Our next feature is a Tercel DX, one of Toyota’s least glamorous but most honest little commuter cars from the “just keep changing the oil” era. The formula is simple: small four-cylinder, front-wheel drive, manual gearbox, light curb weight, basic interior, and almost nothing expensive enough to ruin your week. The 5-speed manual is the […]
The Toyota Tercel 4WD Wagon exists because Toyota once decided to build a car for people who wanted Corolla reliability, a manual transmission, and the ability to point it vaguely toward a dirt road without fear. Long before crossovers were a thing, these lifted, part-time four-wheel-drive econoboxes quietly earned a reputation for being unkillable, lightweight, […]
This next feature is a vintage 2nd-generation Toyota Tercel — proof that reliability and excitement don’t always overlap on a Venn diagram. This beige box is a time capsule from an era when Toyota’s design philosophy seemed to be “make it square and make it run forever.” It’s powered by a 1.5-liter four that heroically […]
I knew someone (well, still know her, truth be told) who an almost identical car and it was remarkable for being unremarkable aside from the happy yellow paint. The car was totally gutless, but reliable and got its passengers to/from destinations without fuss, fits, or air conditioning. Today’s example is technically the smaller Tercel subcompact […]
We continue our countdown of 12 econoboxes inspired by this 1992 vintage Car and Driver comparison article. The twelve sub $10k (when new) cars were ranked by an assortment of college kids, and this next one is number 4. It is the venerable Toyota Tercel, which was one of the cars that Toyota sold in […]
The last time I posted a Tercel, I made the mistake of calling it a Corolla…which CFlo caught and pointed it out. So this time I’m calling it a Turdcel, because even though this next car might have some wicked SR5 stripes on the side and louvers to die for…it’s got a seriously scuzzy headliner and a case of paint psoriasis that’ll take more than the potentially deadly ointment they are always trying to sell me in commercials (you know the one where the lady is running around in shorts and playing tennis and the calm doctorish voice warns you about fungal infections and travel from certain third world countries — are they reading my browser history, how do they target these ads on the TV so well??) Anyway…I wish this car was more of a survivor and less of an active patient. Find this 1982 Toyota Tercel SR5 offered for $2999 in Suwanee, GA.
I responded to the sight of this car with a visceral utterance that was something between an “uggg” and a “whoa”. What happened to the boxy lines of the 80s Corolla? Was it really necessary to turn it into a giant 4-wheeled suppository? Oh. This is a Tercel, which Toyota occasionally badged as the Corolla II and Windy. Find this 1992 Toyota Corolla Windy II offered for $4750 in Seattle, WA via craigslist. Tip from JB1025.
This next car comes as a tip from ME who writes; perhaps you can use this one on a slow day. Full stop. If this is what DT shows on a slow day…then I can’t imagine what we’d share on a fast day. This has everything you’d need in an analog world — manual brakes, manual steering, manual transmission, manual windows, manual headlights, manual ignition timing advance (okay, I made that last one up). All this thing needs is a set of stock wheels and a wingectomy to be perfect for your daily drive or your kid’s first car. Find this 1993 Toyota Tercel DX offered for $2900 in Staten Island, NY via craigslist.
“Cool” car guys aren’t supposed to admit that they like basic economy cars from yesteryear, but I’m not cool, so I guess I’ll just go out and admit that I do a double take when a clean Toyota Tercel rolls by and I’m a sucker for the hatchback version that hasn’t been hacked up by […]
What could be better than driving a high mile version of a classic Japanese coupe with a manual gearbox and some sweet 80s style? Yeah…getting that same car with low miles and in mint condition for peanuts. Find this 1989 Toyota Tercel offered for $5700 in South San Francisco, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. From […]