100 mile stretches between service.
The car is also fast, very fast, not land-speed record fast, but fast enough. Who really needs a car that goes over 200 MPH? Danica Patrick, that's who. The fastest I have had the car is about 115 MPH, although at 115 MPH it becomes quite obvious that it will go much much faster if you want it to. It also becomes quite obvious that the blur hiding behind the cactus, in the middle of the California desert, is a cop. Power is not a problem with this car, only fear of being arrested will restrain you.
The car is also very comfortable. The standard seats are softer and roomier than many reviewers state. I am 6'4" and I do not have any comfort issues in the car, unless I tried (haven't yet) to sit in the back 'seat'. It's actually less of a seat and more of a place to hold your cds and small things like a pen or two, but not three. Recently I had my three year old nephew (in his car seat) in the back 'seat' and the passenger seat still had to be moved all the way up to the glove compartment for it to fit. But then this isn't a family car.
As for safety, it comes standard with driver and passenger side airbags. It was given the second highest rating among small (sporty, compact) cars released in 2002, trailing only the Subaru WRX in overall safety. That's good to know the next time you're cruising along at 100 MPH with any small, sporty car coming at you (except the WRX).
As for value, this is where it can really separate itself from the pack. The car still holds over 60% of its original cost. I could get about $15,000 out of it today if I wanted to sell it, which I don't. Why would I? It fits my needs. My girlfriend
and I drove it across country and fit everything we needed, for a month long journey, into its limited space. On top of everything else, it just looks cool as hell. I get compliments on it all the time. People always turn and stare. If you want to be noticed, you will. We only go through life once, why not do it in the best muscle to come out of Japan since Godzilla?
By Jason Lindholm
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