Of all the Toyotas, this feels like it's the most 'econobox'. More econobox than a Corolla. Pure 'an car' and honestly the best car to get to just throw away when you look to upgrade. The BIC disposable pen.
@@static_Tricolor_camrylack of accessories in 1994 yes, but they were not junk. Properly maintained ones hit 200K all the time back then. Now, the 1987 to 1989 cars were junk, and the variable venturi carbs were terrible. Probably why they were only in production for 3 years.
@@static_Tricolor_camry Manual windows & doors doesn't necessarily mean bad - my dad's 2011 Tacoma has manual windows and locks, same with my '94 Miata.
The Tercel feels less than a Corolla because it was less than a Corolla. It was the least expensive car offered in the U.S. by Toyota. The next step up was Corolla, then Camry then Cressida which became the Avalon later.
Zack, That Tercel wagon 0:32 is due for a comeback!! My neighbours still have a Tercel 5 speed sedan in their fleet and it continues to provide highly reliable service.
I sold these and worked on them in 1994. Great little cars. The vavle seals were a common issue, as was piston oil rings. If not watched closely, the engine would eat the 3.5 quarts of oil and wipe the rod bearings. This gen was also the first fuel injected Tercel when it came out in 1990. These things could be purchased from 90-94 without carpet (vinyl flooring), vinyl seats, no radio, no a/c, only a drivers side mirror, and non-power steering. This one being reveiwed is loaded lol. Btw, the Tercel's sportier brother, the Paseo, had a twin cam engine and was much more fun.
In 2000, I actually drove a friend’s 1994 Tercel 2-door that was exactly like that. The only time I ever drove without power steering - or a manual without a tachometer.
In the Philly hoods these are around lowered wit rims big tail pipes and short shifters my Spanish folks love em along wit there 1.8 Corolla wagons from the 80s.
I haven't seen that much of a bad rep for the Spark. It's tight inside and you can only fit 2 carry ons in the trunk. But its only sin was being a Daewoo designed product. I'd take the extra safety and fuel economy over a Tercel, though
Nice video. The Toyota Tercel was my first car! My dad taught me how to drive stick, it had the 4 gear MT. My mom drove this car for 10 years and then I drove it as my daily for another 10 years! Excellent car with superb gas mileage. I didn't have any of the engine issues that were described in this video. The car was very reliable and would start in extremely cold weather too. I live in Alberta, Canada. 👍😃
Worst? These things will outlive the apocalypse next to sharks, crocodiles, and cockroaches. I love these cars because they’re plucky and just won’t die lol
My fifth gen 99 sat for 6 years before I bought it put a battery in and it ran great it was on the road three weeks and I did a 5 hour road trip no problem
I still see 5th gen Tercels across Bahrain, surprising considering other subcompact cars of it's age have long since been dead aside from the B14 Sunny.
@@Jessecwebb I think a car lasting 10 years speaks volumes lol did your mom do proper maintenance, were most of the miles driven on the highway or street, etc. Lot of factors to just say it died after 10years. Furthermore on a bell curve of tercels yours dying in 10years is such an outlier when compared to the rest of the tercels that still putter people on around the globe
I have 5 well-loved niche cars I've been emailing you about reviewing for a year and nothing yet you review something the owner didn't even clean for the video. It is cool though, nice to see these reviews of old cars.
I'm one of those odd people who still dailys a 95 tercel and while I personally love it i definitely understand why people didn't keep them. Noise insulation is nonexistent and my example didn't come with any creature comforts like power steering or air conditioning or even a radio. The engine also consumes oil. Despite this I love my tercel because I have never driven any car that makes me as happy to drive as this one. The lack of features creates an economy car that is much more engaging to drive than anything i have experienced with something more modern. When the car does break down its always easy to repair because of how much space you have to work with under the hood. I think the 5efe in my engine may be a little better than the one shown in this video because the issues with my car are pretty limited to the oil consumption and as long as I keep it topped off the engine feels strong. I will drive it into the ground with love :3
I daily a 99 transmission works perfectly the engine doesn't burn oil surprisingly it only leaks it but hey half a quart between oil changes I love mine and my other half said it's the car they want to get there license in because of the simplicity
The Toyota Tercel. In the 80's and 90's, it was for those where a base Corolla is STILL too expensive. I wish car companies still sold cars like this in the US, but noooo. Every car being made for the US market now seems to have to "prove a point" or something instead of just being an honest point A to B transporter.
The reality is nobody wants true econo-boxes. Nobody wants a car that feels cheap, that’s why the subcompact segment is basically dead, since buying used is just as cheap and is a better value. These cars are from an era where used cars were definitely not as big of a market as they are now
@@richardepstein3494 Mirage's are amazing but thanks to idiotic people like Doug Demourmyass, they love cars with 2 seats and 123909120123HP because "OOOOO HEAR THE ENGINE PURRR AHHAHAHAHAH LOOK" It's an amazing reliable car that is what a car SHOULD be. It just works, and Mitsubishi's are reliable especially those smaller engines and transmissions and shit. It's sad but people are speculating they'll discontinue it. Where I live (in the Gulf), they already removed the Mirage. They kept the Attrage however (which basically is a Mirage engine to my knowledge it just has a boot) The economy they gave was unbelievable lol, as good as a good hybrid system almost. Only a PHEV can defeat it in economy almost.
@@hariranormal5584I saw an at the time brand new Mirage at the side of the road broken down so yea right as if your telling the truth how much does Mitsubishi pay you to say that?
My cousin owned a couple of these. They were both totaled by drunk drivers while parked in front of his house in Portland, several years apart. Knock on wood, his Pontiac Vibe hasn't suffered the same fate, at least not yet.
@@rightlanehog3151 Unfortunately, he doesn't have any off-street parking options at his house. I'm grateful to have a house with a garage that has enough room to park my car inside!
In high school, one of my friends had a Tercel. We called it the Turd-Cel, but we drove the wheels off that little car. Many many country cruises and trips 👌💨
Had an '84 Tercel peppy manual hatchback for 19 years. She had plenty of room with the back seats down. In the end used oil so much that I could not keep up with it. She was still running well when I donated it.
These are the best cars ever made. Ive driven all sort of things from lifted trucks to 700hp suvs to old luxury saloons and NOTHING touches this car, the handling is soft and easy to slide, it takes abuse like a tank. And it gets insane mileage. I learned to drive in one and then it got passed between friends for years and st one point we just drove around WITHOUT A RADIATOR and it took it. Masterpiece
@Jessecwebb youre just hating in every comment. Your mom either bought the 1 lemon of these cars that there was or didn't know how to take care of them. Mines got 200k miles and old as dirt and works great
worst 90s toyota was the cressida they all had headgasket problems and disappeared.. shitbox but a zippy one , never heard of any issues with the efi tercels.
@@9ZERO6 true. As a matter of fact a cousin owned both a 94 Tercel 4 spd and then a 91 Cressida as hand me downs from my aunt. When she sold the Tercel, the new owner (a family friend) had less than a year of trouble free use before the HG let go. Same with a co-worker's Telcel of the same vintage. Her Cressida never had issues, though. And she never received complaints from the person who purchased it from her.
A car. These Tercels don't pretend to be something they're not. It's transportation. It'll keep you dry and get you there in a reasonable amount of time. What more do you want?
This was my first brand new Toyota. The 4 speed manual wasn't fast, just could go at 70 mph without revving much. Still, it was very reliable and so easy to maintain. Hurricane katrina flooded it. The engine still worked afterwards, but the insurance took it as a total. it was 160k miles at that moment and everything was running.
I had a ‘91 Tercel with a 4MT. I absolutely adored it! I gave it to my sister when she graduated from high school in ‘97. I would still drive one today if I could find one.
My aunt had one of these Tercels. She replaced her Buick with it. Then replaced that with a Nissan Altima. Then after replaced it with a Corolla. I think the car she had the longest was the 02 Camry. 😊
@@gregorymalchuk272 I dont remember the name. Could have been the Regal. Not sure. I just remember the emblem being a Buick. But I remember vaguely as a kid, she was constantly fixing something on it. It never ran right. Might have been an early 80s Century. Even my dad did some work on it. It was a church car that my aunt got after graduating college in 1988. My grandparents were ministers and she was the youngest of the three.
My 1992 2-door 4-speed lasted through myself and two younger siblings through sequential college careers. At 160K, it was on the original clutch. One brake job done on the fronts at about 120K. The alternator bracket broke, but that was the only issue that I can recall. But at the end, the valve guide seals were leaking. Blue smoke and oil consumption were concerning enough that we donated it. I would have fixed it, but by that point I'd graduated to four doors, five speeds, and air conditioning...
Hello there, viewer from Saudi Arabia I had a 98 Tercel, used it for more than 5 years with an overheating engine , drove it everywhere on road and off-road sometimes, great A/C , great fuel economy and very good reliable car overall Thanks for great review 👍
I think any car with the 2az Fe engine has already snatched up that spot pretty nicely. They got lawsuited for absolutely gulping down oil, not to mention that the head bolts thread themselves, coolant leaks and blown head gaskets are fairly common in these engines as well.
Turdcedes are one of toyotas all time greats, and it's successor the echo isn't half the car the turcel is. I will not be taking questions. You can't change my mind
i had a 96 (the facelift with the stronger engine and a 4 speed auto) and it was probably the best car ive ever owned. much much better than the pre facelifts
I had 1992 JDM 3-door version. They were called Tercel, Corsa and corolla II there. Corolla II was only in 3-door body. Also Japan had no 2-door sedans. What is interesting is that 3-doors had no common body elements with sedan, even the glass, headlights and rearlights were different and did not fit to sedan and vice-versa. Engines were DOHC 16 valve injection 1.3 90-100hp 4E-FE and 1.5 100-115 hp 5E-F(H)E Also JDM cars had 4WD option. My 3-door was SX 4WD trim. It had "sporty" saloon with bucket-like seats, tachometer, AC, 1.5 100hp, 4AT and 4WD. It was a little bit slow on acceleration because of ancient 4AT and 4WD were a little heavy for 1.5 engine, but it couild easily go in dirt, snow and icy conditions. It could go sideways on snow like subarus ))
The worst thing about the Turdsmell was it holding just a smidge less than 3 quarts of oil counting the filter and the best thing was one rolling in the door of the service dept needing a timing belt and it not having AC or power steering. Like a 10 minute job paying 3 hours.
Oh my god this brings me back my mom had that exact tercel as her first car we had it for 4 years unit the floor got rusted out but the engine was still working
My Mom got a new Tercel in the mid 1980's, her Dad bought her it without asking. She "drove it until it fell apart" which was only about 6 or 7 years, surprisingly short. For as much as the internet laudes Toyotas, it's easy to forget not all of them were winners. Actually, many of their Golden Era cars from the 80's & 90's were actually pretty junky tin cans. I had a 2001 Corolla, and it was pretty awful. Very small, didn't handle well, gas milage was good but not amazing, and it burned oil like most of them did.
I had a 94 w a 4 speed, only car I’ve ever had that blew an engine, granted the previous owner “rebuilt” it just before me buying. That being said it drove itself onto the flatbed, and I daily drove it w a rod knock and burning 3 quarts of oil for a tank of gas
We had a 1995 toyota tercel, which was newly redsigned for the year. Great car and reliable. Only got rid of it because it was getting old and wanted something newer. This car's backseats are very tiny. Much smaller than the 2010 Honda civic we bought .
My father had a '90, I think he paid a whole 12 grand for it, if that. It outlasted my mother's POS '92 Saab 9000 that was almost three times the price of the Tercel. Dad sold it running like new a few years after the Saab was donated for scrap.
My father’s good friend of this era had a mint green one. It’s on my bucket list to find one, albeit probably towards the bottom of my list I do look occasionally. Same with white Ford Fiesta, “The egg”
Someone in my neighborhood is driving this generation green Tercel . It's rusty but it's running well. I heard that previous generation Tercel was better car except for fuel and brake systems . Too bad Toyota abandoned selling subcompact cars in North America. We need them bad.
I think these were better lasting than the US Toyota Echo. I had a chance to buy with manual transmission but chose Camry with automatic transmission instead. Camry blew up in Wendy's drive thru. Bought Corrola and had a Civic. Corolla was an oil burner but auto transmission would not quit. Civic was flat out more sturdy but was a manual transmission. I have never been physically comfortable in a Toyota. Always have in the Honda's....🚗🚘
A friend bought a White Hawk as her first new car. I thought she should have picked up a used car but, it was a great little car for her, never an issue. She loved the more sporty version of the car. Believe it had a DOHC 1.5 giving a bit more power over the SOHC base. The greatest issue with these cars is majority have spent ~30 years being a young person's 1st or 2nd car, parked outside, and maintenance deferred to pay rent.
true, this was also true for a lot of Neons, Escorts, Cavaliers, PT Cruisers and now with Altimas, Mitsubishis and Journeys. Those cars were/are the stereotype of tight budget, bad credit and deferred maintenance. I'm sure many of these would've survived more than they did with good maintenance, but they fell under the "it's bad because it was made by (insert your brand here)"
@@engineer_alv True for the cars listed. I'm in the South so cars tend to last decently well, not Arizona rust free but well. Majority of 20+ year old Civics and Accords are in one of 2 conditions perfect, or loads of aftermarket parts and dented up bodies.
@@lamarw9901In Trinidad we don’t have rust and there are plenty of old Nissans still going here mainly Sunny’s and Wingroads so I don’t get the “Nissan is bad” thing even the modern Sentras seem like good cars
These and the 5th gen Tercels are immortal. Worst Toyota my ass, sure if you're a dumb gen z that needs a 37 inch television for a radio in their car maybe.
@@xp7575 78 born gen x here. I've had a few tercels. 84 89 92 and 97. And all were great in their categories. Now if you compare it with a camry(hope that's what you meant) then you're delusional. Now tercel vs escort excel accent cavalier chevette yugo sentra(b11 b12) then.....
Toyota didn't try to make the Tercel sporty in itself. Instead, they took a two-door, dressed it up a little to look the part, and called it the Paseo.
Worst? Ouch. It’s no Supra but it’s better than taking the bus… this was my first car (DX, 5spd, cloth seats, factory driver side mirror only and no radio or ac) and it got me through my tech college years, and mine despite being used and beat up it never broke 🥺
Air conditioning was a High End and Very expensive luxury item on many cars even into the 2000's. My dealership, O'Connor Ford of EverGreen Park, ILL next door to Chicago, wanted $1,200.00 US Dollars to install a/c on my then-new '91 Escort Pony. That was like Five car notes back then. What do you think this then-college-boy-on-a-budget said to that??
@@landonbenford8369 A/C was considered a luxury item back then because no matter what car you chose, if A/C was optional it would be around $1000. It wasn't worth it on economy cars because that would represent over 10% of the car's value. But take a $20K sedan, minivan or truck from back in the day and those $1000 were much easier to swallow, specially in monthly payments.
@@landonbenford8369You think any of that matters in my country either A/C or screw off and send it in the crusher you ever had to face 40 degrees Celsius every day
@@toyotacorollaaltis8613 Geez, where's All this hatred coming from? I'm not picking a fight. I'm just sayin'. Chicago summers ain't like San Diego. Our 1995 heat wave killed over 700. In three days. Including my cousin.
I'ma be thay guy and say there is no bad Toyota in the 90s....sure, boring...but pure reliability, a trait Toyota has now lost...even being not reliable for a Toyota...it is still reliable
Those headlights were only available on the base base trim. 4sp manual 1 side mirror coupe and even black bumpers. They never came in any sedans or automatics.
I came here to say exactly that. But since the owner swapped the transmission, the headlamp assemblies may have also been done. I'd expect that the DX/LX pretty lenses are more expensive (and less available) than the Base/EZ buckets that hold the sealed beam units.
Ur tripping these motors are extremly reliable. 1.5 non interferenfe motors. I have had 30 olus. No issues all over 300k. One w 490k. Still original shit
Yeah no disrespect but I can tell you have never own a tercel these things won't die i had one in Puerto Rico the mileage meter died over 200,000 and every day I would drive it for half an hour for 3 years. And if you ever been to Puerto Rico is mostly mountains ⛰️ these things will last forever.
I have a 99 Tercel with the second gen 5efe dis engine it's been perfect I also know a guy with over 700kkm on his I love how simple they are and they are cheap to keep going but those 3e engines I will agree were problematic
The Tercel is actually the last car sold in America with a 4MT
The next gen yes.
Ironically that tercel had 4 transmission options. 2 manuals 2 automatic.
That‘s crazy 4MT is like 1950s stuff
@@alpzeptaThe 4th generation Toyota Kijang had a 4 speed manual transmission until 2000.
Of all the Toyotas, this feels like it's the most 'econobox'. More econobox than a Corolla. Pure 'an car' and honestly the best car to get to just throw away when you look to upgrade. The BIC disposable pen.
Probably why they're seemingly the rarest Toyota to spot
The Tercels were lemons, one of the worst cars Toyota made they were junk. Everything was manual, the windows and door locks.
@@static_Tricolor_camrylack of accessories in 1994 yes, but they were not junk. Properly maintained ones hit 200K all the time back then. Now, the 1987 to 1989 cars were junk, and the variable venturi carbs were terrible. Probably why they were only in production for 3 years.
@@static_Tricolor_camry Manual windows & doors doesn't necessarily mean bad - my dad's 2011 Tacoma has manual windows and locks, same with my '94 Miata.
The Tercel feels less than a Corolla because it was less than a Corolla. It was the least expensive car offered in the U.S. by Toyota. The next step up was Corolla, then Camry then Cressida which became the Avalon later.
Zack, That Tercel wagon 0:32 is due for a comeback!! My neighbours still have a Tercel 5 speed sedan in their fleet and it continues to provide highly reliable service.
your neighbors are spendy. Most Tercels had the base 4 spd.
I sold these and worked on them in 1994. Great little cars. The vavle seals were a common issue, as was piston oil rings. If not watched closely, the engine would eat the 3.5 quarts of oil and wipe the rod bearings. This gen was also the first fuel injected Tercel when it came out in 1990. These things could be purchased from 90-94 without carpet (vinyl flooring), vinyl seats, no radio, no a/c, only a drivers side mirror, and non-power steering. This one being reveiwed is loaded lol. Btw, the Tercel's sportier brother, the Paseo, had a twin cam engine and was much more fun.
In 2000, I actually drove a friend’s 1994 Tercel 2-door that was exactly like that. The only time I ever drove without power steering - or a manual without a tachometer.
@@AllyMcLesbian yep. They could even come without a rear defroster if they did not have the "cold weather" package.
@@9ZERO6 I do believe my friend’s car lacked the rear defroster too.
@@AllyMcLesbianMy daily is a mid tier trim level 98 Sentra, 5 speed manaual....and still no tach!
So people weren't checking their oil levels? Figures. That said I wouldn't expect a Toyota to burn oil so early
In the Philly hoods these are around lowered wit rims big tail pipes and short shifters my Spanish folks love em along wit there 1.8 Corolla wagons from the 80s.
I would rather drive one of these than a Ford Aspire or a Chevy Spark.
The Mazda BP drops right into the aspire. And an Aspire or Fiesta with a BP is fun
I haven't seen that much of a bad rep for the Spark. It's tight inside and you can only fit 2 carry ons in the trunk. But its only sin was being a Daewoo designed product.
I'd take the extra safety and fuel economy over a Tercel, though
I’d rather take my Boxtype Lancer
Watching you on my smart tv! So wild it only had a 4-speed that late in the 80s-90s
The higher end (lol) models had 5 speed manual transmissions. The base ones had 4 speeds.
@@dave11686 even the 95-99 models came with 4 speeds also.
Nice video. The Toyota Tercel was my first car! My dad taught me how to drive stick, it had the 4 gear MT. My mom drove this car for 10 years and then I drove it as my daily for another 10 years! Excellent car with superb gas mileage. I didn't have any of the engine issues that were described in this video. The car was very reliable and would start in extremely cold weather too. I live in Alberta, Canada. 👍😃
Worst? These things will outlive the apocalypse next to sharks, crocodiles, and cockroaches. I love these cars because they’re plucky and just won’t die lol
Think again. My Mom got one new in the mid 80's and it didn't last even 10 years. So basic it's junk.
My fifth gen 99 sat for 6 years before I bought it put a battery in and it ran great it was on the road three weeks and I did a 5 hour road trip no problem
@@Jessecwebbyou never had a 5efe car mine has been great
I still see 5th gen Tercels across Bahrain, surprising considering other subcompact cars of it's age have long since been dead aside from the B14 Sunny.
@@Jessecwebb I think a car lasting 10 years speaks volumes lol did your mom do proper maintenance, were most of the miles driven on the highway or street, etc. Lot of factors to just say it died after 10years. Furthermore on a bell curve of tercels yours dying in 10years is such an outlier when compared to the rest of the tercels that still putter people on around the globe
I have 5 well-loved niche cars I've been emailing you about reviewing for a year and nothing yet you review something the owner didn't even clean for the video. It is cool though, nice to see these reviews of old cars.
Where are you located? I’m sure we can’t set something up if you’re close to Chicago, or if not I’ve been waiting to email you until I am in your area
I'm one of those odd people who still dailys a 95 tercel and while I personally love it i definitely understand why people didn't keep them. Noise insulation is nonexistent and my example didn't come with any creature comforts like power steering or air conditioning or even a radio. The engine also consumes oil. Despite this I love my tercel because I have never driven any car that makes me as happy to drive as this one. The lack of features creates an economy car that is much more engaging to drive than anything i have experienced with something more modern. When the car does break down its always easy to repair because of how much space you have to work with under the hood. I think the 5efe in my engine may be a little better than the one shown in this video because the issues with my car are pretty limited to the oil consumption and as long as I keep it topped off the engine feels strong. I will drive it into the ground with love :3
I daily a 99 transmission works perfectly the engine doesn't burn oil surprisingly it only leaks it but hey half a quart between oil changes I love mine and my other half said it's the car they want to get there license in because of the simplicity
In Puerto Rico you still see those Tercels once in a while.
More like on every corner with 20 inch rims 😂 Boricua here 🇵🇷
My uncle had it a dark grey 2door tercel when I was young
And like 2016-2017 my aunt had it the 4door but is green
Yeah, they are everywhere, I didn't know it was a Puerto Rican thing, I thought they were as common elsewhere
@@giovanninegron4992 Y Con el Voceteo encendido a to fuete😅😆
The Toyota Tercel. In the 80's and 90's, it was for those where a base Corolla is STILL too expensive. I wish car companies still sold cars like this in the US, but noooo. Every car being made for the US market now seems to have to "prove a point" or something instead of just being an honest point A to B transporter.
What about the Mitsu Mirage?
The reality is nobody wants true econo-boxes. Nobody wants a car that feels cheap, that’s why the subcompact segment is basically dead, since buying used is just as cheap and is a better value. These cars are from an era where used cars were definitely not as big of a market as they are now
@@richardepstein3494 Mirage's are amazing but thanks to idiotic people like Doug Demourmyass, they love cars with 2 seats and 123909120123HP because "OOOOO HEAR THE ENGINE PURRR AHHAHAHAHAH LOOK"
It's an amazing reliable car that is what a car SHOULD be. It just works, and Mitsubishi's are reliable especially those smaller engines and transmissions and shit. It's sad but people are speculating they'll discontinue it. Where I live (in the Gulf), they already removed the Mirage. They kept the Attrage however (which basically is a Mirage engine to my knowledge it just has a boot)
The economy they gave was unbelievable lol, as good as a good hybrid system almost. Only a PHEV can defeat it in economy almost.
@@hariranormal5584I saw an at the time brand new Mirage at the side of the road broken down so yea right as if your telling the truth how much does Mitsubishi pay you to say that?
@@richardepstein3494It’s being discontinued. So is the Nissan Versa. There won’t be anymore subcompacts sold new in the US.
My cousin owned a couple of these. They were both totaled by drunk drivers while parked in front of his house in Portland, several years apart. Knock on wood, his Pontiac Vibe hasn't suffered the same fate, at least not yet.
In my 19 years of ownership, my Vibe has been parked overnight on the street exactly once and that was by accident.
@@rightlanehog3151 Unfortunately, he doesn't have any off-street parking options at his house. I'm grateful to have a house with a garage that has enough room to park my car inside!
Loved the video. Don't know if anyone has told you the engine is not an inline, it is a transverse engine.
In high school, one of my friends had a Tercel. We called it the Turd-Cel, but we drove the wheels off that little car. Many many country cruises and trips 👌💨
I daily a 94 to work rn. My license plate says "TRD CEL" 😂
My Gramps has a 92 Tercel Sedan too had it since 93 and is still rocking 👌🏼
I owned a 97 Tercel and I loved that little car! Light weight no power steering and all analog and I loved it!
Had an '84 Tercel peppy manual hatchback for 19 years. She had plenty of room with the back seats down. In the end used oil so much that I could not keep up with it. She was still running well when I donated it.
These are the best cars ever made. Ive driven all sort of things from lifted trucks to 700hp suvs to old luxury saloons and NOTHING touches this car, the handling is soft and easy to slide, it takes abuse like a tank. And it gets insane mileage. I learned to drive in one and then it got passed between friends for years and st one point we just drove around WITHOUT A RADIATOR and it took it.
Masterpiece
Big Doubt. It's a cheap sh*tbix, not an AE86 Corolla or a CRX.
@@Jessecwebb these things blow anything with a D series out of the water, and they're much more fun to drive than anything rwd
@Jessecwebb youre just hating in every comment. Your mom either bought the 1 lemon of these cars that there was or didn't know how to take care of them. Mines got 200k miles and old as dirt and works great
@@samward2710Or how about you got the rare one thats still alive they were known to blow seals when new and drain large amounts of oil
@@toyotacorollaaltis8613 maybe you're right. Idk. Mine just burns oil at a manageable rate. Nothing crazy
Worst Toyota of the 90's? Still better than any American made junk.
how was McDonald's Super Size so popular when all these 90s cars has such tiny cupholders
Thank you Zack! Always a pleasure. Your the man!
My second car was a 1993 Toyota Tercel DX (Manual). It kept me on the road while my 1988 Mazda RX-7 SE was broken down in the garage.
worst 90s toyota was the cressida they all had headgasket problems and disappeared..
shitbox but a zippy one , never heard of any issues with the efi tercels.
That sucks. My grandma had an 89 Cressida, and I loved it. I didn't know about the head gasket issues.
The headgasket issue was not that common actually.
@@9ZERO6 true. As a matter of fact a cousin owned both a 94 Tercel 4 spd and then a 91 Cressida as hand me downs from my aunt.
When she sold the Tercel, the new owner (a family friend) had less than a year of trouble free use before the HG let go.
Same with a co-worker's Telcel of the same vintage.
Her Cressida never had issues, though. And she never received complaints from the person who purchased it from her.
@@engineer_alv how old were these Tercels when the HG Failed?
I saw this in the grocery store parking lot the other day 😂
Which store???? This is my car😂
A car. These Tercels don't pretend to be something they're not. It's transportation. It'll keep you dry and get you there in a reasonable amount of time. What more do you want?
Also cars that weren't that well made, so they didn't last especially long
@@Jessecwebbmines probably older then you 😭🤣
@@kameronmckinnon5527My W126 is older than your father so whats your point?
This was my first brand new Toyota. The 4 speed manual wasn't fast, just could go at 70 mph without revving much. Still, it was very reliable and so easy to maintain. Hurricane katrina flooded it. The engine still worked afterwards, but the insurance took it as a total. it was 160k miles at that moment and everything was running.
I had a ‘91 Tercel with a 4MT. I absolutely adored it! I gave it to my sister when she graduated from high school in ‘97. I would still drive one today if I could find one.
"Here we have the parking brake. It doesn't work, but here it is" 😂😂😂
My aunt had one of these Tercels. She replaced her Buick with it. Then replaced that with a Nissan Altima. Then after replaced it with a Corolla. I think the car she had the longest was the 02 Camry. 😊
What Buick model and year was her previous car?
@@gregorymalchuk272
I dont remember the name. Could have been the Regal. Not sure. I just remember the emblem being a Buick. But I remember vaguely as a kid, she was constantly fixing something on it. It never ran right. Might have been an early 80s Century. Even my dad did some work on it. It was a church car that my aunt got after graduating college in 1988. My grandparents were ministers and she was the youngest of the three.
Zack quickly turning into a Mopar guy.
Loving the Chrysler PT Cruiser and hating on a 90s Toyota 😂😂
My 1992 2-door 4-speed lasted through myself and two younger siblings through sequential college careers. At 160K, it was on the original clutch. One brake job done on the fronts at about 120K. The alternator bracket broke, but that was the only issue that I can recall. But at the end, the valve guide seals were leaking. Blue smoke and oil consumption were concerning enough that we donated it. I would have fixed it, but by that point I'd graduated to four doors, five speeds, and air conditioning...
Hello there, viewer from Saudi Arabia
I had a 98 Tercel, used it for more than 5 years with an overheating engine , drove it everywhere on road and off-road sometimes, great A/C , great fuel economy and very good reliable car overall
Thanks for great review 👍
The Tercel was a Golden Age Toyota. Surprised to hear about the engine.
I guess if there has to be a "worst" Toyota, this will serve in that role.
I think any car with the 2az Fe engine has already snatched up that spot pretty nicely. They got lawsuited for absolutely gulping down oil, not to mention that the head bolts thread themselves, coolant leaks and blown head gaskets are fairly common in these engines as well.
I’d take this over anything they make now just ugly trash thats not even cheap anymore
Turdcedes are one of toyotas all time greats, and it's successor the echo isn't half the car the turcel is.
I will not be taking questions. You can't change my mind
i had a 96 (the facelift with the stronger engine and a 4 speed auto) and it was probably the best car ive ever owned. much much better than the pre facelifts
true, also those last Gen Tercels could be had with a DOHC engine that solved most of the oil consumption and HG issues found in the 4th gens
Love that blue shift knob! 💙
I had 1992 JDM 3-door version. They were called Tercel, Corsa and corolla II there. Corolla II was only in 3-door body. Also Japan had no 2-door sedans.
What is interesting is that 3-doors had no common body elements with sedan, even the glass, headlights and rearlights were different and did not fit to sedan and vice-versa.
Engines were DOHC 16 valve injection 1.3 90-100hp 4E-FE and 1.5 100-115 hp 5E-F(H)E
Also JDM cars had 4WD option. My 3-door was SX 4WD trim. It had "sporty" saloon with bucket-like seats, tachometer, AC, 1.5 100hp, 4AT and 4WD.
It was a little bit slow on acceleration because of ancient 4AT and 4WD were a little heavy for 1.5 engine, but it couild easily go in dirt, snow and icy conditions. It could go sideways on snow like subarus ))
why does this car look more sturdily built than any cars today
I almost had one as my first car. Ended up with a used 1998 Ford Escort sedan, instead. Not sure I did much better.
I’d drive that all day long. You’re lucky if you can fit two people in a modern subcompact.
Fabulously awesome vehicle. They were everywhere back in the day. Even survived extinction. Great hand me down car. Tercel morphed into the Yaris...
Don't forget the Echo
@@engineer_alvThat is the Yaris just rebadged
MY MOTHER OWNED ONE BLUE 1993 150.000 MILES LASTED 24 YEARS MOM R.I.P 😮😮😮😮😮
The worst thing about the Turdsmell was it holding just a smidge less than 3 quarts of oil counting the filter and the best thing was one rolling in the door of the service dept needing a timing belt and it not having AC or power steering. Like a 10 minute job paying 3 hours.
Got a 1995 Tercel as my first car. Nearly a quarter million miles and it’s still going strong
I see a Shooting Cars video, I click LIKE. Then I watch it.
I’ve watched a lot of your videos, but I subscribed while watching THIS one. I love me some 1990’s Japanese cars!!!
Oh my god this brings me back my mom had that exact tercel as her first car we had it for 4 years unit the floor got rusted out but the engine was still working
My Mom got a new Tercel in the mid 1980's, her Dad bought her it without asking. She "drove it until it fell apart" which was only about 6 or 7 years, surprisingly short. For as much as the internet laudes Toyotas, it's easy to forget not all of them were winners. Actually, many of their Golden Era cars from the 80's & 90's were actually pretty junky tin cans. I had a 2001 Corolla, and it was pretty awful. Very small, didn't handle well, gas milage was good but not amazing, and it burned oil like most of them did.
there is a reason many people called them Turdcel
I was told the worst Toyota was the Cressida.
1994 with no A/C makes sense...
My 2023 Honda CRV with no A/C should be illegal 🥵
I had a 94 w a 4 speed, only car I’ve ever had that blew an engine, granted the previous owner “rebuilt” it just before me buying. That being said it drove itself onto the flatbed, and I daily drove it w a rod knock and burning 3 quarts of oil for a tank of gas
We had a 1995 toyota tercel, which was newly redsigned for the year. Great car and reliable. Only got rid of it because it was getting old and wanted something newer. This car's backseats are very tiny. Much smaller than the 2010 Honda civic we bought .
Ugh it was the econo model for Toyota if thats what you mean by worse. 95-98 was very reliable.
I have only seen two Tercels in the past decade and one was in a junkyard which is wild for a Toyota product
I love the big bottle fail test😅😅😅 that sound
Love the pool-ball shift knob. Adds some fun factor.
Parking brake doesn't work you say. And it was changed to a manual, that's not good, can easily roll.
Not if you leave it in gear
just make sure to point your tires towards the curb when parking
@@engineer_alv lol like there’s a curb everywhere we all park 🤣
@@Jonathan-bk3dq well if there's none I shouldn't need to tell you what to do. Just saying
@@engineer_alv um ok???
Hey I live in Indiana and I was wondering if you could get my mom's lifted excursion soon please
My father had a '90, I think he paid a whole 12 grand for it, if that. It outlasted my mother's POS '92 Saab 9000 that was almost three times the price of the Tercel. Dad sold it running like new a few years after the Saab was donated for scrap.
My father’s good friend of this era had a mint green one. It’s on my bucket list to find one, albeit probably towards the bottom of my list I do look occasionally. Same with white Ford Fiesta, “The egg”
Someone in my neighborhood is driving this generation green Tercel . It's rusty but it's running well.
I heard that previous generation Tercel was better car except for fuel and brake systems . Too bad Toyota abandoned selling subcompact cars in North America. We need them bad.
I think these were better lasting than the US Toyota Echo. I had a chance to buy with manual transmission but chose Camry with automatic transmission instead. Camry blew up in Wendy's drive thru. Bought Corrola and had a Civic. Corolla was an oil burner but auto transmission would not quit. Civic was flat out more sturdy but was a manual transmission. I have never been physically comfortable in a Toyota. Always have in the Honda's....🚗🚘
I'd love to have one of those Tercels!
A friend bought a White Hawk as her first new car. I thought she should have picked up a used car but, it was a great little car for her, never an issue. She loved the more sporty version of the car. Believe it had a DOHC 1.5 giving a bit more power over the SOHC base. The greatest issue with these cars is majority have spent ~30 years being a young person's 1st or 2nd car, parked outside, and maintenance deferred to pay rent.
true, this was also true for a lot of Neons, Escorts, Cavaliers, PT Cruisers and now with Altimas, Mitsubishis and Journeys. Those cars were/are the stereotype of tight budget, bad credit and deferred maintenance. I'm sure many of these would've survived more than they did with good maintenance, but they fell under the "it's bad because it was made by (insert your brand here)"
@@engineer_alv True for the cars listed. I'm in the South so cars tend to last decently well, not Arizona rust free but well. Majority of 20+ year old Civics and Accords are in one of 2 conditions perfect, or loads of aftermarket parts and dented up bodies.
@@lamarw9901In Trinidad we don’t have rust and there are plenty of old Nissans still going here mainly Sunny’s and Wingroads so I don’t get the “Nissan is bad” thing even the modern Sentras seem like good cars
These and the 5th gen Tercels are immortal. Worst Toyota my ass, sure if you're a dumb gen z that needs a 37 inch television for a radio in their car maybe.
😁😆You Tell 'Em!!!!!🤣
I'm Gen X and one of the favorite cars I've owned was an '88 Camary, that Tercel is 🗑
@@xp7575 78 born gen x here. I've had a few tercels. 84 89 92 and 97. And all were great in their categories. Now if you compare it with a camry(hope that's what you meant) then you're delusional.
Now tercel vs escort excel accent cavalier chevette yugo sentra(b11 b12) then.....
@@blue_lancer_esMy B13 is far nicer than your cheaper Corolla buddy don’t even start with that
@@toyotacorollaaltis8613 where did I say I have a corolla? Go back to bed.
JDM Tercels are even better being equipped w/more items.
The Tercel definitely isn’t the worst car of the 90’s tbh, I feel it’s a pretty underrated Toyota model and does deserve more recognition
the worst toyota of the 1990s>literally any car today
still more reliable than most modern cars.
Sealed beam headlights in the 90s 💀
Toyota didn't try to make the Tercel sporty in itself. Instead, they took a two-door, dressed it up a little to look the part, and called it the Paseo.
My 1999 Tercel was the best car I ever owned!
Worst? Ouch. It’s no Supra but it’s better than taking the bus… this was my first car (DX, 5spd, cloth seats, factory driver side mirror only and no radio or ac) and it got me through my tech college years, and mine despite being used and beat up it never broke 🥺
No A/C 😢 🥵
Air conditioning was a High End and Very expensive luxury item on many cars even into the 2000's. My dealership, O'Connor Ford of EverGreen Park, ILL next door to Chicago, wanted $1,200.00 US Dollars to install a/c on my then-new '91 Escort Pony. That was like Five car notes back then. What do you think this then-college-boy-on-a-budget said to that??
@@landonbenford8369 A/C was considered a luxury item back then because no matter what car you chose, if A/C was optional it would be around $1000. It wasn't worth it on economy cars because that would represent over 10% of the car's value. But take a $20K sedan, minivan or truck from back in the day and those $1000 were much easier to swallow, specially in monthly payments.
@@landonbenford8369You think any of that matters in my country either A/C or screw off and send it in the crusher you ever had to face 40 degrees Celsius every day
@@toyotacorollaaltis8613 Geez, where's All this hatred coming from? I'm not picking a fight. I'm just sayin'. Chicago summers ain't like San Diego. Our 1995 heat wave killed over 700. In three days. Including my cousin.
the bluetooth rear sills go hard
Owned a Tercel, live in the Northeast so the body rusted away before the engine had a chance to die.
The Tercel, the “I don’t really like my kid, but my wife told me to get them a brand new car for college” of cars
It's like a Corolla minus all the good parts of being a Corolla
Bullet-proof economy car. Simply built, so all you had to do was maintain them. No power, good fuel economy and great for delivery cars.
The tercel was way better looking than the Echo that replaced it, ewwwww
I wish I knew you were in Syracuse, I’m about an hour North of there and have over a dozen cars that you could film.
Send me an email! PradelReviews@gmail.com
I miss this class of vehicle. the extremely reliable tin can class.
The rear seats had a two oval head rest that i had never seen in a Tercel.
Mechanics refer to the Tercel as the turd-cel
It must suck to have an IQ of 90.
I'ma be thay guy and say there is no bad Toyota in the 90s....sure, boring...but pure reliability, a trait Toyota has now lost...even being not reliable for a Toyota...it is still reliable
when i was a kid my neighbor got one. i thought it was a nice car LMAO
Those headlights were only available on the base base trim.
4sp manual 1 side mirror coupe and even black bumpers. They never came in any sedans or automatics.
I came here to say exactly that. But since the owner swapped the transmission, the headlamp assemblies may have also been done. I'd expect that the DX/LX pretty lenses are more expensive (and less available) than the Base/EZ buckets that hold the sealed beam units.
@@ReverendJasper at least where I live the base buckets are rarer to find. They look cool though
"Turdcell" 😂
4 speed manual is fine in the city but your fuel economy would tank on the highway
Nope. My ‘91 4MT Tercel got 35-37 on the highway.
No way. These were great if not overpriced due to the dollar/yen ratio.
I had a teal coupe tercel 8 years ago my favorite car
Ur tripping these motors are extremly reliable. 1.5 non interferenfe motors. I have had 30 olus. No issues all over 300k. One w 490k. Still original shit
Yeah no disrespect but I can tell you have never own a tercel these things won't die i had one in Puerto Rico the mileage meter died over 200,000 and every day I would drive it for half an hour for 3 years. And if you ever been to Puerto Rico is mostly mountains ⛰️ these things will last forever.
I have a 99 Tercel with the second gen 5efe dis engine it's been perfect I also know a guy with over 700kkm on his I love how simple they are and they are cheap to keep going but those 3e engines I will agree were problematic
Also the Tercel community is pretty great too we all give tips on how to keep these old gems to keep them going
4 speed in 94? Every other maker was using 5 speeds by 89.
So that's a TurdCel?
The Yaris predecessor