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2000 CelicaBasic engine in the GT was a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder, making 140 horsepower. For the GT-S, that engine incorporated Toyotas VVT-i...
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Basic engine in the GT was a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder, making 140 horsepower. For the GT-S, that engine incorporated Toyotas VVT-i variable-valve-timing system and developed 180 bhp. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard in the GT, but the GT-S got Celicas first 6-speed. Either model could have an optional 4-speed automatic transmission. The automatic in the GT-S included a provision for manual gear selection, using four steering-wheel buttons. Side-impact airbags for front seats were optional for the first time, along with antilock braking. Standard equipment included air conditioning, power mirrors, tilt steering, and a CD stereo. The GT-S could get 16-inch alloy wheels instead of steel 15-inchers, and could be fitted with leather upholstery. Both models could have an optional external-sliding power moonroof.
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119 Reviews from Epinions.com
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2000 Celica
Author's Review
I owned a 2000 Celica GTS for one year and traded that in for a 2001 Eclipse GT about 2 weeks ago and here is my comparison of the two cars. My Celica was a fully loaded automatic, whereas my Eclipse has all the comparable features but is a 5 speed. Hopefully my review will point out aspects of both cars that you might not find in just a test drive or might not even know to look for.
Interior: I got both cars with the leather interior. The Celica says it has leather seats but if you look closely, you'll notice that only the front seats are leather - the back seats are not. As far as I can tell, all the seats of the Eclipse are leather. The interior of the two cars are similar - with circular vents and all. I think the Eclipse as a whole has a much more luxurious interior look - I know other reviews have criticized how much plastic is used, but compared to a Celica, it looks much better. The only thing I don't like is the vents look cheap. The one glaring downside of the Celica's interior is the cheap plastic used for the door. Look closely - the plastic is also very easy to dent - just normal use of the seat belt hitting the door leaves dents.
Exterior: Both cars have a unique style that you either love or hate. Not much I can talk about - just look at them yourself.
Overall ride: The Eclipse has a much more luxury feeling in the overall ride. Other reviews have criticized how stiff the Eclipse suspension is, but I really like it, compared to the Celica, that is. In the Celica, you can feel every pebble you run over. The Celica is also very jerky when you accelerate - it makes the drive feel a little more fun in the sense that you feel like you are really driving a sports car!! The Eclipse is a lot more smooth. Taking everything into consideration, the Celica feels a lot more like a light japanese sports car that has a smaller engine but is fast due to its light weight. The Eclipse is more of a muscle car - with a V6 it can be a little more heavy but still have power.
Handling: I think the handling of the two vehicles are similar. They can both take really sharp turns well. The Celica's seats cradle your body a little better so you feel the turns even less. The Celica also has an awesome turning radius - it can make any u-turn - much better than the Eclipse can.
Audio System: My Eclipse has the Infinity 7 speaker system with the 4 cd changer - i absolutely love it. The 7 speakers are 2 tweeters in the front, a pair of front door and back door speakers, and a center speaker in the middle of the dash. The in-deck 4 cd changer is so convenient. The system sounds awesome - mids and highs are sharp, and the bass in the back resonates well, making it sound like there is actually a subwoofer in the back. It is a much better system overall than the celica's. The Celica GTS has an 8 speaker system. The tweeters in the front are mounted on the door while the back ones are built into the side speakers. The tweeters in the front look really cheesy on the door and are maybe half the size of the eclipse tweeters. The Celica sound system is nice but the major problem is that the cd player skips like crazy!! I have gone through 3 different stock cd players and they all have the same problem. I can buy a brand new cd out of the box and put it in and it will still skip. The Eclipse also have a display which shows a compass and the outside temperature that is part of the stereo. One thing to look out for with the Eclipse stereo, though, is it has one of those cool built in antennas that are in the back window somehow. I have noticed that (compared to the normal external antenna that the Celica has) the eclipse radio reception is absolutely terrible. Very local stations will turn out fuzzy for me.
Trunk space: Both cars are hatcbacks which really adds to the trunk space. I don't know what the official specs on the cars are, but the Eclipse trunk space seems a lot smaller than the Celica. With the seats down, I could fit anything into my celica trunk!! Even fit a 6 feet tall dresser. I put my bike in the back of both cars, and just from that, I can tell that the Eclipse has a trunk space that is maybe 6 inches shorter than the celica. Also, the way the back seats are designed to fold down, the total drunk space of the Eclipse is just a lot more narrow and not as high. The Celica trunk space was one of the things I loved about that car and miss in the Eclipse
Acceleration: Can't compare a V6 Eclipse with a 4 cylinder Celica. That's all I can say. The Eclipse red lines at 6200 rpm - I can be driving in third on the freeway and have it feel like fifth. The 200 hp engine with a V6 is incredibly powerful and fast. The Celica redlines a lot higher - 7800, i think. The automatic is good in that if you floor it, it will actually come very close to red lining.
Celica sports shifting: As I mentioned before, I had the automatic Celica with sports shifting. The sports shifting is great for people who do not know how to drive stick. The only thing about it is the buttons are positioned on the steering wheel which are hard to find sometimes in the middle of a turn. When the Celica is not in "manual" it tells you what gear it is in - i thought that was a pretty cool feature
Eclipse manual transmission: The Eclipse is one of the most forgiving manual transmission cars around. It is almost impossible to stall the car - as long as if your foot is resting on the gas, you can take your other foot off the clutch. You can also go at amazingly slow speeds (sub 5 mph) and still have it not stall. This is so nice considering how much traffic I drive in. Also, if you don't know how to drive stick and but want to get a stick eclipse, i would say go for it - it is so easy to learn. I think i drove stick for 5 hours before I got the car and have not had any problems.
Visibility: Others have complained about how the Eclipse spoiler is in the rear window. Yes, it is, it's just something you have to get used to. The Eclipse spoiler actually is a lot lower in the window than the Celica spoiler. Also, visibility in the Celica is kinda weird. If you actually turn your head and look left and right (as if changing lanes) it feels like there are huge blind spots that you can't see. however, the Celica side mirrors do an amazing job of basically eliminating all the blind spots. It just feels kinda weird at first when you actually turn your head to look out the side/back window, it feels like you can't see a thing. The Eclipse doesn't have this problem, but at the same time the eclipse side mirrors have a much bigger blind spot.
Gas mileage: The Eclipse, being a V6, uses noticeably more gas than the Celica, eventhough my Eclipse is a stick. Driving a similar commute with both cars and using similar gas, I get 24 miles per gallon on the Eclipse and 27 with the Celica.
Interior space: Though the Eclipse is a bigger car from the outside, it doesn't feel like the inside is any bigger. The Celica had more leg room in the back than its competitors (prelude, integra, etc) and more leg room than the eclipse. I think the Celica also had more back head room. The Celica's front seat was really low to the ground, which took a bit of getting use to but i really liked - makes you feel closer to the road. The steering wheel is a bit farther from your body, which i learned to like also. The drivers side of the Eclipse feels like the petals are really far away from you, so I end up having to sit a lot closer to the steering wheel which i don't exactly like.
Interior Comfort and Amenities: The Eclipse has lumbar support, but the seats are made in a way that you can't really use the head rest. The Celica seats are a lot more sports seat like, cuddling your body much better. The Celica's console has a nice compartment right above the stereo for random things like cellphones - very convenient. The eclipse, however, has a console between the front seats that has a cellphone charger and a place for the cord of your cellphone to go through - you kinda have to see it to understand. This is also very nice. It just seems like overall for the driver, the Eclipse has a lot more places like arm rests and makes the drive more comfortable. For the dials and buttons on the dash, though, i like the Celica better. The buttons on the radio are a lot bigger so you don't actually really have to look down and see what you are pressing, and the air conditioning is a lot more intuitive.
Overall: Both these cars definitely have their pros and cons. I bought both cars for almost exactly the same price (around $24500) but i think you get more car for the money with the Eclipse. I like the more luxurious feel of the Eclipse and the bigger engine, but at the same time the Eclipse is a bigger car. Really depends on what you are looking for. I would definitely recommend both cars. Even with its little quirks (I think I forgot to mention that the sunroof squeaks all the time) I loved my Celica while I had it but really wanted a V6 and a stick shift car. I am extremely satisfied with my Eclipse.
2000 Celica GTS vs 2001 Eclipse GT
| Author's Rating: |
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Pros: exterior look
Cons: skipping cd, squeaking sunroof
| Handling And Control: |
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I owned a 2000 Celica GTS for one year and traded that in for a 2001 Eclipse GT about 2 weeks ago and here is my comparison of the two cars. My Celica was a fully loaded automatic, whereas my Eclipse has all the comparable features but is a 5 speed. Hopefully my review will point out aspects of both cars that you might not find in just a test drive or might not even know to look for.
Interior: I got both cars with the leather interior. The Celica says it has leather seats but if you look closely, you'll notice that only the front seats are leather - the back seats are not. As far as I can tell, all the seats of the Eclipse are leather. The interior of the two cars are similar - with circular vents and all. I think the Eclipse as a whole has a much more luxurious interior look - I know other reviews have criticized how much plastic is used, but compared to a Celica, it looks much better. The only thing I don't like is the vents look cheap. The one glaring downside of the Celica's interior is the cheap plastic used for the door. Look closely - the plastic is also very easy to dent - just normal use of the seat belt hitting the door leaves dents.
Exterior: Both cars have a unique style that you either love or hate. Not much I can talk about - just look at them yourself.
Overall ride: The Eclipse has a much more luxury feeling in the overall ride. Other reviews have criticized how stiff the Eclipse suspension is, but I really like it, compared to the Celica, that is. In the Celica, you can feel every pebble you run over. The Celica is also very jerky when you accelerate - it makes the drive feel a little more fun in the sense that you feel like you are really driving a sports car!! The Eclipse is a lot more smooth. Taking everything into consideration, the Celica feels a lot more like a light japanese sports car that has a smaller engine but is fast due to its light weight. The Eclipse is more of a muscle car - with a V6 it can be a little more heavy but still have power.
Handling: I think the handling of the two vehicles are similar. They can both take really sharp turns well. The Celica's seats cradle your body a little better so you feel the turns even less. The Celica also has an awesome turning radius - it can make any u-turn - much better than the Eclipse can.
Audio System: My Eclipse has the Infinity 7 speaker system with the 4 cd changer - i absolutely love it. The 7 speakers are 2 tweeters in the front, a pair of front door and back door speakers, and a center speaker in the middle of the dash. The in-deck 4 cd changer is so convenient. The system sounds awesome - mids and highs are sharp, and the bass in the back resonates well, making it sound like there is actually a subwoofer in the back. It is a much better system overall than the celica's. The Celica GTS has an 8 speaker system. The tweeters in the front are mounted on the door while the back ones are built into the side speakers. The tweeters in the front look really cheesy on the door and are maybe half the size of the eclipse tweeters. The Celica sound system is nice but the major problem is that the cd player skips like crazy!! I have gone through 3 different stock cd players and they all have the same problem. I can buy a brand new cd out of the box and put it in and it will still skip. The Eclipse also have a display which shows a compass and the outside temperature that is part of the stereo. One thing to look out for with the Eclipse stereo, though, is it has one of those cool built in antennas that are in the back window somehow. I have noticed that (compared to the normal external antenna that the Celica has) the eclipse radio reception is absolutely terrible. Very local stations will turn out fuzzy for me.
Trunk space: Both cars are hatcbacks which really adds to the trunk space. I don't know what the official specs on the cars are, but the Eclipse trunk space seems a lot smaller than the Celica. With the seats down, I could fit anything into my celica trunk!! Even fit a 6 feet tall dresser. I put my bike in the back of both cars, and just from that, I can tell that the Eclipse has a trunk space that is maybe 6 inches shorter than the celica. Also, the way the back seats are designed to fold down, the total drunk space of the Eclipse is just a lot more narrow and not as high. The Celica trunk space was one of the things I loved about that car and miss in the Eclipse
Acceleration: Can't compare a V6 Eclipse with a 4 cylinder Celica. That's all I can say. The Eclipse red lines at 6200 rpm - I can be driving in third on the freeway and have it feel like fifth. The 200 hp engine with a V6 is incredibly powerful and fast. The Celica redlines a lot higher - 7800, i think. The automatic is good in that if you floor it, it will actually come very close to red lining.
Celica sports shifting: As I mentioned before, I had the automatic Celica with sports shifting. The sports shifting is great for people who do not know how to drive stick. The only thing about it is the buttons are positioned on the steering wheel which are hard to find sometimes in the middle of a turn. When the Celica is not in "manual" it tells you what gear it is in - i thought that was a pretty cool feature
Eclipse manual transmission: The Eclipse is one of the most forgiving manual transmission cars around. It is almost impossible to stall the car - as long as if your foot is resting on the gas, you can take your other foot off the clutch. You can also go at amazingly slow speeds (sub 5 mph) and still have it not stall. This is so nice considering how much traffic I drive in. Also, if you don't know how to drive stick and but want to get a stick eclipse, i would say go for it - it is so easy to learn. I think i drove stick for 5 hours before I got the car and have not had any problems.
Visibility: Others have complained about how the Eclipse spoiler is in the rear window. Yes, it is, it's just something you have to get used to. The Eclipse spoiler actually is a lot lower in the window than the Celica spoiler. Also, visibility in the Celica is kinda weird. If you actually turn your head and look left and right (as if changing lanes) it feels like there are huge blind spots that you can't see. however, the Celica side mirrors do an amazing job of basically eliminating all the blind spots. It just feels kinda weird at first when you actually turn your head to look out the side/back window, it feels like you can't see a thing. The Eclipse doesn't have this problem, but at the same time the eclipse side mirrors have a much bigger blind spot.
Gas mileage: The Eclipse, being a V6, uses noticeably more gas than the Celica, eventhough my Eclipse is a stick. Driving a similar commute with both cars and using similar gas, I get 24 miles per gallon on the Eclipse and 27 with the Celica.
Interior space: Though the Eclipse is a bigger car from the outside, it doesn't feel like the inside is any bigger. The Celica had more leg room in the back than its competitors (prelude, integra, etc) and more leg room than the eclipse. I think the Celica also had more back head room. The Celica's front seat was really low to the ground, which took a bit of getting use to but i really liked - makes you feel closer to the road. The steering wheel is a bit farther from your body, which i learned to like also. The drivers side of the Eclipse feels like the petals are really far away from you, so I end up having to sit a lot closer to the steering wheel which i don't exactly like.
Interior Comfort and Amenities: The Eclipse has lumbar support, but the seats are made in a way that you can't really use the head rest. The Celica seats are a lot more sports seat like, cuddling your body much better. The Celica's console has a nice compartment right above the stereo for random things like cellphones - very convenient. The eclipse, however, has a console between the front seats that has a cellphone charger and a place for the cord of your cellphone to go through - you kinda have to see it to understand. This is also very nice. It just seems like overall for the driver, the Eclipse has a lot more places like arm rests and makes the drive more comfortable. For the dials and buttons on the dash, though, i like the Celica better. The buttons on the radio are a lot bigger so you don't actually really have to look down and see what you are pressing, and the air conditioning is a lot more intuitive.
Overall: Both these cars definitely have their pros and cons. I bought both cars for almost exactly the same price (around $24500) but i think you get more car for the money with the Eclipse. I like the more luxurious feel of the Eclipse and the bigger engine, but at the same time the Eclipse is a bigger car. Really depends on what you are looking for. I would definitely recommend both cars. Even with its little quirks (I think I forgot to mention that the sunroof squeaks all the time) I loved my Celica while I had it but really wanted a V6 and a stick shift car. I am extremely satisfied with my Eclipse.
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