Great car, could have been better.

Author's Rating:

Pros: 6-speed gear box, A boat load of options, Good fuel economy, Superior handling

Cons: Toyota could have pumped out more power from this engine, Price.

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
While not as powerful as I would like my sports car to be, the Toyota Celica GT-S does represent a good value.

Author's Review
First introduced in 2000, the current generation Celica was, and still is a very fun car to drive. With the Supra out of production in the U.S since 1998, Toyota relies on the Celica to be the flagship in their performance biased category.

For 2002 the Celica comes in 2 trim lines, the GT and the GT-S, while the GT comes with a 1.8 liter that pumps out an adequate 140 horse power, the GT-S (my test car's trim) comes standard with a 1.8 liter VVTL-i (Variable valve timing with lift and intelligence) that pumps out 180 horses at 7,600 RPM, and 130 lb-ft of torque at a very high 6,800 RPM. 180 horse power may not sound like a lot, but this car only weighs in at around 2,500 lbs, so the power to weight ratio is quite good. The GT-S comes standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, which really helps you get the best performance from this engine.

Slight performance gripes: Why not 210, or 220 horse power? If it was so hard for Toyota to get this amount of power from a 1.8 liter engine, they should have used a larger 4-cylinder, a turbo, supercharger, or a small displacement 6 cylinder. With an estimated 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds the Celica GT-S is not much faster, if not slower, than many sporty sedans. For the price of this car acceleration should be better.


Driving Impressions:

Off-the-line acceleration in the GT-S is relatively strong, especially for a car with such a small engine. While the engine does sound a bit distressed under hard acceleration, the GT-S moves quite quickly from a standing start with not a hint of torque steer. The 6-speed manual transmission shifts very well (a 4 speed automatic is optional). This 1.8 is a high revving engine, and the 6-speed mated to this engine allows for excellent gearing.

Handling in the GT-S is also excellent, and is probably this car's strongest attribute. On old highway 101 through the Avenue Of The Giants I really got to test this car's handling capabilities. The GT-S's sport tuned suspension is finely adjusted for sharp handling , and road holding is very impressive.

Cruising in the Celica GT-S at freeway speeds is not the best offering from this car, but the GT-S does an adequate job absorbing small bumps. Rattles, wind, engine, and road noise are kept to a minimum. Hills are taken very well, a down-shift from 6th gear to 5th will enable the Celica to tackle the steepest inclines.

Braking in the Celica GT-S is excellent. My test car came with standard 4 wheel disc brakes with optional 4 wheel ABS. This braking set-up assured very quick stops with no fade whatsoever. The Celica GT-S is not only a fun car to drive, but it is also quite economical with an EPA rating of 23/32 MPG of unleaded premium fuel.

The FWD Celica GT-S sits on a 102.4" wheelbase, and has an overall length of 170.4". Suspension consists of Macpherson struts all around, coil springs, front and rear anti rolls bars, and upper and lower control arms.


Interior Accommodation:

The interior of the Celica is very modern. From the dash to the optional leather bucket seats the Celica's cabin is made of quality materials. Ergonomics are good, everything is in reach of the driver. The drivers position is excellent despite some rear vision issues. The Celica GT-S also combines a sense of luxury and sport with all the standard and optional equipment. Standard are cup holders, alloy pedals, a digital clock, power everything, an 8 speaker cassette/CD sound system, cruise control, dual front and side air bags, Ac, and much more. WWW.Toyota.Com can give you all the info you need on standard equipment and more. My test Celica came with an optional leather wrapped steering wheel and power sunroof which I did not get to use due to weather conditions. The optional leather seats are very firm, but also comfortable, and offer excellent drivers side support adjustments. The 2002 Celica offers adequate room in the front, but like most sport coupes the rear is extremely cramped.


Exterior Innovation:

The Exterior of the 2002 Celica GT-S is aggressively sporty, and combines a good combination of sharp edged lines and curves. The long triangular front headlights compliment this theme. The front of the car sports a small hood scoop and fog lamps, and the comparatively modest rear of the GT-S comes with a spoiler and single exhaust. Although 16" alloy rims are an option, my test car came with the standard, yet attractive 15" alloy rims.

Price, Reliability, & Warranty:

While the base price of the GT-S starts at around $22,000, with all options this car can cost as much as $26,000. My test car had a sticker of 24,800, and it only came with a few options, such as 4 wheel ABS, power sunroof, leather seats, and a leather wrapped steering wheel. Reliability for the Celica since 2000 has been excellent, which is no surprise since it carries the Toyota nameplate. If anything does happen to your 2002 Celica GT-S it is backed by a 3 year, 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, and a 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Other cars to consider:


1. Honda Civic SI
2. Ford Focus SVT
3. Mitsubishi Eclipse
4. Dodge Neon R/T
5. 2003 Hyundai Tiburon http://www.epinions.com/content_64914296452 (My Review)
6. Subaru WRX
7. Ford Mustang
8. Acura RSX
9. VW Golf GTI
10. VW Beetle Turbo S


-Happy car shopping.